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What do you do every time you leave the dock.

5K views 39 replies 24 participants last post by  KB7EWA 
#1 ·
A definitive list would be great? I'll start.

Stow loose stuff below
Open raw water valve
Shut off sink
Shut off head
Set battery switch to 1
Check boarding ladder is up.
Check oil
Check coolent in resavoire
Store 110 dock electric cable.
Put trans in neutral
Set throutal to fast idle
Start engine
check water from muffler
check temp for about a minute.
Reduce to idle
Remove sail cover
Uncoil main sheet, jib sheets, traveler controls, roller furling line
Get out horn
Get boat hook ready
put radio by helm and turn on.
check tide and current
check weather
 
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#3 ·
pray that thecuban likes me that day and won't throw my azz overboard.
 
#5 ·
Open doors and hatches as needed.

Secure ice, cokes and rum inside, near door, there is no 'securing for sea' - I'm never not 'secure for sea'.

Make a Gosslings and Coke Zero, put it in the cupholder - sample frequently while doing the rest.

Turn on sailing instruments, Chart plotter, Music.

Secure/check dinghy, kayaks etc.

Remove the window cover from my front window (pilot house).

Drop drive leg, start motor, check exhaust,

Bump motor into forward/rev to check transmission engages.

If single handing, put on PFD.

Turn on IPod, broadcast music to cockpit.

Remove sail cover, stow inside, loosen lazy jacks, check mast/halyards etc..

Check all jib/screacher sheets and furling lines for clear run, no snags

Check wind/current direction and determine best way to clear dock.

Note that usually requires a cigarette and half a rum a coke.

Drop one centerboard 1/2 way if wind from the beam (improve tracking)

Single up all lines to dock (spring in particular).

Generally, drop in order aft port line, forward port line, forward stbd line, aft stbd line, spring line - depends on wind direction and strength. Usually I can walk around the boat in a circle without haste and do this. Boat sits in it's slip patiently, it's a well protected slip with low current from the stern/bow depending on tide

Bump motor to forward at idle and drift out of dock, when clear rev up and go.

If singlehanding, text wife to let her know I am outbound, est return time.
 
#22 ·
Open doors and hatches as needed.

Secure ice, cokes and rum inside, near door, there is no 'securing for sea' - I'm never not 'secure for sea'.

Make a Gosslings and Coke Zero, put it in the cupholder - sample frequently while doing the rest.

Turn on sailing instruments, Chart plotter, Music.

Secure/check dinghy, kayaks etc.

Remove the window cover from my front window (pilot house).

Drop drive leg, start motor, check exhaust,

Bump motor into forward/rev to check transmission engages.

If single handing, put on PFD.

Turn on IPod, broadcast music to cockpit.

Remove sail cover, stow inside, loosen lazy jacks, check mast/halyards etc..

Check all jib/screacher sheets and furling lines for clear run, no snags

Check wind/current direction and determine best way to clear dock.

Note that usually requires a cigarette and half a rum a coke.

Drop one centerboard 1/2 way if wind from the beam (improve tracking)

Single up all lines to dock (spring in particular).

Generally, drop in order aft port line, forward port line, forward stbd line, aft stbd line, spring line - depends on wind direction and strength. Usually I can walk around the boat in a circle without haste and do this. Boat sits in it's slip patiently, it's a well protected slip with low current from the stern/bow depending on tide

Bump motor to forward at idle and drift out of dock, when clear rev up and go.

If singlehanding, text wife to let her know I am outbound, est return time.
I want to sail a Gemini.

Now I want to sail on YOUR Gemini.

If I ever plan to be close I will PM you and ask, cuz the worst that could happen is you say NO.
 
#6 ·
Stow the coffee maker???

Is this a trick question??

I simply slip the lines and go sailing.
All the other stuff just seems natural.

Did anybody mention......... turn on the vhf, monitor first the weather than switch it over to 16.
 
#24 ·
zz4gta - From your avatar, I take it you are a fellow cruiser with symmetrical spinnaker. I wonder how many of us on this board dare to fly this type of spinnaker.

All I would add to the departure list is that I take my spinnaker pole from below and secure it on deck. Everything else I do from my laminated (it's actually cerebral) checklist has been mentioned.

Lastly, put away the training wheels folks! So many times I see people out sailing with their fenders dangling along side. Come on now, we aren't stink potters.
 
#9 ·
Really depends on the boat.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Pretty amazing the number of things that should be taken care of. For me I remember most of the time but find if my routine is interrupted, phone call, someone new on board I can miss stuff.
I wonder if making a list would be too annoying to follow?
 
#11 ·
Hello,

I put the cooler and day bag inside the cabin
turn the battery switches to both
turn the instruments, vhf, ignition on
start the engine and verify water coming out the exhaust
connect chartplotter / sonar / remote vhf mic
remove sail cover
raise mainsail (if singlehanding)
connect dingy to one mooring pennant
drop the other mooring pennant
motor / sail out of the harbor
when I leave the harbor I turn off the engine and may switch to the house battery bank (depending on how long I will be sailing, if it's day or night, and if I remember).

The engine raw water intake stays open b/c it's too hard to reach. I leave the head water closed and use fresh water (two 1/2 gallon jugs mixed with some blue stuff are kept in the head along with a 5 gallon water jug). The sink through hulls is left open.

I check the engine oil once a week or so. I usually need to add 1/2 a quart mid way through the season. Midway though the season I will a deck level rig check, check the steering gear, trans fluid, etc.

Barry
 
#15 ·
Being ex military and pilot, I am a firm believer in checklist, no matter how mundane they may seem. They will save you more than once from posting on "What is the stupidest things have you done!" . It might also save you and/or your guest and boat!. Make them, use them! Remember one thing, "Looking Good is a Full Time Job!" :D
 
#16 ·
get ready to cast off

walk down to boat, climb down below, notice how much cooler it is in the air conditioning, get cold drink, climb up out side, wipe steam off sunglasses so I can see, think how much cooler it is inside, go down below again, turn on TV and watch game, think about how easy this is and maybe to morrow I'll go sailing. In the mean time I like to even just hang out on the boat.
 
#23 ·
Pray...........
 
#25 ·
Vitesse473, yes I am a fellow cruiser and wannabe racer. I look at the sym kite as just another sail. If I'm going to be on a downwind point of sail for a greater amount of time than it takes me to rig the kite, then it goes up. Otherwise its not worth it. Sailing isn't for the lazy. :)

Mostly I just like the black and red colors... :D
 
#28 ·
The boss asked me that one day. I thought about it, and surprised myself with the list of things I came up with.

Island Breeze is a 56 footer with all of the toys. When we first moved into Coco Plum Yacht Club down in Miami, my Sport Fishing captain-colleagues turned their noses up at the 'Blow Boat' until I told them I had a main engine, generator, 3 air conditioners, reefer and freezer, ice maker, washing machine, water maker, microwave, gas stove and oven and most of the stuff they had, plus four electric winches, sails, a dive compressor, and about twice the number of instruments they had.

In any event, getting her ready for even a 'simple day sail' takes a while.

I start on deck, get the genoa and staysail sheets led back through their blocks and ready to use. If I was 'storm tied' with double dock lines, that's when I 'singled up' the lines, and usually removed one set of spring lines.

Next, I always topped the water tanks off. Since I was living aboard then, I used quite a bit of water. I routinely just used one tank, but it never hurt to top them off.

After that, it's check the fuel level in the day tank, oil in the engines and coolant level. Then I fire the generator, walk back topside and check the exhaust for water. Then I start the main engine and check the exhaust.

After that, it's down to the nav table to power the instruments up. Then back up to the cockpit for the helmsman's chart plotter and other instruments. I turn them on, wait for them to warm up, then make sure they all seem to be running. When it's ready, I fire the radar for a couple of sweeps to check it, then shut it down again.

Next, I engage the autopilot and make sure the wheel locks tight. That's all you can do sitting still. After that, I check the bow thruster. A quick squirt in each direction to make sure the contactors and switches are working.

After that I get the rest of the running rigging ready to use. THe mainsheet, outhaul for the roller furling main, the furling lines for both jibs are all brought in and flaked out so they'll run freely when it's time. Then all four electric winches get checked. Then the windlass gets check in both directions, and the anchor made ready for deployment. Finally I make sure the rudder moves easily from lock-to-lock. That pretty much covers the sailing part.

Down in the cabin, I make sure the coffee maker is stowed, since it is almost always out. I check the heads to make sure they're pumped dry, make sure all of the cabin doors are latched open, and that everything else is ready to go.

Overall, it takes about an hour, assuming nothing's decided to break since the last time I used it.

The boat is up in Baltimore now, and I'm not with her full time any more, and I think the boss has found out that you don't just walk on, start the engine and go. He tried that and found out that not having a routine is a bad idea. They were about to pull out of the slip when the generator shut down. The impellor gave up and the engine got warm. It's a fairly new Phasor genset, and it shut itself down long before damage could be done. I asked him about checking the exhaust for water, and got a rather dull look back. He'd forgotten that part.

Anyway, I'm working on a 'pre-flight check list' for him and for guests, since I'm not there to double check on everything. I have a hunch it'll be a long list.

Happy sailing,

Cap'n Gary :rolleyes:
S/V Island Breeze
 
#29 ·
I have distilled the comments down into a universal list:

Pre-Flight Checklist

Day sail:

Check oil
Check coolant
Check through hulls
Raw water
Heads
Sinks
Check battery switch
Check domestic water
Start Engine
Check cooling water flow
Check oil pressure
Check ammeter
Check Transmission (ahead/astern)
Remove sail covers
Rig sheets/reefing lines
Find winch handles
Turn radio on (check weather)
Check tides and currents
Check navigation gear
Check radar
Check below for gear sculling
Check dinghy painter/boarding ladder
Check power cable
Brief guests on safety items/departure plan
Put on PFD
Slip lines
Proceed

Overnight or after dark:

In addition to above:
Check navigation lights and working lights (compass)
Have flashlight handy
Lights on PFDs
Harnesses on
Have white flares handy

Leave a plan with someone ashore
 
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#30 ·
Plumper...Mind if i print that off and tape it to my binnacle?
 
#35 ·
Sorry, that is the Newf wannabe coming out in me.

Translated: Please help yourself to the list. My Pleasure.
 
#37 · (Edited)
OK here is my final list that I'm going to laminate on a card.
Last minute edits accepted untill 12PM

Leaving dock Checklist
Catalina 30
Out Side Prep

Stow Electric Extension
Remove Sail Cover
Clear Main Halyard
Adjust Traveler
Untie sheets and RF Line
Boarding Ladder Up
Horn Ready
Boat Hook Ready
VHF on 16 by Helm
Check Weather
Check Tide and Current


Inside Prep


Stow personal gear (Wallet etc)
Stow loose gear
Latch doors
Secure hatches
Open Raw Water
Check Anti-Freeze
Check Oil
Check Bilge
Sink Off
Head Pumped and Off
Battery to #1 (Starting)
Instruments On


Ready


Instructions to crew
Life Jackets
Start Engine
Check Exhaust
Check Transmission
Battery to (All)
Cast Off Lines
Retrieve Fenders


Harbor entrance


Stop engine
Throttle low, Transmission Reverse
Battery to #2


 
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