Docking OPs boats

QuickMick · #1 (**permalink**) 07-22-2011

Great sail on Wed. on my buddy's Hunter 32. great boat...more amenities then speed but that was fine... had a PYT with me in a bikini so no worries

. Anyway were headed in and Im at the helm. Parked her right on the line.... but came in a little hot. He calls for reverse, but I had killed the engine

No big deal... between the fender and a little bicep work all was fine.

But I did get to wondering.... how smart is it to dock as helmsman on OP's boats? Do you let other people park your boat? Park other peoples boats? Just would hate to see a wonderful day (and my wallet) spoiled....

deniseO30 · #2 (**permalink**) 07-22-2011

Killed the engine? eek

capttb · #3 (**permalink**) 07-22-2011

Just don't shut the engine down till the boat is stopped and a couple docklines tied up.
I've docked lots of OP boats but have NEVER had anyone volunteer to dock my boat, wonder what that's like. My slip is 11'10" wide and the boat's beam is 11'9", most people don't think I can get it in there.

QuickMick · #4 (**permalink**) 07-22-2011

yeah.... neutral is a great thing.... I thought we were home free.... and I was sorta distracted.... lol

Ulladh · #5 (**permalink**) 07-22-2011

Last week I let my daughters boyfriend dock the boat. Best way to suck up to the dad.

We where sailing the bay off Cape May, he was at helm and wanted to sail to the marina about a mile up a winding creek. We had 5 to 10kt breeze 90deg to the general direction of the creek, so I controlled the mainsheet to keep some wind in the mainsail and rolled in the headsail.

He had good control and we stayed in the middle of the creek. I have a slip at the marina entrance. OK lets dock under sail. Get some speed and just pass the entrance, do a sharp 90deg into the breeze and coast into the slip, nudge the dock, I step off and secure the dock lines. No rushing about, not loud voices.

This was his 3rd sail but just judging his boat control in the creek I was confident he could do it.

nolatom · #6 (**permalink**) 07-22-2011

I teach, so getting in and out of the slip is part of the lesson. I find that going in forward is pretty intuitive for the students (advice: "always approach the dock at the speed you would like to hit it..") but backing in is not. Though backing *out* is fairly intuitive.

In calm water, it's okay. With a breeze, tricky, I might do a 'show and tell' in those conditions.

BarryL · #7 (**permalink**) 07-22-2011

Hey,

I have other people dock my boat (or approach my mooring) all the time. Here's the way it typically goes:

me: "why don't you dock the boat" (this means just pulling up to the floating dock, no slips or anything)
them: "OK. What do I do?"
me: "Don't worry, I'll tell you"
then it's basically they hold the wheel, but I give them instructions. Like, aim at the corner of the dock. Throttle to idle, transmission to neutal, aim more to the right, transmission to forward, transmission to neutral, aim a little more right. transmission to reverse, trans to neutral. Nice job and well done.

I only do this if the weather is favorable.

It's usually a piece a cake and makes the person feel like they helped (which they did).

Barry