SailNet Community banner
  • SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Knapps Narrows Incident - Post Mortem

7K views 42 replies 22 participants last post by  smurphny 
#1 · (Edited)
I had planned to stay at Knapp's Narrows overnight in Tilghman Island for the first time over the weekend. The channel entrance is notoriously shallow and there is always a strong current. I had a nice and pleasant 6 hours sail up from Back Creek and navigated the narrow and shallow channel successfully. I had called the marina in advance and I was told I should dock at the first spot at their floating dock. When I arrived I noticed the first spot is not as big as I would have liked but thunderstorms were going through the area and I wanted to tie up ASAP. As I approached the dock, I noticed the dockhand was jumping up and down and gesturing things I couldn't understand. My engine is loud so I pointed to my radio but he didn't have one. Considering the current was swift and storms were going through, I decided that I would dock and tie up first and then I can discuss if I need to move the boat somewhere else. I got closer to the dock (going with the current and wind was pushing me toward the dock) I tossed my lines to the dockhand but he refused to pick them up and was continuing jump up and down. When I realized what was going on, I got back to the cockpit and tried to fight the current but my 35 years old yanmar 2QM15 doesn't have much oomph left and there was no way it could do much. There was a metal dredger with sharp edges at the end of the floating dock and wind and current was pushing me toward it. I narrowly missed it but unfortunately I now had grounded my boat about 30 feet away from the dock! I tried heeling the boat without success and kedging off didn't do much. After an hour of trying to set myself free, I had to declare defeat and call Boat Us. Meanwhile, the dockhand who didn't pick my lines, was shouting encouraging and helpful remarks from the shore: "Captain! Do something, you're in trouble!" was one of them. He shortly left. Later, we saw him drunk and shirtless in St. Michaels bothering restaurant patrons.

At the end, no one got hurt and the boat didn't sustain any damage but it was an ordeal nonetheless. I'm taking total responsibility for what happened. I should have had a backup plan and should not have solely trusted the dockhand. I would really like to know, what would be the best method of approaching the dock in this situation? I was thinking I should have pinched the bow against the dock and left the engine idling in forward while trying to tie up. Perhaps that would have countered the effect of wind and current somewhat. As embarrassing this was, I would still like to learn from it so any help and/or criticism would be greatly appreciated.

 
See less See more
1
#41 ·
All the other stuff aside; how long do you people need to have a boat before you learn where the cleats are and stop banging your toes on them?
Come on, people, get a grip and some situational awareness!
 
#42 ·
Thanks for the tip, but I believe I'm reasonably capable of sorting out the deck layouts of most boats I get on fairly quickly… These days, trust me, that's often easier said than done…

On my own boat, I'd really have to make a special effort to trip over my midship cleats. The measure I take with the chocks is more of a preventative one against the possibility of snagging a lazy sheet/guy, or a safety tether perhaps, and simply seems to me like a seamanlike and worthwhile precaution to take offshore… Lines or sheets will eventually get caught on virtually anything if given half the chance, and I just shake my head at the amount of crap that will easily do so on many cruising boats today, and how little attention is paid to keeping decks as clear as possible… As good an indication as any, I suppose, of how little sailing some folks out there actually do…

Always a tradeoff on the deck of a small boat, but I'll sometimes accept the addition of another tripping hazard in order to avoid a likely place for a sheet or control line to get hung up… The short yellow shock cord run to the lower lifeline is such an example, it's needed to inhibit my genoa sheets from catching underneath the corners of my tender stowed on the foredeck…

But, rest assured, when I leave the cockpit at night, I'm well aware of all the lines I might have lying on deck, and that I must step over both my boom brake control line, and that little shock cord up forward, well before I arrive at either… (grin)

 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top