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How do you control engine throttle and gear

5K views 33 replies 17 participants last post by  simpsoned 
#1 ·
On my boat, the engine throttle and gear selector are located near the floor of the cockpit. When docking I need to adjust throttle and shift gear a lot. When I do this I have no visibility as I need to lean down into the cockpit to reach the lever. I could use my foot, but would not have good control and might crash into the dock. This is only a real issue when I come into the dock and need to shift to reverse and give it some throttle to stop the boat. Basically doing this blind.
How do you do it?
Regards
 
#4 · (Edited)
Yes, I have a tiller and no practical place to moung higher. If I did mount higher, the controls would get in the way during normal sailing, or may even get damaged. A wheel with the pedistal makes things easier for mounting, and for control.

Maybe just need to train dog to be the "throttle man".
 

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#6 ·
I also try to keep my speed very low. Problem I have is I normally have a 25 knot wind blowing me directly into my slip. I go in bow first and need to basically power into the slip using reverse to counter the 25 knot wind. The wind somtimes is also trying to blow me off the slip so I hit reverse to use prop walk to bring the boat up to the dock. With crew on board I would have little problem, but when single handed it can be difficult as once I get the boat stopped and against the dock, I need to get off quick to tie her down before the wind takes control.
 
#7 ·
The dog's paw blocks my view, but that control lever looks like the type that I used to have. Don't these have "snap disconnects" that allow you to pull the handles out of the base when they might be in the way of sailing? With that feature you should be able to have them mounted higher, right?
 
#8 ·
The control is for a yanmar 3gmd. It is the throttle/gear selector on one lever (fwd/neutral/reverse). My controls do not disconnect, but I understand there are newer types that have controls that disconnect or fold away- that would work better.
 
#9 ·
How about another very cheap and simple solution. What if you carry a 3 or 4 foot piece of pvc pipe that slips over the existing handle as an extension just to be used during docking? You may have to rotate the current mechanism so the draw and throw are upright. Take care and joy, Aythya crew
 
#10 ·
Mine is a single lever and I had the same worry when I first started sailing single handed.
Now I don,t even think about it, going in or alongside as slow as practicable seems the ticket. Having everthhing to hand helps.
Safe sailing.
 
#13 ·
One lever is nice. I have one for throttle and one for gear. I usually leave the throttle at idle and move in and out of forward/reverse as needed. I found that a slow, stable approach to the slip minimizes the need to "jockey the throttle".
 
#14 ·
This does not apply in all situations, but, when I want to pull up to my pin I throttle in reverese. While at the controls I watch over the side or transom at the water to see if I am still moving. I do have to take my eyes off the target for a few moments. Once stopped, I can pop it out of gear and go forward to grab the mooring.
 
#15 ·
My previous boat had the throttle and selector down low. As others have pointed out, slow and steady wins the race.

I did consider fashioning a longer, removable, handle extension to attach to the fwd/rev lever just for docking.

Being on a mooring, most of my docking is coming up alongside.

Getting into or out of a slip is something I do once or twice a year. It can be pretty nerve racking. Acting like a prairie dog while docking just ads to the mess. :)
 
#16 ·
This is exactly how I feel- a prairie dog- lol. I might try a piece of pvc pipe as an extension, even a 18 inch long piece would help a lot. I do like another poster said, look at the water to see how fast and relative motion of the boat, but that still is like driving a car by looking out a side window. I do go slow into the slip, but at times the wind will push me off and I back out and leave the slip and come around again. When this happens, the wind can blow the bow off and it would be nice to see what is happening while I am working engine controls. My slip is also basically a double slip with not even a piling between me and the boat next to me. So if the wind starts pushing the bow off, I can hit the boat next to me.
Thanks for all the advice.
 
#17 ·
Slow is most certainly Pro


A technique I found useful (depending on the cockpit layout):

Stand with tiller between legs, steer with legs, this allows hands to be free to manipulate throttle and lines. Generally, manuvering into a slip requires small steering inputs, so the leg method works fine.

I also find it easier to "Prairie Dog" while standing up.
 
#19 ·
I don't know how Schock expects you to stand and reach lever at same time. With that extension could be possible. Mine is even worse as mine is a T with a trigger that must. be engaged to shift between forward and reverse. I leave bumpers permanently on the dock side. If wind is bad coming in or leaving hang some off the boat on your slip mates side for a little extra peace of mind. No answer 4 me but that extension may work 4 u.
 
#20 ·
On my boat, I could not stand (steering with legs) and reach the engine levers- would still need to bend down and into the blind spot.
I also do the same with fenders, leave them tied to the dock and hang some extras. Have some on the boat on the side that may contact slip mate. So far have not had any issues with contacts, but had some close calls, getting better at docking, although want to be in full control of the boat and not to depend on the fenders. Leaving the dock I take the dock lines and pull to revese out to get some speed up and then jump on the boat and hit the reverse throttle and back out. Works well and in reverse, visability is not a problem as the transome is low.
 
#21 ·
Your controls are in the same spot as mine, although I have separate for shift and throttle, and I'm also using a tiller. Having said that, the PVC "extensions" work as expected if you choose to go that route. Plus, there's usually some scrap in the garage already laying around waiting to be put to use. I've also gone the "barefoot" route, but never got 100% comfortable as I was always afraid I'd get a leg cramp at just the wrong moment.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Your not going to like my answer Casey but I'm pretty sure it would solve the problem.

Sacrifice a few hours, preferably on a day with few people around. Bring someone with you that owes you a favor.

Leave the slip and come back in about 10 times.
Now if possible have your buddy do the same while you be crew.

After a few dozen training runs it will get so that you can have a drink in one hand, the tiller between your knees, your phone in your ear, while you pickup your glasses on the cockpit floor and still dock the boat.

After a relatively short time you will not have to stare at the approaching dock you will just know where your boat is.

I obviously don't know your docking situation and it may be worse than I've ever seen but if I had to guess it might be less about ergonomics than it is about practice.

Three things have helped me.
1. A spring line from just forward of the the center of the boat. Once this line is hooked on the dock if you put the boat in forward at idle it will hug the dock till you get the real lines set.
2. This is a weird thought but instead of thinking of steering the bow of the boat think about steering the mast. Try it it might help.
3. Remember from the cockpit it looks like you are on top of the dock when you are really a few feet away. It is amazing how close you can get at least from the perspective of the cockpit.

Most of us who sail for fun don't get to do tricky maneuvers very often. We are out for fun. The only solution sadly is to forget the fun for a few hours and treat it like a job and practice the &*& out of it till it is boring.

Reminds me of a student I had who was down on herself as she had trouble docking in a difficult slip and was comparing herself to a guy a few slips down. I got tired of giving her the same pep talk so finally I said lets go talk to Mr. Docking Expert. The conversation went something like this.
Me: Nice boat, have her long.
Expert: Ya we love it had her 35 years.
Me: Wow, been in the marina long.
Expert: No this is a new slip for us only been here 10 years but was in the one over there for over 20 years.
Me: Wow.

Needless to say I gave my student a hard time about comparing her docking skill to a guy who had been docking the same boat in the same slip for decades.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Docking with crew is a piece of cake, it's when I single hand that it is difficult. I have no pilings I can tie off to. The one at the end of the dock is a concrete piling and it is in the middle of the finger pier (floating dock). I can bring the boat up to the dock and have her stopped. But the wind will imediately start to move her away. It can take a 50 pound force (or more) on a line just to keep her in position to counter act the wind. What I do is bring the boat up to the pier stopped, then jump off and tie a temp spring line and then tie a temp stern line. Now the boat is good until I tie the permanent lines. When there is little or no wind I can easily dock even single handed, but typically there is a 25 knot wind that makes things difficult. when windy, I have one shot at getting the boat to the dock, because if I do not, the wind is blowing me off and blowing me into the slip next to me- like I said, there is no piling or pier between me and the other slip. Once I start to get blown off, without a bow thruster the only thing I can do is back out and start over. If I could see better that would make things a lot easier. Also, if I tie a spring line as you suggest and put the engine in forward, the boat's stern would swing out to starboard (especially since I usally have some wind component pushing the stern away also). I would need to put the boat in reverse (and use some prop walk) to do this, and I would not like to have the boat in gear when I jump off onto the dock (when singling handing). No doubt I need some more practice, just trying to reduce chance of impact until I get "good".
 
#24 ·
Can you get a picture of your slip setup?
It would help us visualize what is going on.

As you get better at this you will find that you will go through a couple transitions.
At first you will only be comfortable with crew.
After you get better at doing it yourself you will find that having crew makes you nervous and you prefer doing it yourself.

The place you put the spring line can be adjusted so it balances the boat.
I'm not sure it is highly recommend but on boats without a center cleat I have attached it to the rail if it is one of those rails with slots or to the base of a stanchion, usually amid ships somewhere works well.
If it is not placed properly the stern can indeed drift off. Placed properly with the wheel turned toward the dock it should work great.
This assumes your dock extends long enough which is why we could use pictures.

What boat do you have, length, width, engine etc?

Sounds like you have a challenging location.
 
#25 · (Edited)
Can you get a picture of your slip setup?
It would help us visualize what is going on.

As you get better at this you will find that you will go through a couple transitions.
At first you will only be comfortable with crew.
After you get better at doing it yourself you will find that having crew makes you nervous and you prefer doing it yourself.

The place you put the spring line can be adjusted so it balances the boat.
I'm not sure it is highly recommend but on boats without a center cleat I have attached it to the rail if it is one of those rails with slots or to the base of a stanchion, usually amid ships somewhere works well.
If it is not placed properly the stern can indeed drift off. Placed properly with the wheel turned toward the dock it should work great.
This assumes your dock extends long enough which is why we could use pictures.

What boat do you have, length, width, engine etc?

Sounds like you have a challenging location.
Attached is pic I took last Friday while I was trying to make some mainsail adjustments. This was taken in the morning with no wind. By late morning the trades pick up and generally are above 20 knots. The wind will be coming from the stern but will normally be a little off the port so it will be pushing the boat into the slip as well as off the dock I am trying to tie to. The most practical way to tie off is to bring the boat to a stop along the pier, step off and tie off. I normall rig a line that connects to a whinch and a tie point located at mid ship on my boat. With this line I can step onto the dock and control the boat with the stern and mid ship line. I can tie these off to dock cleats and the boat is fine with only these two lines attached. In the picture, my dockmates boat is out so I basically have a double wide slip- good for practice docking as nothing to hit. The other thing that casues docking trouble in what we call "surf beat". This harbor is man made using rock jetties and when there is a large north swell (most of winter) the surge in the harbor moves your boat around a lot when docking or even tied to the pier.
Boat is S&S 34 with 37 feet ovrall including self steer (10 foot beam). Engine is Yanmar 3gmd 20 hp.
 

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#26 ·
My dock set up also has a boat next to me with just one piling for the stern tie up. I ran a cable covered with a hose from the stern piling to the dock. With this set up if the wind pushes me toward my neighhor the cable prevents me from hitting him. My new boat has a bow thruster which make life very easy.
 
#27 ·
I would like to be able to run a line up the middle of the double slip, except there is not even a piling in the middle of the slips to tie to. I think the slips are set up this way so that a catamaran can use a the slip- although they would need to pay for two slips I believe.
 
#28 ·
Just a comment on boat speed while docking. I try to go as slow as possible. But what I have found is that when docking during high winds, boat speed (if not excessive) may be your friend. Once it was very windy and I tried docking the boat going very slow. What I found is that the wind then took control of my boat. Say (single handing) you are coming into a dock that you are going to tie to. Say a strong wind is headed directly at your beam and blowing you off the dock. If you go too slow while approaching the dock, the wind will have more control of your boat than you do and will push you away, as it pushes you away you attempt to steer more towards the dock, in an extreme case your bow will be pointing to the dock, but in this situation there is no way to safely get off your boat to tie off. If you come in with some speed, then hit reverse to stop the boat and maybe even use some prop walk to move your stern closer to the dock, you can step off a boat that is stopped and next to the dock. Agree it is not good to have speed while docking, but as I see it sometimes it is the only way.

Am I missing somthing?
 
#29 ·
No, you're entirely right. When wind or current is a factor, you're going to have to keep a certain amount of speed on in order to maintain steerage.

But going back to your docking setup, without a piling between the two slips, what keeps the boat off the finger pier? Just fenders?
 
#30 · (Edited)
Not, you're entirely right. When wind or current is a factor, you're going to have to keep a certain amount of speed on in order to maintain steerage.

But going back to your docking setup, without a piling between the two slips, what keeps the boat off the finger pier? Just fenders?
Correct, just fenders. Probably not the best set up but the only way. Here is a pick taken after docking- just a temporary set up until I get all lines (3 at bow, spring and stern line plus three fenders at the beam). When the swell comes in tie the boat so very little movement and at times she is bumping the fenders. Lucky I am on a floating dock. I also use the rubber shock absorbers on all dock lines to take the shock loads off. This pic shows dockmates 40 foot Nordic in.
 

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#31 ·
Seems to me if you tied off the stern first, with a large fender at mid-ship and engine in slow forward, the bow would be pushed toward port, keeping the ship snugged to the pier. However, not sure I like the idea of jumping off a boat with the engine running in gear.
 

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#32 · (Edited)
Normally I come in at about a 45 degree angle off the pier I tie to. If I come in at any less of an angle, the wind will push the boat away from the pier and the only choice I have then is to back out and try docking manuver again. If the boat is farther from the pier than what I can safely step off to, I must abandon the docking as I have now way to move boat closer to pier and I am then endager of hitting slipmates boat.

To tie off stern first and to have the boat in slow forward is of really no benefit and actually a danger. If I am on the pier able to tie the stern, I might as well tie the mid cleat and be done with it- the boat is now secure. to have the boat in gear and no one at the controls or on the boat is a big danger. Also, in this situation I now not only need to physically hold the wind loads on the boat, but also the prop loads. If somthing happens to me, the boat is in gear and might get spun around and head out of the dock. With no engine, worst thing that can happen is boat smacks the pier or slipmates boat, but after that she will stay in the slip and get banged around but not go anywhere (wind will keep pushing her into the slip).
 
#33 ·
I find I'm almost always better off with a midship spring first. It's on the end of the finger with an eye, ready to drop on the mid cleat as I approach at an angle and turning to use the inertia of 22 tons to come along side. Boat does NOT go where it is pointing but where its pivot point is going.The spring is already the correct length so boat stops graceful or not. And wind or current will determine which way I run for the next line.but usually get the stern to prevent it kicking out as spring comes taut. I'm 55 ' overall , all windage foreward so timing is everything. Practice makes it look easy.
 
#34 ·
I use my feet....and like others, do it barefoot...but the added thing is I have to back my boat into the slip...which is a whole new wrinkle...basically, take it slow, but be sure that you have enough headway to maintain control...and make sure your crew can leap tall buildings (or at least clear the gap between the boat and the dock).

Ed
Skipper, "Das Dawg Haus"
"I'm the skipper, when my wife lets me"
 
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