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Bow in or stern in at the dock?

20K views 32 replies 24 participants last post by  pinayreefer 
#1 ·
I've been reading various posts on this form and have watched people in the marina mooring their boats various ways. In essence, majority of boats are tied "bow in" and lesser number "stern in". I owned a 31 and now 38 ft sailboat and always tie "bow in". I have not even tried tying "stern in". Firstly, every boat including sailboats are much more maouverable coming "bow in" to the slip. The bow of the boat is much stronger should you misjudge and hit or ride up the dock which has never happened to me so far. i do not want to even try to think about the damage I can sustain should I misjudge and ride up the dock with my stern and damage the rudder in the process. When we are leaving the dock we are usually fresh and rested and a bit more difficult manouver to come out sternway should not be that hard to execute. On the other hand, when we are returning back to the slip after a day or several days of sailing, cruising etc, we are definitely more exhausted and need more focus on how do we "park" the boat. Finally, I fail to see the benefit of tying the boat "stern in". Can someone try and clarify it for me, why would someone do that in the first place.
:confused:
 
#2 ·
In part, it depends on your individual situation. Another factor can be ease of access or prevailing winds, tides or currents. Some would rather back in, than back out. Some like to be able to "watch" the dock, while others may prefer privacy. Mostly, it's just one's own preference.
 
#3 ·
I'd agree with PB re personal preference. I do generally speaking back in. Altho I have sailed in forwards a few weeks back. For me, backing in is somewhat easier than forward in/reverse out. As the back in works with the prop kick, back out, I am opposite of the prop kick! Also for what ever reason, I find loading backed in to be easier, or at least from the proverbial psych end of things it seems easier. backed in also faces the generally speaking south wind, altho in the summer a northwesterly is the more prevalent. That is usually a bit more on the side vs the higher winds out of the south in the winter on the nose/stern of the boat. backed in with the nose out is seems to make for a better ride in 40+ knot winds.

Going out when I solo is also easier to go out forward, backing in or forward in while solo, with practice, both have become a 6 and 1/2 dozen or another! Altho in HIGH winds ie 30+, backing out is easier solo, as the wind pushes me into the dock, vs a northerly, the bow moves to the east and into the boat next to me. Altho if I had a really long line from front to stern to pull in as I go out, this would help.......

So, take you pick as to which you want to do. If you have a walk thru stern, backing in may be better for loading etc. You then have side or stern access.

Really, its all personal, no right or wrong. Of course the person acros from me goes in bow first, but he is ALL wrong about the why and where for! LOL, now to see if mr dodenja catches my he is mooring incorrectly LOLOLOL

marty
 
#25 ·
Going out when I solo is also easier to go out forward, backing in or forward in while solo, with practice, both have become a 6 and 1/2 dozen or another! Altho in HIGH winds ie 30+, backing out is easier solo, as the wind pushes me into the dock, vs a northerly, the bow moves to the east and into the boat next to me. Altho if I had a really long line from front to stern to pull in as I go out, this would help.......
Not to highjack the thread, but do you really go out (undocking and docking singlehanded) in 30+? Or is it that the wind is blowing 30+ in open water, but because of shelter, the winds are much lower than that at the dock? If it really is 30+ at the dock, please, please explain how you do it. If you will share your knowledge, please be specific enough so those like me can learn how to do it without wrecking our boat, our neighbor's boats, and the pier. This is the one issue that has troubled me most after messing with sailboats for 40 years. Where I am, they just don't do it, but I hear and read that it is done in some places. If I knew the techniques, it would definitely expand the amount of sailing that I do.
 
#5 ·
It is easier to get gear and provisions on and off a stern tied boat, especially ones with an open transoms and twin or folding wheels.

You do lose privacy when stern tied.
 
#6 ·
A couple of things make stern-in docking problematic for my boat. First, my Cal 2-27 is actually about 26.5 feet LOA. But, that doesn't take the one to one and a half foot overhang of the pulpit into account. The slip is 25 feet long and I'm allowed a three foot overhang, or 28 feet from the very end of the slip to the very end of the boat (EVERYTHING included). Since my boat is just about 28 feet, including the pulpit, I would just be able to dock stern in and be legal. So, I would have to have the transom right up against the end of the slip to be legal. (When bow-in, the pulpit overhang is kosher, as long as the bow itself isn't over the edge of the dock.) However, even though the rudder on my boat isn't transom-hung, it still projects just slightly aft of the transom. This means that to be stern-in, I would probably want to leave at least a foot or two of room between the dock and the rudder, putting the bow/pulpit well beyond the three-foot overhang limit. And, apparently the harbor patrol DOES keep an eye out for such things.
 
#7 ·
It depends on the boat and the dock. Ease of boarding can be a factor, especially with fixed docks and/or short finger piers, as the boarding gates on most boats are somewhat aft of midships. Bow-in can mean climbing over the lifelines and down to the dock rather than having access to the boarding gate. Also, wind and current play a role. If your slip is downwind or down current, it can be advantageous to be tied stern-in, so that you can motor forward into that current when leaving the slip, providing more control than you would have by trying to build enough speed for steerage in reverse.

We have some boats on our dock that tie up bow-in, but over half prefer having the stern facing the dock, for their own various reasons. We always have the charter boats riding stern-in at the beginning of each charter, for boarding and so that the charterer can leave the slip by just motoring straight out in forward gear.
 
#8 ·
Bow In Here

We go bow in primarily because of the privacy.

People have a tendency to look down into cockpits as they walk the dock. With our stern facing away from the dock we can keep the cabin open all night without losing privacy. If we have a passenger who might have difficulty boarding we pull the boat forward enough to let down the lifelines then readjust the lines so the bowsprit doesn't bang against the dock.
 
#11 ·
My Contessa has a wind vane hung off the transom, a BBQ on the pushpit, and a transom/keel hung rudder; All of which make it advisable to dock bow-to.

However, there's another reason to go bow in; Not all boats back up predictably. I've only had my boat a very short while but I have yet to figure out her ways. She will turn, eventually, in the direction I want as I reverse but that happens in her time, not mine. Therefore, backing into a tight spot would be very difficult.

Other boats on which I sail have razor sharp handling in reverse and we back into the slip each night on race night.

The point being, outside of preference there is the physical ability of the boat design to manoeuvre in reverse.
 
#12 ·
The point being, outside of preference there is the physical ability of the boat design to manoeuvre in reverse.
If the shouts and expletives coming from the Island Packet skippers on the other side of our dock are any indication, those boats are hard to back in to a slip. A few owners did tell us that it's difficult for them and recently we and our neighbors watched an IP charter boat return and it was excruciating. They were determined to slam into every exposed bit of wood in the slip, then they gunned it forward and did it again. We've had our share of docking challenges but we do know how to use the throttle to move the boat not redesign the slip at full speed.
 
#17 ·
Re Backing in

Those that back in usually do it for the convenience. Depending on how much water you have at your dock also has a bearing. Neighbor backed her new H36 into her slip for the first year. Loved the ease of loading and unloading. On her haul out the following spring she was dismayed to find that mud/slime had rubbed all the ablative bottom paint off the bottom half of her rudder and she had a nice barnacle farm growing. Thankfully we have a soft bottom so physical damage was done.
 
#18 ·
privacy with bow in is worth the little extra effort when loading or off loading. but to do a 180 and bring her bow in after the loading is done is also an option!
 
#20 ·
We dock bow in in our current slip, it just works better for the angles and the neighbouring boat. Backing out is OK - we are tied to starboard, walk to port (minimally) so back out to port, stop and head down the fairway forward. The privacy is another issue.

However we've always owned boats that back well, and if in a tricky or new situation we traditionally would back in (esp when we had a folding prop) so we had reliable 'brakes'. Also the boat actually controlled just fine in reverse. I've seen other designs that would totally preclude that approach.

Now that we have a Max prop we've got good brakes whichever way we go in.. so it's mainly a decision based on the particular docking situation if we're away on a cruise. Whatever works is fine for us.

Otherwise puddin's rules are as good as any!
 
#21 ·
What is kind of funny about the bow in for privacy..... at a recent YC get together, granted about 80-90% PB's vs SB's, most are backed in, so one can get into the boat, see who is on the back deck, talk to them etc. So backing in could also be "more Friendly" if in a YC away from home port get together too!

In the end, as I think I alluded in my first post, no real right or wrong in reality, ALL the points given must be accounted for.

marty
 
#27 ·
What is kind of funny about the bow in for privacy..... at a recent YC get together, granted about 80-90% PB's vs SB's, most are backed in, so one can get into the boat, see who is on the back deck, talk to them etc. So backing in could also be "more Friendly" if in a YC away from home port get together too!

In the end, as I think I alluded in my first post, no real right or wrong in reality, ALL the points given must be accounted for.
marty
You're right, there's no right or wrong as far as privacy is concerned. Maneuverability and environmental issues are something else.

If I was in the situation you described above visiting a YC, we'd more than likely back in and party with the crowd. But our marina is very small with only about four seasonal slip holders (all in a row) on our dock who are there every weekend. The two 30-footers go stern in and we chat quite nicely across our cockpits. The larger sailboats in the next two slips back in (mostly because of ease of boarding) and we go visiting, chat on the dock over beer, etc. The configuration hasn't hindered us from making anchoring playdates and getting to know each other.

The Island Packet dealer uses our marina so the rest of the boats are charters or for sale (some for sale so long that I've never seen them leave the slip except for winter storage) and we get quite a few "dockwalkers" just looking. Because our dock is not gated, bow in is also a weak attempt at security.
 
#22 ·
Both my current and prior slips each required stern first docking. In the last, it was exposed to fetch, which the bow would split as opposed to the transom, which would just get slammed.

In the current situation, I'm in the middle of a long pier. Prop walk would pin me to the dock on departure, if I had brought her in bow first. I also have to get around a very beamy boat ahead of me to leave, so swinging out stern first on departure would be nearly impossible.

Truth is that all the docking in reverse has forced me to become reasonably comfortable with it. Now, if I am at a foreign marina and get to dock bow first, it seems like a breeze and the potential for stern first is just like home.
 
#24 ·
Both my current and prior slips each required stern first docking. In the last, it was exposed to fetch, which the bow would split as opposed to the transom, which would just get slammed.
yep - stern-in is the answer. I spend a lot of time in transient moorage on OPBs. Some of the boats suffer badly from transom slap.
 
#23 ·
Stern in for me. It is easier to hook a spring line single handed. Also easier to get out single handed. I also have partial finger pier, so it is easier to get on and off the boat with the stern in.
I have come in bow first when the cross wind is strong... I rely on the hefty rub rail to protect the boat once it stop in high cross winds until i can get her tied up.
Privacy is better stern in as i'm directly on back creek and more folks sail across my bow (a few even hit my boat) than ever walk down the docks.
 
#26 · (Edited)
With a wheel and inboard no problem backing in, winds favorable. With an outboard and tiller I wouldn't attempt it with mine. I have a 25 Searay powerboat, too and always back in. Big difference in maneuverability. I banged my outboard on a spile backing out of my well with my C&C 24 sailboat and since then don't trust the lack of power shifting from reverse.
 
#28 ·
I dock stern in. When our boat was launched by the marina after repairs, they put us bow in and my son and I had the devil of a time getting on and off the boat to prepare to motor to our current marina. Plus, my wife isn't very confident boarding the boat at the stern as it is: I am sure she would be even less confident trying to board near the bow.

Fortunately, our relatively small boat is pretty maneuverable in forward or reverse.
 
#29 ·
NCC,

The HARDER wind days are when it comes out of the north, then it is pretty direct at the boat equal to open water. When I have 30+ out of the south, I am sheltered to the south and east a slip by the covered area. Either way, much easier with another person or two.

By myself, yes twice at least it was blowing 30+ out of the north. Yes, the bow goes towards the boat to the SE of me and I have to run and release the rear line and hit the throttle forward and turn to the right/west to not hit the boat next to me. I also have one of the wider 30-32' slips in my marina at 15' or 30' total between the two piers. There are some that are 12.5' total 25. those slips would be way harder!

With this in mind, and what I learned if you will the two times I have done this............ NEXT TIME. I will use my "lock lines" basically 50' 3/8 lines with an 18" loop required to go thru the locks south of me into Lake washington from Puget sound. ANY long line would do! I would attach to the bow, pt a single wrap if that around a dock cleat, run it and hopefully me only walk per say to the back, release the rear line, and hold this line such that the bow will not go away from the dock into the boat next to me, as I go forward under power, I would then hopefully flip this line out of the way of the cleat, pull on to the boat away from the prop, turn west at the end of the pier and out to the main waterway north to the main entry, ie 180 from my slip, and into the main bay. The main goal for this line, is to operate I want to say as a reverse spring line. Not sure if this is the correct terminology.........best I can say and or type at this time.

Both days I only need fuel the 2nd time, a bit less than the first, about 35-30, when I did a better figure out how to do this. the first was 30-45 at times for a haul out over presidents day weekend locally. I'm in the water 24/7/365 for the most part, with haul outs every 2-3 yrs for paint etc.

Hopefully this strategy will work the next time I need to do this. The idea seems reasonably sound from others doing something similar in lighter winds. The south winds blow me into the finger pier, so not a big deal, in higher winds. North is the issue be it single handed or with my kids/race crew etc. as I get blown into the boat next to me. The dock, it will not be damaged, just my boat.......boat next to me we damage it and me, hence why the More NW to N winds are the worst.

Sorry about the couple of day later on the reply.

marty
 
#30 · (Edited)
Marty,

Thanks for your reply regarding slip departure in 30+ winds. Everyone's dock and wind/wave exposure is a bit different. With my own home slip, I believe, if necessary, using one of two different techniques, that I could get the boat underway singlehanded in such conditions provided I'm stern first into the slip...bow first in would be more problematic. One technique would use long bow lines (port and starboard), that can be lenghtened and released from the boat helm station, and power against these as they are gradually lengthened by paying out line from the helm station to allow the boat to move forward out of the slip while using rudder to keep the boat centered until out of the slip.
The other would be a long amidships spring line doubled on the windward outer piling, again handled as to length (gradually feed out line while keeping the line sufficiently snubbed on winch while allowing boat to move forward, simultaneous with spring line holding boat close to windward piling) and release from the helm station. Winches would definitely be used in either technique, and I have my boat set up for such a situation, including 2 75' float lines to avoid prop fouling.

But I would go only if absolute necessity, because, for me, at least, the real problem comes in getting back into the slip successfully without damage in choppy wave conditions and cross wind. (Under these conditions, I get one shot, without ability to abort if things go wrong due to configuration of the marina.)

How do/did you handle the docking under these high wind conditions singlehanded?
 
#31 ·
My primary reasons for backing in are loading and ease of loading arthritic guests (VERY important to me).

However, daily practice is also very handy when visiting unfamiliar locations; it keep your boat handling sharp. More than once I have been directed to a slip that did not fit only to find that an adverse current made retreat complicated. It's good to know how to slide her around against wind and current.
 
#32 ·
NCC,

I tried the outgo method the other day, worked well, considering it was only blowing about 5 knots!

Coming in so far, as not been as big a deal, but havining a long line in the front, that I can throw around the front cleat as I go past with the stern seems to help. I will usually get in the slip 1/2 to 3/4 of the way and get out, pull the boat the rest of the way in. Then again, I still have some strength to do this,ask me in 20 yrs if this still works!

Marty
 
#33 ·
Interesting discussion as I just docked for the first time at a public marina this past week, and went in stern-to. Why? My lifeline gate made it easier to board since the finger is short, our dock floats so not so much a privacy issue, and most importantly, the boat next to us goes in bow-to and has a 6' bowsprit that nearly extends across the pier. Really irritating! It seems friendlier this way, but we may rethink it later.
 
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