Slow down when docking!

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by sailordave

Breast line or Spring line?

Under sail use a stern breast stop; the breast line will not be 90 degrees. It may pull the stern in but not enough to hit. Then get a centre line tie on. Then worry about a bow breast line, move the stern breast line and then set the springs.

[eherlihy]

What I have learned in this first year of having my first boat on my first slip....

1. Everyone who boards the boat gets a primer on how to correctly use a cleat. Most people don't have a clue!
   • run the line under the rear horn of the cleat.
   • quickly wrap the line from the rear horn under the forward horn.
   • stand up and pull the line from under the forward horn toward you to STOP the boat. This way, you have leverage on the boat.
2. Have at least three fenders out on the side that you plan to tie up to BEFORE entering the fairway.
3. Feather the TRANSMISSION, in and out of forward while the engine is at idle while approaching the slip.
4. Never approach the dock any faster than you want to hit it.
5. I have to bring my 35' boat into it's 35' slip faster than I like in order to maintain steerage (about 1 knot).
6. Use the forward most fender on the side that you want to tie up as a "brake" - that is; I intentionally bump this forward fender when entering the slip in order to scrub off speed.
7. The only reason to jump from my boat is if you are swimming [That's a rule]. STEP off the boat to the dock, or you won't be sailing with me again.
8. I have a cleat on my Genoa track that I use to stop the boat. I position it slightly aft of midships to ensure that the boat will stop parallel to the pier.
9. While the able bodied crew person is stepping onto the pier, pop the transmission briefly into reverse, and blip the throttle to help stop the boat. Then throttle down, and put the transmission into forward, while the engine is at idle to hold the boat against the pier.
10. I step off the boat and attach the stern line.
11. Drinks all around!

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by eherlihy

What I have learned in this first year of having my first boat on my first slip....

Love it.

[jjablonowski]

Captain Ron\'s docking manuevers - YouTube

Capt. Ron knows how.

[WDS123]

Slow is Pro


many good comments here

[Barquito]

I moore just off the alleyway of the adjacent yacht club. Really amazes me how fast some big boats fly by going toward their slip. Probably faster than hull speed for my boat. My theory is that these guys are just getting in after the weekly race, and it just seems natural to be going as fast as possible.

[AdamLein]

I was also taught to always dock in neutral and use the transmission for occasional speed control.

From reading folks' posts, however, it seems that most places have a different dock setup from many of the marinas around here. Many docks, including mine, have no cleats or pilings, just a 4x4 "rail" running along the length of the dock, bolted in with a gap of about an inch between the dock and the rail. So all these brilliant spring line techniques are for naught.

I leave an after spring line permanently tied to this rail. The loop is on the boat end and the line is just long enough to reach from the end of the dock to my jib sheet winch or cleat. I drift into the slip in neutral, hop off from the shrouds as they pass the end of the dock, and put this line on the winch. It can be done singlehanded.

Fortunately, it's a small boat and I can manhandle it a bit if necessary. For a larger boat, I can see the wisdom of not getting off until the boat is stopped, but for that I'd like to see a system whereby I can easily grab a permanent dockline from the deck.

The other problem, of course, is docking at unfamiliar docks. When visiting a marina, I will often dock not in a slip but in some sort of temporary dock; often fuel docks or guest docks are easier to get into. Then I'll go check out the slip and maybe prep some dock lines for it. Still pretty stressful, though.

[L124C]

Originally Posted by eherlihy

What I have learned in this first year of having my first boat on my first slip....[*]Have at least three fenders out on the side that you plan to tie up to BEFORE entering the fairway.[*]Feather the TRANSMISSION, in and out of forward while the engine is at idle while approaching the slip.[*]Never approach the dock any faster than you want to hit it.[*]I have to bring my 35' boat into it's 35' slip faster than I like in order to maintain steerage (about 1 knot).[*]Use the forward most fender on the side that you want to tie up as a "brake" - that is; I intentionally bump this forward fender when entering the slip in order to scrub off speed.[*]The only reason to jump from my boat is if you are swimming [That's a rule]. STEP off the boat to the dock, or you won't be sailing with me again.[*]I have a cleat on my Genoa track that I use to stop the boat. I position it slightly aft of midships to ensure that the boat will stop parallel to the pier.[*]While the able bodied crew person is stepping onto the pier, pop the transmission briefly into reverse, and blip the throttle to help stop the boat. Then throttle down, and put the transmission into forward, while the engine is at idle to hold the boat against the pier.[*]I step off the boat and attach the stern line.[*]Drinks all around![/LIST]

What type of "35 foot" boat do you have that looses steerage entering the slip (full keel, fin keel, etc.)?
IMO, bumping fenders to scrub speed is bad form. It's hard on the hull (gel coat, paint, etc.) and fenders. In addition, fenders have tendency to ride up on the dock (which happens to be why my fenders are mounted to my dock, not hanging on the boat). In any case, if I had to intentionally hit the dock to slow down, I would certainly find another method. Perhaps you will discover it in year two.
Lastly, several people have emphasized stepping, not jumping off the boat. In fact, you mention having crew step off the boat while it is still moving. I once saw a lady do a face plant on a concrete dock, doing exactly this. Her "boat foot" caught the toe rail. I couldn't believe she had still all her teeth and didn't break her nose! She was very lucky.
In addition, if the boat has a lot of free board, it is impossible to "step off". You simply cannot have one foot on the boat, and one on the dock at the same time. If I'm leaving a moving boat (I know... many say don't do it), or a boat with a lot of free board, I want both feet on the dock at the same time. I squat and place a hand on the toe rail, then"hop" off. When I can no longer do this, I think it's time for a power boat.

[eherlihy]

35' Oday... Fin keel.

It may be bad form, but I'd rather intentionally bump a fender which is hanging over the side, than unintentionally bump the bow on the dock (which has also happened - usually when the able bodied crew person screws up while putting the lesson on cleating into practice). I haven't had a problem with gel, or fenders yet. You will also see the ferry between Martha's Vineyard and Woods Hole, or Orient Point, NY, and Groton, CT, do this as they pull in (except they usually don't have fenders out, and they "bump" a dolphin).

My deck is about 2' over the pier. This is a step (a big step). Call it "falling with style" if you want, but my point is that I do not want the crew jumping. Jumping implies forward movement over water between the pier and the boat. IMHO, it would be too easy for the jumper, or one of their appendages, to end up between the pier and the boat.

[Heinous]

Originally Posted by eherlihy

1. I have a cleat on my Genoa track that I use to stop the boat. I position it slightly aft of midships to ensure that the boat will stop parallel to the pier.

I have one of those and have been wondering what it's for. Maybe the previous owner put it there for that same reason.

I also agree with the slow approach. With my deep fin keel and huge rudder, I usually just coast in neutral from the point where I turn into my dock all the way into my slip (about halfway down the dock, maybe 150 feet) with great steerage, just a touch in reverse to stop a few feet short of all the way in, then I jump off and grab my dock lines. This varies depending on the crew available, but sometimes it's just me (or me and a girl who is more useful staying out of the way).