[MedSailor]

I expect with the new boat, and the young kiddos (now 2.5 years and 6months) I'll be doing a lot of singlehanding. I expect to be singlehanding when voyaging, even if the family is aboard, as my wife will likely have her hands perpetually full with the kids. In addition, I expect to single hand often with semi-sailing or non-sailing friends or just by myself because I want to get out, and if the family isn't coming, my wife is likely staying home.

I backpack, and I solo backpack (without an EPIRB/PLB) so I understand the tenants of thinking things through ahead of time, staying in your comfort zone, and generally being okay without a safety net.

What I'd like to feel more comfortable with is docking. Almost all of my single handing on boats in the past was on a <10,000lb boat with <2ft of freeboard. What I have now is a >35,000lb boat and 3+feet of freeboard at the side gate, and 4+ feet of freeboard at the cockpit. I also have MUCH more knowledge and experience (and a bow thruster) BUT I'm not excited about jumping off the boat with a line or two and just man-handling the beast into the slip as I used to do. Ideally I would be able to stay near the helm and get her partially tied up before jumping off.

What is recommended? Boat hooks with bowline looped lines attached in some exotic (and patented) way? Jump off with lines in hand? Attach a hip line from the boat somehow and keep her in gear forward?

All suggestions are appreciated. For my home slip, where I would be departing and returning to, is one I own and has finger piers on both sides and is 15ft longer than my boat, and only 3ft wider than my boat, so is very forgiving. I can bounce off the (hopefully fendered sides) without consequence. Furthermore, because I own the slip I can add nearly anything I want to it. I can add more cleats, rings to snag, poles with lines ready to grab, fenders permanently affixed to the dock or anything else that would be useful.

MedSailor

 

[B.J. Porter]

I expect with the new boat, and the young kiddos (now 2.5 years and 6months) I'll be doing a lot of singlehanding. I expect to be singlehanding when voyaging, even if the family is aboard, as my wife will likely have her hands perpetually full with the kids. In addition, I expect to single hand often with semi-sailing or non-sailing friends or just by myself because I want to get out, and if the family isn't coming, my wife is likely staying home.

I backpack, and I solo backpack (without an EPIRB/PLB) so I understand the tenants of thinking things through ahead of time, staying in your comfort zone, and generally being okay without a safety net.

What I'd like to feel more comfortable with is docking. Almost all of my single handing on boats in the past was on a <10,000lb boat with <2ft of freeboard. What I have now is a >35,000lb boat and 3+feet of freeboard at the side gate, and 4+ feet of freeboard at the cockpit. I also have MUCH more knowledge and experience (and a bow thruster) BUT I'm not excited about jumping off the boat with a line or two and just man-handling the beast into the slip as I used to do. Ideally I would be able to stay near the helm and get her partially tied up before jumping off.

What is recommended? Boat hooks with bowline looped lines attached in some exotic (and patented) way? Jump off with lines in hand? Attach a hip line from the boat somehow and keep her in gear forward?

All suggestions are appreciated. For my home slip, where I would be departing and returning to, is one I own and has finger piers on both sides and is 15ft longer than my boat, and only 3ft wider than my boat, so is very forgiving. I can bounce off the (hopefully fendered sides) without consequence. Furthermore, because I own the slip I can add nearly anything I want to it. I can add more cleats, rings to snag, poles with lines ready to grab, fenders permanently affixed to the dock or anything else that would be useful.

MedSailor

Never jump off the boat! If you have to jump, you are doing it wrong.

I got a lot of practice docking my boats single handed; I was on a mooring at my club and needed to bring the boat into a slip or working dock for a lot of reasons frequently and was usually on my own.

Some tips -

- Get all your lines and fenders ready and out. You can flake the lines on the lifelines so you can grab them easily and pull them off without tangling or snagging.

- Take it SLOW. No, slower than that. Really, slower still.

- Learn how your prop walks and learn to use it.

- Get used to how the wind, tides and currents move your boats, missing those can turn an easy docking into a fiasco.

- Never turn down help on the dock

With your own dock you can really optimize the setup for your boat, e.g. have the aft spring set up on the dock rather than on the boat so you can grab it with a boat hook on the way in without leaving the boat; that would make the steps below a LOT easier. I'll tell you how I do it coming in to someplace when I don't have anything set up on the dock; I've never had my own slip to set up.

The basic technique I use is as follows. Most boats can be held on to a dock indefinitely by attaching a long stern spring to a cleat on the dock, turning the wheel hard away from the dock, and engaging the engine into forward at idle speed. The boat will sidle up to the dock and eventually settle onto the fenders into a good position with just this one line on and stay there until you run out of fuel.

We have had a midships cleat on our last few boats, which makes this very easy and you may have to work the spring a little differently if you don't have one.

Wind and current can and your boat specifics might affect the need for more throttle, but practice getting your boat held on the dock with just this one line.

So...with your fenders out and your lines flaked on the lifelines and ready to go (that is bow line, stern line, and at least an aft spring, preferably a forward spring):

1) Approach the dock slowly, preferably on the side that your prop walks too in reverse. This helps you snuggle closer to the dock as you slow the boat. As you get closer, slow down more. You should be going slowly enough and close enough to the dock that you feel comfortable stepping off the boat onto the dock, not jumping. Practice this approach numerous times if you can't get it.

2) When you are close to the dock and where you want to stop, put the boat in neutral (you should be barely moving forward, if at all, at this point). Grab the aft spring and step off the dock.

3) Secure the spring with your best estimate of about half your boat length, e.g. so the cleat your are tying to is close to your aft cleat.

4) Step back on the boat and get back to the helm.

5) Turn the wheel away from the dock all the way out.

6) Put the boat in forward.

7) Wait while the spring tightens. Don't let the boat go too fast, as you don't want to slam to a stop. If you are going to fast cut to neutral or reverse, you really only need the boat in forward once the spring is tight.

8) Let the prop put pressure on the aft spring with the boat in forward. The boat will sidle over to the dock, and settle into a pretty decent looking even docked position. It will stay in this position until you run out of fuel, kill the engine, or drop out of gear.

9) Step off the boat and attach the rest of the lines.

10) Get back on the boat, disengage forward and shut down.

Of course if this is your own slip you can have your lines on your dock, all attached to the cleats and the proper length to make it easy.

If it is windy you may want to grab a stern line or second line to give you something else to control the boat with; windy is advanced topics though and you should only try that one when you know you can do it on a calm day.

Practice is the only way. I was forced to do this by getting the boat in every Wednesday night for race prep before the crew got here, and later with the cruising boat I ended up having to move to a working dock at least once or twice a week to work on the boat.

With your own slip, it would be:

- Come in really slow
- Pick up the aft spring from the dock and put it on the midships cleat
- Turn the wheel and sidle the boat in.
- Connect the rest of the lines

You just need to make sure you leave the spring where you can reach it, and it stays where you left it!

 

[capecodda]

Great answer above.

I'd add that the bow thruster can be very helpful. Don't have one now, but when we had a 52 that weighed over 50,000 lbs, it was very helpful. One last thrust in either direction to move the bow before you step out of the cockpit to grab that spring can make up for a multititude of problems. Another bow truster trick is backing in. Center the wheel and use the thruster like your rudder. Works pretty nice, in most conditions; however, beware that in strong winds and currents, most bow thrusters can be overwhelmed.

Generally, you are in a weight class now were you don't want to try and muscle anything, brain not brawn.

Mess with the spring as suggested. Try loosening everything else and going in gear and see what the boat does before you even leave the dock. Depending on where your midships cleat is, the bow or stern might come in, or it might sit pretty....turn the wheel see what happens in slow forward to find the balance point.

My neighbor hangs his aft spring on a piling with a little swing away extension arm, and grabs it as he goes by slowly, attaching mid ships.

And of course, abandon the sauna for the final approach

 

[Sailormon6]

Lots of good advice. I'm a KISS advocate. My own slip is rigged with a sissy line on both sides. They are just taut enough to eliminate any appreciable sag in the lines, and they are high enough so that they normally touch below the gunwale. I also leave a short line attached to the finger pier, on my port side, and I have an old fender attached permanently to the finger pier to protect my boat from rubbing against it. I back into the slip, stop the boat at the finger pier and attach the line from the finger pier to the jib sheet cleat on the gunwale. The old fender protects the hull from rubbing against the finger pier. At this point, about 2' of the bow of the boat will still be sticking out of the forward dock pilings, and the rub rail might come to rest gently against the leeward dock piling. The short breast line keeps the boat from moving forward or aft. The leeward sissy line keeps the boat from drifting to leeward into the boat in the next slip. Also, when the rub rail on the bow comes to rest against the dock piling, it also keeps the boat from drifting down onto my neighbor's boat. At that point, my boat is under control. There's nowhere it can go. I can then shut down the engine and walk to the bow at my leisure and attach the bow lines and spring line, and then to the stern to attach the stern lines. There's no need to step off the boat until I'm ready to attach the stern lines.

Don't be afraid of the big boat. IMO, a big boat is easier to dock than a little boat, because the wind doesn't affect it as much as a small boat.

The key is to develop a plan, and set up your slip so that you can get the fore and aft movement of the boat under control without having to leave the cockpit. For me, the short breast line does that nicely. After it is under control, you can take your time to attach the rest of the lines.

 

[Minnewaska]

I met Capt Jack at the Annapolis Sailboat show about 6 or so years ago. He was showing everyone how to properly throw a line to grab a cleat or bollard or anything. I bought his vids just to support him and remember watching them at home and thought the methods were great. Here's a link. Get the singlehanded vid. Not the best production quality, but the point is excellent.

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/captjackseries

Here's another tip, I don't recall from the vid. The spring line concept is universal, it's just a matter of how it will be setup on your dock. If you are leaving lines at your slip, make the spring line you want handed to you first in a different color from all the rest. This way, you can tell any volunteer on the dock to hand you the "red" line. You don't have to point or try to describe which one you want. Invariably, dock help makes up what to do and can make things worse. This method is fool proof.

 

[SVAuspicious]

I expect with the new boat, and the young kiddos (now 2.5 years and 6months) I'll be doing a lot of singlehanding.

Boat kids are the best kids I have encountered. You can't reason with a 6 month old and a 2.5 year old is a stretch, but you can feed and entertain them with timing to have help getting off and on the dock.

What I have now is a >35,000lb boat and 3+feet of freeboard at the side gate, and 4+ feet of freeboard at the cockpit. I also have MUCH more knowledge and experience (and a bow thruster) BUT I'm not excited about jumping off the boat with a line or two and just man-handling the beast into the slip as I used to do. Ideally I would be able to stay near the helm and get her partially tied up before jumping off.

B.J. provides very good advice. I differ on only one point: I never trust anyone on the dock. You might be fortunate enough to encounter someone like me or B.J. but more often than not the person on the dock is some yahoo who will pull your bow in and swing your stern into a neighboring boat.

I firmly DO agree with B.J. about jumping off the boat. In my opinion not jumping off the boat at the dock is right up there with only stepping up into life rafts. Even in a transient slip completely unknown I don't step off the boat until the boat is secure -- it may not be tied up finally but it isn't going anywhere.

With respect to resources I recommend the DVDs and other materials by Jack Klang (easy Google). Most of what he offers is not unique to him but his style is easy to understand and his method for getting a line over a piling from the deck of your boat is brilliant. I'm sure he "borrowed" the technique from someone else, just as I borrowed it from him in 2005. See

for a sample.

 

[RichH]

Some suggestions:
1. Install 'hangars' on the pilings, so that when arriving the docklines are coiled and easily reachable without getting off the boat. The docklines are 'permanently' attached to the piles; for slips on floating docks the docklines are coiled so that the terminal end remains 'proud' for easy pick up with a boat pole.
1a. Have all docklines 'premarked' (usually to the horn of the cleat youre using) so you dont have to waste time 'thinking'.
2. Install metal rub rails on the boat ... no need to constantly install/remove/install 'fenders'.
3. When in the slip, tie the boat from amidships, first. The amidships lines are the last to be let go when exiting.
4. 'Really' learn how 'back and fill' (aka: pivot turns) to accommodate and USE 'prop walk'. With rub-rails, lay the boat ON a piling and 'gently' use backing & filling to turn the boat using the piling as a 'fulcrum' for turning. Practice backing and filling so that you can do a 360° turn - all within "a boat-length and a quarter" ... and in both directions; practice until you 'can' do this. (With a RH prop) learn how to turn a boat to stb when going forward by backing down in reverse!
5. Sissy lines. Use snap shackles (or caribiners) on tethers to easily attach the boat to the sissy lines on those blowing-stink days. Method: when entering the slip stern-to and without leaving the cockpit, attach the tether to the sissy line and let the tether steer you in during a cross wind ... any mistakes are taken-up by the shackles/caribiners sliding along the 'taught' sissy lines.
IMO- When single handing its always better to enter a slip stern-to ... all the things you will 'hit' will be closer to the cockpit where you are.
6. Alway enter a slip in accordance to the 'preference' of your boats 'prop walk' .... if RH prop, 'start' the entry at a ~45° angle to the CL of the slip and the outer 'turning' piling for the rub rails to port; AVOID entering the slip on the 'weak' side' of prop walk (a boat with a RH prop entering a slip to starboard .... dont do it, always to portside, only). Instead of entering on the 'wrong side'; if you can do a 180 in the fairway do and and enter via the 'strong' side of the prop-walk (usually to portside w/ RH prop). Use the outer pilings to help turn the boat (with prop walk, but do it gently so you dont break the piling off) and USE the rub rails.
7. Keep it KISS, and neat, so you dont waste time 'futzing' around with dropped lines, untying tangles .... and then crashing. If possible permanently tie up the docklines TO the dock/pilings; keep another full set onboard for when 'traveling'.

As others have already posted, DO NOT 'trust' anyone on the dock to 'help' you. Set up for ALL landings to be done by yourself.

hope this helps

 

[SVAuspicious]

I'd add that the bow thruster can be very helpful.

I'm not a fan of bow thrusters. In the wind and current conditions in which they work you don't really need them. By the time you need them they aren't powerful enough AND you won't have had the practice maneuvering without them. Net net I think they are a poor choice. YMMV.

 

[JonEisberg]

Mess with the spring as suggested. Try loosening everything else and going in gear and see what the boat does before you even leave the dock. Depending on where your midships cleat is, the bow or stern might come in, or it might sit pretty....turn the wheel see what happens in slow forward to find the balance point.

The placement of the midships cleat is the key to everything, in my opinion. One of my biggest gripes is how little attention is given by boatbuilders to this, most just place one midway between bow and stern, or at the point of the maximum beam, and call it good. Invariably, this results in it being too far forward for effective use as a spring attachment point, and it will pull the bow in... On most boats, the attachment point that will allow the boat to be drawn in parallel to the dock, with the rudder centered, is usually back close to Station 7... Figure out where this pivot point is on your boat, and lead the spring from there using a snatch block or other fairlead on the rail. On many boats, even a short spring run from a cockpit winch will work far better than poorly placed midships cleat...

I'd only disagree with one point of BJ's, regarding accepting 'help' from those on dock... Unless you know who's gonna be lending assistance, I try to avoid relying on it unless it's absolutely necessary, too often these willing helpers just don't have a clue... And, never, EVER pass a bowline to someone on the dock first, it's a virtual guarantee that whoever grabs it will immediately pull the bow in sharply towards the dock, and then it's all downhill from there Bowlines first is often the way to go with twin screw powerboats, but with sailboats, it's almost always a mistake in anything but the tamest of situations...

And, whenever anyone on the dock gives you a hand, don't forget to double-check all the lines and how they've been secured after you're done, there's always a strong probability that they will have to be re-secured in a proper fashion...

 

[RichH]

I like to tie up first from a midship cleat to the dock .... on a SHORT line to control the boat. Once fully tied up that 'short line' is removed.
Of course one sometimes needs to 'snub' or 'spring in' on a bow or stern line from amidships; but, thats not what Im referring to. Holding the boat CLOSE to a dock on a short midship line will control both the bow and the stern (and the tide isnt going to come up THAT fast requiring long spring lines, when docking).

 

[tempest]

Med, It sounds like you have a pretty ideal situation. Just for clarification: are the " finger piers" on either side 15 ft longer than your boat? In other words full docks on both sides?

Or do you have a combination of outer poles and short finger piers?

 

[SailingJackson]

I'd agree that the primary solution is the aft spring, picking up a line left for that purpose, which you left behind hanging on a dock hanger. There remains the problem of what you do if, in the crucial 5 seconds, you miss getting the spring. The problem also exists if you're coming into a transient dock and you don't have a chance to jump off the boat, get that line on a cleat, then get back on board and manage power and rudder to utilize it.

I've fitted my bow thruster with a remote and find that combination very useful. As the boat comes to a stop I hop off the boat and fit an aft line. With the aft line attached I can casually walk forward and bring the bow toward me as I'm standing on dock. I've done this in 18 knot cross winds with no risk of drifting off to the neighbor boat in a shared slip. It's the only way I've found that works well when there are difficult docking conditions and no opportunity to rig docking lines before leaving the slip.

I've been thinking of getting some floating docking lines to help on difficult solo docking situations. If things go wrong during the docking and, in all the commotion, you end up with a dock line in either the thruster or the prop, then you are truly SOL. Never leave a boat moored with floating lines. They are generally weaker and will not stand up to abrasion or sunlight, but they are handing for the docking event.

GJ

 

[IStream]

Just a few things to add based on my experience with a 50', 40,000 lb boat:

1. BJ's point about slow, slow, slow is a good one. I generally dock at a forward speed of less than 1 kt. A big boat has a lot more momentum than you may be used to and will continue to plow forward long after smaller boats have stopped. One thing I did when I first got my big boat was to drive around the marina on a calm day at various speeds and cut the throttle to see how far she'd drift before coming to a stop. I was amazed.

2. If dock "help" is available, always have them handle the mid-ship line. There's only so much harm they can do with that one. I always ask them to make it fast right to the aft dock cleat immediately. Once it's fast, you can use it as BJ describes even if the length is wrong.

3. The boat will *always* win. You can't muscle it. You think pushing your car is hard? Your boat weighs 10-15 times more. The only forces you can use are your dock line tension, prop (forward, back, and walk), thruster, and windage/current. The upshot is that the most important thing in docking a big boat is to be within stepping/lassoing distance of the dock. One you've got that mid-ship line fast to the aft cleat, all else follows (arresting forward motion, arresting pivot, etc).

4. Once you've got the basics down, try to save the thruster for blustery days only. It's good to know how to dock without it at least under calm conditions so you won't be up a creek if it fails on you.

4. Swallow your pride and go around (and around and around) if things go pear shaped on you. Better to get a clean approach than to over-commit to one that'll get you in trouble.

 

[MedSailor]

Excellent points so far! Thanks everyone. In the debate about dock help I have had enough bad experiences that I generally distrust anyone on the dock unless I know them or they look REALLY salty. "Thanks but we're practicing" is an excellent way to politely refuse help without offense. Though I do like the idea of handing off the midships line. It is less dangerous than the bow line or stern.

I hadn't considered backing in.... Franky I feel very comfortable with docking in general, but backing into a slip is something I'm a little nervous about. Guess that means I need to fender up and do it for practice.

To clarify my slip does have finger docks on either side of the boat, with cleats on either side. It's 55ft long on both sides (I'm 40 ft long) and the slip is 16 or 17ft wide and I'm 13ft wide. It is pretty ideal except for the current that can rage though there at several knots. I almost always approach at slack current though. Attaching lines to pilings may not be possible/practical as the tidal movement is >10 feet. I had thought about some kind of pole and hook arrangement for hanging lines that could be easily grabbed.

Tell me more about the "sissy lines." I'm not sure I follow what they are.

I have also just purchased 2 "Docking Sticks" (yes that's what they're called, no not boat hooks) and will report back on how they work. I also found a REALLY great app called, oddly enough, Dock Your Boat." It's a video game simulator type app that allows you to practice docking. It's quite realistic with wind, current, reversible prop walk etc. You can also use lines, power against lines, tighten and loosen them etc. It even has idiot boaters that randomly come out of their slips to hit you. It's a pretty good teaching tool IMHO.

MedSailor

 

[tweitz]

All good advice. Especially easy on the home dock, where you can set everything up a you wish. Two notes: I actually find it easier singlehanded by myself than with non participating crew. The others get in the way and prevent me from moving quickly around the boat. Second, when going into a dock other than your own, I do find that the aft spring line is the best one person solution, but I m always concerned that I don't know whether there is a cleat or other doohickey in the right place until very late in the game, and I also have sometimes docked in places where the cleat is poorly attached. You want to be very careful not to put too much force on a poorly attached cleat, or problems may arise. All good reasons to go slow if you can.

 

[Sailormon6]

Tell me more about the "sissy lines." I'm not sure I follow what they are.

I have a sissy line on each side of my slip. Mine are plain nylon twist line. The one on the port side runs from the finger pier to the outer piling of the slip on the port side. The one on the starboard side runs from the dock to the outer piling of the slip on the starboard side. They serve many purposes. Mine are taut enough so that, in mild conditions, they will keep the boat from drifting to leeward into the neighboring slip. They can also be used if you have the boat partway into the slip and you need to pull it in further. You can either grab one of the lines with your hand, or you can grab it with a boat hook. You don't need them regularly, but they are there as an aid, to use whenever the docking doesn't go perfectly and you just need to tug it one way or another to help line it up. My boat is 35', but I have used them with other peoples' boats up to 43 feet.

 

[Scotty C-M]

Wow, good advice. I am in a similar situation, although my kids have since grown up! I'm a proponent of the midship cleat spring line. I used to use a whip holding up the stern line, but then I found that I sometimes snagged it with the anchor on the way (backing) out! That was a mess, so I just stopped using it. When I come into my home dock (like yours, a finger on both sides) I just stop the boat and step onto the dock. It's just that easy. I never jump. The challange is coming into another dock (like the gas dock).

At a different dock, I perfer not to leave my boat unless it is tied. Usually one midsheet spring line. I carry a line on the boat that I attach to the midship cleat prior to docking. When I am at the dock if there is someone there, fine, I hand them the line. If I have a crew, fine, they can loop it over the dock's cleat and fasten it up to the boat. If my crew is agile, they can step onto the dock to do this. If I'm by myself, as is often the case, I loop the line onto the dock without leaving the deck of the boat. I can do this quickly even in situations where I'm being blown, or carried, away from the dock. In really crappy conditions I wait for help, or come up with an alternate plan.

Crew is instructed to step, like ladies or gentlemen, onto the dock. Never jump. Never! I've seen people get hurt jumping, or the evolution going completely out of control. I'd rather crash the boat than crash a crew.

Lately I've been backing into my slip to make it easier for my wife to board. It's different, but as I'm getting more practice, it's getting easier. Try it!

 

[tempest]

So basically, you have to fit a 13ft wide boat in a 16/17 ft. wide hole. With docks on either side. If centered that leaves 1 1/2' to 2' feet on either side. Do you put fenders out on both sides? Do you have rub rails on the docks?
Do you leave docklines on both sides? I think I'd just stop the boat in the center of the slip and let the wind or current set me, then secure a short well placed breast line. You should be able to tell which side will be the initial tie up side

If you have current pushing you sideways against the dock, I think I'd want to have dock lines on both sides anyway to help keep the boat from being pinned on just the fenders 1/2 the time while in the slip. If you come in with current, favor the upstream side and then drift down on the dock.

 

[pdqaltair]

Anchor-out.

Another option when single handing, when approaching an unfamiliar dock with wind and tide you don't think you can't deal with, is NOT to dock. I can think of many marinas around here locate in tidal chutes where docking any time other than dead slack requires your A-game and at least one extra hand to get a line on and handled.

Once you dingy to shore, you may be able to look at the situation, ask a few questions, get some help and pull it off, or perhaps simply wait for the wind to let up or the tide to slack. You seldom NEED dock, mostly you just want to.

For this reason alone, many single handers like to anchor out. Less stressful.

 

[capta]

If I can get a spring line on the dock, I've got it made in the sun or shade. Wind on the dock or off, current any direction; none of it matters.
Midship cleat (or so) running aft, helm hard over and locked, to the side away from the dock and the engine in forward at whatever speed necessary to bring the boat into the dock and hold her there while you are putting out the other lines. Absolutely foolproof, IF your prop pushes water past your rudder.