Stern or bow to?

Expect for 1 time I always go bow in. I have no desire for people walking down the dock to be able to look into my boat.

Which ever way makes for easier boarding. One slip and injury is not worth it. Boarding supplies, and working on the boat requires repeated trips carrying stuff. Not all of my guests are agile. If I need privacy, the door closes, though the marina is not busy by some standards.

That said, 50% of the boats I have owned boarded better from the forward side deck, 50% from the aft side deck. Currently I am bow-in, last boat was transom-in.

Stern in usually unless there's a reason.
In the tropics one wants to be bow into the wind.

If there's a finger making side access possible it's fine, but getting off over the anchor is hideously difficult.

It Depends. Bow-to was my preference. I had a view of the water, and the marshlands rather than the parking lot. Privacy. I had a full finger dock and low freeboard, it was quite easy to step on and off from the dock. It was also a heck of alot easier for me to pull in bow first.

I have a 5’ bow sprit/harpoon.

if I go bow in most finger piers are too short and when I back out my anchors inevitably hook a piling, like a barb in a harpoon.

If I go stern to the Aries wind gear is exposed to damage so many fingers are too short. And when I back in it is terrifying for me and all others as I have little directional control.

Only one of many reasons I avoid marinas.

Bow in. That way, sitting in the cockpit at night, we can see the Big Dipper. Oddly enough, it's at the same angle (0 degrees) as it is from home in the driveway.

Besides which, stern in to a busy dock gives every passer-by a look into the boat, and the just HAVE to look.

I am %100 neutral. Whatever works best in a given situation. On my current boat my rudder extends beyond the stern, so bow is preferred to protect the rudder.

Stern to makes it easier to board the boat from a finger pier. Privacy isn't an issue if the boat is air conditioned. When away from my home marina, it depends on the circumstances. Wind and current direction and strength matter. For example, I never enter bow first with a strong following wind, because you can't stop.

Sailormon6 said:

I never enter bow first with a strong following wind, because you can't stop.

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we do it in 25knots fairly regularly. Use engine, slip on Mr Stop Line. ?? Heck, a bit of rudder and it can be done with no engine required; we’re only 16k lbs dry. The R class boats do it regularly and they have no engine.

OntarioTheLake said:

we do it in 25knots fairly regularly. Use engine, slip on Mr Stop Line. ?? Heck, a bit of rudder and it can be done with no engine required; we’re only 16k lbs dry. The R class boats do it regularly and they have no engine.

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Maybe you do. I've done it too, but backing in with a strong wind blowing into the slip gives more control. I'm usually singlehanding and I can control the boat's speed better by backing in, and if the wind is still strong when I leave, it's easier to get out bow-first singlehanded. I only need one bad experience to learn a better way.

I prefer to have an easier time exiting the slip than entering, even with an aft cabin. Plus, as I said in another post, docking is when I have the most fun, and backing in more so.

It really does depend on circumstance. On current production boats with swim platforms, stern-to is quite convenient for stepping on, especially when provisioning. It also makes single-handed docking easier, as I can get right up to the dock cleat and drop a line on from the helm, and aborting a run (or leaving the slip) means simply driving out bow-first.

It's mainly in annoying situations where the wind is trouble or there's shoaling in the slip that I might revert to bow-in.

Backing my full keel sailboat, sans bow-thruster, is never easy. (At least not backing her in a straight line). So I typically dock bow-in. It is easier to back out into a wide fairway than it is to back in to a narrow slip.

Sometimes circumstances dictate otherwise, but typically it's bow-in for True North.

Bob

SanderO said:

What is your preference at a slip?

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I've done both, and have on occasion warped my boat from one end to the other, depending upon what work I'm doing.

Conceptually there may someday come a time when I organize my boating days less about boat work and more about actual sailing, but that won't be anytime soon.

We can board amidship from either side, and walk around to the center cockpit for access to the companionway.

There is also a telescoping boarding ladder on the end of the bowsprit- leftover from Med mooring days.

Since the boat has shore power inlets on both sides , we can run the cord on the side opposite that used for boarding so it isn't in the way.

If we are making port to duck some weather, then bow to weather if possible. Otherwise, if we are staying a bit, and since we have a pilothouse, then bow to sun- or sometimes bow to best view. (Most of our harbors are above 56°N, so bow to sun is desirable year around- and especially stops during fall and winter...)

Cheers, Bill

I have one friend who alternates so we can scrub the bottom with a special brush from the dock just before the weekly races. Another, docks stern to so our older friends can safely step on. The latter is a newer boat with a step through stern. I dry sail and haul out each time, so not an issue.