Single Hand Docking

[Jackdaw]

Jackdaw, I agree that it is imperative to keep steerage way. The go slow rule is a starting point for consideration. We have 8 to 10 foot tides here in Beaufort with corresponding currents. If you are heading into the tide you'll have steerage way even going slow. If you have to dock with the tide, keeping steerage way is problemmatic here as you will be screaming into the dock. My point is that I've seen big boats with lots of momentum (20K displacement or more) come whipping in, even when there is no current and they could go a lot slower and still have steerage way in forward. They then slam it into reverse. Did it look cool? - sure. But why approach faster than you have to to keep steerage way? Too many what ifs. If you combine the "keep steerage way" along with "don't approach faster than you are willing to hit the dock" you'll try and select an approach that lets you keep both principles in mind, if possible.

Totally agree. I guess my point is that with so many possible scenarios, it's hard to create simple hard-fast rules.

The way issue is a huge one for me. I sail a lot of boats with Dual rudders; my First 260, the Pogos and Figaros. These boats have NO PROP WASH to help generate steerage as the wash goes aft right between the rudders.. You lose way and you are DONE.

 

[geek_guy]

I find it very helpful to run a straight line into the slip for as long as possible. If your slipway has boats across then I come in as close as possible to the boats then turn toward the slip. Otherwise give yourself lots of time to run straight in. This gives you time to evaluate the tide, wind, etc before you are close to those hard things.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

I think a lot will depend on your slip, and the conditions of the location. Where the wind tends to come from, are the waters protected from the elements, i.e. is it calmer by the dock than out on the lake, and so forth. Also, do you like to stern-in, or bow, and all that wonderful stuff.

I have a 26', and dock on my starboard side. Fortunately, I have a marina with a good floating breakwall and protection, so even on really windy days, it's much calmer inside. Bumpers on the side before I come in, and I run a dockline from my bow cleat, and lay it back down to the shrouds, draped over the lifeline. I also have another from the stern that I run up and place it nearby. That way, I can grab both lines at the same time. So my single-handed approach is to simply slow down as I turn down my lane, blipping into forward than back to neutral, just enough to maintain speed and steerage, until a couple boat lengths before my slip. I time my turn so I'm making a 90 into the slip with the bow just to the inside of the dock. If I'm not going slow enough, I'll bump reverse just before I turn in to scrub speed. Then it's to neutral, and I leave the cockpit, jumping up midships and picking up the ends of the lines, hopping off onto the dock. At that point, I'm just arresting forward motion with the bow line, and the stern line is simply to keep the stern from kicking out away from the dock. I displace about 4000 pounds, so I do have to be aware of the weighted momentum. While it's not a heavyweight, it does take some effort to stop it. Nothing too crazy, but enough. I have another line on a dock cleat that I run to the other side of the bow, that stays on the dock so once I'm in place, I toss it up to the bow and cleat it off. Unfortunately, I have three points of tie, not four - there's not a piling between the slips, so I'm not able to let her float in the middle, but it's protected enough that it's all good.

Exactly how I set mine up, except I don't "HOP" off. At 75, I no longer hop anywhere I step off, onto the floating dock through the life line gate. Deck and dock are about a 4 inch high step. I do have a spring line rigged that stays on the dock, with a loop on it. I drop that over the winch, and then the boat sits there. And my boat is 5300 pounds dry disp

 

[BudGates]

I dock on a finger dock with port to and have a spring line set up and tied to a midship cleat at the right length which I can throw over a post on the end of the dock as I come in. I use the engine to slow the boat once the spring is on, but allow the spring to go taught. Once the spring is tight I then put the boat back in slow ahead with the tiller to port, which will drive the boat sideways to the dock, if it's real blowy I may have to add a little more revs, but it has always worked fine. My boat has a tiller, and I've made a short strop to hold the tiller over so I can let go of the tiller, with the engine still in forward drive, whilst I go about setting all the other lines. I also use this method to hold the boat when I'm getting ready to depart, makes the process very stress free - I can take off all the lines except the spring, then put it in reverse, and pull the spring off of the dock post as I leave.

This is how I dock, either single handed or with a crew, with a pre-set spring line that has a loop at each end. I just slip one loop over a mid-ship cleat and the other over a dock cleat. Then slow the boat till almost stopped and ease forward to snug the line with rudder turned to bring the stern toward the dock. The boat will settle nicely against the dock giving you time to attach the rest of the lines at your leisure. The only thing that I would add is to install a snubber to absorb any shock in the spring line and a stiffener to help hold the loop open when trying to catch the cleat or piling.

 

[smokey73]

Totally agree. I guess my point is that with so many possible scenarios, it's hard to create simple hard-fast rules.

The way issue is a huge one for me. I sail a lot of boats with Dual rudders; my First 260, the Pogos and Figaros. These boats have NO PROP WASH to help generate steerage as the wash goes aft right between the rudders.. You lose way and you are DONE.

Noted - see my comment on submarines - talk about a hassle to come alongside a tender, but I had a CO, Capt Claude Cross (later Admiral) who was a master at ship handling He would often get underway and come along side the tender or a pier without the tugs (even though they were there) just to teach us young JO's - "I don't need no stinking tug" Although he never said that it sure was evident in the way he handled the sub.

Like you said, there are too many scenarios. If there are boats of about the same size and windage as your boat anchored or moored in the vicinty of where you are trying to get in, it will give you a good idea of what your best approach might be to keep both steerage way and go slow. The skipper also needs to keep in mind that the shore line shape may drastically alter the currents near the dock. Know your boat, how it behaves in various currents, wind, prop walk, stopping power and be observant of the conditons near where you want to dock then adapt to the conditions. Finally, if all else fails, try somewhere else until things get better or you have practiced, practiced practiced.

 

[Parsons]

Not to disagree with any of the previous comments, but Raven's boat is an Oday 22. Comments about mid-sheet cleats and spring lines aft don't mean anything to us tiny boat sailors. We're much more susceptible to wind than someone with two-plus tons of lead underwater. I've been known to bounce around a slip in cross-winds while single-handing. Remember your bow will move much faster than your stern, so allow for that angle change as you come in. Fully agree with Jackdaw (again!) in that too little speed is as bad as too much. My last cross-ways docking was a result of making a 90-degree turn and stalling right at the entrance to my slip, then moving sideways into the finger pier - the opposite of what Raven described but with much bumpier consequences.

Some practical small boat suggestions:
- Fenders are your friends. If you have an assigned dock, buy a couple extra (EBay is great for this) and leave them attached for the season. Consider adding "catching lines" in a V-pattern on your dock held just below deck height. I'm certain that you've seen these around. Basically a couple lines that extend between the ends of neighboring docks so that you can just power into the lines. Works great inland, not so much in tidal conditions where the water level changes!
- Get your stern line first next to your dock. It's right next to your helm and you can use it to pull yourself in, sort of like an inefficient spring line. Cleat on the stern, then power ahead and it will pull you into your dock.
- Once you are in the slip, don't leave. This is not like car parking where you pull out to give it another shot. Boats move fine sideways.

 

[normofthenorth]

[In reply to #10 by CharlzO.]
I had a similar situation to Charles's only WORSE for years with my 26' Thunderbird, and I came up with a similar solution (only better?):
I only had 2 cleats on my finger dock, and instead of pilings to starboard I had a neighbouring boat to avoid! And I had a steel wall about a foot ahead of my bow!
As if that wasn't tough enough, I couldn't steer the boat like an outboard OR like an inboard! Specifically, it had an outboard, but it was mounted in a lazarette, so it couldn't be turned. And it was mounted way to port, so the prop wash normally missed the rudder completely! (If I needed to take a sharp turn to port, I could shove the tiller WAY to starboard and the rudder would deflect the propmwash, otherwise no.
So I had to motor in fast enough to steer like a sailboat, the rudder deflecting the water I was speeding through.
Neat combo, eh?
The only good part was that I was approaching from the right, so my momentum when turning into the slip would tend to hold me to the dock (to port) and away from the neighbouring boat.
My solution: Instead of having two lines close together, I made them a single line. From the bow cleat (coulda been farther aft if I'd had a middle cleat), this longish line came aft to the stern cleat. Basically a spring line and a stern line spliced into one. The dock had a big strong aft cleat with no lines on it but mine, which I kept on the boat when sailing.
With this long loop tied to both cleats on the boat, I'd steam into the dock at good steering speed. Cut the engine (didn't use any reverse - it didn't do much on that OB anyway because the exhaust came out of the prop shaft!), drop the tiller, grab the loop-line, step from boat to dock, and snub the line, doubled, under that big strong cleat. I had one shot, and I never missed in many dockings. As I held the snubbed double line, the boat simultaneously stopped on a dime (avoiding the steel wall dead ahead) and sidled (some might say "slammed"!) into the dock, squeezing the fenders but doing no damage. I took the doubled line around the clear and secured it. And then tied the bow line.
This technique became so automatic and worked so well that I always used it, even with a boatful of keen crew!
Obviously every situation is different, but the common message is that there's almost always a solution if you put enough thought into designing it!

 

[Terra Nova]

My first single handed docking experience was very harrowing. It was a very windy day with a south wind that blows into our marina. I won't go into detail, but let's say it didn't go well. Since then I've become a bit of a pro with a lot of practice. As many have already said, the most important thing is planning ahead. In gustier winds it can be more challenging, but compensate for it ahead of time and you'll be ready. I always swing wider when wind is pushing me into the slip and swing tighter when it is pushing me away from the slip. With occasional correction for gusty wind, you can usually make it in cleanly. Every boat is different with different tendencies, so practice makes perfect for each sailor. I solo dock my boat 99% of the time, so I've been forced to get it right every time. When someone is there to help me I know I don't pay as much attention coming in since I know there is a person to catch me.

One last thing I'll add is rear counter steering with your motor. Once I'm in the slip I will often not be straight and unable to exit the boat easily. To straighten it out I will put my motor in reverse and steer the direction I want the stern to go. This will pull the rear straight without pushing your boat further into the slip.

 

[BudGates]

Not to disagree with any of the previous comments, but Raven's boat is an Oday 22. Comments about mid-sheet cleats and spring lines aft don't mean anything to us tiny boat sailors. We're much more susceptible to wind than someone with two-plus tons of lead underwater.

Don't let the size of your boat discourage you from using spring lines to dock. I used the same practice with my Venture 22. The boat didn't come with mid-ship cleats so I added them myself. On my 26 footer I use the winch as someone else mentioned. I'd recommend finding a way to incorporate the idea rather than throwing it out because it doesn't exactly match your boat.

 

[normofthenorth]

[Reply to post #12.]
Smokey, that's a great rule, but it can't always be followed. I did fine with a tough setup doing it Charles's way every time (even with skilled crew).
Do you have bow thrusters?

 

[Craig Cook]

Regardless if I am alone or with a crew, docking always happens the same now and I like everything to happen from the helm. Crew or passengers on board always get the same instructions, "no running, no jumping, no flying through the air".
The method we got to by way of advice from a dock neighbor and an article in a boating magazine is as follows.
We have a finger pier, port side. The wind is normally from the West which is bow on for us, but can really come from any direction. There is a post at the end of the finger pier which I have attached an "S" shaped piece of PVC pipe (no rust). There is a line separate from the docklines, attached to the end cleat on the finger pier and hangs from that PVC. The author of the magazine article called his "the Larry Line" named after a boating friend that gave him the idea. It is shorter than the aft dock line and is a different color so there is no confusion. Our Larry Line is blue, dock lines are gold. Our H27-3 has no mid-ships cleat, I suspect your O'Day 22 is the same setup. I come into the slip dead slow in neutral, retrieve the Larry Line from the hook on the post and drop it over my port aft cleat. I click the shift into reverse at idle to slow a bit more, then back into neutral. When the Larry Line gets taut I will click into forward at idle and turn the wheel away from the dock. The boat will settle against the finger pier where I have installed two dock boards with Star Board attached at the height of my rubrail. Once against the dock boards we are settled in and good to go. I will shift into neutral and step off the boat holding on to my toerail, the aft dock line replaces the Larry Line. I'll walk the boat forward until the aft dock line is tight, then retrieve the bow lines. We also have a post for a 4-point tie, that goes on last on the starboard aft cleat. Of course, you can adjust the length of your Larry Line so that you could go far enough into your slip to retrieve the bow lines and get them on if you want to. What ever works for you. One more thing, if you come in too fast when you get the Larry Line on it will act like a rubber band instead of settling the boat against the pier. This method has really taken the stress out of docking in the wind for us.

 

[normofthenorth]

My first single handed docking experience was very harrowing. It was a very windy day with a south wind that blows into our marina. I won't go into detail, but let's say it didn't go well. Since then I've become a bit of a pro with a lot of practice. As many have already said, the most important thing is planning ahead. In gustier winds it can be more challenging, but compensate for it ahead of time and you'll be ready. I always swing wider when wind is pushing me into the slip and swing tighter when it is pushing me away from the slip. With occasional correction for gusty wind, you can usually make it in cleanly. Every boat is different with different tendencies, so practice makes perfect for each sailor. I solo dock my boat 99% of the time, so I've been forced to get it right every time. When someone is there to help me I know I don't pay as much attention coming in since I know there is a person to catch me.

One last thing I'll add is rear counter steering with your motor. Once I'm in the slip I will often not be straight and unable to exit the boat easily. To straighten it out I will put my motor in reverse and steer the direction I want the stern to go. This will pull the rear straight without pushing your boat further into the slip.

Do you have an outboard motor? I can't see how your "rear counter steering" would work with an inboard.

 

[Terra Nova]

Do you have an outboard motor? I can't see how your "rear counter steering" would work with an inboard.

Yes, I should have mentioned that I have an outboard.

 

[normofthenorth]

Regardless if I am alone or with a crew, docking always happens the same now and I like everything to happen from the helm. Crew or passengers on board always get the same instructions, "no running, no jumping, no flying through the air".
The method we got to by way of advice from a dock neighbor and an article in a boating magazine is as follows.
We have a finger pier, port side. The wind is normally from the West which is bow on for us, but can really come from any direction. There is a post at the end of the finger pier which I have attached an "S" shaped piece of PVC pipe (no rust). There is a line separate from the docklines, attached to the end cleat on the finger pier and hangs from that PVC. The author of the magazine article called his "the Larry Line" named after a boating friend that gave him the idea. It is shorter than the aft dock line and is a different color so there is no confusion. Our Larry Line is blue, dock lines are gold. Our H27-3 has no mid-ships cleat, I suspect your O'Day 22 is the same setup. I come into the slip dead slow in neutral, retrieve the Larry Line from the hook on the post and drop it over my port aft cleat. I click the shift into reverse at idle to slow a bit more, then back into neutral. When the Larry Line gets taut I will click into forward at idle and turn the wheel away from the dock. The boat will settle against the finger pier where I have installed two dock boards with Star Board attached at the height of my rubrail. Once against the dock boards we are settled in and good to go. I will shift into neutral and step off the boat holding on to my toerail, the aft dock line replaces the Larry Line. I'll walk the boat forward until the aft dock line is tight, then retrieve the bow lines. We also have a post for a 4-point tie, that goes on last on the starboard aft cleat. Of course, you can adjust the length of your Larry Line so that you could go far enough into your slip to retrieve the bow lines and get them on if you want to. What ever works for you. One more thing, if you come in too fast when you get the Larry Line on it will act like a rubber band instead of settling the boat against the pier. This method has really taken the stress out of docking in the wind for us.

The article is online at http://www.sailmagazine.com/cruising/consider-the-larry-line/ with diagrams.

 

[Stargazer3]

Docking represents the one thing I still want help with. I've done all the preparatory things - like putting dock-lines where they can be grabbed by people at the dock - and putting out fenders - but the chaos gets scary when you're bringing in a 40+ foot boat! Captain Bill on STARGAZER

 

[druid]

When the wind is pushing you off the dock, you NEED some speed, otherwise the wind will push your bow off while you're messing about.
One thing I learned from a powerboater: Control the CENTER of the boat and you control the boat. I always have a "midships line" rigged and it's the first one I tie on. Yes, I do leave the boat since my dock lines are on the boat (how else do you dock anywhere but your own slip???). Run the boat at the dock, spin her so she's sideways and reverse (this is where PRACTICE and KNOWING YOUR BOAT is critical!), then just as it touches the dock, grab the midships line and hop off. Tie off the midships line, then you can take your time and adjust the bow and stern lines to your liking.
Oh, and make sure the boat's in NEUTRAL before hopping off!

druid

 

[zeehag]

i found using midships line to stabilize boat on entry to dock makes a helluva big difference. keeps both ends from running away from ye. i can dock my formosa sola with use of these magical lines. try it.

 

[Grayce0417]

,
Going in stern first is all in the preparation, first rule, take your time and observe the conditions, specifically wind and current. Then position the boat where you want to come in based on the conditions. I tie the starboard spring line to the port stern line, so when I come it I'm able to grab both and tie off. Then go to the bow and tie off both lines. Again you need to know how your boat handles and having a bow thruster helps.

 

[lrschultz]

The key is to have a line tied to the midships cleat so that when you get off the boat you have control over the whole boat, not just one end. We always back into our slip so I back the swimstep close to the dock, put the engine in neutral, step off, tie the line from the midships cleat to a midrange dock cleat to arrest any boat motion, and then start adjusting all the other dock lines to get the boat where I want it. If you have a very short slip the dock cleat may have to be one close to the fairway. I use this procedure a lot because even if I have two people handling lines, sometimes due to wind or current the second one doesn't get off the boat in time.

 

[lrschultz]

I have a rule on my boat - nobody, I mean nobody - jumps from the boat to the dock or the dock to the boat until at least one line is secured and the boat is stopped! Period! If I can't get the boat in a position to secure at least one line then I back out and try again. There are just too many risks when jumping off a boat for you and/or your crew. What happens if you slip and miss, spring an ankle, injure a joint, or miss and fall in? (Ask me how I know that one) This is especially compounded if your boat has no lines secured and keeps moving or blows down on you if you are in the drink between the boat and dock? Just too many variables and too many risks. I'd try and figure a way to get at least one line secured and the boat stopped before I "step" off the boat! Now my boat has a high freeboard so that is a consideration for me and may not be a problem for you but its your boat (and life) and your choice.

I would say that jumping off a boat to a dock is a bad idea under any circumstances, even slight motion of the dock when you land can cause someone to lose their balance and end up in the drink. If you can't step off a boat while still hanging onto the boat for balance, think twice.