I've always moored my boat, so I'm FAR from an expert at docking/piers... but the logic I can see in docking bow out in a storm would be that it is more likely that waves will be primarily coming from the sea, rather than from the land... so bow-out would be preferable for taking large surf.... that being said... if said surf is so significant that this becomes important, I would think the waves would be bouncing off just about everything, and very "confused" at that point, hitting your boat from all directions. Of course, I also don't know that the entrance to your slip faces "out to sea"... so it's really going to depend on your specific marina's (and slip's) specifics, and how it faces the predominant direction of wind and waves. Seems like there are about a thousand other steps you could take in storm prep that would be more likely to matter than that (imho).
Bow or Stern when docked at a marina?
- Thread starter pumpkinpie
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Looks like this has been covered from stem to stern already.
Prevailing wind and wave would seem to matter which way is safer and more comfortable in a storm. The OP's question. Seems logical to point the bow into the action. That said, we have a protected slip. A stone jetty a little more than a boat length across from us. Which also makes getting in and out tricky with wind and propwalk. We typically go bow-in for privacy and shade under the bimini towards evening. It's fun to turn her around, the boat I mean, and use the open transom for club events.
Prevailing wind and wave would seem to matter which way is safer and more comfortable in a storm. The OP's question. Seems logical to point the bow into the action. That said, we have a protected slip. A stone jetty a little more than a boat length across from us. Which also makes getting in and out tricky with wind and propwalk. We typically go bow-in for privacy and shade under the bimini towards evening. It's fun to turn her around, the boat I mean, and use the open transom for club events.
I kind of like the social aspect of stern in. In prevailing summer southerlies, the stern slap is a nuisance so it would be better to have the stern in and bow out. The sun can be better shaded if I had stern in as well. That said, everybody seems to be bow in so I have not bucked the norm yet. Now that we are entering autumn, we may have more prevailing northerlies, so I think I will leave it bow in for now.
Bow in, it is less area to polish back up after I hit the dock...
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No detail here on how the marina is exposed to incoming seas. The OP in an earlier thread asked about the Vinoy Basin Marina, and was advised then about its potential “unsuitability” in certain weather arriving from the east. I imagine it would be other folks on the docks making the recommendations.
The slips at Vinoy are arranged such that the vessels lay either bow or stern toward the basin’s opening (entrance), when moored bow-in, depending on which side of the long gangway the vessel is tied. If bow-in on the east side of the gangways, your stern is facing the entrance. If bow-in on the west side of the gangways, your bow is facing the entrance. So, storm-generated wind waves and seas will enter the basin from the east. If it were me, normally bow-in on the east side of a gangway in THAT marina and a big storm was expected, and I was planning to be ABOARD the boat during it, I’d turn it around to face toward the entrance
. Can always turn it back around afterward, when things calm down, etc. If not aboard, then I’d probably leave as is if doing something about it required a 600 mile trip one way.I don’t think the OP was asking opinions on whether bow-in or stern-in during the ordinary times, but on an approaching storm.
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You should check the rules in your marina contract, ours mandates bow in, it's a double breakwater harbor so there is no wave action.
Good point. Our slips are built with a vee and it's assumed, although not documented that I can find. that boats dock bow in.
Perry Lake, KS where i bought Bella has squared off slips and members dock how they want to.
Backing my boat in with an outboard motor would be quite difficult, as the prop-walk is absolutely miserable. I have backed her in under sail before, but the wind has to be coming from dead East for that to happen successfully.
Stern in. Makes it easy to drive out. Also easy to stern in with the wind generally blowing against the starboard side to center the boat into the berth.
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In a really bad storm, I’d prefer to have the bow into the wind. But where I am it’s normal to frequently have 35 knots gusts of winds a couple of times per month, usually from the prevailing westerly direction. Storms, usually pass to the west of us,, rotating counterclockwise, so the storm winds are usually from the south, so they hit my boat as on the beam
All the slips in our marina are parallel to the prevailing wind direction. My slip is a downwind slip (main dock is downwind of the finger pier).
These days, I usually dock with the bow towards the prevailing wind, stern towards the main pier. That makes it possible to raise the sails in the slip when ever I want to. I can work on the sails or boom, reflake the mainsail, wash the sails, and hoist sails at the dock before departing.
Upwind slips are preferred because you can proceed forward into the slip and use the wind to slow you down. But I really don’t worry about the wind or controlling the boat because I can almost always use slip lines (aka loops or bridles) and spring lines to stop the boat, no matter which way the wind and current are going. I stop the boat and hold it steady at the dock before anybody steps off.
All the slips in our marina are parallel to the prevailing wind direction. My slip is a downwind slip (main dock is downwind of the finger pier).
These days, I usually dock with the bow towards the prevailing wind, stern towards the main pier. That makes it possible to raise the sails in the slip when ever I want to. I can work on the sails or boom, reflake the mainsail, wash the sails, and hoist sails at the dock before departing.
Upwind slips are preferred because you can proceed forward into the slip and use the wind to slow you down. But I really don’t worry about the wind or controlling the boat because I can almost always use slip lines (aka loops or bridles) and spring lines to stop the boat, no matter which way the wind and current are going. I stop the boat and hold it steady at the dock before anybody steps off.
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Dock bow in due to water depth issues at the bulkhead
Also prefer the privacy and being able to look down the lagoon
Also prefer the privacy and being able to look down the lagoon
Where I am docked it really doesn't matter. For ease of boarding I prefer bow out, along with socializing (good friends across and on both sides).
She was left in the water during Sandy with the stern in, which was facing the ocean albeit 8nm down river. No damage and our docks were under water.
I have noticed that in my area the vast majority of sailboats dock bow in.
She was left in the water during Sandy with the stern in, which was facing the ocean albeit 8nm down river. No damage and our docks were under water.
I have noticed that in my area the vast majority of sailboats dock bow in.
But you can't steer if stern-in unti l the stern clears the outer pilings. I'm bow-in, but if stern-in, my bow would be 32 feet out before I can steer the stern in either dorection. A boat with the rudder forward would be nice- like a front-wheel drive car.
That my problem if I am slipped stern in. I get real close to the rocks in front of me before I can get around the finger.
Better to be on a boat with a drink on the rocks, than in the drink with your boat on the rocks.
Darn! i wish I was clever enough to come up with a catchy "finger" addition to this . e.g. 2 finger drink.