I need to hear some new solutions to casting-off single-hand. Last year I was fine using a midship springline lead to the cockpit as my last cast-off. This year I got put at a different dock, this time on my port side. This means that prop walk in reverse swings the bow hard away from the dock and into my neighbor, (it's a star dock). This is all exacerbated by the fact that I'm also on the lee to the prevaling wind. Anyway, my midship springline trick isn't cutting it, so I need some ideas. I thought about running a line from the cockpit to the bow cleat to the dock cleat and back to the cockpit but that seems like a clunky setup with a high potential for fouling, and a lot to control as I back out, not to mention shipping and stowing. Maybe that's the only answer but I love to hear from people with a similar problem along with their solutions. Thanks in advance, Joel H.
Single-hand cast-off
- Thread starter Joel H.
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Joel, A drawing would really help others trying to visualize your set-up. Also any currents in that area and where does the prevailing wind come from.
Ray
Ray
Might be a good idea to watch your dock mates and see what they do. Every dock situation is different. In a situation like the one you describe, we like to run the bowline back to a cleat on the dock somewhat aft of the bow, and back to the bow. My wife will hold the line around the bow cleat while I power up. The stern will swing out from the dock, I'll shift into reverse, and she will pull in the bowline. Not sure how this maneuver will translate to you as a single-hander, though.
No currents to speak of it's an inclosed harbor. I don't know how to do drawings and attach them here. I'm on a port slip of a star dock which mean I have another boat on the starboard side of me. The prevaling wind is off my port beam so with any wind and my port prop walk while in reverse my boat wants to pivot on it's keel and the bow swings to starboard and into my neighbor. I have to somehow keep the bow against my dock until I'm almost clear of the slip. I think I know the only answer as I stated before but I wanted to be sure.
Yes, see my stern walks into the dock while the bow tries to swing away from dock. I'm convinced, it's going to take some kind of bow line with both ends lead aft and payed out as I back out to keep the bow parallel with the slip. Then once I'm clear pulled into the cockpit, coiled, and stowed. I see no other solution.Tom J said:
But, if anyone has a different take on it I'm all ears.
Thanks for the replies so far.
Joel H.
Joel, Google can be your friend. I just did "spring lines docking"
https://www.google.com/search?q=spr...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
There are even YouTube videos.
There's more than just the midships spring line.
https://www.google.com/search?q=spr...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
There are even YouTube videos.
There's more than just the midships spring line.
They all seem to deal with getting the boat to swing away from the dock to clear a boat in front or to counteract the wind holding the boat against the dock. Good to know.
But my problem is the opposite, I need to keep the boat against the dock, as I back out, until I clear the boat next to me. My prevailing wind is blowing me away from my dock and into my neighbor. Coupled with my prop walk, as soon as I cast off and before I move 2ft, I'm into them.
thats going to be a tricky maneuver no matter how you do it.... and I would think getting back in would be worse.
if I HAD to do it, I would have a line long enough to be cleated at the transom cleat, then ran thru a spring cleat on the dock, then around the bow cleat on the boat and back to my hand. with a bit of extra left over.
so now.... if it is tied to the transom cleat then ran thru the hole in the spring cleat on the dock, then AROUND the bow cleat and back to you, you will have quite a bit of fore and aft motion and still be connected to the dock.... IF you dont let go of the tail end that is in your hand.
as you move rearward, the bow will stay at the dock rather than swinging into the neighbors boat because now the spring cleat is almost even with the bow cleat and held there by the rope in your hand.
you said you had no trouble with the stern getting away from you because it pulls into the dock. so now as log as you can hold the tail end of the rope in your hand, and you have paid out a bit of line as you backed out, you should be about out of the slip and backing around the end of the dock finger. at some point you are going to have to let go of the rope and let it pull itself around the bow cleat and thru the spring cleat while you run to the stern cleat and haul it in so it doesnt foul in the prop. you should have about 10 seconds to haul in the line and get back to the helm before there is any immediate danger from another quarter that you will have to struggle against, but with practice you will soon be looking for other, harder challenges to conquer.... like getting back into the slip under the same prevailing winds and currents, without any dock line assistance..... or an even harder challenge, like trying to find a different slip that doesn't give you such difficulties when going in or out.... best of luck to you.....
if I HAD to do it, I would have a line long enough to be cleated at the transom cleat, then ran thru a spring cleat on the dock, then around the bow cleat on the boat and back to my hand. with a bit of extra left over.
so now.... if it is tied to the transom cleat then ran thru the hole in the spring cleat on the dock, then AROUND the bow cleat and back to you, you will have quite a bit of fore and aft motion and still be connected to the dock.... IF you dont let go of the tail end that is in your hand.
as you move rearward, the bow will stay at the dock rather than swinging into the neighbors boat because now the spring cleat is almost even with the bow cleat and held there by the rope in your hand.
you said you had no trouble with the stern getting away from you because it pulls into the dock. so now as log as you can hold the tail end of the rope in your hand, and you have paid out a bit of line as you backed out, you should be about out of the slip and backing around the end of the dock finger. at some point you are going to have to let go of the rope and let it pull itself around the bow cleat and thru the spring cleat while you run to the stern cleat and haul it in so it doesnt foul in the prop. you should have about 10 seconds to haul in the line and get back to the helm before there is any immediate danger from another quarter that you will have to struggle against, but with practice you will soon be looking for other, harder challenges to conquer.... like getting back into the slip under the same prevailing winds and currents, without any dock line assistance..... or an even harder challenge, like trying to find a different slip that doesn't give you such difficulties when going in or out.... best of luck to you.....
Run a line from the bow to the aft most cleat on the dock then to you in the cockpit. Use short pulses of reverse while maintaing tension on the line, basically pulling yourself out of the slip. The alternative would be to back in, build up to and maintain good astern steerage and coast into the slip using just a touch of forward to stop.
Dan, that's called a forward spring line. Joel, suggest you continue searching, try using forward spring line. There really are books out there that explain all this. I'll try to find another internet source for you, but I do have a day job, but I might stay at a Holiday Inn tonight, though. 
Thanks Stu. I get wrapped in discussion and forget the clarity of terminology sometimes...that happens during a 12 hour shift.
When I taught docking and boat handling basics, many students liked using the "7 Steps To successful Boat Docking" as a basic guide. http://www.amazon.com/7-Steps-Succe...1131/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1335980985&sr=8-7 . For what its worth Even my wife appreciated its easy introduction.
When I taught docking and boat handling basics, many students liked using the "7 Steps To successful Boat Docking" as a basic guide. http://www.amazon.com/7-Steps-Succe...1131/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1335980985&sr=8-7 . For what its worth Even my wife appreciated its easy introduction.
Float Line to Avoid Fouling Prop
The techniques that most have described for the problem involve a line run from the boat back to the pier around a cleat and back to the boat, wherein the line is paid out as the boat moves out of the dock, but snubbed from time to time to counteract prop walk. Then, at some point, one end is cast off and the line is retreived by pulling in on the other end. This means the line will go into the water and there is real danger of fouling the prop. A solution is the Samson MFP float line. This is a double braided polypro line that floats. It has a nice hand, not like the cheap stuff in the hardware stores. When the line drops in the water, it will float and should not get into the prop. It's not cheap. Be sure to get a long piece....a good bit more than 2x boat length. I bought it and have used it once so far for exactly as was described to overcome prop walk when backing out of a slip (only need it when departing after I have had to go bow in to dock because of wind conditions). Caution though, loose ends of line being pulled past a cleat or piling often like to get tangled on something. So be careful of where you place the line on the pier. Sailboatowners.com probably have it via special order. Similarly for West Marine or others.
The techniques that most have described for the problem involve a line run from the boat back to the pier around a cleat and back to the boat, wherein the line is paid out as the boat moves out of the dock, but snubbed from time to time to counteract prop walk. Then, at some point, one end is cast off and the line is retreived by pulling in on the other end. This means the line will go into the water and there is real danger of fouling the prop. A solution is the Samson MFP float line. This is a double braided polypro line that floats. It has a nice hand, not like the cheap stuff in the hardware stores. When the line drops in the water, it will float and should not get into the prop. It's not cheap. Be sure to get a long piece....a good bit more than 2x boat length. I bought it and have used it once so far for exactly as was described to overcome prop walk when backing out of a slip (only need it when departing after I have had to go bow in to dock because of wind conditions). Caution though, loose ends of line being pulled past a cleat or piling often like to get tangled on something. So be careful of where you place the line on the pier. Sailboatowners.com probably have it via special order. Similarly for West Marine or others.
I appreciate all the help.
I'm trying, what I'll call, a "retractable bow line" to see how that works. I'll get back here after I get some time to check it out.
Thanks to all,
Joel H.
I'm trying, what I'll call, a "retractable bow line" to see how that works. I'll get back here after I get some time to check it out.
Thanks to all,
Joel H.
Joel, all the best, it sounds like it will work for you. Instead of your term, you might really want to consider calling it by its proper name. Sailboats are funny that way: someone recently posted that one of things that drives him nuts if people say "Pull the purple line, instead of calling it by its correct name: jibsheet..."
Your boat, your choice.
Your boat, your choice.
So a 1/4" line run from the cockpit cleat to a micro-block at the stem then to a micro-block on the foreword dock-cleat and back to the cockpit winch is a.........
springline?
If so, so be it.......LOL
Thanks Joel
springline?
If so, so be it.......LOL
Thanks Joel
Joel,
We have choices here, buddy:
1) That's the name of the line
or
2) It's the proper season for that name
I'd go for Option 2 if you will.
We have choices here, buddy:
1) That's the name of the line
or
2) It's the proper season for that name
I'd go for Option 2 if you will.
I don't have a lot of experience docking except to get fuel, water and pump out services as I'm on a mooring. I remember when I bought my boat someone here linked to this. I found it very helpful across the board.
http://www.cruising.sailingcourse.com/docking.htm
http://www.cruising.sailingcourse.com/docking.htm
I see.....Joel,
We have choices here, buddy:
1) That's the name of the line
or
2) It's the proper season for that name
I'd go for Option 2 if you will.
Springline it is!
Happy sailing Stu. Thanks for all your help,
Joel H.
Hey Bob,
That's a really helpful link. Has lots of helpful lil tidbits. I always like videos & pics to describe maneuvers. A picture is worth a thousand words......
This is an idea that will make you a better sailor. Back the boat into the slip. Prop walk while backing in will push you towards the dock. Heading out, forward you will have much better control and not have to worry.
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