As the boat turns...

Dec 29, 2008
805
Treworgy 65' LOA Custom Steel Pilothouse Staysail Ketch St. Croix, Virgin Islands
I once watched - in painful slow motion - a 100' schooner coming into dock-dead slow, lose it's reverse gear.

I'll never forget the 20 or 30 seconds of chaos in the harbor as hands, both onboard and on the docks, tried to manhandle situation. They could not.
Zackly and zackly!
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
a couple of spectacular bow sprits in that photo Tom, sweet :)
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
notcook, i would not call your logic 'jaded', i would call it 'wise'.
 
Oct 29, 2016
1,915
Hunter 41 DS Port Huron
I only hope that some day I could write as confidently about docking procedures as those who have commented in this thread. To this day I am not 100% confident backing our boat into its very narrow slip (the only way it can be is stern first), we have to wait until the beam is beyond the forward pilings to deploy the fenders and with no finger docks you have to be all the way in before you can reach the stern cleats.
I have the bow lines from the forward pilings set for length so as I back in my deck hand has to retrieve and deploy the fenders and then secure the bow lines to their perspective cleats once that is done its all good as the lines tighten the boat will stay obedient. The fairway is also narrow (about 50' wide) so getting the boat aligned with the slip is somewhat tricky but absolutely necessary, I do have a bow thruster, but I am hoping that some day I will be proficient enough not to have to rely on its operation, as it stands now, I slowly slide in close to my slip on the port beam, when the Sapphire gets to about 1/3 - 1/2 (wind direction dependent) its length I cut hard to starboard, neutral, then hard to port with reverse thrust, if the wind doesn't play with me too much the bow will pivot into position while the stern aligns with the center of the slip, with an Easterly or South wind which tends to push on the starboard bow preventing it from turning and the Sapphire tends to slide sideways I use the thruster to assist the bow to turn into position.
I find it much easier to pull into a slip than going stern first as when going forward you don't lose steerage making it (in my opinion) my easier to dock, add finger docks and the choice of which side the wind is on (pushing you off or pushing you on, I prefer off) all add up to much easier docking.
One thing that has caught me on a couple of occasions it an inexperienced deck hand or dock hand cinching up a spring line to quickly on an approach (even though my directions were to just hook a cleat or piling and feed the line out until I give direction to secure), which almost instantly cause erratic response usually kicking the stern out, making recovery a bit frantic at times.
But I can honestly say that I have never hit or caused damage to our Sapphire or any other boats since taking ownership of her, something I am proud of, as time goes on I am sure I will become more confident, but there are some situations that put my nerves right on edge.
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,996
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
@DayDreamer41 I believe having a level of confidence and a level of concern (Uncomfortable) about a task that is a dynamic evolution is a good thing. It keeps you alert to the errant deck hand behavior.
Sounds like your record is a good one. Keep up the good work. I'm sure Sapphire smiles when your at the helm in these challenging conditions.
 

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
a couple of spectacular bow sprits in that photo Tom, sweet :)
Like thorns in a briar patch when you're coming into dock there (photo below). :)

I've learned a lot about docking watching the people that work on the water, dock for a living. Moving boats around a yard, day sailing schooners dropping off and picking up tourists. As you say, they have experience and practice doing it over and over.

Watching this guy from the yard back this yacht (not his) into a finger slip, with the wind and a fetch, takes a skill learned from constant docking with different boats.

Docking up 38 or 13?.jpg


The thing I don't learn is having help when you should have it. Due to the nature of how we sail, I'm usually docking (rarely as well), by myself(others doing the other tasks of 'getting going').

He has crew on the stern and another crew on the boat that you would be likely to run into, if things don't go as planned (and the yard knows, that happens).
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,704
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
In my case, I have an outboard (prop aft of rudder). I can do a back and fill, but it responds differently and I have to be more cognizant of boat location as my dime shifts. LOL
Hey Brian, wow unsure how to handle your situation with the prop aft of the rudder. In my case the forward prop thrust against the rudder amounts to a great deal of maneuverability. I suspect a much lesser amount of thrust with your prop in reverse against the rudder. Interesting challenge.
 
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Rick D

.
Jun 14, 2008
7,132
Hunter Legend 40.5 Shoreline Marina Long Beach CA
I found my Dad's Lancer 29 Power Sailor, with a 120 HP OB hanging on the stern, to require a different technique. Much of that involved getting way on to allow the rudder to bite when backing (or else the prop wash stalled it) and coming in, having plenty of head way for steerage and be lined up before hitting reverse. It was very similar to backing out and entering a slip with a single screw power boat except being cautious not to wash out the rudder.
 
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Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
I have found when backing out I have to give more power to get water flow over the rudder. Then to neutral as to not stall the turn like Rick said.

BoatUS has a video up on YouTube using a drone to show how a small power boat can back into a slip. I suggested they use a sailboat. They said they would consider it. Nice of them. Hope they do it. It will be a very interesting video to say the least.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,996
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
@Brian D I understand that your outboard is not steerable.
I looked up the boat. They say it can take up to a 200 HP motor. What do you have no her?
 
Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
@jssailem I am using a Yamaha 9.9 which equates to about 10hp. It works just fine. (well, maybe I should rephrase that. It works most of the time when I pay attention to it.)
 
Mar 1, 2012
2,182
1961 Rhodes Meridian 25 Texas coast
I also have a n outboard with prop aft of the rudder- lives in a well. Mine is an 8 hp Yamaha and the swivel on the motor is locked tight- it won't turn. Takes some getting used to.

When I was a young fellow, back in 1956 an old guy on the dock told me- "son, Always come in like you didn't HAVE reverse- then if you need it, MAYBE it'll work"

I usually take my boat out of gear and fore reach to the slip, put it in gear and bump the throttle as needed. But Tehani is a full keel boat and backs up like a pig, so I try not to have to :)
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,996
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Thanks Brian. I saw the picture sailboatdata.com and it looked like the sailboat was a speed boat. Stern droop and power boat bow wave.

I had a Mariner 4 on my M15. It spun 360 degrees. Very easy steer the boat in any direction. Not very powerful but then it was an auxiliary engine.