Best way to single hand dock to starboard with wind blowing you off:

[Ted10028]

Had a minor disaster the other day; now thinking this is best approach. Please let me know what you think. Thanks

1) Touch the starboard dock midway with the bow
2) turn wheel full counter clock wise to port
3) engine forward at 1000 rpm's
4) jump off bow (perhaps with boat hook) to secure bow spring line
5) secure bow or stern line depending on which is off dock farther
6) if stern is too far off dock jump back up from boat at bow to increase rpm"s

 

[kappykaplan]

You should never jump off the boat to attach dock lines.

I have two spring lines that are ALWAYS the first two dock lines I pick up in my slip. Doesn't matter if I have a cross wind or the wind is parallel to the slip. Once those are made up, I can shut down the engine and grab the other four dock lines in slow time.

BoatUS did an article on spring lines almost 10 years ago, but I can't find the link.

 

[Davidasailor26]

Is this a dock you usually stay at? If so leave the lines on the dock, and grab them with a boat hook. That’ll be much safer and more repeatable than jumping off.

I would not leave the boat alone and in gear. Too many bad things can happen with that.

If the dock is not yours and there is a midship cleat available I’d try to snag that with the spring line while standing on the boat. Once the spring is made you can casually walk back to the helm and put the engine in gear to hold the boat on the dock. If you miss the cleat and start to drift away just do a missed approach and try again. No drama and no jumping off an unmanned boat.

 

[JoeWhite]

When you are turning in the same direction that the wind is pushing your bow, you will be making much smaller radius circle. I would come in to the slip at about 45 degrees and go forward as far as you can then slow down and let the wind straighten the boat and continue into the slip. Then reverse the engine and stop the boat. The wind will hold the boat against the dock. You can then step down safely and tie the docklines.

 

[Ted10028]

You should never jump off the boat to attach dock lines.

I have two spring lines that are ALWAYS the first two dock lines I pick up in my slip. Doesn't matter if I have a cross wind or the wind is parallel to the slip. Once those are made up, I can shut down the engine and grab the other four dock lines in slow time.

BoatUS did an article on spring lines almost 10 years ago, but I can't find the link.

how to you secure lines without jumping off boat to dock?

 

[dlochner]

The key to all good docking is a midship aft spring line. See the video below.

The goal is to stop the boat more or less parallel to the dock.

1. Come into the dock from the down wind position so the bow is pointing at the dock and more or less up wind.
2. Turn the wheel hard to port and back down at the same time. The wind and the rudder will turn the bow left while the prop wash will turn the bow right. This lets you go forward in more or less a straight line.
3. Shift into neutral with the wheel still hard over.
4. If done correctly the boat should slide up along the dock at which point a spring line from the aft end of the dock to the midship cleat is connected
5. Once the line is connected, keep the wheel hard to port and boat in idle forward.
6. Tie off the bow and stern lines.

If the video deviates from my instructions, follow John's advice, he is a much better sailor than I am.

 

[Ted10028]

Is this a dock you usually stay at? If so leave the lines on the dock, and grab them with a boat hook. That’ll be much safer and more repeatable than jumping off.

I would not leave the boat alone and in gear. Too many bad things can happen with that.

If the dock is not yours and there is a midship cleat available I’d try to snag that with the spring line while standing on the boat. Once the spring is made you can casually walk back to the helm and put the engine in gear to hold the boat on the dock. If you miss the cleat and start to drift away just do a missed approach and try again. No drama and no jumping off an unmanned boat.

1) most lines go with boat when it leaves dock in my experience
2) if I did run a line from bow to stern cleat and leave it on dock I suppose I could rig it to pick it up with boat hook
but then I would have to pull boat in against heavy wind. Might work
3) in good wind you don't really have time to miss cleat, go back to helm and get out of slip before you hit boat next to you.

 

[kappykaplan]

how to you secure lines without jumping off boat to dock?

My forward spring is on a hook on the outer piling - easy to grab with a boat hook. The after spring is left lying on the short finger pier - I can usually grab it by hand from the boat. The bow lines are also on hooks. I do have to leave the boat to grab the stern lines, but the boat is stationary by that point and held fast by two springs and the bow lines. As I said, the spring lines are always the first lines I attach on returning to the slip.

 

[Ted10028]

The key to all good docking is a midship aft spring line. See the video below.

The goal is to stop the boat more or less parallel to the dock.

1. Come into the dock from the down wind position so the bow is pointing at the dock and more or less up wind.
2. Turn the wheel hard to port and back down at the same time. The wind and the rudder will turn the bow left while the prop wash will turn the bow right. This lets you go forward in more or less a straight line.
3. Shift into neutral with the wheel still hard over.
4. If done correctly the boat should slide up along the dock at which point a spring line from the aft end of the dock to the midship cleat is connected
5. Once the line is connected, keep the wheel hard to port and boat in idle forward.
6. Tie off the bow and stern lines.

If the video deviates from my instructions, follow John's advice, he is a much better sailor than I am.

sure put my situation is when you can't mosey up parallel to dock because of high wind

 

[Ted10028]

My forward spring is on a hook on the outer piling - easy to grab with a boat hook. The after spring is left lying on the short finger pier - I can usually grab it by hand from the boat. The bow lines are also on hooks. I do have to leave the boat to grab the stern lines, but the boat is stationary by that point and held fast by two springs and the bow lines. As I said, the spring lines are always the first lines I attach on returning to the slip.

question has nothing to do with which lines to attach first but rather how you attach lines in high winds. I never see anybody docking like you describe but it seems like a very good non-tradition idea

 

[Ted10028]

When you are turning in the same direction that the wind is pushing your bow, you will be making much smaller radius circle. I would come in to the slip at about 45 degrees and go forward as far as you can then slow down and let the wind straighten the boat and continue into the slip. Then reverse the engine and stop the boat. The wind will hold the boat against the dock. You can then step down safely and tie the docklines.

I am talking about when the wind is blowing you off the dock.

 

[Ted10028]

My forward spring is on a hook on the outer piling - easy to grab with a boat hook. The after spring is left lying on the short finger pier - I can usually grab it by hand from the boat. The bow lines are also on hooks. I do have to leave the boat to grab the stern lines, but the boat is stationary by that point and held fast by two springs and the bow lines. As I said, the spring lines are always the first lines I attach on returning to the slip.

just saw a you tube video where they put Velcro on a dock line hoop to make it stand up on dock so you can easily grab it with a boat hook as you approach. Seems almost like cheating.

 

[kappykaplan]

question has nothing to do with which lines to attach first but rather how you attach lines in high winds. I never see anybody docking like you describe but it seems like a very good non-tradition idea

I am talking about when the wind is blowing you off the dock.

I have docked my boat in a 15+ kt crosswind more than once using the spring lines first. If the wind is blowing me out of the slip (directly or a crosswind), I go for the aft spring first. With that line attached, the bow will swing to port (both springs are on my port side) and I can easily pick up the forward spring. If the wind is in the opposite direction (relatively speaking), I go for the forward spring first. If the wind carries me off the finger pier, I can push off the piling on the opposite side or even take a spare dock line and create a temporary waist line to get the stern over to port so I can pick up the aft spring.

The trick is to learn how your boat behaves in a variety of conditions and adjust your docking plans accordingly. It's a whole different ballgame if I'm not returning to my home slip, but in that case, there are usually other folks on the dock to assist.

 

[kappykaplan]

Seems almost like cheating.

It's not! You have to figure out what works for you. I assure you that it took me a few years to get my solo docking down to a science.

 

[arf145]

My dock is to starboard and I have fenders on my starboard bow. I first attach my starboard stern line that is the right length to limit forward progress and then pin the bow against the dock with the engine in gear, steering full starboard. The stern line and dock keep the boat still and stable so I can do the other lines at a slower pace before going to neutral and shutting down.

 

[shemandr]

I'm not sure how anyone can have meaningful suggestions without some more information about the configuration of the dock. Maybe it's assumed that the dock is a slip with floating docks. But we don't really know that. How is it different if there are fixed piers and tidal changes? Is there a neighboring boat in the dock space? An expensive boat? Is current an issue?
It has almost* always worked to have a line to the most outward part of the dock, a pole or cleat, to put on a mid-ship cleat as you are coming in, to stop the boat and draw it to the dock. Maybe a bit of engine to hold it while a second line can be secured. The second line doesn't have to be anything fancy or permanent. It helps if the line is already on the dock and in some configuration that makes it easy to grab with a boat pole.
* In war plans are good until the first shot is fired.
It's good to remember that with most sailboats it is the bow that is blown down by wind way more than the stern. If necessary backing into a slip is not shameful - sometimes it's just the best way.

 

[Ted10028]

I have docked my boat in a 15+ kt crosswind more than once using the spring lines first. If the wind is blowing me out of the slip (directly or a crosswind), I go for the aft spring first. With that line attached, the bow will swing to port (both springs are on my port side) and I can easily pick up the forward spring. If the wind is in the opposite direction (relatively speaking), I go for the forward spring first. If the wind carries me off the finger pier, I can push off the piling on the opposite side or even take a spare dock line and create a temporary waist line to get the stern over to port so I can pick up the aft spring.

The trick is to learn how your boat behaves in a variety of conditions and adjust your docking plans accordingly. It's a whole different ballgame if I'm not returning to my home slip, but in that case, there are usually other folks on the dock to assist.

I'd love to see a picture of your lines all ready to be snagged by a boat hook?

 

[Ted10028]

My dock is to starboard and I have fenders on my starboard bow. I first attach my starboard stern line that is the right length to limit forward progress and then pin the bow against the dock with the engine in gear, steering full starboard. The stern line and dock keep the boat still and stable so I can do the other lines at a slower pace before going to neutral and shutting down.

you jump off boat with engine on to attach stern line?

 

[Ted10028]

I'm not sure how anyone can have meaningful suggestions without some more information about the configuration of the dock. Maybe it's assumed that the dock is a slip with floating docks. But we don't really know that. How is it different if there are fixed piers and tidal changes? Is there a neighboring boat in the dock space? An expensive boat? Is current an issue?
It has almost* always worked to have a line to the most outward part of the dock, a pole or cleat, to put on a mid-ship cleat as you are coming in, to stop the boat and draw it to the dock. Maybe a bit of engine to hold it while a second line can be secured. The second line doesn't have to be anything fancy or permanent. It helps if the line is already on the dock and in some configuration that makes it easy to grab with a boat pole.
* In war plans are good until the first shot is fired.
It's good to remember that with most sailboats it is the bow that is blown down by wind way more than the stern. If necessary backing into a slip is not shameful - sometimes it's just the best way.

are you jumping off the boat single handed with engine on?

 

[jdrutten]

Have you seen the stern bridle technique? It worked for me once or twice.
Stern bridle (link is to Vimeo.com)