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

[DArcy]

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

My slip is challenging to get in to. Fairly narrow, down wind (blowing off the dock in prevailing westerlies) and down stream. I have very little time to get lines on before I am blown into my neighbor. On top of that, I have a skeg hung rudder, so not all that maneuverable, and a deck saloon with a lot of windage.

I tried several techniques with spring lines and such but then came across the video posted above showing the stern bridle. This is by far the easiest to use and most secure way of docking that I have ever seen. I run the line from the bow cleat (I don't have midship cleats) and it always works. I use it to come into my slip and along side other docks. The only time I had any trouble with this technique was when a helpful bystander on the dock took my line and made a couple of turns around a cleat so it could not run free around it. I now ask people politely not to touch the line, just to be sure.

Once that line is passed over the cleat (or bollard, or any fixed point) you can very gently bring the boat alongside then take your time setting your mooring lines. As the video points out, you don't have to be all that close, or even very parallel with the dock, to make it work.

I encourage anyone that has ever had any difficulty docking to give this a try. It is a game changer.

 

[Ted10028]

My slip is challenging to get in to. Fairly narrow, down wind (blowing off the dock in prevailing westerlies) and down stream. I have very little time to get lines on before I am blown into my neighbor. On top of that, I have a skeg hung rudder, so not all that maneuverable, and a deck saloon with a lot of windage.

I tried several techniques with spring lines and such but then came across the video posted above showing the stern bridle. This is by far the easiest to use and most secure way of docking that I have ever seen. I run the line from the bow cleat (I don't have midship cleats) and it always works. I use it to come into my slip and along side other docks. The only time I had any trouble with this technique was when a helpful bystander on the dock took my line and made a couple of turns around a cleat so it could not run free around it. I now ask people politely not to touch the line, just to be sure.

Once that line is passed over the cleat (or bollard, or any fixed point) you can very gently bring the boat alongside then take your time setting your mooring lines. As the video points out, you don't have to be all that close, or even very parallel with the dock, to make it work.

I encourage anyone that has ever had any difficulty docking to give this a try. It is a game changer.

it seems to have a couple problems compared to other techniques. sure when the boat is stopped and still an in the perfect position you can drop a line over the stern cleat but when you want to be moving forward to maintain steerage and the wind and current is blowing you off it becomes much more problematic it seems to me. it seems a boat hook or Loop would solve that problem and then you could keep the engine constantly forward to compensate for the constant wind blowing you off. hope that makes sense?

 

[DArcy]

You can also use a boat hook to get the loop over the cleat, I've done that. I'm not sure what you mean by perfect position. You can make the loop big enough to reach wherever you need to. I have not yet found a situation where I couldn't position the boat close enough for the line to reach. In the video he says stop the boat, but you can be moving slowly forward as well, you just need to be quicker getting the loop over the cleat just as you would with any other technique.

I cannot see any problems introduced by the bridle that would not be present in any other technique. The loop is bigger (so easier to hit the target), you don't have to go forward or step off the boat, you can use a boat hook to extend your reach if you want to, no need to hang lines on the dock so it works coming in anywhere. It does take a bit of practice, just as any technique would, but it is so easy to control the boat once you have the bridle over the cleat because it is adjustable from the cockpit. People are amazed how well controlled it is when they see it in action. I almost don't want to tell anyone about this so it doesn't become common practice, just so people will continue to comment how easy I make it look.

 

[Tom J]

it seems you never wanted to use your propeller and rudder to guide the stern of the boat up against the dock?

I almost always use my propeller and rudder when docking to bring the stern up to the dock. In my first post, I mentioned turning hard to port and using reverse to stop the boat in the starboard situation you mentioned. Unfortunately, the prop won't pull the stern in, under these conditions. In a port-to situation, backing down hard after the turn will pull the stern into the dock.
I described the bow-in technique with my O'Day as an extreme example of it used in very windy conditions. It was easier to walk the stern in with the stern line since it was a small boat.
It would be possible to power up against a stern line to pull the boat against the dock, but this would necessitate getting the stern line secured first.

 

[jssailem]

you throw it past the dock cleat then pull it taught.

@Ted10028 if you view that video, you will see the lady aboard simply throw the line onto the dock beyond the end cleat. Her spouse in the cockpit has the end of the line. and draws the line in. The line is then secured in the cockpit to a cleat or the winch. Putting the boat in gear causes the hull to snug up to the dock/slip.

When solo I set up the line on the mid-cleat. I fair the line outside of the life lines and bring the end into the cockpit. When I near the slip I slow the boat and leave the helm to toss the line. If I miss I simply retrieve and toss a second time. If this fails, I'll back the boat out and start again. Even in the strongest winds and tidal currents it only takes 2 or 3 times to snug up to the slip. 85% of the time it is one toss, snug up to the slip. Step off the boat and secure the bow and stern lines. No helper needed. Granted I have been doing this for 9 plus years at my own marina slip and all of the other slips I cruise

 

[JBP-PA]

I love the "How to dock solo" threads, I always pick up a couple tips from the way other people do things. There are a few things that I don't think I've seen other people mention.

thanks again for the great information. I may be too optimistic given that I don't have a neighbor on my port side yet. also , I have a gate up front apparently because the previous owner wanted that option too. I have one bumper on my port side. I'm going to pick up 2 more right away!

If you don't have a neighbor you are golden. Pull into that side, let the wind push you onto the dock, and use some lines to pull your boat across. Do it on purpose and everyone will admire your seamanship.

water was like glass with no wind, not single handed, hard to throw rope like Roy Rogers, in strong wind bow is blown off.

One of the things I like best with the mid-stern bridal is that it works really well in windy conditions. I toss the bridal when I am only half way in my slip. As @jssailem said, you usually have enough time to do 3 tries, but if I hose it up, I am only halfway in so I can back out quick.

A piling is easy to toss a line over, but I do find it difficult to catch a cleat when the dock is very low because the upward pull on the line will often pull the line over the cleat instead of catching it. It can help to soak your line first. In fact people find they often make their second toss because the first toss landed in the water and got the line wet.

Another idea that I've not yet tried is to leave a tight-ish line on the dock from the dock's forward cleat to aft cleat. When coming in, grab this line with your boat hook and attach a line (I'm thinking carabiner) which leads to a midship block and then to the cockpit where you'll be standing as you dock. Hauling on this line will slide the carabiner to the midship position and hold you there. Secure the line to hold yourself against the dock while you attach your regular lines. This does leave a line on the dock, but it's just one and it would be pretty unobtrusive especially if it's a thin dyneema line.

For leaving the dock, I've used the "spring loop over winch" trick described by @Tally Ho for years. A bonus feature is that, once docked, I move it to my stern cleat where it serves as a backup stern line. Once my regular stern line chafed through when I wasn't around and the spring loop saved the day.