Dock Wheel at the Finger Corner - Do They Assist?

[rardiH36]

My current berth:

- Usually has a moderate to strong crosswind that moves my boat in the same direction as my very strong reverse prop walk. Very quickly.
- Floats low to the water;
- Has minimal flotation, so when the under-curve of the hull presses against the berth finger corner, the corner is forced down and my boat can ride up over it.

I usually sail solo or with people that can't safely fend the boat away from the dock before stepping up the three feet onto the boat at the last moment. With the crosswind and the prop walk, occasionally my boat will ride up over the dock enough that the reverse engine propulsion can't overcome the friction between the dock bumper and the hull. Then I have to shift to forward, go back in and start all over.

Does anyone use dock wheels at the corner of the dock finger -- like pictured here? Will one assist in my case?



(End note for respondents: Regarding advice that that I improve my skills at minimizing prop walk -- or that I could do a line on the opposite side to cast off the cleat with a perfect flick of the wrist at the right moment every time when backing out. Won't work. Almost no matter what, a 10-15kt cross wind will blow me onto the opposite dock corner within a few seconds of releasing the upwind dock lines and before I have enough backward speed. Plus, I don't have the requisite degree of precision coordination to flick a line off a dock cleat from the cockpit every time.)

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

My doc neighbor has one. I've watched as he comes in and it definitely works well. He depends on it to pivot the boat in case...

 

[Boomer54]

i have one and my situation is similar to yours. I generally don't need to use it, but when I do, it works quite nicely.

 

[Cest La Vie]

I found to be this type corner wheel quiet helpful, but make sure you keep it well inflated. There is a bracket under the center of the wheel that can gouge your hull if the wheel is under inflated.

 

[Justin_NSA]

+1 Mine even glow in the dark!

 

[markwbird]

It's not really there to "assist". It's just to keep you from scraping your hull if you hit the corner. It works well for that but you should still try not to hit it.

 

[Stu Jackson]

The neighbor across our fairway had a pair of them, since his dock was a tad narrower than he would have liked for his boat. They worked great until he stopped cleaning them and lubing the shaft so they stuck in place. Ended up getting worse spots on his hull. Great idea, takes maintenance.

 

[Ilanortho]

I have similar situation; one of my berth mates has one and swears by it. I will get one this summer as every so often with a strong breeze and current I will scrape the corner. Cost of the wheel is much cheaper than the scrapes I have put in my gelcoat.

 

[SFS]

I have a finger pier that only comes out about a third of my boat length. The corner of it often comes into play when leaving the slip, as my boat is very bow tender, and the wind takes it quickly as I back out (I dock bow in). I went to Home Depot and picked up a strip of carpet remnant about a foot wide and the length of the carpet roll (16' maybe?). I cut it down to appropriate size and "wrapped" the corner with two layers of carpet, held on with galvanized roofing nails. The material was free, the labor time was 10 minutes. Sure, I'll probably have to redo it every other season as the nails give up, but I have plenty of extra material, and the price was right.

 

[Mark Maulden]

I'm in a slip by myself with two finger piers each having one of these. They work great and as Stu says, they take some maintenance. I always have a X-wind. I'm getting pretty good at leaving the slip keeping a midship line on the upwind side and tossing it to the pier. Coming into the slip, I'm getting really good at. But it takes a lot of engine power and driving the boat in hard and then instantly stopping it. I set a goal to not use the wheels. Sometimes, when I'm at the boat and observe other boats leaving and arriving, "helmsmen" are really afraid of using power and it gets them into trouble. And they don't know how to use engine torque and prop walk. I've been known to back out and do a 270 and leave. Naturally, the way the boat wants to back. Don't be afraid to use power and, sometimes, a lot of it knowing what the boat will do with it. I'm still learning this boat and I had it down pat years ago when I had a Gulfstar 44. That boat did what I wanted it to do....

 

[Jeff]

Occasionally my dock wheel has been helpful. It is important to keep-up on its maintenance. Have you given any thought to backing into you slip? It may be easier for you to exit your slip with this orientation. I've found it easier in any wind condition. With a little practice backing into the slip is no big deal. I tie up on the starboard side. My final approach uses the momentum of the boat to carry me toward the dock finger. I aim my starboard quarter for the end of the dock finger and just as I enter the slip at a 45 deg. angle I throw the wheel hard over to port (in neutral) and step off the boat with a stern dock line in hand. It's just a matter of walking her into the slip and securing the lines. Yeah it sounds easy! Sure I've blown it a few times when the wind is in the wrong direction but you're gonna have that. Why are there people watching when that occurs?? Good Luck.

 

[rardiH36]

Thanks all for your responses. I will order a corner wheel to install on the downwind finger corner.

Jeff, thanks for the back-in suggestion. I have seen other skippers do it in other locations. But afraid that backing in just won't do for me. "Afraid" for my boat which has really extreme reverse prop walk and for my crosswind berth would have the same meaning as my 64 year old body contemplating successfully accomplishing a mobius flip on a snow board over the edge of an Olympic sized half pipe. Same as Mark Maulden explained, getting into my berth also requires a bit of bravado. When the cross wind is piping, I come in bow first fairly fast (ok very fast) at a 60 degree angle into the wind. That way I have enough speed so I can adjust for wind velocity and gusts to ensure that the bow makes it into the berth. When it does, I turn my rudder full left to straighten out the boat. Then hit 100% throttle in reverse. Even if I line up exactly so the bow is in, the wind can be enough to drive the side of my boat hard against the downwind side of my berth within a nano second. To complicate, when the tide is flooding, my berth has an reverse eddy. Unless I jump off and get a line onto a cleat quick, the boat goes back out on its own volition. Last year I almost lost it. Boat came to a stop about 2/3's in. Jumped off onto the dock. I did not know yet about the reverse eddy. Tugging on the bow line with all my might, the current and the wind moved the boat back out with surprising force. (And no, the engine was not still running in reverse.) Fortunately, I did think to run out to the finger corner and just barely got the line on the last cleat. The cross wind then turned the boat 90 degrees. Good thing my downwind neighbor's stern didn't extend past the finger end.

Worst docking I ever did in 9 years and maybe 600 outings.

 

[HMT2]

Rardih36,

Hey it happens! I single hand a lot, while I don't have a reverses eddy I do dock into a prevailing wind and it will back my boat out in a hurry. When single handing I hop off the port side throw the port stern line on then hop back on and place it in forward (at idol) or a bit more to have her move forward herself then hustle forward to grab the bow lines .

 

[Justin_NSA]

I plan to practice backing in to my slip next season. The Hunter has an open transom that is much easier to board than over the side. So besides the wheels I mounted, I want to add a couple fenders in the slip 'vee' to protect the stern and maybe replace the black rub strip with white. Not a replacement for good docking, but I want to protect my investment.

 

[Jeff]

Rardih36,
I'm guessing changing slips isn't an option either. Getting into your slip sounds horrible!! I have friends that have put into practice Staging a dockside spring line you grab as you enter the slip. They mounted a 6 foot vertical PVC pipe with a small 90 degree PVC finger on top. It's located near the end of the dock finger. He hangs the spring line on the finger in preparation for the return trip. As they enter the slip it is retrieved and thrown over a mid ship cleat. With the engine in gear (at idle) their boat snugs up to the dock quite well.