Docking my O'Day 22

Picflight · May 20, 2014

Record the docking and post the video.

You are doing the practice, which is needed to stay current.

Observe the wind, make compensations, use the outboard for propulsion and power settings and finally rudder for steering. You want to lineup and glide it in, smooth, gentle and slow.

Hydro Therapy · May 20, 2014

Rule of thumb: when you think your coming in slow enough, slow down even more.

I have been boating for over 30 years but this is my first year docking my sailboat. My slip has fast moving tidal water and I back my 22 into the slip. It has been quite the adventure. Wind and tide always need to be noted.

I also use my rudder and motor together when Im backing in.

It looks like your in a nice sheltered marina. I think you will pick it up quickly.

kpgraci · May 20, 2014

You're not alone. I keep a record of all my sailing, so I can tell you I've docked 81 times, out of those I'd say 5 were perfect, and someone was watching once. At least 3 of my dockings had the potential to cause damage, good thing the Oday 22 is tough, of course everyone saw those.

There's a reason docking is called a spectator sport.

Slow is good but remember if you go too slow you lose steerage. Wind and current of course affect your track as well. The mass of the boat give it a momentum and hence a delayed response to anything you do. The whole thing obeys the laws of physics but to do it well is an art.

But here's something that might actually help...springlines, try
googling 'docking with springlines'.

I motor down the center of the fairway at idle, I note the wind direction so I have in my head what the tendency of the boat is going to be. If the wind is aft I know that I will not be able to slow as quickly, if its forward then there is the risk of stopping (remember steerage) , other angles mean a tendency to drift in the direction of the wind. With this information you adjust the 'normal' speed and turn you would use on a calm day. Easier said than done.

I have a line attached to one of the outer piles with a loop at the end, when I come in just before the slip I put the motor in neutral, tie the rudder hard over (I do this single handed, with two people one could work the rudder while the other handles the line) so I'm turning to starboard into the slip, using the boat hook I grab the line on the pile and I throw the loop over the starboard winch. This line will tighten as the boat moves and then stop the stern of the boat, the bow will continue to swing until it touches the inner pile (on the rub rail). Theoretically I could leave the motor in gear while I do this but I prefer to have it in neutral in case I miss the line, then it's pretty much fending off the dock with the boat hook.

Hope this helps.

dparilla · May 20, 2014

Put a fender or float in the water and practice forward and backing approaches to it. Just keep at it and you will get your own system down. Then, keep practicing, which of course means go sailing whenever you can. Practice to the fender in upwind, downwind and crosswind, then attempt the same with your real dock.
There are tons of books on docking technique, such as "7 steps to successful boat docking".
http://www.amazon.com/Steps-Successful-Boat-Docking-Power/dp/0971191131/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z

All boats will experience some level of prop walk. With an outboard you can turn it a bit to compensate for it. I would recommend initially leaving the motor in the straight ahead configuration and practice with the rudder and throttle. Often times, I have seen sailors completely cross controlled with the motor hard port and the rudder hard starboard, which is just plain confusing. Once you get comfortable with the forward and backing motion using the rudder, and find the sweet spot for backing where the boat backs straight down, then you can use the motor to enhance your turn (forward and astern) and maneuver the vessel on a dime. Spring lines will help position the boat right where you want it when you step off, and if you need (or want) you can often tie guidelines to help catch the bow, or just provide a handy grab point.

In the end, just remember to never approach the dock faster than you want to hit it, and for each sailor who totally greases an approach, that same sailor has gooned up plenty.

Ward H · May 20, 2014

I was so disgusted with my docking skills the first few sails last year I was ready give up before I caused huge damage to someone's boat.
Then I called my ASA101 instructor and talked to him. He offered to come over and help me out. He set up a bridle in my slip. I have two outer pilings, finger pier and cleat to port and piling to starboard with dock at the bow. We tied lines at the outer pilings to about 5' off the dock. We tied one of the lines to each end of a fender. Then tied two move lines that went to the cleat and piling on the dock.
This produced a rope V with a fender at the point that was positioned far enough from the dock so I would not hit the dock.
The bridle captures the bow as I come in and guides it to the center of the slip.
I also do as kpgraci does with a spring line. I have the spring line on the outer port piling. When I come in I grab that line and throw in on my winch. I leave the motor in idle and forward gear. The spring line will cause the bow to swing towards the finger pier but the bridle keeps it from hitting the finger.
In stronger winds I'll turn the OB tiller to help swing the bow over.
For departing I do the same thing. OB in forward and turned to hold the bow to the finger. I drop the bow and stern lines and the boat sits there. When I am ready to back out I drop the spring line and put the OB in reverse. You can see the bridle in the photo of my boat in the thread "First Sail of the Season, Thanks Guys" thread in the Ask All Sailors section.

Prop walk is not noticeable in small boats, at least not on mine. I do turn the rudder and OB in unison for tight turns. Remember that the rudder needs water going past it to have an effect. The OB creates thrust to turn the boat. Practice out in the open something turning with just the OB with no forward or backward motion. Try it with the rudder. Then try it with both.

The other important factor is to learn what effect the wind has on your boat and plan your approach knowing what the wind will try to do. You need to counter act the force of the wind on your approach.

And as others said, never come in faster than your willing to hit the dock.

One last tip. I was always putting the OB in the wrong gear. When I twisted around to shift I just got confused. The solution? Put big stick on letters for F and R positions on the gear shift. That solved that. I don't even think about but it just helps my mind to get it right.

Stu Jackson · May 20, 2014

Ward's advice is well detailed and just what you need.

In addition, get more fenders than you could possibly use, or put all of them on the side you use for your springline (a dock line attached to and remaining on your dock with a big loop in it to put on your winch as you coast in).

Also, practice, practice, practice. Go out early in the day with no wind, go out, come back in repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat. Do this two or three days in a row, NOTHING ELSE, and you'll be just fine.

Brian S · May 20, 2014

One thing I often see in my marina is that folks come in too hot. We have no current, and sometimes no wind, but folks are barreling down the way at idle speed. This can often be too fast to get it just right and scrub speed as you make the turn into your slip.

When I was learning to dock our 19' power boat, my Grandfather taught me to steer the boat with bursts of forward, and to never trust reverse. (We would never run with the motor locked down, in case we hit something. Therefore, when kicking into reverse to try and slow down, the motor would often kick up with too much power.) So, what I teach people with sailboats is the same. Coming down between piers, as you get halfway to your slip, put the motor in neutral. Steer with the tiller. Control speed by putting the motor in gear for a 15 seconds, then neutral. Remember that the stern always swings outside the turn, because you are steering from the rear. Slow is good, but too slow means the rudder has less effect. Turning the outboard while trying to maneuver into the slip can be too confusing, especially if you need to hit reverse to slow down. I only use the motor to steer in conjunction with the rudder when I'm backing out and I need to swing the boat around before I get to the next dock over. Keep an easy touch on the throttle. Too much throttle makes things happen too fast. Don't oversteer, that will require you to do too much correction. Sometimes, putting the rudder hard over will turn you initially, then act more like a brake, which can be a good thing.

Hope some of these tip help.

Sunbird22358 · May 21, 2014

Practice ,practice, practice........ repeat until comfortable.

One tip is to plan your docking to take advantage of the conditions, not to overcome the conditons. What I mean is for one thing, your outboard is mounted off-center (to Starboard, I assume?) use this to your advantage if possible. Prop-walk isn't usually a problem with a small outboard prop, but the off-set to one side of the outboard will have an effect. With hte OB mounted to starboard the boat will turn easier to port if going forward and be easier to turn the bow to starboard if in reverse. Turning hte outboard along with the rudder will often be a big help especially in reverse, it may even help to reduce the effect of the off-set OB.
If you need to turn to starboard quickly, try speeding up breifly while going straight ahead, then slow hte outboard down before starting to turn (reduces effct of off-set OB) again turning hte outboard as well as the rudder will help, but boat is still going to turn much easier to port than to starboard in forward.

We used to have a CAL 21 wit ha Johnson 4Deluxe (4hp) outboard, off-set to port. We always approached out mooring to put the mooring line on the starbord side for pick up..... but most times approached in such a way that we needed to turn to port to come up into the wind at the mooring. Well, by turning both motor and rudder, I got pretty good at making landings! The off-set also came i nhandy when leaving the mooring as a quick burst of reverse before going ahead would easily "kick" the bow away from the mooring and allow more room as we passed.

So, as I say..... PRACTICE, and learn what your boat wants to do, then work with that knowledge. Soon you may be the envy of your marina neighbors as you confidently put your boat in the slip every time (or at least ALMOST every time..... heck we all mess up once in a while whether we admit it or not!).

Good luck!

PS: I still use these techniques while running my DS II under power!

ebsail · Jun 15, 2014

Take Kens advise and use a spring line. This one line will pull your boat ( if its the correct length) right up to the dock, with the engine idleing in forward, after which, with the motor idling in forward, you can leisurly tie up to the dock and then kill the motor. My wife at 5'2" used to dock our (43') 22,000 lb boat by herself using this method.

slopoke · Jun 16, 2014

slow slow slow. in and out of neutral to maintain steerage, and spring line!!! let your momentum work for you. and when you think you are slow enough, go slower! there is no rush to get on the dock. be mindful of the wind and current

Sunbird22358 · Jun 16, 2014

I'll second that advice to use a Spring line!! That has always helped me in while docking.

mm2347 · Jun 25, 2014

practice where few could watch. Lets you concentrate without worry. Use anything that floats and wont hurt if hit. Keep sessions short then go for a sail and then come back to it. As you gain skill use channel markers (if theres no traffic) as practice docks. Once it starts to work w/ motor try under sail. This will become one of the best times with your boat! Enjoy it! Never stop smiling

kpgraci · Jun 27, 2014

I ride on the river boats and ferries here in new Orleans on occasion and am always fascinated by docking. On the river you have a strong and unpredictable current and these captains swing those boats around like the've done it 1000 times. Which they have. This is the secret I think, practice.

LANCE ON CLOUD NINE · Jun 29, 2014

as you are nearing the slip at slow speed, it is amazing how much you can quickly pivot the boat around it's keel by fanning the tiller - that is to say move the tiller gently one direction, and then strongly the other direction. This can really help to get the boat quickly parallel to the dock. Good luck. Enjoy!

Holo Kai · Jun 30, 2014

I'm just getting comfortable with docking using my outboard. I only use both the tiller and outboard to steer when I'm backing up or to make a sharp turn.

Like Sunbird said, small bursts of forward and then back to neutral. I started putting the engine in neutral when I am far off from the dock and try to steer in the same direction. The wind and current will take over and I can quickly see how much slippage I'll need to account for. My dock is in a cove next to a bridge and the wind always seems a little different there than out in the channel and is always from astern so I do this to test my drift.

I'll keep switching to neutral the whole way in to the dock so I keep just enough speed to steer but no more. Then when I get near the dock, I setup at the angle I know the drift is going to push me and I can drop into neutral and glide to the dock. If needed, I'll do one or two more engine bursts but I prefer to skull my way slowly to the dock.

One last thing that helped me but probably doesn't affect you, was that my idle RPM's were way too high. Tuning the engine made it easier to use and I had more control over my speed in order to keep it slow!

Indysailor · Jul 4, 2014

Waggling the rudder helps a lot to creep into a slip when things are all calm. Best possible thing to do is practice maneuvering out in open water to get used to things. One issue with going slow is that too slow means no rudder control, so heading the advice here to get used to popping into gear for a quick burst will help a lot. The hardest docking is when you need come in perpendicular to the wind and it really requires some thought ahead of time. What will the wind do to your path as you attempt to turn? How much more momentum do you need to keep the boat under control? These are things that it is hard (and nerve wracking) to learn while docking, which is why I and others recommend practicing in open water. But keep in mind that everyone goes through this. As long as you take care to plan for bumping into things, you will do a respectable job of protecting your boat and others from getting nicked up. Keep an extra fender or to handy, make sure your boat hook is at the ready, keep others on the boat alert and ready to help.

I use the rudder and motor together to back up and spin the boat in tight spaces, but it does take a bit of getting used to. Also, backing out, the rudder will want to turn a beam, so you need to take it slow and not let go of the tiller. I've messed around with spring lines, but without a midship cleat it's more difficult to use them for docking. I prefer to just get the boat alongside the slip and step off. My aft dock line is short enough that it will keep the bow of the boat from hitting the dock.

ebsail · Jul 4, 2014

You don't need a midship cleat. Just put a loop over your sheet winch and drop another loop over the first cleat you come to on the dock.. You just have to make sure the line is short enough to stop the boat within the length of the dock.

Indysailor · Jul 4, 2014

ebsail said:
You don't need a midship cleat. Just put a loop over your sheet winch and drop another loop over the first cleat you come to on the dock.. You just have to make sure the line is short enough to stop the boat within the length of the dock.

And I would run into the dock.
My sheet winch is slightly behind the first cleat when the boat is docked because the finger only extends to about 3/4 of the length of my boat.
If you have a midship cleat you can run a line back to the cockpit that you loop over that first cleat on the dock, making a nice spring line. But these are small boats, I've never actually come in so hot that I felt the boat needed stopping by a line.

agprice22 · Jul 6, 2014

All good advice. Also, tie some fenders to the dock at the bow, or tie a cradle for the boat to rest in. A cradle won't stop your boat, but it will hold it in place while you set the lines. The fenders can prevent you from cracking too hard into the dock with your bow. Look around and see how others have set up their docks, and don't be afraid to ask for help. Sailors love to teach and show their skills!

Also, if there is someone on the dock as you lamd, ask him for a hand! Just say, "hold me off, please?" or, "catch a line for me, please?" Then you feed him a beer, and you have a friend for life!

Always offer to catch a line for someone landing near you, but DO NOT touch someones lines or boat without permission. I know from experience that sailors can be touchy about that, AND unless everyone knows the plan, the likelihood of injury is high.

I saw a man trying to get his stern line to his cleat. The line had gotten an extra wrap on it at the dock, so it was not going to work. If I had released it for him without asking, he may not have been ready, and I may have sent him tumbling backwards with the extra length. I pointed out the problem. I asked him if I could unwrap it. He said yes. I did. He cleated the line. Yay!

Also, never put yourself or any part of yourself between the boat or the dock! You will eventually get hurt of you do.

You will get the landing with practice. Slow and steady does it!

Oh, here is an interesting alternative for you: back into your slip!

Also, get Royce's sailing illustrated. There are lots of boating techniques in there.

Thanks,

Andrew

Docking my O'Day 22

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