Docking single handed without a cleat - only ring on dock

zinahewitt

zinahewitt

.
Feb 19, 2023
75
Dufour Dufour 34 Clipper Yacht Harbor
Hi All,

I have a Dufour 34, 1975.
So far in life all the Marinas I have been had cleats, so I would motor in it.
Lay my premade loop which ran mid boat on the cleat, pull in the slack with the winch, cleat.
Put it in forward, then turn the wheel right and the boat would dock nicely.

I could then get off the boat, nice and calm, tie all my lines, go back, run my fresh water rinse routine and then turn it off.


What do you suggest to do if there is no cleat?
Well there are two cleats but only at the front.
At the back you have two rings.


I'm guessing I can leave a pre cut to length line.
With a big loop, tied to the ring.
Then approach, pick it up with the fishing pole , put it on my port cleat.


Anything you can recommend that would be more "relaxing".
The winds can pick up in the bay in summer.


Thank you
 

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Tally Ho

Tally Ho

.
Jan 7, 2011
5,245
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
Can you tie a rope to the ring? I would tie a rope with a loop on the end to a ring…and tie it at the right length so that rope can be thrown over the cabin-top winch and it stops the boat before the bow hits the dock…

Here is a video I made of how I do it…I have a cleat, but no reason this couldn’t work with your ring…


Greg
 
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zinahewitt

zinahewitt

.
Feb 19, 2023
75
Dufour Dufour 34 Clipper Yacht Harbor
Tally Ho said:
Can you tie a rope to the ring? I would tie a rope with a loop on the end to a ring…and tie it at the right length so that rope can be thrown over the cabin-top winch and it stops the boat before the bow hits the dock…

Here is a video I made of how I do it…I have a cleat, but no reason this couldn’t work with your ring…


Greg
Click to expand

Hi Greg, hope all is going well.
With this setup, I'd need to get the rope under the lifelines to get to my winch.
I guess I could add a step and unlatch my lifelines and flatten them before coming in.

I can't bolt anything to the new dock so can't use his Shepperd hook.
But I have some left over fishing floats I could add to my loop to make it easier to pick up from the dock.


Thanks for the video.
 
jssailem

jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Oct 22, 2014
22,208
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Up in the Northwest, we have what is called a "BullRail". It is a 4x4 or 6x6 that runs along the slip. Looks a little like this.
1734392240315.jpeg


One way of grabbing the rail is the use of a foldable grappling hook.
1734392137217.jpeg

The docking procedure remains pretty much the same. You just toss the hook over the rail and let it hang on.
 
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Tally Ho

Tally Ho

.
Jan 7, 2011
5,245
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
zinahewitt said:
Hi Greg, hope all is going well.
With this setup, I'd need to get the rope under the lifelines to get to my winch.
I guess I could add a step and unlatch my lifelines and flatten them before coming in.

I can't bolt anything to the new dock so can't use his Shepperd hook.
But I have some left over fishing floats I could add to my loop to make it easier to pick up from the dock.


Thanks for the video.
Click to expand
I always have the lifelines on that side of the boat down before I approach the dock.

If you can’t mount any sort of hook to hold the line, maybe your “floats” idea would work. I find it really convenient to be able to reach over and grab the line and put it on the winch. But if you can’t, you can’t.

Good luck.

Greg
 
P

Project_Mayhem

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Sep 24, 2018
3,066
Catalina 30 MKIII Chicago
Tally Ho said:
Can you tie a rope to the ring? I would tie a rope with a loop on the end to a ring…and tie it at the right length so that rope can be thrown over the cabin-top winch and it stops the boat before the bow hits the dock…

Here is a video I made of how I do it…I have a cleat, but no reason this couldn’t work with your ring…


Greg
Click to expand
:plus: This is exactly what I had been doing on my last boat
 
M

marcham

.
Jun 17, 2022
144
Hunter 380 Comox BC
Can you not just stop the boat, step off with a midship line and tie it? That's pretty routine when I single hand on my H380. If it's windy, call the marina ahead of time for a hand?

The most common error I see when docking is coming in at too shallow an angle to the dock. I usually come in at 45 degrees and aim in the 1st 1/3rd of the slip (for a long dock). Once the bow is about 3-5 feet from the dock, I slowly start turning away and just put it in reverse (no throttle). This usually brings the widest part of the the beam to the dock and I can put her in neutral to step off...

My bow breast line reaches the lifeline gate and so does the stern line, so they can be grabbed easily once the midship line is tied.

If the wind is blowing me on the dock, I make a run for an imaginary dock about 5 feet towards the wind. If it's blowing me off the dock, I come in a bit faster, delay my turn away from the dock by about a foot and use a quick burst of reverse to stop her before stepping off.

Keep practicing....
 
J

JBP-PA

.
Apr 29, 2022
489
Jeanneau Tonic 23 Erie, PA
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