Docking Under Spinnaker (ALAN)

[Jon W.]

Thanks Bob and Alan

Oh, I've posted a number of times in the various forums here. Maybe not so much Sail Trim. I love to do so, and will continue to do so. I just try to do it in threads that deal with equipment, techniques, or other knowledge based subjects that deal with facts, or my actual experiences.I've observed that people's opinions can rarely be changed, simply because they are often not based on facts. But it's fun watching people give it a try

 

[RichH]

Thanks Jon ....... nice post.

My request would be the sharing of 'technique' to make all this (safely) happen .... not the strategy/politics of it.There are probably zillions of volumes by authors that go into the methods and means of boat handling under 'full-throttle'; but, rarely does one find the resources for boat handling (under sail) in tight quarters and slow speeds, etc. Something like Alan doing S turns to bleed off speed or me quickly turning a tiller 90 degrees etc. in a sculling fashion. There are MANY other techniques such as gaining maximum sideways slip so one can have no-way-on and move the boat 'sideways', 'stalling' when tacking in a channel to let other boats pass, etc. , or waiting for a starboard tacker to pass - and not losing any ground, etc. Lots of 'tricks' to share ... Lets hear some from you folks, nothing is tooo foolish to ask or tell ('cept 'politics). I'll start with coming into a dock to parallel park ..... I usually come in with main OVER drawing (boom to centerline and mainsheet sooooo tight that the battens are noticiably hooking to weather, I'll angle the boat so that I develop a fishermans reef (front luff shaking) .... due to the fact that the battens are hooked, the boat will develop lots of 'leeway' and such will help 'draw' the boat closer (sideways) to the dock... at the last moment I totally straighten out and totally let go of the sheet. If still too fast a couple of hard turns (more violent than S turns) will slow the boat. I try to keep some speed up so that the rudder still has some amount of control with water flowing past it. Sometimes Ill get crew to back-wind a sail to slow the boat and enhance the sideslip. Sometimes I'll need to backwind the main to get the stern in, etc. My aim to to hit the dock with zero forward speed ( I have a metal rub rail). This works for my 'lightweight planing hull and also my 'heavyweight' full-keeler. Sure, I'll keep the engine 'ticking over in neutral' - just in case. Whats your method? Jump in Don, Alan, Jon, etc.

 

[BobW]

I have a plan

OK, I'm all set.....The funny part is that it appears that sailing into the slip has almost nothing to do with 'sailing' since the first move is deciding when to let go the sail, and the rest is controlling speed and direction while drifting.So it seems like I've already been practicing, since I like to put the engine in neutral before I turn into my fairway and coast into the slip, with just a quick blurp of the engine in reverse before the Commodore steps off with the deck line.A question: Where does a 'spring line' come into this? Somebody mentioned it a lot earlier in this thread.RichH, I think I'm going to have to buy Don's book to find out what 'hooked battens' means.... the only reference I can find to that in my lexicon has to do with Lazy Jacks So much to learn.... that's probably why I like sailing so much...... hopefully it will never end!And it helps to have ya'll to learn from. Thanks, it's really appreciated.Cheers,Bobs/v X SAIL R 8

 

[Herb Parsons]

Spring Line

I'm the one that mentioned that I use a spring line. Here's how I do mine;In this case, my "spring line" isn't a true spring line, in that it doesn't go from the stern of the boat to midships. It goes from about 3 feet from the the back of the slip to my winch. The way my boat sits in the slip, that's about 6 or 7 feet.When I go out, I pull the end of that line as far toward the back of the slip as I can. I have a hook that holds it for me.When I come in to the slip, I reach as far forward as I can (again, I'm barely moving at this point), take that line, and drop it on the winch (if I'm going slow), or hang on to it if I'm going a little faster. If I'm going a bit too fast, I use the line to slow me down, then drop it over the winch.The line is tied such that it stops the boat's forward motion before it can hit the end of the slip. It pulls the boat slightly to starboard when it does so, but if there's any bump against the boards in my slip, it's very light since I'm barely moving at this point.I set that up when I saw another boat owner do the same with the full spring line on his boat. He had the crew member (his wife) go forward on the bow to take the line when they pulled into their slip. Then she stepped back and dropped it on a cleat. The boat stopped right where it needed to.I did mine my way because I sail alone a lot, and needed to be able to reach the line from my cockpit.

 

[JohnS12875]

careful

"If I'm going a bit too fast, I use the line to slow me down, then drop it over the winch."A warning to the less experienced boaters here: Note that herb says he slows the boat first, then drops it over the winch. When docking, be *damned sure* you don't get your fingers wrapped between the line and the winch (or cleat, or bollard, or piling, etc) while the boat's moving.

 

[JohnS12875]

Bob (X SAIL R 8)

When you drift into your slip in neutral, practice timing it so that you don't need that last little blip of reverse to kill momentum. Practice using your rudder to bleed speed. Eventually, you'll get to the point where you can stop remaining momentum, if any, with a gentle pull on your dock lines. With my boat at least, under sail I can approach the dock w/ a slower speed than I can achieve while idling in gear. I could just give it little bursts of forward and shift back to neutral, but my shifter is near the cockpit sole, and I need to stand up to see where I'm going.

 

[Alan]

AND.......

...to add to what JohnS said, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER loop any line onboard around your hand(s). It's sometimes a temptation to do this to get a better grip on the line. A very bad habbit, one that could easily cost you fingers or worse.If you need more gripping power, double the line back on itself.