Any suggestions from the pros out there on docking. I have a 26M with a 50 hp suzuki. What is the best way to get into a slip stern in and the best way bow in. It is certainly tricky. Seems that sometimes the boat just wants to go crazy. this is really tense in tight quarters with other boats. I bet I am not the only one looking for "how to do it." If you are good at it please share your secrets.
Docking
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Richard O'Brien
daggerboard down partially
Yes, they are difficult to control. Most M-owners leave the rudders down, and the Daggerboard 1/2 down if possible. Rudders up and no D-board is almost hopeless. That big 12-14" prop rotating, and especially in reverse induces more "propwalk" than other sailboats experience. You have to learn how to use it if possible, and if single-handed you might try stern in? I hope this helps if I understood your question correctly?
Yes, they are difficult to control. Most M-owners leave the rudders down, and the Daggerboard 1/2 down if possible. Rudders up and no D-board is almost hopeless. That big 12-14" prop rotating, and especially in reverse induces more "propwalk" than other sailboats experience. You have to learn how to use it if possible, and if single-handed you might try stern in? I hope this helps if I understood your question correctly?
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Mel E.
With my 26X its stern
first, I back in the slip or up to the launch ramp dock, as I'm always doing the single handed thing. I get in close to where I can get the long boat hook hooked to pull me the rest of the way in. This seems to work best for me either in a wind or no wind situation.
first, I back in the slip or up to the launch ramp dock, as I'm always doing the single handed thing. I get in close to where I can get the long boat hook hooked to pull me the rest of the way in. This seems to work best for me either in a wind or no wind situation.
My way works
I'm doing single handed prop testing on my M26X now when weather permits and that requires backing into the slip for access to the prop from the dock. I still have several sessions yet to go to get my props fine tuned for the rpm I want at WOT. So consider the following: With no wind or current, I approach my slip at right angles at idle speed, about 50' out from it. The slip is on my port side. I have one or both rudders down, and keel all the way down. The boat pivots much easier and more precisely with a near vertical keel. I bring the boat to a dead stop about 25' past the slip. Slip motor into reverse at idle, and turn wheel so rudders and motor point toward slip. Prop walk and boat momentum gains with distance traveled, as does more control. About 10' before slip entry I cut wheel over hard to turn stern into slip, then put engine in neutral to coast in. With a wind astern you may not be able to coast in, just use idle speed. With wind abeam, you have to allow for windage to turn your bow around the keel faster or slower, depending on direction. With wind astern, you may have to use a momentary forward burst to stop boat once it's in the slip. If you have enough maneuver room, you can pull up to slip and away from it, leaving the stern facing the slip from some distance away, then just keep rudders and motors straight and back straight in. With both rudders down and idle speed only, it negates almost all the prop walk . The mistake I see most often in other sailboats and power boats is impatience. The skipper is going too fast. Easy does it.
I'm doing single handed prop testing on my M26X now when weather permits and that requires backing into the slip for access to the prop from the dock. I still have several sessions yet to go to get my props fine tuned for the rpm I want at WOT. So consider the following: With no wind or current, I approach my slip at right angles at idle speed, about 50' out from it. The slip is on my port side. I have one or both rudders down, and keel all the way down. The boat pivots much easier and more precisely with a near vertical keel. I bring the boat to a dead stop about 25' past the slip. Slip motor into reverse at idle, and turn wheel so rudders and motor point toward slip. Prop walk and boat momentum gains with distance traveled, as does more control. About 10' before slip entry I cut wheel over hard to turn stern into slip, then put engine in neutral to coast in. With a wind astern you may not be able to coast in, just use idle speed. With wind abeam, you have to allow for windage to turn your bow around the keel faster or slower, depending on direction. With wind astern, you may have to use a momentary forward burst to stop boat once it's in the slip. If you have enough maneuver room, you can pull up to slip and away from it, leaving the stern facing the slip from some distance away, then just keep rudders and motors straight and back straight in. With both rudders down and idle speed only, it negates almost all the prop walk . The mistake I see most often in other sailboats and power boats is impatience. The skipper is going too fast. Easy does it.
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Randy
no panic
I have an X...all boards down and there is no problem as long as the winds are not above 10-12 mph.....high wind, you have to plan for the windage.....you'll get it, keep practicing.....it is difficult with the M or X because of the amount of freeboard, but it can be managed.........
I have an X...all boards down and there is no problem as long as the winds are not above 10-12 mph.....high wind, you have to plan for the windage.....you'll get it, keep practicing.....it is difficult with the M or X because of the amount of freeboard, but it can be managed.........
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Randy
add this
I forgot to say, go slow, take yer time and if it isn't working, go around again.....you are there for the saftey of your boat and others, if you are uncomfortable with your first effort, try again.......If anyone gives you crap, take them aboard(bring the boards up) and have them try(try not to enjoy their failure, openly).....no one can operate a Mac except a Mac owner!!! It is a craft which likes its owner...........
I forgot to say, go slow, take yer time and if it isn't working, go around again.....you are there for the saftey of your boat and others, if you are uncomfortable with your first effort, try again.......If anyone gives you crap, take them aboard(bring the boards up) and have them try(try not to enjoy their failure, openly).....no one can operate a Mac except a Mac owner!!! It is a craft which likes its owner...........
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Lowell
Thanks
Thanks for the sharing your techniques. Keep the suggestions comming. I know there are a lot of mac owners interested in docking.
Thanks for the sharing your techniques. Keep the suggestions comming. I know there are a lot of mac owners interested in docking.
Use dock lines
IMHO, mooring lines are easily the most overlooked tool for taking a lot of the stress out of underways and dockings. Even singlehanding, you can always run a line to a cleat and back to the boat. Nothing works better than a fixed point of control. Good references like "The Annapolis Book of Seamanship" have suggestions for any situation you could face. We've kept the boat out of trouble several times with a simple spring line; something I could never duplicate with rudder, motor and centerboard. My enjoyment of sailing increased exponentially when I stopped trying to impress strangers by putting the boat dead center in the slip with zero speed. Get her close, get a line over and warp the boat in. If the winds are tricky, call out to someone on the dock to help. I've never seen anybody refuse and most are happy to help you avoid kissing THEIR boat. On Lake Superior where strong crosswinds are to be expected, I've seen many sailors call on the VHF as they're coming in to have help standing by on the pier. Few of us have the time to practice precision boathandling. Swallow your pride, use your lines and ask for help.
IMHO, mooring lines are easily the most overlooked tool for taking a lot of the stress out of underways and dockings. Even singlehanding, you can always run a line to a cleat and back to the boat. Nothing works better than a fixed point of control. Good references like "The Annapolis Book of Seamanship" have suggestions for any situation you could face. We've kept the boat out of trouble several times with a simple spring line; something I could never duplicate with rudder, motor and centerboard. My enjoyment of sailing increased exponentially when I stopped trying to impress strangers by putting the boat dead center in the slip with zero speed. Get her close, get a line over and warp the boat in. If the winds are tricky, call out to someone on the dock to help. I've never seen anybody refuse and most are happy to help you avoid kissing THEIR boat. On Lake Superior where strong crosswinds are to be expected, I've seen many sailors call on the VHF as they're coming in to have help standing by on the pier. Few of us have the time to practice precision boathandling. Swallow your pride, use your lines and ask for help.
Here is my bow in first setup
Bow in is a peice of cake my 5 yr old granddaughter can do. Same approach as with stern in... go slow, all boards down. But before you leave your dock prepare a landing cradle. Tie a fender in the middle of a permanent line run from one side of the slip to the other at deck or cleat level at the front of the slip a few feet away from the dock,so your bow won't overhand the dock at rest. Run another permanent line from each end of the fender to near the end of each finger pier so a big V is formed a couple of feet above the water. Now when coming in, even at an angle, the bow will be guided by the V lines to the fender and stop the boat very gently. By using the wheel and motor power or sail power, you can choose which side pier you want the stern to swing toward. With a permanent fender attached to dock, or draped down the stern quarter you merely have to step off, or use the boat hook to retrieve the stern dock line. I've been docking this way for over 36 years and have yet to put a scratch on my boat, even in 20 knot crosswinds. Hope this is clear. If not, say so me and I will try to post a photo.
Bow in is a peice of cake my 5 yr old granddaughter can do. Same approach as with stern in... go slow, all boards down. But before you leave your dock prepare a landing cradle. Tie a fender in the middle of a permanent line run from one side of the slip to the other at deck or cleat level at the front of the slip a few feet away from the dock,so your bow won't overhand the dock at rest. Run another permanent line from each end of the fender to near the end of each finger pier so a big V is formed a couple of feet above the water. Now when coming in, even at an angle, the bow will be guided by the V lines to the fender and stop the boat very gently. By using the wheel and motor power or sail power, you can choose which side pier you want the stern to swing toward. With a permanent fender attached to dock, or draped down the stern quarter you merely have to step off, or use the boat hook to retrieve the stern dock line. I've been docking this way for over 36 years and have yet to put a scratch on my boat, even in 20 knot crosswinds. Hope this is clear. If not, say so me and I will try to post a photo.
Pier Hooks work well....
Get one of the extension aluminum pier hooks. They work great along with the commentary of NIGHT SAILOR. Keel down, patience, "easy does it"...and that BOAT HOOK !
Get one of the extension aluminum pier hooks. They work great along with the commentary of NIGHT SAILOR. Keel down, patience, "easy does it"...and that BOAT HOOK !
On the 26X/26M - both rudders and board down all the way, if you have enough depth. The mistake I see most often is trying to come in too slow, so they lose steering. Use the wind when possible, instead of trying to fight it. Look for flags to see which way it's coming from, and strength. If the wind is on the beam, it's often easier to back in. Point the prop/rudders where you want to go and the bow will follow. If you try to come in bow first, and the wind blows the nose around, let it go around and come in stern first. I have a bow and stern dock line, with the ends tied together, so that when I get on the dock I can control both ends of the boat. Another nice thing about the 26X/26M, unlike bigger boats, is you can see where the rudders are. So, come in fast enough to maintain steering. Put it in reverse (if you're coming in bow first) to stop the momentum, with the rudders pointing the way you want the boat to go.
On the 26X/26M - both rudders and board down all the way, if you have enough depth. The mistake I see most often is trying to come in too slow, so they lose steering. Use the wind when possible, instead of trying to fight it. Look for flags to see which way it's coming from, and strength. If the wind is on the beam, it's often easier to back in. Point the prop/rudders where you want to go and the bow will follow. If you try to come in bow first, and the wind blows the nose around, let it go around and come in stern first. I have a bow and stern dock line, with the ends tied together, so that when I get on the dock I can control both ends of the boat. Another nice thing about the 26X/26M, unlike bigger boats, is you can see where the rudders are. So, come in fast enough to maintain steering. Put it in reverse (if you're coming in bow first) to stop the momentum, with the rudders pointing the way you want the boat to go.
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Steve Leon
Power Thruster
I installed a power thruster (purchased from this site) and it makes a HUGE difference in maneuverability at slow speeds. It also decreased fuel consumption by about 15%. I have not found that it has added to my top speed, but that is not an issue for me. Also I drop 1 rudder and my centerboard (26x) about 1/3 of the way. Hope this helps s
I installed a power thruster (purchased from this site) and it makes a HUGE difference in maneuverability at slow speeds. It also decreased fuel consumption by about 15%. I have not found that it has added to my top speed, but that is not an issue for me. Also I drop 1 rudder and my centerboard (26x) about 1/3 of the way. Hope this helps s
S
Steve Leon
Power Thruster
I installed a power thruster (purchased from this site) and it makes a HUGE difference in maneuverability at slow speeds. It also decreased fuel consumption by about 15%. I have not found that it has added to my top speed, but that is not an issue for me. Also I drop 1 rudder and my centerboard (26x) about 1/3 of the way. Hope this helps s
I installed a power thruster (purchased from this site) and it makes a HUGE difference in maneuverability at slow speeds. It also decreased fuel consumption by about 15%. I have not found that it has added to my top speed, but that is not an issue for me. Also I drop 1 rudder and my centerboard (26x) about 1/3 of the way. Hope this helps s
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