docking

[Brian M H23]

Sailing In

I always sail in, though it can be frustrating at times. Yesterday the wind was coming directly from my slip! It took about 4 tries, getting stuck in irons and having to back out and give it another go. Downwind, I like to use just the headsail, as I can roll up-roll in to control my speed quite effectively (I actually put the outboard into the water, prop in gear so it cant spin, as a "brake" when docking downwind) I get a double slip, for the moment to myself. The finger pier is on my starboard side. Ive come to using a stern line to staboard, bow line to port, and spring lines (port stern cleat to forward port dock cleat, starboard bow cleat to starboard aft dock cleat). It looks a little wierd (the boat is in a "box" of lines), but its the only setup that hold it away from the finger pier, being as I don't have a piling or anything in the middle of the double slip.You guys are all missing out on the sailing in, though! Its great fun if you have time to kill

 

[RichH]

Back n' filling ......

A sailboat with an inboard (and with the common 'right handed' propeller) will simply NOT turn towards the starboard side of the boat when at slow speed. With a right handed prop, you can onoly use the prop-wash to move the stern of the boat move to starboard when in forward gear ... and only make the stern of the boar go to port when in reverse. With no water flowing across the rudder, the rudder is almost useless to turn the boat when going at dead slow speed ... especially if the propshaft is mounted on a strut and the prop is a far distance away from the rudder (attempting to blast water fromthe prop to rudder in order to make the boat turn). Backing and Filling ....for turning/maneuvering when going dead slow one uses 'prop walk' .... the water coming off the *tip* of the propeller and hitting the hull to 'push' the stern of the boat in the direction you want to go. You accomplish this with a 'momentary' burst of HIGH rpm ... sending water from the tip to the hull .... to 'push'the stern of the boat into the turn that you want. A momentary (less than a second) HIGH burst of rpm in forward gear will make the stern move to starboard (and the bow to go towards port); a momentary (less tan a second) HIGH burst or rpm in reverse will push the stern to portside *and the bow towards starboard). Each time you 'burst' the rpm you instantaneiously drop down to IDLE engine speed. Once the boat begins to move forwards or backwards you give little bursts of rpm to make small correction to 'steer' it .... the rudder is usually held amidships or at a 45 degree angle to PORT. So... using 'backing and filling' and knowing that a boat ONLY turns towards the PORTSIDE ... stern to portside when in reverse; and, bow to portside when in forward .... - when you want to paralllel park next to a dock, slowy approach the dock on the PORTSIDE (only) at an angle of about 20 degrees and when the boat is approximately at the spot you want to land, put the transmission in REVERSE as you glide forward and at the exact spot you want land, give a momentary HIGH burst of REVERSE .... and the stern will move to PORT, swing the portsdie stern of the boat to the dock, all the while the boat will stop its forward motions and 'close' with the dock .... all done with the engine speed control and NO use of the rudder. Backing and filling (also called a 'pivot turn') can be seen in the video clips at the USSAILING website (http://www.videos.sailingcourse.com/pivot_turn.htm).

 

[Mac Bentley]

Where's the help?

I continue to be surprised, although I should be used to it by now, at the number of people who just sit in their boat or stand around and watch someone docking their sailboat at my marina.Any time I see someone coming in I go over to help. I figger I just learned good manners on this board.Macp.s. There's a 290 that just moved in a couple of weeks ago. The boat's always empty when I go out, and then it has slipped when I come back. I'd like to see/help them dock; they back in with about 6 inches of wiggle room on each side.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Help not needed, and not to be encouraged

I continue to be surprised, although I should be used to it by now, at the number of people who keep running over to "help" someone docking their sailboat at my marina.Any time I see someone running over to "help" me dock, I cringe in horror!Nine times out of ten they don't help, pull the wrong line and get in the way. Most people can't understand how one person can dock a boat without yelling, screaming, having people jump onto the dock and push on stanchions. The next time someone yanks on one of my stanchions, he's gonna be the guy to rebed the stanchion. Please, just leave me alone: "Mother please, I'd rather do it myself." It's not manners if people start doing things without asking. And if they ask, I say "Thanks, but we're just fine, thanks for asking."

 

[Ross]

RichH ytou should see how well that works

with an attached rudder and a propeller aperature. Rudder hard over and a short run at full throttle and check it before you start to make headway will really walk the stern around.

 

[RichH]

ummmmm

Actually I have a heavyweight full keeler .... no OTHER way to turn it than prop-walk / backin' 'n fillin'. A full keel will (not) backup like a drunken elephant if you dont know how to 'back 'n fill'. But, even on a fin keel with a balanced spade .... the result is the same.

 

[RichH]

Stu -

Unless you live in the NE or in certain areas of the West coast, standing by and helping if needed when someone is docking is called 'good manners'. Of course in 'those' areas, good manners seemed to die-out many years ago. 'Viva Yo' is simply a contagion.

 

[Ross]

RichH I always thought that "backing and filling

was done with the sails. ;D

 

[Stu Jackson]

Gee, Rich, standing and helping

is just fine, but if you reread my post, I was noting that when help is NOT requested or needed, and if the skipper says: "Please Don't" and they continue to do so, then it has nothing to do with where you live or any misconception one might have about not living between Boston and Washington, DC. *! or the GREAT Pacific NW...

 

[Ross]

Stu , There is a storey told about a helpful

know it all, yelling to a female deck hand " throw me a rope! damnit throw me a rope!" so she picked up a coil, attached to nothing, put her back into it and let fly. . Then she yelled, "now what else do you need?"

 

[Stu Jackson]

Good one, Ross

That's another reason that I'll bet we BOTH like quiet dockings. Someone "helped" me recently, but when I asked them to simply drape the springline over the cleat they tied it off and screwed me up big time in a cross wind. I shoulda listened to myself and just said, "Thanks I'll just lasso that there cleat from here, and when I'm done, c'mon aboard for a drink."

 

[ChuckThomas]

here is a great little article

I first saw Capt Jack on Lats and Atts TV. This article is pretty good. Made a difference in my life.

 

[Mac Bentley]

'Help' may be more complicated in some places.

Stu,I only assume no one wants their hull scraping against wood or their bow hitting the back of the slip. I don't touch their boat unless it's obvious they're going to do one or the other. I don't ask for a line and no one has thrown me one. And no one has complained.Mac