So I didn't account for the windage while docking and side swiped my neighbors outboard. Little black paint transfer on my hull but no visible damage to his outboard. The sound it made was awful and the whole marina watched. I have never been so emberassed!
First Mishap
- Thread starter Bigjer40
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I am hoping it's just part of being a rookie and it happens, but am so sick to my stomach! I was taught slow is pro, so wasn't going in crazy. All was good and then wind picked up and pushed me over.
Been there, done that.
Last year, I was coming in to our slip with the wind behind us. Sideswiped the boat next to us. The damage was confined to their blue cove stripe. A thousand dollars later and a change in slip to one where we don't share with anyone and life got easier. I still have DAD (DOCKING ANXIETY DISORDER).
Last year, I was coming in to our slip with the wind behind us. Sideswiped the boat next to us. The damage was confined to their blue cove stripe. A thousand dollars later and a change in slip to one where we don't share with anyone and life got easier. I still have DAD (DOCKING ANXIETY DISORDER).
Can you reccomend a good therapist for DAD??? Crappy part is the boat owner wasn't there, so I left a business card with explanation on his boat and get to wait for a call!!!! They usually only visit the boat on the weekends, so I get to wait all week for a phone call
I've watched more new sailors come in too slow rather than too fast. Here's a very general rule ... the higher the wind, the faster your approach must be. You need enough boat speed to keep control and not let the wind control. Also, you need to be aware of which way the wind will be pushing you. Downwind docking is the trickiest.
Practice makes better if not perfect. We've all had times we wish we could forget. Don't be reluctant to ask advise from your dock mates.
Jeff
Practice makes better if not perfect. We've all had times we wish we could forget. Don't be reluctant to ask advise from your dock mates.
Jeff
Thanks Jeff,
After the show I put on for the marina today, I will be put in the back 40 and able to practice all by myself!
I used to think nails on a chalk board was the worst sound in the world. Now I know the sound of metal digging down the side of your hull is!
There is no replacement for practice. When you do the berthing often enough, you'll feel your heart beat (yes literally) come down, then you know you're alright. Mine used to shoot from 60 to >100 each and everytime I berth my boat stern in. Now its down to 65-70 at most. Practice practice practice ... it helps to have friends at dockside and on the other boat to fend off.
Glad no one was hurt. Have someone ready with a grab / push bar. Also the people watching were helping how exactly???
Go back to your business card and list everybody with one hand on a swizzle stick and the other hand in their pocket.
Good neighbors know when to rush in and when to get scarce again.
Find a quiet time and practice docking. Better to become a great docker and average sailor than the other way around.
Your thread has great meaning to me as this year will be the year of learning. New boat, new slip, new neighbors. I went from sitting out sailing a number of years, to a :
trailer sailor with a 25' Mac with an outboard to a:
fin keel 32' helm steering diesel inboard that dwarfs what I sailed last year (in my mind anyway - lol)
The yacht upgrade is in dry dock getting maintance, to splash in two weeks. By then all the slips will be full watching me do what you did.
I will be practicing slow speed power maneuvers off somewhere for hours before I approach the slip for the first time. I will also enlist the aid of fellow dock people to help me.
Go back to your business card and list everybody with one hand on a swizzle stick and the other hand in their pocket.
Good neighbors know when to rush in and when to get scarce again.
Find a quiet time and practice docking. Better to become a great docker and average sailor than the other way around.
Your thread has great meaning to me as this year will be the year of learning. New boat, new slip, new neighbors. I went from sitting out sailing a number of years, to a :
trailer sailor with a 25' Mac with an outboard to a:
fin keel 32' helm steering diesel inboard that dwarfs what I sailed last year (in my mind anyway - lol)
The yacht upgrade is in dry dock getting maintance, to splash in two weeks. By then all the slips will be full watching me do what you did.
I will be practicing slow speed power maneuvers off somewhere for hours before I approach the slip for the first time. I will also enlist the aid of fellow dock people to help me.
The best advice given is to practice. HOWEVER WHICH IS TRUE FOR ANYONE, SHOULD YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE APPROACH, GO OUT AND TRY AGAIN. Even the experienced follow that rule as well.
Thanks all! Next weekend we will head to an in crowded slip and practice, practice, practice. I'm on the Columbia river and it is really swift right now. You come into the marina (Tomohawk) And the water doesn't move. It's a big change. I need to keep the momentum up so I have steerage. But stay under control. It's a fine line and expensive one at that!
While I know my story won't make you feel less horrible about yours at least you will know that we all have done it. My wife was (emphasize was) a fabulous docker with better touch then I. We purchased our new boat, came to the slip and she aimed at the new slip so she got flustered. She put it in reverse and tried to aim at the right slip, got confused and put full throttle instead of the OTHER lever which was the shift lever. She backed into our neighbor's boat and into the dock. $800 damage to the neighbor, $250 to the dock, $5000 to our brand new boat. She cried for two days and refused to come out of the capatain's cabin all weekend. That was September. I am just now getting her to take the helm under power. We have practiced and practiced and are pretty good but the heart rate goes up and the confidence goes down when approaching the slip. As many at the marina who now know us as "the crash couple" will say, it is not a matter of if but a matter of when. Glad all were safe and I know you gained some education. We sure did!
Sandy
Sandy
The note about coming in with a bit of speed to overcome wind is valid. But, if bow in make sure reverse works. My shifter cable broke during a docking maneuver. I had to shout instructions to my son to manually shift the tranny. The docking went smoothly until my wife decided to jump from the boat to the pier...missed it by that much. But that is another story. Once her teeth stopped chattering she told me how cold 50 degree water was.
Thanks all, reading all your stories makes me feel much better. I was calm when I pushed our boat off the neighbors outboard, but my girl stood froze with tears rolling down cheek. I thought "oh crap, she is done sailing"! I straightened the boat pulled into the dock and she jumped off and tied her off. She looked at me and said "it will get better and it could have been worse". Freaked me out for a second, but she pulled thru. My marina gave me other boat owners number and I called and left a message. I didn't get a call back, but am confident he won't even be able to tell I touched his boat. Fingers crossed!
Insurance?
I have a boatload of insurance on my slipped boats. Pardon the pun. Whatever I ruffle is covered up to seven figures. My agent is a member here. Say, you may have hit his boat! lol
If you do not have insurance, get it. Get lots of it. Costs nothing in the scheme of things.
I have a boatload of insurance on my slipped boats. Pardon the pun. Whatever I ruffle is covered up to seven figures. My agent is a member here. Say, you may have hit his boat! lol
If you do not have insurance, get it. Get lots of it. Costs nothing in the scheme of things.
Sounds like no damage was done, and thankfully, no one was hurt. Just part of the learning curve. My dock neighbor was kind enough to start recording a video of us as we made our seventh attempt to back into the slip on a windy day. We ended up sideways across two pilings at the end of the slip, and it took all hands on board and a few on the dock to pull her around and secure her in the slip. I labeled the video "Controlled Crash" and pull it out on occasion when we want a laugh.
What I hate about docking is the gut wrenching, dry mouth, heart pounding fear when after 8 to 10 hours of sailing on a fantastic, mind bending close reach you suddenly realize that you have to dock in a 15 -20 knot crosswind with an opposing 6 knot current in a shallow unfamiliar marina with spectators staring at you watching your every move waiting for the inevitable disaster. Get lots of fenders.
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