I think I just bought a 310 and will be bringing it home this weekend. I have sailed for 30 years but have never had a boat with so much free board. I usually single hand the boat but have a long term injury on my foot and ankle. It is very difficult for me to jump off the boat to secure a line. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions. Thanks for your help. (besides getting better at docking)
Free Board and Docking Problems
- Thread starter kwilson1033
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I have an 80 yr old neighbor lady with a 35 beneteau with a similar difficulty. She deals with it 3 ways,
1 She attaches ne dockside mooring line to the pilingm and picks it up with a boat hook on the way in,
2) she has an easily deployed nonfolding weighted step stool she drops over the side to step off,
3) one boat hook has a spring line with a loop hanging from a loose velcro tye, and she snags the first cleat she goes by with that midship line.
seems to work most of the time.
1 She attaches ne dockside mooring line to the pilingm and picks it up with a boat hook on the way in,
2) she has an easily deployed nonfolding weighted step stool she drops over the side to step off,
3) one boat hook has a spring line with a loop hanging from a loose velcro tye, and she snags the first cleat she goes by with that midship line.
seems to work most of the time.
I had a C-350 before getting my 310, and THAT boat had freeboard. Roughly 8 inches more than the 310. I bought a (Davis?) clip on step that clipped around a stanchion. It was simpler and cheaper than this : http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|10391|109363|824303&id=38055 but this shows the idea.
Anyway, that step made using the boat possible for me and my 28" short legs. Now - with the 310, I am able to STEP down pretty easily, but I have no injury to deal with. I also have been known to sit on the gunwale (gun'l) and step ashore, again, that was on the 350, but it may be a workable, albeit less dignified approach for you.
In any case, learn to STOP your boat before getting off. This has made docking so much easier and low stress for me. Others will likely say, "well duh," but when you're stressing with wind and current against you, it doesn't always seem possible, and it isn't always 100%, but less movement means more time to get the lines tied up.
FWIW - My routine is as follows: BEFORE entering the fairway, hang the fenders. Then prepare lines so they are hanging at midpoint over the lifelines. I think it is CRITICAL to have a midship cleat and line, and that means a track mount cleat for a 310. When all lines and fenders are ready (and the lifelines are removed for access), then enter the final approach. As I enter my slip, my speed is just fast enough to maintain steerage (about 1 knot), and I am in NEUTRAL. I point the bow at about 30-45 degrees to the dock, and steer in to parallel about 2/3 in. Then I add reverse to stop the boat, and STEP ashore. CENTER line is always grabbed/tied first, so IF I am not stopped, snubbing this line does not kick the boat outward.
If conditions or position are awful, there is NOTHING wrong with backing out and trying again, or asking for help, but neighbors should only grab that center line... The good news is the 310 is probably one of the best maneuvering big boats there is in close quarters (my opinion).
Anyway, welcome to the 310 owners community! The 310 is a great boat, and I am loving mine more every time I take it out. I live in Kent, so feel free to look me up (I'm listed), if you want to talk.
Jon Freeman
"Summer Sojourn"
Anyway, that step made using the boat possible for me and my 28" short legs. Now - with the 310, I am able to STEP down pretty easily, but I have no injury to deal with. I also have been known to sit on the gunwale (gun'l) and step ashore, again, that was on the 350, but it may be a workable, albeit less dignified approach for you.
In any case, learn to STOP your boat before getting off. This has made docking so much easier and low stress for me. Others will likely say, "well duh," but when you're stressing with wind and current against you, it doesn't always seem possible, and it isn't always 100%, but less movement means more time to get the lines tied up.
FWIW - My routine is as follows: BEFORE entering the fairway, hang the fenders. Then prepare lines so they are hanging at midpoint over the lifelines. I think it is CRITICAL to have a midship cleat and line, and that means a track mount cleat for a 310. When all lines and fenders are ready (and the lifelines are removed for access), then enter the final approach. As I enter my slip, my speed is just fast enough to maintain steerage (about 1 knot), and I am in NEUTRAL. I point the bow at about 30-45 degrees to the dock, and steer in to parallel about 2/3 in. Then I add reverse to stop the boat, and STEP ashore. CENTER line is always grabbed/tied first, so IF I am not stopped, snubbing this line does not kick the boat outward.
If conditions or position are awful, there is NOTHING wrong with backing out and trying again, or asking for help, but neighbors should only grab that center line... The good news is the 310 is probably one of the best maneuvering big boats there is in close quarters (my opinion).
Anyway, welcome to the 310 owners community! The 310 is a great boat, and I am loving mine more every time I take it out. I live in Kent, so feel free to look me up (I'm listed), if you want to talk.
Jon Freeman
"Summer Sojourn"
Here's the step I had. It will clip around a stanchion and works great. $27!
http://shop.catalinaowners.com/prod.php?52004/Quickstep+Boarding+Step+-+1+Step+
Jon Freeman
"Summer Sojourn"
Tacoma, WA
http://shop.catalinaowners.com/prod.php?52004/Quickstep+Boarding+Step+-+1+Step+
Jon Freeman
"Summer Sojourn"
Tacoma, WA
I agree with Jon about that center line being the best way to go. Once you secure that line it gives you time to get off and secure the other lines. It is too bad that Catalina didn't install that amidship cleat on the 309/310 hulls. I have the C309 which shares the same hull as the C310 and my wife can't board from the side since she had hip replacement surgery less than 2 months ago, so I back in and pull close to the dock and use the transom steps for her to board and it works great for general boarding. I think on the C310 you need to remove the stern boarding ladder. I use a portable step for side boarding that I leave on the finger pier for daysails and take onboard for overnights. Have fun with your new boat.
Bob
C309
"Big Luv"
Bob
C309
"Big Luv"
Yup, never jump off. Never. We dock all the time without getting off the boat. Midships spring line is your friend.
http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6379.0.html
Please also read the link in Reply #1 of that topic.
http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6379.0.html
Please also read the link in Reply #1 of that topic.
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Have a similar problem - replacement knee, caused by practising TaeKwonDo for too many years. Am loathe to jump with it. In any case, I don’t believe in jumping off a boat, especially not if a wind is blowing off the dock.
Am using a spring line when docking, with the dock end fashioned into a loop/bow line, which is stiffened by a plastic tube and the inboard end led thru a removable midship cleat on the jib track (purchased from Catalina Direct) to a jib sheet winch.
I only use the one cleat, as I only go to our dock occasionally and then position it on the planned docking side. I copied the plastic stiffening idea from someone on this website, but can’t find the link again. It ensures that you always have an open loop. It has only failed once when it slipped off a cleat around which some tidy soul had coiled a dockside line.
I go alongside the dock and just drop the loop over a dockside cleat (either by hand or via boathook) and leave the engine in forward gear at low speed (rudder perhaps to dockside). It will keep the boat alongside whilst I step off and fasten bow and stern lines, after which engine is switched off.
I step off by holding on to the shrouds, whilst lowering myself to the dock. Stepping back on is the reverse. This procedure distributes your effort over your legs and arms.
Am using a spring line when docking, with the dock end fashioned into a loop/bow line, which is stiffened by a plastic tube and the inboard end led thru a removable midship cleat on the jib track (purchased from Catalina Direct) to a jib sheet winch.
I only use the one cleat, as I only go to our dock occasionally and then position it on the planned docking side. I copied the plastic stiffening idea from someone on this website, but can’t find the link again. It ensures that you always have an open loop. It has only failed once when it slipped off a cleat around which some tidy soul had coiled a dockside line.
I go alongside the dock and just drop the loop over a dockside cleat (either by hand or via boathook) and leave the engine in forward gear at low speed (rudder perhaps to dockside). It will keep the boat alongside whilst I step off and fasten bow and stern lines, after which engine is switched off.
I step off by holding on to the shrouds, whilst lowering myself to the dock. Stepping back on is the reverse. This procedure distributes your effort over your legs and arms.
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