I have a new slip

[Brian D]

Well, almost. All I have to do is move the boat. The new slip is still in San Diego Bay, but now it is at the entrance of the bay, not the far end (10 miles down the bay) where I am currently. The slip is at the Navy Sailing Center, Point Loma. It is a 30' slip and is of the time-honored technology type. Meaning, wood! LOL

I am used to finger piers on each side of my boat. Easy to tie up to. But this slip have a finger on one side only, and a boat on the other. I am not sure of how to tie up so that my boat does not bang into the finger. Yes, I have fenders, but I prefer that the boat not even touch the finger.

I think it might be this way...

Finger side
Aft spring line forward
Bow spring line aft

No finger side:
I don't know

Would appreciate expert guidance. Thanks in advance.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Sometimes the two-fer slips have a cleat

at the bow end midway between the two boats. Tie your bow cleat that's away from your finger dock to this cleat, if there is one.

South Beach Harbor in San Francisco has these dumb docking arrangements, too. And their prevaling winds is sideways!!!! Idiots laid this place out!

When visiting there we make it simpler than you've suggested: bow line, stern line and midship spring line. Your choice as to whether or not the spring line goes fore or aft, depending on conditions (weather, current, slip length, cleats location, etc.). If you encounter surge, then two midships springs fore and aft are warranted, but use standard bow and stern lines and let the midships springs do the "springing." That's what they do here.

Good luck on your new location, lots more ocean for ya now, eh?

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

get used to it Brian

The spring lines serve only the purpose of minimizing movement forward and back. Even if you could angle them so obliquely as to provide a push off the dock, the bow and stern line will more than counteract that force and pull the boat on the dock. Unless the prevaling wind is off the dock, you can't avoid touching but 10 inch fenders will solve that. Fenders are your friends!

 

[Jim]

Sound like a whole lot of slip

do you think you can handle it ok? It might be winder near the mouth of the bay making it harder to dock....

 

[Joe]

Mooring whips.....

...First of all, and this may seem obvious.... but have you consulted the dockmaster and other vessel owners? How do they tie theirs up. There may be a cleat on the gangway to run the open side spring line...

Second, have you considered a "mooring whip" here's a west marine link

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/60649/377%20710%20828/712/Fenders%20/Primary%20Search/mode%20matchallpartial/0/0?N=377%20710%20828&Ne=712&Ntt=Fenders%20&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial&page=CategoryDisplayLevel1&isLTokenURL=true&storeNum=98&subdeptNum=828&classNum=828

if it doesn't take you there, go to anchors and docking and you'll find it.

I have no experience with these things, but the look fairly simple to install and use.

That said, it might be cheaper and more practical to invest in some big ass fenders, if you buy covers for them the boat will stay cleaner.

 

[Rick Webb]

I Hung a Weight on a Block

From farthest away piling and used it to sping the boat away from the finger pier.

 

[Mike B]

Tying up to a fixed dock

Brian, I'm in a fixed pier slip with a finger on only one side. Here's how everyone ties up:

Two bow lines, one to each of the pilings at the slip forward part of he slip opening. Run the bitter end of the line through the loop and place it over the piling. We've screwed hooks into the pilings to both keep the bow line from slipping to low and to also provide a place to hang the lines when leaving the slip. Ours lines are set apx 4' above the bow of the boat. This always keeps them above the boat at all tide heights.

Two stern lines, one to each cleat on the dock. We criss cross the stern lines to help control side to side movement and provide a bit more leverage.

Two spring lines, each run from the forward most piling, the same one you placed the bow lines on. We have mid ship cleats we run these back to. They keep the boat off the dock when the wind is blowing straight in.

Here on the northern Chesapeake Bay we get a tide swing that can be in the 3' range. We tie all lines so that at low tide they are not pulled tight yet at high tide not too loose the boat is hitting the dock or other pilings. You need to be there when the tide is at both extremes so you can adjust accordingly. I use weather resistant tape to mark where the lines lay across the cleats.

We have also rigged a keeper for when we're at the boat. It's simply a small block attached to the finger pier so it can move about freely. Run a chafe resistant line through it tying a loop on one end for placement around your aft stern cleat. Tie a 5 lb weight (more if the wind is always blowing you off the finger)to the other end and adjust the length of the line so the weight sits just off the bottom at low tide. We only have this on the boat when we're there. We also adjust the opposing stern line to allow the boat to be pulled to within a few inches of the finger pier. This will help keep the boat snug up to but not touching the finger. It makes it a lot easier and safer to board. I readjust the opposing stern line when we leave for the week.

All the above is fairly simple but requires a bit of adjustment to get it so you don't bang into pilings, piers etc but at the same time never "hang" the boat.

Good luck
Mike

 

[seadaddler]

My second year

I have my boat on one floating finger on the
starboard side and the first year i made the mistake
of using hanging fenders and what happen was a few
bad scratches on the hull and I also have a boat next
to me in the same large slip
What did was have one line on the bow off the finger and one
line on the stern to the rear of the finger and put four large
size fenders side ways mounted on the sides of the finger slip
to keep the boat from touching the dock and also when leaving
and when returning to the slip.
I don"t always have help that really knows what to do going in or out
of the slip and when the wind is trying to move the boat around the fenders
keep the boat from hitting the dock.
I have five fenders and some rubber on the wood dock,I also do a lot of
sailing by my self or just the wife and this way its so easy to dock.
Nick

 

[sfgary]

Dock Lines

Hi Brian Stu is right on as I tie up at south beach harbor all the time. I'm not sure how thick your current dock lines are but cepending on the surge and current you may want to invest in some thicker dock lines ie 3/8 or 1/2 inch. Good luck in your new slip.


Gary

 

[tweitz]

Mooring whips

I use mooring whips and they are great for the right application, which is keeping you from banging into a fixed dock, including taking into account tidal variation. However, your application may not be the right one, as the boat can be pushed away from the dock into the adjacent boat. You can look at the web site below for more info on the whips.

 

[Brian D]

Thanks everyone

As always, you guys have good advise. I will have to read and reread these. I have seen aerial photos of the slips but have not yet visited the marina. That will be this weekend. Then I can gauge the wind and currents.

Again, thanks and I will take all the info into advisement.