Outboard/Docking Issues

[docon48]

I have a 1996 22mkII with a wing keel and a 1996 Honda 8HP outboard. I recently moved to a new marina and had the bottom repainted. Ever since the bottom painting, I have been having a terribly hard hard pulling into the slip. With the throttle in the "shift" position, the boat is moving way too fast to safely pull into her slip. Even shifting from neutral into forward, the boat seems to very quickly get past the speed that I am comfortable with for docking. Is this due to the new bottom paint or is the outboard oversized? Any ideas would be appreciated. It is quickly becoming a bit embarrassing as I have a very hard time pulling into the slip, and of course there are always plenty of folks around to "help".

 

[Bilbo]

One issue would be to ask if the idle speed isn't set too high.

When we dock, we don't necessarily leave the outboard in forward. We often set the outboard in neutral or even reverse if I think that we're coming in too fast. If we didn't do that, I'd have the same problem as you with my 6HP Yamaha.

Also:
It all depends upon the winds relative to boat speed. If the winds are at our stern, then it's harder to slow down So we use more reverse. If winds are from the bow, then fwd gear is needed with maybe some throttle.
Try just putting it into gear with no throttle for short bursts to get your desired speed.
It steers better with the rudder down and I generally don't have any sails up for docking.

 

[NOLA22]

The outboard is larger than necessary but not TOO big. I think you just need practice. You'll soon be able to get some momentum and put it in neutral to coast in. If u have to bump it into forward to take the speed off, do so. But I think u just need practice. everybody has messed up while mooring. The people watching u struggle know your pain.

 

[Squidd]

The people watching u struggle know your pain.

Do they...? Buggers were putting up "score cards" 0-10 depending on your prowess at the dock... and they "knew" I was the "new guy"...

I can live with 7's...

 

[jfrench]

These boats are so slick that they will glide along the water for some distance with little push from an engine. I generally kick my outboard out of gear twenty yards from the dock (that's about three boat lengths). I just sit and wait, steering with the rudder, until it's time to kick it into reverse about eight feet or so from the dock. All of this is done with the engine just barely above idle, except that I'm ready to rev it a bit in reverse if needed to arrest the forward motion at the dock. All sails are down well away from the dock and I'm just motoring in in this description.

I do however, remember an evening sail on a boat captained by a talented young lady who left her dock under sail, docked under sail at a restaurant pier an hour away, then did it all again on the return trip. She claimed that auxiliary power was for wimps!

 

[Merlin Clark]

I had a problem like that and when I'd put it in reverse all it did was cavitate/ this is a 6hp Tohatsu on a 5000lb boat so I have lots of inertia.
I went to a high thrust prop, 6 pitch (6" theoretical distance travel per rotation) from an 8 pitch and now I can slow and stop the boat without having to bleed off speed.
My only issue with it is the motor must run a higher rpm when traveling so it's louder.
I might pick up a 7 pitch and see how that does.
Might check your pitch.

 

[Mdboatbum]

Your motor is fine. Get that thing out of gear!! Aim to stop the boat 20 feet out from the dock. Once you get her stopped, then you can bump it in and out of gear to crawl into your slip. There's no shame in taking your time. If you find yourself moving too fast and don't have time to turn or coast to a stop, use reverse. Try not to depend on it though, as outboards have a nasty habit of conking out just as you're shifting into reverse to avoid bashing into the dock.

 

[CaptDon01]

I've found when I run out of steam coming into the dock, I can usually rock the boat and skull the rudder to push her forward.....

Don

 

[centerline]

I want some of that paint!

 

[LooseDiamond]

Throw the anchor out right before you hit the dock! Ha. Except don't do like I did a couple of weeks ago when I sailed in after motor problems. I hit the dock, and still had 5 ft of rode before set! Aaarrgghh.

 

[Bilbo]

Reminds me of te tme I wastched a bunch of teen boys in a MacGregor 26x come into dock with full sails set. The one jumped out ahead of the boat and tried to stop it by hand. The boat couldn't have cared less about that kid.

 

[Stu Jackson]

We have J24s come into a dock with full sails up all the time. Prevailing winds are from the west. Dock is east west. Thy just beam reach up to it, and turn into the wind to luff their sails and stop.

Probably NOT what the kids did in your example.

 

[CaptGregg]

Well, I launched in Swansboro Friday and even though I stayed at a marina with WiFi, my laptop refused! to cooperate! This weekend was not a pleasure trip but a working weekend and was too tired to do much sailing. We got her wet at a NC Wildlife resources ramp and the winds were blowing strongly from seaward making it impossible to sail away from the dock so we just moored there overnight. Around 5 am the wind died completely and so we attempted to make some headway with the 34lb trolling motor against tide and current. I could see the marina from the landing but it was very slow progress. Not having an outboard sucks! Finally tied up at the landing and the fun was over and time for work. Sorry I didn't get any pics under sail, even on the way back the wind would kick up a bit, give us a bit of a push and die right off. Album of the Marina pics in progress.

Almost forgot the reason for the post. Had to sail in to both the marina slip and back to the ramp, came in too fast to the ramp and had to abort, second time looked very professional, as we tied up I thought "beginner's luck" or "not too shabby from someone that learned to sail using a sunfish about 30 years ago and hasn't touched a sheet since.

 

[Nom De Guerre]

Two comments;

You mention new bottom paint and a new Marina. Could it be that you are now docking with a wind/current coming from behind, versus how it may have been from on the nose at the old Marina? This could be working in tandem with the new slick paint.

When learning to dock, my instructor indicated that we were better served by leaving the transmission in neutral, only bumping in and out of forward gear to maintain steerageway. This might help regardless of what you find to be the cause.

 

[docon48]

Thanks for all the replies folks. in the interest of adding more information, the old marina was on an inland lake and the new marina is on the Hudson River. to enter the marina, I am either with or against the current depending on the tide and have to make a 90 degree turn to port to get into my slip. I'm going to accept all the comments received thus far as indicating that I need a lot more practice. As I wrote the original post, I guess I already new that it was much more likely a problem with the captain rather than with the engine or new bottom paint.

 

[Bilbo]

We have J24s come into a dock with full sails up all the time. Prevailing winds are from the west. Dock is east west. Thy just beam reach up to it, and turn into the wind to luff their sails and stop.

Probably NOT what the kids did in your example.

Oh no. You're right....they were at full ramming speed. I don't think that the boy that tried to stop the boat understood the effects of wind power and the boat's momentum. The boat grounded beside the docks and he was forced to move out of the way.

For docon48, It may be that the engine and bottom paint make the boat travel faster and are causing it issue to be more difficult...... But then again so does an audience. These sailboat hulls are designed to glide a long ways to maximize the winds. At any rate, some captains practice. I get a fair amount of docking experience because the wife is aboard. She often helps with steering and motor while I'm handling the sails and suggesting outboard changes. You can also practice out on the water away from people by dropping some floating object (Maybe it should be tied to a weight if there's current) and then trying to park the boat beside it or to pick it up. When ever I see discarded things in the water that interest me, I try to pick them up...a standard MOB exercise. One time I found a fishing basket with a couple of live fish in it.