Pleasant Surprise/Docking
- Thread starter Don Guillette
- Start date
I have a line from the mid point back to the cockpit with a loop on the end. When I come in I drop the loop over the end cleat of the dock. Then I put it back in gear and turn the helm so the bow of the boat is driven towards the dock then I step off with the bow and stern lines in hand.
This is a challenging docking. Add strong Chicago winds and it’s usually always a hot docking. We use one Line Caddy at beginning of finger dock with dock spring line and dock stern line laying over Caddie. As approaching one crew member grabs both lines from the Line Caddy andThe most challenging docking is entering a double-wide slip where you must tie to a windward finger. Cannot make “a pass”; and to leeward is the boat with which you are sharing the double-wide.You typically must come in hot, then abruptly power-stop the boat to let a crew step off before it blows from the dock, and secure.
hands stern line to helmsman and then secures spring line to midship cleat. We never get off the boat but the pull against the spring line swings the stern away from the dock a bit requiring the stern line attached. The stern line requires an extension to loop over the Line Caddy. Works great even in strong winds and any direction. Other option is just backing in. Simple
Years ago I rented a Island Packet (beautiful boat) in Burnt store Marina, Fl. There were 2 short finger piers and 2 telephone poles. Going in bow first I never did get the hang of docking there. I got the bow lines OK but the best I could do was grab only one telephone pole.