Sailing to Dock

rgranger · Sep 14, 2018

There sure seems to be a lot of varying opinions on this subject and I'm wondering if the opinions vary by boat length?

There are not a lot of data points here but it does seem that those who are opposed to sailing in have relatively large boats and those who say "go for it" have relatively smaller boats. The O.P. has a 22' boat. You can man-handle (fend-off) a 22' boat a lot easier than a 50' boat.

RoyS · Sep 14, 2018

Forget about getting into a slip. Pull up to the outer dock or fuel dock and tie up. The marina can take it from there.

capta · Sep 14, 2018

rgranger said:
You can man-handle (fend-off) a 22' boat.

A lot of folks have been injured thinking this way. A '25' coastal cruising sailboat' sounds heavy enough to break bones and chop off limbs to me.

victorhoisington · Sep 14, 2018

I response to RGRanger, I have successfully sailed boats, 25', 28', 41' and 45' into slips, fuel docks etc.. It takes a little practice but isn't hard.

My favorite story was the day we left Berkley on SF Bay for a day sail on a chartered Hanse Christian 45 with the admiral and 6 of our friends. We were out about 30 minutes when I noticed I had no transmission control. We called back and they recommended we return the boat since we planned to be gone all day and evening with some motoring involved. They had another boat we could use when we got in. We would have to put in at the fuel dock so, we found a buoy and did several practice runs to see how we would handle things. And of course missed each time. The wind would be parallel to the dock from the west. The fuel dock was on the north side of the main fairway which ran West to East. The decision was to use the roller furler jib to provide power since dropping main on that size boat without lazy jacks could be an issue.
When we arrived in the fairway, of course the entire marina staff was on hand to help catch us and fend us off in case we crashed. As we arrived they are all yelling instructions and causing general confusion. We made a pass by the dock heading East downwind executed a figure eight turn to help bleed some speed, at about 3 boat lengths from the dock the command to roll the jib was given and we glided the boat up to the dock with a perfect stop, 6 inches from the dock and right at the steps needed to get off the boat. Bow and stern were secured, the eight of us picked up our seabags, paraded off the boat and across the dock to the new boat, stepped on board and were gone in less than 5 minutes. To say the crowd was stunned was an understatement and a testament to our ability to make a plan, execute it and know the boat.

Sailing into a slip or to a dock is not hard in any size boat, Spend time in New England during the summer and you will see all types and sizes of boats that sail into and out of very tight docking situations.

Fair winds

LeslieTroyer · Sep 14, 2018

I've sailed into/out of a slip many times when I had my 22 and marina rules didn't say not to. But Stuff does go wrong occasionally - and with the litigious nature of folks now its not worth risking the monetary hit. I wonder if your insurance would even cover you if you are doing things specifically prohibited by marina rules. And to the person who doubted some marinas forbid such things - this is part of my moorage agreement - and moorage is hard enough to find at reasonable prices to risk getting evicted.

The movement of vessels within the Marina shall be for the purpose of mooring, fueling, entering, or leaving a slip only. No sailing or cruising by motor vessels will be permitted.

capta · Sep 14, 2018

victorhoisington said:
I response to RGRanger, I have successfully sailed boats, 25', 28', 41' and 45' into slips, fuel docks etc.. It takes a little practice but isn't hard.

My favorite story was the day we left Berkley on SF Bay for a day sail on a chartered Hanse Christian 45 with the admiral and 6 of our friends. We were out about 30 minutes when I noticed I had no transmission control. We called back and they recommended we return the boat since we planned to be gone all day and evening with some motoring involved. They had another boat we could use when we got in. We would have to put in at the fuel dock so, we found a buoy and did several practice runs to see how we would handle things. And of course missed each time. The wind would be parallel to the dock from the west. The fuel dock was on the north side of the main fairway which ran West to East. The decision was to use the roller furler jib to provide power since dropping main on that size boat without lazy jacks could be an issue.
When we arrived in the fairway, of course the entire marina staff was on hand to help catch us and fend us off in case we crashed. As we arrived they are all yelling instructions and causing general confusion. We made a pass by the dock heading East downwind executed a figure eight turn to help bleed some speed, at about 3 boat lengths from the dock the command to roll the jib was given and we glided the boat up to the dock with a perfect stop, 6 inches from the dock and right at the steps needed to get off the boat. Bow and stern were secured, the eight of us picked up our seabags, paraded off the boat and across the dock to the new boat, stepped on board and were gone in less than 5 minutes. To say the crowd was stunned was an understatement and a testament to our ability to make a plan, execute it and know the boat.

Sailing into a slip or to a dock is not hard in any size boat, Spend time in New England during the summer and you will see all types and sizes of boats that sail into and out of very tight docking situations.

Fair winds

It does sound, however, that you were experienced enough to know what sail you should use.
That does kinda makes it apples and oranges, doesn't it?

victorhoisington · Sep 14, 2018

Capta, experience is always a good teacher, I've seen folks teach both ways, and both will work. As LT mentions, today we have all sorts of issues with liability and rules, I'm certainly not advocating for anyone to do something that would cause ANY issues with your marina or cause any damage. And as you mention, NEVER try to fend off a boat by putting any part of your body (hands, feet, etc.) between a boat and any other boat or structure, this is a guaranteed recipe for serious injury,. Of course if you are new to sailing to a dock or slip, don't try it on the windiest day of the year. However, an H25 in light winds, is easy to sail almost anywhere and with a bit of practice on a buoy the skill can be learned in about 30 minutes. You just need to know your boat and your abilities. Make the decision as to which sail you prefer, (I can't find anyone who says either is a bad decision) and feel the most comfortable with and then practice a few times. I always dock at slow-ahead (minimum speed to maintain steerage),

Put your fenders down and make sure you have at least a spring line to ready to deploy when you arrive. The goal here is not so much to look pretty (that is a bonus) but to get the boat to the dock for pull out.

Parsons · Sep 14, 2018

This thread is a good encouragement. I think I'll take my little boat out this weekend, have the main up only, and cuddle up to a soft wooden dock that I know of in the area a few times. It's always good to be able to handle your boat under sail. She is an "auxiliary" sailboat, after all and the engines are just afterthoughts.

Stu Jackson · Sep 14, 2018

Parsons said:
I think I'll take my little boat out this weekend, have the main up only

Why not try both sails, then you'll really be able to make choices in future. Good luck.

dlochner · Sep 14, 2018

Plymouth Sailor said:
500lb cat versus a 5000lb mono-hull are two different animals.

Yep, and given a choice I'd rather sail the 5,000 lbs monohull than the 500 lbs cat. It will maneuver better and turn quicker. And if the sails are dropped too soon, have more momentum to carry the boat forward.

Sailor Sue · Sep 16, 2018

Assuming your boat has a tiller, and if you only need to move a quarter mile, have you considered sculling your boat? We once sculled a Catalina 22 about a mile on the Erie Canal when we lost the outboard. If you can pick a light wind day, or an on shore breeze, it's even easier.