Single Hand Docking

[normofthenorth]

Thanks for all the advice. That had been my second day on a new boat, new slip, and outboard motor. In the past I had a slip where I could choose sides depending on the wind. Single handing with the wind blowing off the dock is a new skill set for me and will take some practice. Thanks for the words of wisdom.

I assume you've got an OUTBOARD that can be turned to either side (hanging on a transom bracket?). If so, you may already know how "the book" says to dock a boat with such a motor: (1) Approach the dock at an appropriate bow-in angle and speed, rudder and motor straight. (2) At the appropriate time (before the bow hits the dock!), turn the OB motor as if you want to steer the bow toward the dock (in forward gear), and apply a solid pulse of reverse gear throttle. That should pull the back of the boat into the dock and slow or halt the boat's forward motion. It works better on most small OB sailboats than on most small OB power boats, IME. On the latter, I usually find it more effective to skid-slide into the dock: motor toward the dock at a bow-in angle, then turn away (still in forward gear) to straighten out, then straight reverse to slow/stop.
I'm assuming your boat has a keel, or that you've got the swing keel or centerboard extended. With board up, the skid-slide may work better, provided you can approach the dock at a suitable angle - and don't have to "hook" around your dock.

 

[OS2Dude]

Research how to set and use spring lines while docking. There are several sites showing examples of using them in various wind and current conditions.

I usually run a long line from my cockpit to the bow cleat and back. Tie off one end to a cleat in the cockpit and have a loop (Bowline if required) in the other. Slow approach, put the loop on a dock cleat and put the helm over with a little forward speed. As stated above, the spring keeps the bow against the dock and the prop wash keeps the stern against the dock. Now it is easy to get dock lines set and kill the engine.

 

[YVRguy]

Reading these replies, I'm surprised at the number of people who advocate some sort of custom set-up involving lines pre-rigged at their slip. Or systems that require dock cleats in order to work. Not suggesting these don't work well but if you rely on this kind of a system, what are you supposed to do when pulling into a slip that isn't yours and/or might not have cleats?

 

[Jackdaw]

Reading these replies, I'm surprised at the number of people who advocate some sort of custom set-up involving lines pre-rigged at their slip. Or systems that require dock cleats in order to work. Not suggesting these don't work well but if you rely on this kind of a system, what are you supposed to do when pulling into a slip that isn't yours and/or might not have cleats?

I get what you are saying.

But at the same time, there is an old design axiom that says; 'Make common things easy, make rare things possible'.

For sure built the knowledge and capability to dock anywhere if you have to. But for the place you go back to 95% of the time, why not make that easy?

 

[YVRguy]

[Reply to YVRGuys Post #49]
Just for clarity, FWIW: I am one of the few "snaggers" or "snubbers" in this discussion, and I did it while standing on the dock, after stepping (not really jumping) off with my doubled-looped combo docking line. I didn't often dock elsewhere, but when I did, I'd almost always find a strong cleat on the dock near the transom that would work. Besides, most boats can steer AND reverse/brake better than my T-bird could, and most docks have more than 1' between the bow and a steel wall.
Also, if anybody thinks it's safer or better to muscle a boat to a stop (or towards a dock) by holding one or more lines freehand, than to snub two lines around a dock cleat... well, it isn't! I've seen a few people get carried overboard by failing to snub a line around a handy cleat. And even with a single half-turn, you've got a LOT of mechanical advantage, compared to freehand.

Good point. And I should say that if you know what to expect at the dock, the "snag" method is extremely effective. For a great example look at float planes. When they land and come into the dock they turn the engine off and are 100% dead stick - they have one chance to get it right and they often have no help. All of their docks have cleats and they are incredibly adept at stepping out of the plane while it is still gliding into the dock and with one deft movement snagging a line around the cleat and stopping the plane cold. But again, they know what to expect at every dock.

 

[YVRguy]

I get what you are saying.

But at the same time, there is an old design axiom that says; 'Make common things easy, make rare things possible'.

For sure built the knowledge and capability to dock anywhere if you have to. But for the place you go back to 95% of the time, why not make that easy?

Agreed. I guess it comes down to your style of boating. I like to sail to other places whenever possible and therefore I visit a lot of different marinas/docks. I forget that many on this forum may do may not do that and primarily return to their own slips.

 

[slooop]

Good advice from everyone. But having your dock lines easy to grab (without needed a boat hook) is crucial. I have a stern line and a bow line mounted on 2 pieces of pvc pipe screwed onto pilings. Pipe is counter-balanced with 3 or 4 links of chain on the dock end. The weight of the dock line on the water end is enough to keep the pipe extended over the water about 2 feet. Easy to grab when you come in. After the line is lifted the pipe swings back up out of the way. An additional screw into the piling is necessary to stop the pipe so it is parallel to the water when the line is hung on the end.
Works for me.

 

[Dalliance]

I dock on the port side with a mid-ship spring line. Both ends of the spring line are tied to the mid-ship cleat at the required length so it's effectively a big loop. When the boat is about midship to the end of the dock, all we, or I when I'm solo (Which is more often than not.), have to do is drop that loop over the first cleat on the end of the dock. I pull up to the dock and come almost to a stop when we do that. The greater the wind velocity blowing us off the dock, the less time we have to get the spring line on, and the more way-on I have to maintain. Once the spring line is over the cleat, I then put the engine in forward gear, turn the wheel hard to starboard to drive the stern to the dock, and throttle up as much as neccessary. The boat moves forward and snugs up alongside the dock without the bow snapping in, and it stays there even if the wind is trying to blow us off the dock. With the engine still in gear, I can take my time stepping off with the bow line and securing it, then the same with the stern line. Finally, I turn off the engine and secure the other spring lines. Nobody jumps or even steps off the boat when it's moving. Period. Not allowed.

I have the luxury of being at the end of the dock along the main fairway. If I miss with the spring line, I can circle around and try again. That's only happened once or twice that I recall. Being in a shared slip, and I used to be in the same situation, you have one shot, so it's always, IMO, best to hang a few fenders on the opposite side of your boat just in case you end up against your neighbor. No harm, no foul.

 

[BRSail12]

Good topic with lots of good information. I have a similar setup to Raven34. Double-wide slip, dock finger is to starboard, neighbor is to port. I often have high winds blowing directly across from starboard to push me into my neighbor who is 3 feet from my beam. Very little room for error. I am reluctant to pull into the slip without a line on because it is so tight and I almost always single-hand.

I use a spring line, similar to what others have described, but with a bow spring instead. It's a very long line. One end attached to starboard bow cleat, pre- determined length forming big loop is draped over lifelines, rest of the line goes around bow cleat and led back to cockpit winch.

The difference in the approach is to get the spring line from the bow onto the end cleat on the dock before entering the slip. When making the approach I intentionally turn late into the slip so the bow is pointing to the end of the dock, not into the slip. Hit reverse, then neutral, and stall boat a few feet away from dock. Walk up to bow and drop line around the end cleat. Wind will start blowing bow down but when line gets tight it holds it steady. Turn wheel away from dock, kick into gear and starboard side of boat will pin against fenders and the first few feet of dock. Then feed line out from cockpit slowly making spring line longer. Boat will stay pinned against dock but crawl forward and I don't have to leave cockpit again. Cleat line when boat is all the way in. Step off and attach other dock lines.

I've never missed the cleat with the loop, but my logic is if I did, I haven't entered the slip yet. So wind would just blow me down the fairway and I would start again.

 

[tkwhalen]

and that's how I do it also- in many many dockings, from the Mexican border, around to Annapolis, Maryland, ,and return. Except I DON'T jump.. Have gotten too old to JUMP

well jump is a more of a concept then a reality ... I am no youngster either ... I go so slow it is more like a step off / step down

 

[marke14]

I usually have a harder time leaving the dock singlehanded; it seems like I always have wind on one or the other beam, or from one of the aft quarters. No current to worry about for the most part (being at the back of L.A. Harbor at least has that going for it), but it is VERY tight where our slip is located.

Our marina owner won't allow us to slip stern-to, so we have a pretty easy time coming in - personally my "return to slip" is always a solo endeavor regardless of crew situation, and is one of my strong suits in terms of boat handling - but it can be a devil to get out when it is windy, and during low water.

Unfortunately we have a lot to contend with as you can see.

ANY wind whatsoever used to intimidate me/us to the point of precluding any sailing. More recently (late last year), I finally said "f- it" and started to learn how to back out, stern turning toward starboard, and simply back down the short fairway (past the Whaler's massive overhanging outboards) and into the channel. I now lock the tiller amidships and use the outboard swivel (it's on a Garelick adjustable mount) to steer myself around while going in reverse.

It's not perfect, and perhaps less than totally seamanlike, but so far this has proven to be much more effective than trying to back out (start to swing stern to port), arrest backward momentum, and then try to gain way and steerage enough to turn to starboard and not hit the Whaler and/or other neighbors. We have had mixed success with that approach especially when it's windy.

At least the adjacent marina is derelict and we have no traffic to worry about back there.

 

[druid]

Apologies for any repetition but here's my two cents:
<SNIP>
- Lastly, if you don't like what you see, don't dock. People tend to feel committed to completing a docking once they have made the approach but there is no need. Assess the situation and if it feels wrong and there is nobody around to help, don't hesitate to back off and re-assess from a safe distance.

All good stuff, and I want to re-iterate the last point: If it's not working out, get out, get to open (somewhat) water, sort things out and try again. I'd say 10 % of the time I do at least one "go-round" before getting it right. Last time was docking at Steveston: lots of dock space, but a boat in front and a piling behind, 2 knots current and 20 knots wind. My bow kept getting blown off before I got in. There was a guy from the boat in front helping, but I told him NOT to try to grab a line an pull me in - I went around and this time I got it right: lots of speed, spin the wheel, nudge the dock, tell the guy to grab the mid-ships line (I don't have a cleat - it's on a stanchion) and tie it off.

druid

 

[Jacktar]

Try setting up a simple v capture device as shown in the pix below. You head in under minimum power, grab the stern line them go neutral, no big deal.

 

[Charlie98117]

Great thread! I'm still kind of a newbie and go out by myself alot. I've been having problems in windy conditions (like last friday when the bow line slipped out of my hand) and liked the discussion of the midships cleat. My slip has a dock cleat I never use near the middle of the boat so to test I just tied a line to my toe rail at the midship dock cleat and took her out then back again to try it.

It was fairly calm today but I felt I had much better control. My slip is port tie so when I hit reverse to stop the stern pulls in nice from prop walk and then jumping off with a midships line and the stern line I was able to just catch the stern dock cleat, step on the line to hold it then tie off the midship line before getting the bow and stern lines tied proper. Great technique for solo docking!