Single-Handed Docking...

[C-Gypsy]

Rather than re-invent the wheel I thought I would pose a question...

I boat single-handed (I do everything single-handed).

I back my boat into my slip.

My question is this... How do you folks back into a slip when single-handed? My slip has pilings, the furthest of which is close to 40 feet from the dock. I do not use those pilings at all.

What makes me nervous is leaving the pilot house & the controls. Perhaps it is time for me to learn a better way of docking.

I welcome any thoughts or suggestions.

Al

 

[Sea Wolf]

Al-

I understand that the pilings you must clear are not a part of your slip, but must be maneuvered by. How tight is the clearance?

Does your slip itself have floating fingers on one or both sides or neither?

Is there a fixed wharf or pier involved?

A photo would be worth a .....................!

One thing I do when maneuvering in tight reverse steering situations is to stand up in the center of the cabin, looking straight aft, and steer with my left hand. This gives you a far better view of how your boat is proceeding aft than if you're sitting down facing forward. Shifting with your right hand over your left is a bit more difficult, but very dodable. You'll be much more comfortable being able to see exactly where your boat is in relation to it's surroundings.

Adding a "suicide knob" could be helpful.

Joe. :teeth

 

[ccflyer]

Most of the season I'm at a floating dock. After October 1st I'm at a fixed pier.

I, too, usually am alone - if you don't count the retievers, who are little help in docking.

My procedure is to back in enough so when I leave the helm and move to the cockpit I can reach over grab onto the dock and walk the boat in the rest of the way. It takes some practice to compensate for the winds. My best advice is don't rush it. These days I practically drift in. :lol:

 

[Sneaks]

I back my boat into my slip.

My question is this... How do you folks back into a slip when single-handed? My slip has pilings, the furthest of which is close to 40 feet from the dock. I do not use those pilings at all.
Al

Curious, Al. It's far easier to head into my slip and back out when using a single outboard. Any pressing reason why you choose to back in? Seems to me just choosing to head in would make life a lot simpler. :wink

My slip isn't difficult even though I'm on the downwind side. There's always an afternoon 10-12 knot breeze coming from the starboard quarter so it's easy to get shoved into the neighbor's boat if I'm not quick. I'd never attempt a back in there, especially single handed which is my usual case as well. I rig the spring line and stern line cleats beforehand and quickly move from the helm to the gunnel, grabbing the lines as I step on the dock. Unless the "breeze" is up in the 20+ knot range, it's never been a problem.

With twin engines it might be easier to back in but I avoided that like the plague even with my Luhrs because I didn't have a cockpit steering station.
Don

 

[Captains Cat]

C'mon Don, I know you use both hands! :lol: You wouldn't make it single handed.... :roll: :cry :disgust

I bet you come in submerged and surface next to the pier!!

Charlie

 

[C-Gypsy]

Thanks to everyone.

I back into my slip because it is easier to get on & off the boat, and because it is easier to plug into electricity & water.

Here is a link to a picture of my slip. The boat in the picture is my Nor'Sea 27 which is 32 feet OAL.

http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?set_ ... _photo.php

Seems like my slip is perfect for my sailboat but somewhat confusing for my smaller C-Dory. On top of that I am "outside" on my sailboat, but confined to the cabin on the C-Dory.

Guess I just feel out of sorts and not able to control docking manuevers as I would like to.

Years ago I had a terrible time leaving the docks in my Nimble Arctic 25. Then one day I figured out it was easier to walk the boat to the end of the finger pier & go from there.

Perhaps ccflyer has a point. In conjunction with other suggestions I could back the boat in, step onto the dock and walk her the rest of the way. Or at least I could 10 years ago!

 

[mikeporterinmd]

I would back in, get a line on the piling at the end of the finger pier and
basically tie the boat at that point. Then, move astern and get something
on to keep the boat in the slip. After that, get the 'real lines' and tie them on.

To get out to the bow pilings, I would take a long line to the bow and
throw it over the piling and pull the boat up.

Now, some of you are going to say, hah, he's joking, lassoing a piling. Well,
I guess it is possible to lasso a piling if you have a rope with wire inside
like a cowboy. But it is possible to throw a line over a piling.

First, you need 3x as much line as distance you are planning to throw
over. I've done this as far as 15'. At that distance, I take two 30' lines
and slip them together at the eyes. That makes for a nice throwing weight,
too.

Coil the lines, same amount in each hand. Hook your little finger over the
coils at the ends of the line. Use your other fingers to hold the middle
coils.

Leave a decent amount free, in the middle.
About 4'. Then, flip out that center section, releasing the middle coils
but keeping your little finger over the ends. Throw a big wide loop. It
will probably land over the end of the piling. It's not as hard as it sounds.
And it looks cool when you do it the first time!

If you miss the first time, let the line hit the water. Wet line throws better
than dry line. Make sure you have enough line. You can't use a 20' line
at 10'. You need 30'.

Thanks to "Reggie", how showed me that trick. She knows a number of
interesting things.

Mike

 

[Sneaks]

C'mon Don, I know you use both hands! :lol: You wouldn't make it single handed....

I bet you come in submerged and surface next to the pier!!

Charlie

Ain't nothing like riding out state 5 seas when yer 400 ft. underwater, Charlie. Gets rough? Go deeper. I'd sure like to see a video of you setting that new '255 under the lift the first time....

heh heh

'Course the big test would be "Can you tie a bowline with one hand?" Used to be a Seamanship test back in Dusty's Square rigger days....

Don

 

[rogerbum]

For me, the most important thing I ever did that made my life a TON easier when docking is to set things up so that I have a bow line coming down both sides and dropping into the cockpit and a stern line on each side that does the same. For a bow line, I bought 3/8", 50' line that is tied off to the bow cleat at the mid point of the line with 1/2 coming down each side. For the stern lines, I have 2-25' lines, one on each stern cleat. The important thing is to set things up so that when I get to the dock I can leave the helm, move quickly to the cockpit and exit with BOTH the bow and stern line in hand. With 25' of line on both ends of my 22, I can loop one end around a cleat and keep tension while I walk to the other end of the boat to secure it (not possible with 10-15' lines, but easily doable with 25' lines).

Once I had things set up this way, life is easy. The other thing that occasionally comes in handy is a line attached to the midship cleat just outside the helm window but terminating in the cockpit. With this line, I can reach out the window or run back to the cockpit and tie it off or loop it around a cleat and then get back on the throttle to pull the boat forward and in against the line. This works well in wind - e.g. back in, tie of the stern end of a line attached midships and then shift in to forward gear at idle to bring the boat back in. Once you have gently got the line under tension, leave the boat in gear and secure things fore and aft, then shut down. The only time I've ever had problems single handing is in a strong cross wind and the mid ships line + forward motion generally solves this. Again the key is proper prepping (and fendering) well offshore of the docks. Once you have a good plan in place, execution of it is easy.

 

[Sea Wolf]

C-Gypsy

That's one hell of a sailboat! You're like a lot of us around here in being a sailor converted to powerboating down the road!

Joe.

 

[Mighty Bite]

I drive forward into my slip and back out when I'm ready to leave. Before
leaving my slip I run a dock line from the forward starboard cleat and tie
it to the rear leg of the radar arch. When I come into my slip it's pretty slick
to simple slide in next to the finger, pop it in neutral and step out of the
cockpit onto the finger and I have line ready and waiting to take a hold of.

I almost always one hand it, even when I have other hands on board.

Of course I'm still a young pup of nearly 75, when I grow up I may solicit more
assistance.

 

[C-Gypsy]

Thanks to everyone for your replies.

I believe I will try Mark and Roger's advice, or a combination thereof. I may also add a couple cleats to my finger piers.

Sea Wolf~ Thanks for the kind words about Knot Rocker (my sailboat). I love that boat and refuse to give her up. Planning to keep her in my slip on Kent Island in the Chesapeake in 2008. For some nice pics of her go to

http://www.knottysailor.com/knotrocker/index.html

ccflyer~ You're feeding those retrievers, right? It's only fair if they start helping out now & then. You might want to talk to them about responsibility & participation.

Don~ Yes, I can tie a bowline with one hand. Learned that in the boy scouts when I was 14. It's strange how some things stick in my mind. Hell, I can't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday but I can tie a bowline...

Again, thanks to everyone. In a few hours I am going to start practicing your suggestions. I would appreciate it if everyone would keep their radios on channel 16 and listen for messages from the Coast Guard. It might be me they are talking about! :disgust

 

[drjohn71a]

C-Gypsy,

Differing wind/current conditions could dictate differing approaches. As you probably already know, sailboats have that wonderful keel providing a center pivot point, but motorboats pivot at the outboard motor leg - much more wind action blowing the bow off, etc..

I use lines from the forward cleats aft to the cockpit and the aft corner lines in the cockpit with the coils looped over the rails so one hand can quickly grab them off the rail.

While stepping off with both lines is handy - and someone here mentioned they tie the fore and aft line together so they just loop it over a piling (or two) or cleat (or two) - you can exert excellent control using a single spring line.

Safest is an after bow spring line going from the the forward side cleat or bow to the aft quarter area on a dock or piling. Once tied, you gently power forward against the spring line and that brings the bow and stern up against the float. I see from your photo, though, that your float does not have smooth sides or large timbers for you to safely snug up to it.

Backing against a forward stern spring line could do the same, but it is kind of dangerous to tie up the stern in an outboard craft.

Depending upon the wind, you could back straight into the wind and then at the last moment turn between the pilings.

A very easy thing to try - since you say you prefer backing in - is a line rigged across the dock space (float to float) with loops, so you can gently back into it and engage the loops on your aft cleats. of course, you'd wnat to have alot of "sag"in the center, between the loops, so you can lift and play with it.

I usually throw one or both of the aft/bow lines across the float, then step ashore and tie down whichever one seems most important first.

You could also loop bow line around a piling , running the free end to the helm, then back against it, guiding the stern with the outboard, and releasing a bit of line at a time (to slide around the piling) and step out to the closest float area .

Your key problem in your unique setup is that you have to control the bow as you pass thru those outside pilings.

John

 

[Doryman]

but it is kind of dangerous to tie up the stern in an outboard craft.

Could you please explain this further?

Thanks!
Warren

 

[Captains Cat]

I would suspect he's referring to the fact that your engines are on the stern, sometimes tilted up and if the boat drifts back for ANY reason, into the pier, there go the props at best and the lower units/more at worst! :cry

Charlie

 

[drjohn71a]

I sometimes have to go forward on a short stern line to hold position on my local pumpout float.

The main means of steering/controlling your boat is stern movement with an outboard. Example: If you tie a heavy tow line to the engine area, it limits your ability to turn and if you tie the stern to the float/piling, you have really limited ability to dictate movement. Once you tie up the stern, you limit your options. The distance between the outboard and the stern cleat is the only leverage you have to push the bow into the dock or where ever you want it to go.

When you use a bow line, you still have a wide arc of stern movement available, but when the stern movement is limited, the bow could get away from you in high winds.

When rounding a tight corner by pivoting against a piling, you have to tie the stern part of the time. This is OK if there are not high winds, or if you have a good line to shore from the bow in case it tries to get away from you.

Another safety consideration is that the after bow spring lines (the ones from the forward part of the boat leading aft) should be short enough that they cannot reach the prop, so that in case of a loose line, no prop damage is possible. However, the spring lines originating from the aft cleats can easily get into the prop if dropped or let loose without control. So after bow spring lines are much safer than forward stern spring lines.

John

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Al,

Nice Boat. Lyle Hess was quite a naval architect!!! I had one of his Balboa 20 designs, then went to a Montgomery 15, which is a small clone of his M17 design. Jerry Montgomery did the design work on the M15.

Did you buy your boat new from Bob Eeg at NorSea?

Steve

 

[C-Gypsy]

Steve~

I am the 3rd owner of my boat. She is a 1987, I bought her in 2001.

You are right about Lyle Hess. The Nor'Sea is quite a vessel. Two fingers are enough on the tiller, she rides like a cadillac and has enough storage below to make anyone happy!

Now if there were only more hours in a day... Or more days in a weekend... Or...

Al :beer

 

[Doryman]

When you use a bow line, you still have a wide arc of stern movement available, but when the stern movement is limited, the bow could get away from you in high winds.

OK, I'm with you now and I agree. I think that one of the big shortcomings of the TC is the lack of a cleat amidships that could be used as a spring line. In my previous boat, I would like to come up on the pier and drop a line attached to the middle cleat over the first cleat on the dock. I'd tie that off and then get off the boat and walk it up to where I could do a proper job with the bow and stern lines in addition to a spring line. Haven't quite figured out how to replicate that on the TC. I don't want to add a cleat because I might trip over it going forward (unless I could somehow recess it the way the factory cleats are set up.)

Warren

 

[drjohn71a]

Hey Warren,

Well, I routinely use that cleat just ahead of the cabin helm window. I keep lines looped over those cleats port and starboard with the free ends ran back and loosely tied to the boarding handles on the aft cabin corners. Those work well for me. You can tie those forward lines to a shorter aft cleat line and then loop that around a couple of cleats as you step off while docking.

Much of my docking is done with high posts and no cleats, so I leave the fore and aft lines free, toss them over the float and step off. I used to carry the lines with me as I stepped off, but I have had a couple of bad slips on wet float boards, so try to have one or both hands holding onto something when boarding or "unboardin".... disembarking??? No that was somebody's Lab I think... Dat was "embarking...

John

Running lines as mentioned by Roger, I think, where one double long line is center tied to the bow cleat, then ran back on each side does not work as well on the TomCat since the square bow corners try to move the bow away if you run it in front of the forward bowrail supports. You could run it between the side bow rail supports, but that scrapes the line over the windlass and raised bow area.