Docking In Heavy Wind

[nigel1]

Originally Posted by Richard5

It may seem absolutely silly to say but if you are to do this make sure all dock lines are of the proper length and then some. If only for a few extra feet of line you were denied the applause you would otherwise enjoy. Don't be that guy. I've witnessed even well honed crews screw up royally due to overlooking one part of the puzzle.

This reminds me of something that the wife of British actor Timothy Spall recalled during their trip around the UK in a "sea" going steel barge.
At the time, she was writing a blog of the trip, and mentioned about going into a lock somewhere, and the lock keeper telling her that the mooring rope she was about to pass up was to short.
Being a smart lady, her mind turned back to when another sailor had told her that if one dock line was too short, she could tie two lines together.
Casting about, she spotted another line and quickly bended the two ends together. Only to realise that what she had done was to make a a large grommet out of a single rope.

[Richard5]

Nigel, that is a hoot although I imagine not funny at the time. But it perfectly illustrates my point to be prepared aforehand.

[Richard5]

Originally Posted by lancelot9898

Now try doing this singlehanded. Not sure if you can unless you can control the spring line from the helm as you back in. I would think that the spring should be at the mid cleat and as you back, the tension is applied(with the motor) to keep the boat to windward. Doing this from the aft cockpit while at the helm?

I would think one could pull this off if in a heavy displacement hull. Get her up to ramming speed then let her carry forward to ghost in between the poles. Let inertia work for ya (Newton's 1st Law of Motion). Sure she would fall off in the wind but it would be a longer interval before the force of the wind overcame the thrust of the boat. It is a timing maneuver to be sure. What is the 'life limit' of the poles for such maneuvers is another question.

[Steve1944]

We'd have the problem with our sloop.


The key you leave out is the boat hook! One crewman jumps onto the quai with a line, while another 'catches' the boat on the drift with a boathook to hold it off the windward pole. Then give it a hearty push as it passes the rigging and the dock side crewman pulls the line (bow OR aft) and the boathook-mn crosses the beam to catch it off the lee side pole. All the while, the lineman would be 'walking' the boat into the slip.


Of course it's seen better if you imagine this with 4 crewmen. Two with boathooks and two with lines.


We'd call it 'walking the boat into the slip.' The boat slides, don't you know. It's FLOATING, f' goo'ness sake. The lines and the boathook fend it from the wind's manipulation.


It's not all that hard. Furl all sails!

[valhalla360]

There is no perfect senario that will always work. Different boats have different capabilities as do the captain and crew. Each slip is a little different.

One of three things is going to happen:
- The situation isn't that bad and we are comfortable going in given our boat, that slip and the crews capability.
- The situation is that bad and we will find other accomodation, at least until conditions settle down.
- Someone is having a near death incident and I'm just going in and will deal with the damage later.