"Ferrying a Boat"

[snort]

How to ferry your boat into the dock | Sailing Blog by NauticEd

So, who already knew how to do this?
I must have missed this in my training.

[Sailmonkey]

I've done that several times.....didn't know it had a name though.


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[Orion Jim]

New name, old maneuver. I must be missing something.

[FamilyVan]

Not at all a new name. Ferrying is angling your boat in such a way that a current pushes you laterally across the river. "Ferrying" is about a new of a word as "ferry". I'm sure we've all heard that one, just didn't think about it.

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[Orion Jim]

The example is under power. The current is merely compensated for while maneuvering. Still see no basis for describing this as ferrying. Perhaps it is a colloquial term.

[Pelagic]

I think "Ferrying" is more of a local term than a universally used description. Probably became accepted when watching multiple Ferry operations in rivers, lakes, seaports.

In reality, current often plays the more major role when docking and backeddies just before instructions on line handling can surprise the novice.

When docking..I just call this "side shifting" (using either wind or current) but I believe the correct manuevering term used by professional Masters and Pilots..when docking is.. controlling your
"Advance and Transfer"...

[FamilyVan]

It's possible ferrying is a local term restricted to the Eastern America's, I can't confirm or dispute this possibility. I can confirm it is not only restricted to docking, it can be used in any strong current conditions.

Professional mariners all have a poster on their bridge describing maneuvering characteristics of their vessels. This information includes turning radius and stopping distance and generally their advance and transfer.

Advance refers to the distance travelled in the initial direction from the time the rudder goes over to the time the ships course alteration is complete.

Transfer refers to the distance travelled in the perpendicular to the initial course before the ship stabilizes on her new course.

Neither advance nor transfer are necessarily relevant to current and neither is in any way related to ferrying.

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[StuM]

It's been used in the canoe world for a long time to describe the technique of angling into the current when crossing a river.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by FamilyVan

Advance refers to the distance travelled in the initial direction from the time the rudder goes over to the time the ships course alteration is complete.

Transfer refers to the distance travelled in the perpendicular to the initial course before the ship stabilizes on her new course.

Neither advance nor transfer are necessarily relevant to current and neither is in any way related to ferrying.

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This is probably semantic thing but the maneuvering tables for a ship showing A&T plus turning circles and stopping distances for given speeds and displacement... is a static thing.

However in the real dynamics of ship handling with wind and tide.....there are very real Advance and Transfer regulations when docking so as to prevent damages to piers or broken lines.
Pilots or shipmasters relay those A&T limits to the assist tugs ... and is very much a function of the elements.

[FamilyVan]

Sure, Advance and Transfer are affected by ship speed, wind and current conditions, but if I stop a ship, bow too the current and fall off to port or starboard to get a push one way or the other, that isn't a function of advance or transfer, that's an entirely different hydrodynamic effect.

Advance and Transfer are linear measurements relating to turning radius. Ferrying can be done without a ship advancing or transferring. I can stay perfectly still, alter to starboard and move laterally to starboard, turn and point into the current then turn to port and move to port, or simply stall my lateral movement.

If I am station keeping and have no forward movement how can I be "advancing"?

Ferrying is often done with little or no forward way on.

You can't attribute bank suction or transverse thrust to A and T, how can you say transfer is the same as ferrying?
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[Pelagic]

I guess we went to different marine colleges, had different simulator tests or read different books on ship handling. We were taught to measure A&T for all maneuvers Including dynamic positioning.... Not just making turns

[FamilyVan]

Measure A and T yes, but it isn't the only factor in ship handling.

Is squat a function of A and T? What about bow cushion or stern suction?

Advance and Transfer are advance and transfer, they don't represent leeway, drift and other hydrodynamic effects.

That's the point of studying nautical science, is to learn specifics, not attribute everything to 1 or 2 points.

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[El Pinguino]

Known as 'ferry gliding'... as that is how ferries often cross rivers.

Simple skill easily understood and applied.

Rule #2... tide always trumps wind when berthing

Rule #3 ..refer rules #1 and #2

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by FamilyVan

Measure A and T yes, but it isn't the only factor in ship handling.

Who said it was?

Is squat a function of A and T? What about bow cushion or stern suction?

A&T is a measurement along the x/y axis....not a function

Advance and Transfer are advance and transfer, they don't represent leeway, drift and other hydrodynamic effects.

No they just measure it as well as obscure considerations like the coriolos effect.

That's the point of studying nautical science, is to learn specifics, not attribute everything to 1 or 2 points.

Glad you were awake during that lesson

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As I said before.. Semantics or terminology can be a local thing

[FamilyVan]

In the attached picture rockstacles can be clearly seen in front of the vessel, not scene in the photo is another vessel loading passengers 3 or 4 feet behind the one seen. There is a roughly 3 knot current at the dock. The vessel is not equipped with thrusters.

One way one could safely and consistently make this dock is to come in parallel to the dock, say 40 ft off, stall the vessel in the current, fall off to starboard and move laterally into the dock and land precisely in position without hitting rocks ahead or vessel astern. If closing speed is too great, bear up into the current or fall off to port to reverse the lateral movement. This maneuver is repeated up to 26 times a day.

That isn't Advance, or Transfer or Semantics, that is the practical application of ferrying by a ferryman. I did study nautical science, but as I recall ferry techniques were not the focus of the program. Large vessel navigation at sea was the focus of my schooling. Practical ship handling is learned on the job, not in a class room.



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