How to get off of a windward dock

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by geoleo

Go to dinner

Really?....

[savoir]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

You BACK out. The bow is skinnier than the transom. And if your boat has port prop walk in reverse, that's even more helpful. Use a midship spring line to maneuver the boat so the port stern starts sticking out.

Correctamundo.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Given that you are single handed and you should assume like Murphy, that the wind will gust up just as you are committed, I would do it differently so that everything is within hand reach from the helm.

I would heavily fender my starboard aft quarter and stern.

Then run the bight of line around the dock cleat or rail near the aft 1/3rd of the boat.

Both ends run thru the aft fairlead and handy to the helm/throttle, so you can release when ready.

Remove all other lines and take easy strain astern so your bow wants to Warp out to Windward. Use thruster to assist a very slow and controlled swing out.

Small increments in Astern Propulsion if necessary while monitoring the fenders (keep a loose one handy)

When head to wind, idle ahead for space and carefully retrieve slip warping line.

Doesn't work with flimsy swim platforms or scoop, perfect with a canoe or rounded transom

This approach has a few advantages for a single hander, but has one big disadvantage - you are fighting an uphill battle against the bow getting blown back down. So this might not work if it's windy and/or if the boat is light.

The flip side of this can also be a problem - if you are reversing out, your stern will want to point into the wind, and this will help you a lot getting off the dock. But the same effect will be trying to bash your bow into the dock . Crew or thruster is really helpful.

[Seabeau]

In the days of large sailing ships in constricted waters and /or contrary winds captains sometimes would send out a crew in a long boat with the ships anchor and kedge themselves into a better position.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Dave_S

Can do single handed.

Run the spring line from the bow to the dock cleat attach to the dock cleat by making a bow line and leave a loop big enough to hook loosely over the aft horn of the dock cleat. Once the bow line is in place tie off the rest of the line with a fair amount of slack within reach at the helm. Idle the engines in gear to hold the boat tight on the line and against the dock. Remove all other lines.

As you reverse the bow line will slide off by itself or for some reason it hangs up you can shake it loose.

The line won't get tangled in your prop so you can just forget about it until you are free and clear.

+1. Spring line. No bow thruster needed.

[boatman61]

The advantage of a bow thruster also depends on the type of boat..
I remember picking up a Beneteau 331 Oceanis on a delivery assist.. saucer hull, shallow stub with drop keel and twin rudders.. barely manageable at slow speed in calm conditions.
We had to leave the marina on a windy day.. the thruster was a waste of space, using a spring would not work as the wind just skidded the stern of the boat sideways as soon as you went astern to clear the bow of the boat behind..
Ended up running a line 200metres across the marina channel to a bollard and winching our way across to avoid damage to boats fore and aft of us.
Munched a load of spinach that day.

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by boatman61

The advantage of a bow thruster also depends on the type of boat..
I remember picking up a Beneteau 331 Oceanis on a delivery assist.. saucer hull, shallow stub with drop keel and twin rudders.. barely manageable at slow speed in calm conditions.
We had to leave the marina on a windy day.. the thruster was a waste of space, using a spring would not work as the wind just skidded the stern of the boat sideways as soon as you went astern to clear the bow of the boat behind..
Ended up running a line 200metres across the marina channel to a bollard and winching our way across to avoid damage to boats fore and aft of us.
Munched a load of spinach that day.

Had a similar experience when leaving a dock in St. Maartin after a hurricane had blown a dock away leaving just the tops of several jagged steel pilings ..a real obstacle course. The winds were quite strong the day we were leaving and our maneuvering room was very tight so i chose to do what you did, carefully winched our way out with long lines.. took a look at electric winches after that little experience.

[seandepagnier]

The other day I did this in 15 knots of wind gusting 20 knots. The wind was pinning me to the dock.

I untied all the lines and walked along the dock pulling the stern line hard with the rudder hard over. This got the boat moving . It bounced once on the dock as the wind pushed it back, but once enough momentum the rudder was working, and the boat got a few feet from the dock.

The next day, the dockmaster said he was surprised I could scull against such wind.

I was only going 100 meters upwind to anchor, but I have sailed off docks upwind plenty of times, even in 25 knots of wind. If there are obstructions, or if the wind is already forward of the beam, you can push the bow off, and get wind on the other tack which is sometimes better.

Using the anchor is good advise, but so far I've never needed to.

[skipmac]

I think the most important thing to take away from this discussion, 99% of all sailboats will weathercock and back into the wind.

I first learned this when caught at a dock in the Bahamas when an unexpectedly strong norther blew in. I watched other boats try to pull out of the marina and get blown back into the pier or other boats. Even one that managed to back off the dock but as soon as they were just slightly clear tried to go forward to power to the anchorage to see them unable to get the bow around and smash the boat ahead.

Learning from their mistakes I backed and and kept backing until I was 60-70 meters from the dock before going forward. That gave me plenty of room to build forward speed, give full rudder control and turn the boat into the wind.

Since most sailboats are not very maneuverable in reverse making this point very counter intuitive to a lot of boaters but one that can really save your bacon.

[deblen]

Powering off a dock-inboard engine.

1. Singlehanded,it saves running back & forth from boat to dock,if you fasten your lines at the boat,put the lines around/thru dock cleats ,bring line back aboard & fasten it to boat cleat. That way,you can cast off without leaving the boat.
2. Sometimes,a mid ship breast line that can be released last,from the boat,is handy.

3. Turn steering hard toward dock.

4. Apply a shot of full ahead. The bow will not hit the dock-it is tapered. The boat will not move forward. The stern will kick off from the dock.

5. With the stern kicked 20 or more degrees off the dock,apply full power reverse while centering the rudder. The boat will gradually gain stern way. The rudder has no effect until the boat is moving a couple of knots or so.

6. Prop walk-if it is working in your favor & pulling you away from the dock,keep using it by leaving the gearbox in reverse.
If propwalk is drawing the stern back toward dock,eliminate it by shifting to neutral & coasting using rudder to steer.Add brief shots of reverse as required.

7. If you need more angle than step 5, then repeat steps 3-5.

Len

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

This approach has a few advantages for a single hander, but has one big disadvantage - you are fighting an uphill battle against the bow getting blown back down. So this might not work if it's windy and/or if the boat is light.

The flip side of this can also be a problem - if you are reversing out, your stern will want to point into the wind, and this will help you a lot getting off the dock. But the same effect will be trying to bash your bow into the dock . Crew or thruster is really helpful.

Hi Dockhead,
The technique I described, is used quite often commercially, when there is little room behind your boat.

Also effective when there is a strong alongshore current ready to sweep you down on your neighbour, or if the on dock wind is coming at say 45° from your bow

By using an Aft Spring (ie.a line that prevents the yacht from moving Aft) , which turns on the aft fairlead you will pivot quite easily, even in quite strong winds.

For yachts the challenge is fending the stern properly to avoid cosmetic damage.

Commercial boats will often lead this Aft Spring to the outboard aft lead thus harnessing the stern when they warp the bow out.


What I like about this technique is that you are in total control of the pivot point at your throttle location and ready to slowly maneuver out of tight places in a forward direction.

I have used this method with my Stargazer (42 tons) and also a 1,400 ton single screw (no thruster) steam yacht, without a scratch.

[donradcliffe]

Don't try any of these techniques singlehanded without mandatory liability insurance. Just ask for some help.

[meirriba]

Notwithstanding all the good advice already posted, I would advise that the initial approach to the dock will be such, that when trying to leave by swinging the stern into the wind, you will be tied in position that the propwalk assists the manouver.
This of course depends on what is possible in the specific mooring place and dependability of wind forecast.
In the OP case, it woul be port side to quay as the propwalk pulls the stern in his boat to stbd.
On the bow it will be nice to hang flat rectangular fender or a horseshoe fender that hugs the bow.

[ThresherMan]

I like the Highwayman's Hitch instead of a bight when I'm single-handing. You don't have to worry about the line snagging on the cleat, and the end of the line is near at hand to retreive.

[hellosailor]

Bullrails?
Is that what they call those damned things? I've been trying to find out their name for years. Anyone have any idea WHY they are used instead of cleats? Is there some law prohibiting the use of horn cleats because they are the sign of the devil or something? Or just a local tradition because wood was cheap and cast metal parts were expensive to ship in?