Looking for advice when leaving the dock

[OS2Dude]

That's why I spend the money on a single slip. I once had a double slip that they did not put anyone next to me in because the power transformer was on the edge of the main dock and they didn't want anyone to hit it. I in effect had a single slip for the price of a shared slip. Maybe your marina has a similar situation you could take advantage of.

When I back out of my slip I give her full throttle until she is moving enough to be controlled by the wheel (About one forth the length of the slip) then slow down and go into neutral. When about halfway out I turn the wheel starboard to pivot the boat on the fin keel and start to bring the bow to port, putting me in the center of the channel. As the bow clears the slip, I shift into forward and apply power while steering ahead.

You should also look up how to use spring lines to dock/leave in various wind/crowded conditions.

I single hand my Catalina 30 a lot, and I have a single spring line tied to the dock and attached to the forward horn of the midship cleat. Turning the wheel away from the dock and a little forward power pushes the boat to the starboard dock and lets me remove all the other lines and power/water connections. Then backing away the line falls off the cleat as the boat backs out. (If I can, I will try to remove it by hand and lay it on the dock.)
Coming in I run forward with a small boat hook (if needed), grab that line and put it back on the forward horn. Again turning away from the dock the boat snugs up to the dock and I can attach all the lines and connections, then turn off the engine. This works for me in pretty much every wind condition I've been out in.

[johnn33]

Might I suggest you ask your Harbourmaster to show you what to do in the

In the more awkward conditions of wind and tide. He does not want dents
In other boats, and has, or one of his team has, much experience.
John

[Northern_Lights]

It may seem intimidating at first, but think about backing in to your slip.
You may find that it's a lot easier than you may imagine.
I do it in my Hunter 30 - at first because my shore power is hard wired to my port quarter and won't reach the post if I go in bow-to.
Granted I have a bit more space between me and my neighbour (maybe 3').
If you find you are coming in badly (usually when you have an audience), it's easy to drive forward, reposition and try again.
It also looks damned cool!
Remember: 'Never approach a dock at a speed faster than you intend to hit it!'

[sinnerman]

Originally Posted by cat34shamrock

Learn to anticipate and use the prop walk. I've found that a burst of power in reverse then neutral is the best way to control the prop walk. ie it only happens when the prop is turning. I single hand mostly and often hand line the boat out of the slip, I'm on the boat, rudder turned slightly away from dock, line on end of dock, looped if need to retrieve, move and pull forward to bring bow in, when the boat is moving and somewhat clear of the dock/neighbor boat I then get behind the wheel and finish driving the boat out.
That's what works for me and my 34 foot sail boat.

I do the same.

If the wind is pushing my bow into the finger pier, I run slip lines from my stern cleat, around the dock cleat and then back to the boat's main (genoa winch). I can then control the boat as I move out by tighteneing in on the line.

Or as stated above , I can use the line to PULL the boat out of the slip..

Another option is to dock your boat stern first by BACKING into your slip instead of docking bow first.

1. It is much easier to dock (and you have the more powerful forward gear to stop the boat),

2. As you are backing in all of the dock cleats will be within easy reach of the cockpit, so you can just "drop" your dock lines on them,

3. To leave the slip, well you just "drive out" like a power boat...

my two cents

cheers

[GrowleyMonster]

A right hand prop will have the stern backing to port, at least initially, until you have some way on. You need more way on when backing, for rudder control, than when going ahead because the prop is blasting more water across the prop going ahead, but going astern this is not the case. Once you have plenty of way on, steering while going astern is not impossible.

Another thing about going astern is there will be a marked tendency for most boats, whether power or sail, to want to back into the wind. The bow is blown downwind more than the stern. If you have roller furling or you have a storm jib handy for instant use, you can use just a bit of headsail to make this happen even more effectively. A ketch or a yawl can also make use of the mizzen to help steer. Crew must be knowledgeable, responsible, and on the ball, though.

Understanding and applying these two principles fully will help you a lot.

Another thing you can do is to decide on your last line to take in, and in undocking preparations, pass it around the piling or cleat and back to the boat. This works best when you have an end that does not have an eye spliced into it that can catch on cleat horns and stuff. So with everyone safely aboard, you can cast off and take in all lines except your last line, and use that line to control the boat as you back out of the slip, and at the last moment cast off the bitter end and bring the line in.

Fenders and boathooks can turn a potential scrape or crunch into a harmless nudge. Your crew should stand ready to fend off, as the possible need to do so becomes evident, not at the last second when it is nearly too late or maybe actually too late to prevent damage.

In windy conditions you usually need to use more power when maneuvering, than when it is calm. Before making a turn, you want to be well upwind of your intended track, too. In a back and fill turn, you need to once again remember that a right hand wheel backs to port, usually, and a left hand prop will back to starboard. The bow of course swings in the opposite direction. So sometimes a 270 degree turn can be easier than a 90 degree turn.

Always test your ability to shift into Ahead or Astern, before casting off lines, and on the way back in, before entering the harbor. Malfunction of transmission or control cable is an extremely unsettling surprise when you need it the most. Check your fuel filters, and fuel level in your day tank, too. Also engine oil level, etc. Start your engine ahead of time and run it for a bit, make sure you are getting plenty of joy from your cooling system and there is no unusual vibration, smoke, etc.

Never get so distracted or preoccupied that you forget to disconnect shore power, water, cable, telephone, or other services. Please do not ask me why that is even a thought to me.

Final thought... if you are not comfortable with conditions, don't take the boat out. There will be other opportunities. Also when you are expecting contrary winds, you might consider leaving the dock the night before, and catching a mooring or dropping an anchor overnight. Same with docking. If you aren't feeling good with the conditions, and there is any doubt about docking safely, wait outside for better conditions. Often there are distinct lulls in the wind as the sea breeze or land breeze dies down before it reverses.

[sinnerman]

A good book to consider for solo docking tips is "Stress-Free Sailing" by Duncan Wells.

You can find it on Amazon, or here is one for sale cheap from a used book store:

https://www.alibris.com/search/books...E&gclsrc=aw.ds



cheers.

[JimZeigler]

There some very good suggestions in these comments. It takes study and practice to learn how to handle a boat in tight quarters. Over 40 years I have learned that you have to be able to use the engine and rudder and my wife has gotten very good at handling spring lines.

I agree with the comments that you should consider docking stern first and not be shy about rigging fenders. I’d also look at the docking discussion and use of spring lines in Chapmans Small Boat Handling and Seamanship. And you need to practice. Every time you take the boat out should be a learning experience.

For a boat your size at low speed, prop walk has more influence on the boat direction that the rudder. In reverse at slow speed, there is no control – propwalk control the motion of the stern. In forward the propwash allows you to move the stern left or right by slight adjustment to the rudder. And in neutral, you are subject to the wind and whatever direction the boat is already moving.

In low- speed situations you can use a combination of rudder and forward thrust, in short burst to steer the boat. One you understand propwalk, you can use it your advantage also.

I agree, you do not have to power you boat into and out of the slip. Hand-over-hand will get the job down. If you have good rub rails, use. them. With my trawler, if I can get the rub rail up against one piling, I can maneuverer the boat into the slip with spring lines, rudder angle and engine thrust,

[SpiritofGlenans]

The OP mentions that he only has a foot (305mm)of clearance. To me this suggests to me that to leave his berth he should deploy plenty of fenders on the port side, drop all lines and simply push off, out into the channel. He could ask his wife to stand by in the bow with a roving fender to forestall any damage should the bow begin to blow off before hehas completely exited.
When the wind is from the south his boat will naturally lie against the neighbouring boat to port so he will not actually need any fenders on the starboard side.
As he gains the middle of the channel he can proceed either in astern or manoeuvre himself into position to proceed ahead, using his judgement of the wind strength allied with the good advice above, regarding propwalk etc.
All I can add is that he is a lucky man in that he only has the wind to consider. My berth is in the marina in Malahide , Ireland, which is situated in a river estuary with a large tidal lagoon upstream. at mid-tide the combined river and tidal current can exceed four knots. I generally have to come in and out around mid-tide as that when there is enough water over the sandbar at the river mouth.

[nofacey]

1) figure out if you have any propwalk, and use it to your advantage
- neutral rudder gliding into dock, shift to reverse and give her a 3 sec shot of throttle - did the stern move sideways? That’s propwalk

2) the wind will always blow your bow downwind - backing into the wind is usually very stable.

In the instance shown, I’d back all the way out.