Supper and poor docking procedure

[SailRedemption]

If you guys aren't following this you are missing out!

https://instagram.com/thequalifiedca...d=7pf39j83zgg9

[StuM]

Originally Posted by SailRedemption

If you guys aren't following this you are missing out!

https://instagram.com/thequalifiedca...d=7pf39j83zgg9

Hilarious!

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Let he who has never screwed up a docking throw the first stone. I've screwed up, though I've never done material damage. But quite a few were ugly. I'll admit it.



I say either help or avert your eyes. Staring is rude.

Every one has screwed up. That or they are lying. And in a big boat when things go pear shaped recovery can be difficult and make for an extended spectacle. For years I kept a good sized chunk of wood that I ripped off of a fuel dock on my boat as a memento of such an event.

Staring is ok so long as you don’t get caught. Usually you’re in no position to help and the poor soul is too busy coping to look around and see who’s watching. And as I stare I now whisper “There but for the grace of God go I.”

[Sojourner]

The other day on anchor, a water taxi hit my combination boarding ladder / passerelle and damaged it (long story). So I needed a little pick-me-up the next morning docking.

Coming into our spot in our marina (stern to med moor tight between 2 much more expensive sailboats), in a crosswind, with easily 20 people between the two neighboring boats having breakfast in their cockpits... We don't look or act like the usual sailing crew, and boy was everyone waiting for a balls-up from us...

I came in hot, spun our 53' Amel 180 degrees in it's own length in a very tight fairway between million dollar boats, hit reverse and pinned it home without so much as touching the fenders of either boat, and docked it without so much as a word to my lovely tattooed lady crew. Pure perfection.

Then a few minutes later, while adjusting lines and going to and fro along the passerelle (damaged earlier, remember), and feeling quite pleased with myself, I crashed straight through it. Face down. In front of those 20 people. Hung up head down, arms and legs poking out of the horizontal ladder, inches from the water. Completely. Stuck. It took a good few minutes to free me.

I like to think I gave my audience the best of both worlds They also learned some hardcore Hungarian curses that day to boot

[gsuescum]

In our little harbor up here in CT we say, “sometimes you watch the show, sometimes you are the show.”

And eventually, sooner or later, you WILL be the show! 😆

[ninethlife]

Story that needs telling........while engaged in yacht delivery back in the 80's, I was approached by a trio of Insurance underwriters wanting to establish a training/certification process. They passed my phone # to people buying their first boat with the rule; the boat couldn't leave the dock without a licensed skipper on board. Quickly learned that the average brain shuts down after about 2 hours of maneuvering near a dock from stress. So 'hands-on' was all too limited. But many benefited from getting some basic how-to instruction. This worked well for about 2 decades and then a decision came down from the all seeing, all knowing, executive board of the insurance folk. In order to certify a boat owner, they would need to learn everything in the sport. Radar, navigation, weather, tides, rules, etc. Since my mission was not classroom based and I drove to the boat and worked in the owner's home marina, I bailed out of the business. I don't miss it (other than the nice people I met), but it can be frustrating for a person just starting out. Maneuvering a boat is not like driving a car....and is more difficult than flying an airplane. It's actually more like flying a helicopter. Some of YouTube is lacking and the Coast Guard handling ability is amusing.

[Spartanacus]

One employee at the fuel dock as our 32 ft sailboat ghosted in along side very close. Directly handed the girl a line as we were about to throttle reverse to slow our walking speed progress.
Too late she immediately wrapped our line around a cleat - CLUNK stopped!

Now they get the line handed over when completely stopped.

[sailorboy1]

I just accept that a perfect docking is an unusual event.

[refuge]

Where I grew up, you were dog doo if you couldn’t expertly dock an 80 foot single vessel under sail alone at night while blind folded and drunk at 12 years old.

So what we did was practice. Kind of a novel idea I suppose. We’d get any John boat we could and practice approaches to an empty dock space over and over at all different angles and conditions. This is after having raced dinghies for a couple years already. But everyone starts somewhere.

It takes practice. And even the expert has to familiarize himself or herself with each new boat. I admit, grabbing 3 cases of beer and spending a day at the boat launch while filming in 4K is the best entertainment a mortal can possibly have, we still need to encourage the novices to practice.

The boating and maritime community is one of the last enclaves on earth where people actually wave to one another. That fact in and of itself is one reason why I dedicate myself to the art and pastime of boating. While it’s hilarious as hell when some dude is screaming at his wife for not backing a trailer down perfectly, it’s still a homogeneous community of like minded crazies.

About 85% of people totally suck at boat handling by my estimates. A few percent more are okay and a select few have the true gift. The moral of the story is being on the water is the damn ****. Nothing is more gratifying. So let’s support the community once we have finished laughing.

[andybaldwins]

You maybe a real old salt that has traveled the world. One true thing ....... AT EVERY PORT THERE IS A SHOW .... SOMETIMES YOU SEE A SHOW, SOMETIMES YOU ARE THE SHOW. It all sorts itself out with the anchorage at the dinghy dock. Wear your performance as a badge of honor!

[Dave9111]

Good docking takes practice.

I try and avoid sailing in and out of my marina on Holidays.

On those days, the entire family is there on their boats and this may be the only time that boat will leave the slip that year.

Its a total circus. One guy had his entire family lined up on the starboard side of his 40+ ft sailboat. Wife and 3 kids...He came in from the lake and did a circle to get the starboard side up against the gas dock. He was about 10 ft away from the dock... so the dockhands waved him off and he went around again... again 10 ft from the dock. This was a 20,000 lb sloop. Again and again.. until finally he was about 6 ft from the dock and they threw the ropes and a half dozen people pulled the boat next to the gas dock. I felt really sorry for the skipper. I was going to catch a line, but I walked away.. it took that long. This is typical on Holidays ! Insane.

Another time I was talking to a an old couple who said they sail for 4 weeks each summer. So I thought these two would be really good.
They went for a day sail and I saw them motoring back in and I was walking by their slip.... I offered to catch a line and the women said, grab the mid ship line and brake it around a cleat... So here they come.. I'm ready, but the skipper is coming in hot.. I'm thinking he is going to put it in reverse.... soon... really soon... I catch the midship line and wrap the cleat and hang on... he then throws it in reverse... the bow hits the dock box and almost knocks it off. The bow is deflected off to the side and it starts climbing the dock! Uh oh.... My line is as tight as can be... and then the boat settles in to the slip. The women just smiles and says thank you and takes the line from me. Like this was the normal mode of docking!
Yikes !!!

I mostly single hand with a 12,000 lb sailboat. There is no way to dock or depart without spring lines... it just isn't possible. I always have multiple lines ready to rig as spring lines. My guests are always non-sailors, so when they are onboard I am still single handing!

[Ike]

I am retired Coast Guard and I can assure you screw ups when docking are not the province of amateurs. I will refrain from naming names and places because many of those people are still alive and friends, and I want to live a little longer. But the most hilarious (to me not the Captain) was coming in to a dock with stiff breeze blowing us onto the dock, hitting it really hard, (by the way a TV crew was filming this and it was on the news that night) bouncing off, throwing the heaving line (the kind with a lead ball on the end) right through the windshield of a car on the dock. and then ramming the dock again, catching the anchor under the edge of the dock and as we backed away ripping 20 feet of facing off the dock. What a show! So even the pro's can screw up. I had seen this Captain dock the ship many times and usually it was perfection.

Just the other day I was out in my 18 foot Sea Ray and while docking in a about a 10 knot breeze got caught and hit two other boats, fortunately gently. Second try was better. The admiral was not amused.

[Oz-1]

Hi Peregrine, that was really funny. What film was it ? Regards, Oz

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by SailRedemption

If you guys aren't following this you are missing out!

https://instagram.com/thequalifiedca...d=7pf39j83zgg9

Anyone notice the ratio of lower to sail in these?

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Ike

I am retired Coast Guard and I can assure you screw ups when docking are not the province of amateurs. I will refrain from naming names and places because many of those people are still alive and friends, and I want to live a little longer. But the most hilarious (to me not the Captain) was coming in to a dock with stiff breeze blowing us onto the dock, hitting it really hard, (by the way a TV crew was filming this and it was on the news that night) bouncing off, throwing the heaving line (the kind with a lead ball on the end) right through the windshield of a car on the dock. and then ramming the dock again, catching the anchor under the edge of the dock and as we backed away ripping 20 feet of facing off the dock. What a show! So even the pro's can screw up. I had seen this Captain dock the ship many times and usually it was perfection.

Just the other day I was out in my 18 foot Sea Ray and while docking in a about a 10 knot breeze got caught and hit two other boats, fortunately gently. Second try was better. The admiral was not amused.

Reminds me of a tale told me by my office mate. He was a swabbie on a 900foot missile destroyer as a 20-something. The Old Man got tired of waiting for the port shenanigans in an Italian harbor and powered in to the pier like Captain
Ron. No tugs. Came to a perfect stop inches away, no touch, lines set. He swaggered off the bridge and down the gangway amid the high praise of the crew.