Single-Handed Docking...

[C-Gypsy]

Rather than re-invent the wheel I thought I would pose a question...

I boat single-handed (I do everything single-handed).

I back my boat into my slip.

My question is this... How do you folks back into a slip when single-handed? My slip has pilings, the furthest of which is close to 40 feet from the dock. I do not use those pilings at all.

What makes me nervous is leaving the pilot house & the controls. Perhaps it is time for me to learn a better way of docking.

I welcome any thoughts or suggestions.

Al

[Sea Wolf]

Al-

I understand that the pilings you must clear are not a part of your slip, but must be maneuvered by. How tight is the clearance?

Does your slip itself have floating fingers on one or both sides or neither?

Is there a fixed wharf or pier involved?

A photo would be worth a .....................!

One thing I do when maneuvering in tight reverse steering situations is to stand up in the center of the cabin, looking straight aft, and steer with my left hand. This gives you a far better view of how your boat is proceeding aft than if you're sitting down facing forward. Shifting with your right hand over your left is a bit more difficult, but very dodable. You'll be much more comfortable being able to see exactly where your boat is in relation to it's surroundings.

Adding a "suicide knob" could be helpful.

Joe.

[ccflyer]

Most of the season I'm at a floating dock. After October 1st I'm at a fixed pier.

I, too, usually am alone - if you don't count the retievers, who are little help in docking.

My procedure is to back in enough so when I leave the helm and move to the cockpit I can reach over grab onto the dock and walk the boat in the rest of the way. It takes some practice to compensate for the winds. My best advice is don't rush it. These days I practically drift in.

[Sneaks]

[Captains Cat]

C'mon Don, I know you use both hands! You wouldn't make it single handed....

I bet you come in submerged and surface next to the pier!!

Charlie

[C-Gypsy]

Thanks to everyone.

I back into my slip because it is easier to get on & off the boat, and because it is easier to plug into electricity & water.

Here is a link to a picture of my slip. The boat in the picture is my Nor'Sea 27 which is 32 feet OAL.

http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album189&id=DSCN1676&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

Seems like my slip is perfect for my sailboat but somewhat confusing for my smaller C-Dory. On top of that I am "outside" on my sailboat, but confined to the cabin on the C-Dory.

Guess I just feel out of sorts and not able to control docking manuevers as I would like to.

Years ago I had a terrible time leaving the docks in my Nimble Arctic 25. Then one day I figured out it was easier to walk the boat to the end of the finger pier & go from there.

Perhaps ccflyer has a point. In conjunction with other suggestions I could back the boat in, step onto the dock and walk her the rest of the way. Or at least I could 10 years ago!

[mikeporterinmd]

I would back in, get a line on the piling at the end of the finger pier and
basically tie the boat at that point. Then, move astern and get something
on to keep the boat in the slip. After that, get the 'real lines' and tie them on.

To get out to the bow pilings, I would take a long line to the bow and
throw it over the piling and pull the boat up.

Now, some of you are going to say, hah, he's joking, lassoing a piling. Well,
I guess it is possible to lasso a piling if you have a rope with wire inside
like a cowboy. But it is possible to throw a line over a piling.

First, you need 3x as much line as distance you are planning to throw
over. I've done this as far as 15'. At that distance, I take two 30' lines
and slip them together at the eyes. That makes for a nice throwing weight,
too.

Coil the lines, same amount in each hand. Hook your little finger over the
coils at the ends of the line. Use your other fingers to hold the middle
coils.

Leave a decent amount free, in the middle.
About 4'. Then, flip out that center section, releasing the middle coils
but keeping your little finger over the ends. Throw a big wide loop. It
will probably land over the end of the piling. It's not as hard as it sounds.
And it looks cool when you do it the first time!

If you miss the first time, let the line hit the water. Wet line throws better
than dry line. Make sure you have enough line. You can't use a 20' line
at 10'. You need 30'.

Thanks to "Reggie", how showed me that trick. She knows a number of
interesting things.

Mike

[Sneaks]

[rogerbum]

For me, the most important thing I ever did that made my life a TON easier when docking is to set things up so that I have a bow line coming down both sides and dropping into the cockpit and a stern line on each side that does the same. For a bow line, I bought 3/8", 50' line that is tied off to the bow cleat at the mid point of the line with 1/2 coming down each side. For the stern lines, I have 2-25' lines, one on each stern cleat. The important thing is to set things up so that when I get to the dock I can leave the helm, move quickly to the cockpit and exit with BOTH the bow and stern line in hand. With 25' of line on both ends of my 22, I can loop one end around a cleat and keep tension while I walk to the other end of the boat to secure it (not possible with 10-15' lines, but easily doable with 25' lines).

Once I had things set up this way, life is easy. The other thing that occasionally comes in handy is a line attached to the midship cleat just outside the helm window but terminating in the cockpit. With this line, I can reach out the window or run back to the cockpit and tie it off or loop it around a cleat and then get back on the throttle to pull the boat forward and in against the line. This works well in wind - e.g. back in, tie of the stern end of a line attached midships and then shift in to forward gear at idle to bring the boat back in. Once you have gently got the line under tension, leave the boat in gear and secure things fore and aft, then shut down. The only time I've ever had problems single handing is in a strong cross wind and the mid ships line + forward motion generally solves this. Again the key is proper prepping (and fendering) well offshore of the docks. Once you have a good plan in place, execution of it is easy.

[Sea Wolf]

C-Gypsy

That's one hell of a sailboat! You're like a lot of us around here in being a sailor converted to powerboating down the road!



Joe.

[Mighty Bite]

I drive forward into my slip and back out when I'm ready to leave. Before
leaving my slip I run a dock line from the forward starboard cleat and tie
it to the rear leg of the radar arch. When I come into my slip it's pretty slick
to simple slide in next to the finger, pop it in neutral and step out of the
cockpit onto the finger and I have line ready and waiting to take a hold of.

I almost always one hand it, even when I have other hands on board.

Of course I'm still a young pup of nearly 75, when I grow up I may solicit more
assistance.

[C-Gypsy]

Thanks to everyone for your replies.

I believe I will try Mark and Roger's advice, or a combination thereof. I may also add a couple cleats to my finger piers.

Sea Wolf~ Thanks for the kind words about Knot Rocker (my sailboat). I love that boat and refuse to give her up. Planning to keep her in my slip on Kent Island in the Chesapeake in 2008. For some nice pics of her go to

http://www.knottysailor.com/knotrocker/index.html

ccflyer~ You're feeding those retrievers, right? It's only fair if they start helping out now & then. You might want to talk to them about responsibility & participation.

Don~ Yes, I can tie a bowline with one hand. Learned that in the boy scouts when I was 14. It's strange how some things stick in my mind. Hell, I can't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday but I can tie a bowline...

Again, thanks to everyone. In a few hours I am going to start practicing your suggestions. I would appreciate it if everyone would keep their radios on channel 16 and listen for messages from the Coast Guard. It might be me they are talking about!

[drjohn71a]

C-Gypsy,

Differing wind/current conditions could dictate differing approaches. As you probably already know, sailboats have that wonderful keel providing a center pivot point, but motorboats pivot at the outboard motor leg - much more wind action blowing the bow off, etc..

I use lines from the forward cleats aft to the cockpit and the aft corner lines in the cockpit with the coils looped over the rails so one hand can quickly grab them off the rail.

While stepping off with both lines is handy - and someone here mentioned they tie the fore and aft line together so they just loop it over a piling (or two) or cleat (or two) - you can exert excellent control using a single spring line.

Safest is an after bow spring line going from the the forward side cleat or bow to the aft quarter area on a dock or piling. Once tied, you gently power forward against the spring line and that brings the bow and stern up against the float. I see from your photo, though, that your float does not have smooth sides or large timbers for you to safely snug up to it.

Backing against a forward stern spring line could do the same, but it is kind of dangerous to tie up the stern in an outboard craft.

Depending upon the wind, you could back straight into the wind and then at the last moment turn between the pilings.

A very easy thing to try - since you say you prefer backing in - is a line rigged across the dock space (float to float) with loops, so you can gently back into it and engage the loops on your aft cleats. of course, you'd wnat to have alot of "sag"in the center, between the loops, so you can lift and play with it.

I usually throw one or both of the aft/bow lines across the float, then step ashore and tie down whichever one seems most important first.

You could also loop bow line around a piling , running the free end to the helm, then back against it, guiding the stern with the outboard, and releasing a bit of line at a time (to slide around the piling) and step out to the closest float area .

Your key problem in your unique setup is that you have to control the bow as you pass thru those outside pilings.

John

[Doryman]

[Captains Cat]

I would suspect he's referring to the fact that your engines are on the stern, sometimes tilted up and if the boat drifts back for ANY reason, into the pier, there go the props at best and the lower units/more at worst!

Charlie