[Rhodes22-list] Combination Of Sharp Turn To Port + SingleHandedDocking

[David Keyes]

Slim, I do have enough water.  The depth at the slip varies from 17 to 40
feet, depending on how far out the floating dock has been let as the lake
height changes.  I have probably tried it both ways--board up and down--but
without realizing that the turning would be sharper with the board down.
Probably I mostly have raised the board, thinking that then the boat could
be more responsive to tiller/rudder control. I will be sure to keep the
board down next time.  Thanks.

David Keyes
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Alm" <salm@mn.rr.com>
To: <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 12, 2003 11:43 PM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Combination Of Sharp Turn To Port +
SingleHandedDocking


> David,
> Do you have enough water depth at your slip to land with the board down?
> The boat will corner much sharper, forward and reverse.
> Slim
>
> On 1/12/03 11:35 AM, "David Keyes" <dkeyes@houston.rr.com> wrote:
>
> > Roger, I will try your single dock line.  But the challenge with a brisk
> > wind astern has been even to get that far (to where one is entering the
slip
> > between the finger piers), where you could get to the dock line.  I have
to
> > think about coming in close on my port side to the sterns of the upwind,
> > docked boats just before my slip and fetching the dock line for a pivot
into
> > the dock, but this couldn't work single-handed due to the protruding
> > outboard motors of the other boats.  I have been coming down the "alley"
> > between the adjacent piers with my boat about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way
towards
> > the opposite pier to allow for turning room but without my stern getting
too
> > close the the sterns of the boats to starboard as I make my turn to
port.
> >
> > As to your question:  Of course the wind is not always that strong.  I
have
> > since found out, talking to the marina personnel and some other boat
owners,
> > that (virtually) no one goes out on days where there is a strong onshore
> > wind (northerly wind--we are on a southern shore), which would be rare
in
> > the summer but is common in the winter.  They don't go out because of
the
> > same problem of returning to docks.  But I am going to ask a few of the
> > owners who seem to use their boats frequently, year around.
> >
> > Even on the November day of my docking accident when mine may have been
the
> > only boat out, I and my crew of two thought we were successfully turning
> > into the slip without incident after a great sail when at the last
instant I
> > decided that the wind had caught the bow so that it was going to be
pushed
> > too hard into the entering edge of the starboard finger pier.  I hit
reverse
> > on the engine to soften the blow (and one crew member jumped onto the
pier
> > at that point) to try to push the boat off, when my motor jammed in
reverse
> > and we went rocketing back into the boats in their slips behind me.  (It
was
> > when I forced the gear shift into forward just missing a collision with
> > those boats but permanently jamming  the gear into forward).
> >
> > Interestingly, much larger sailboats in the larger slips opposite me
(the
> > ones I back toward as I back out of my slip) seem to have no problem, at
> > least when I seen them come and go on normal days.  One skipper with two
> > small sons repeatedly brings his 35-foot sailboat to a dead stop
centered in
> > his slip with no lines whatsoever.  The only differences I can see are
(i)
> > they are headed towards a larger opening, (ii) they are turning to
starboard
> > if that makes any difference--is that what people talk about when they
refer
> > to a right-hand prop?, and (iii) their prop is inboard and at the center
> > line of their boat, giving better steering control.
> >
> > Lastly, even on relatively calm days, the approach to the slip requires
> > skill, paying complete attention, good anticipation and decisions and
> > sometimes a little luck.  Many years ago, I had boats at marinas in
lakes
> > and bays where this was not the case, within the limits of prudent
> > seamanship.  For five years at one lake, I just sailed to the dock with
no
> > motor at all (boats of 17 and 19 feet).  In Biscayne Bay in Miami, I
docked
> > regularly a 34-foot motor sailer in many kinds of weather and never any
> > problem.  However, in the present case, for one thing, I usually have to
> > start my hard turn to port as if I were going to head into the (already
> > occupied) third slip out from me.  If one were driving a car doing this
on
> > dry land, one would crash into the motor at the back of that boat.  I
have
> > to "slide" out to starboard during the turn to actually come in,
hopefully,
> > right in the middle of my slip without touching anything.  Surprisingly,
> > this works at least half the time, and over the past 1-1/2 years until
> > November, the rest of the time involved a bump into a fender or the
like, so
> > no big deal--at worst a rubbing of the gel coat alongside the white
rubber
> > strip at the edge of the finger pier, or against the small turning wheel
at
> > the entrance to the port finger pier.  But there should be a way to make
> > this virtually 100% successful in all but emergency weather conditions
and
> > where you could even explain to a guest skipper what he or she needs to
do
> > as the best technique for this particular slip.  My success rate had
gone up
> > significantly after the first few months of owning the boat when I
started
> > the practice of, if needed,  momentarily engaging the engine in forward
> > during the turn, with the motor linked to the tiller.  Then, if I
weren't
> > going to complete the turn in time (i.e., coming in too far too
starboard),
> > I would change the tiller/linked motor  steering direction bringing the
> > tiller hard to port and momentarily hitting reverse to straighten the
boat
> > out before proceeding (hopefully) straight into the slip.  This appears
to
> > have been hard on the engine, as you said in an earlier email.
> >
> > Roger, I really like your earlier suggestions, which I quote below:
> >
> > "You might consider finding a different slip for next season. For
example, a
> >
> > slip right across from you would be better. A tight turn to starboard in
> >
> > this situation is much easier than to port.
> >
> > "If it were my boat & I were being more cautious, I think I would pull
up to
> >
> > the end of the finger pier, port side to the pier. I would either put
out
> >
> > fenders on the port side amidships or mount a suitable bumper on the
corner
> >
> > of my pier. I would loosely tie off amidships & use a bow line to warp
the
> >
> > bow around into the slip. No muss - no fuss."
> >
> > There is not alot of room to do this at my slip, but it should be
feasible.
> > The finger pier at the port is only one foot wide, and their is a long
boat
> > with a motor protruding to port.  Likewise there is a boat and
protruding
> > motor on the starboard side of my slip (mine being the last full one
with a
> > finger pier on both sides to make an enclosure), and which of course one
> > would not want to "warp around" outside the edge of the slip and into
that
> > motor.  The slip is 10 feet side.  So what you say should work with a
> > practiced technique, and I am going to try it.  Using your single dock
line
> > idea  in your article quoted below, this could also be the line that I
fetch
> > at the end of the port finger pier.
> >
> >
> > David Keyes
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Roger Pihlaja" <cen09402@centurytel.net>
> > To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
> > Sent: Sunday, January 12, 2003 5:53 AM
> > Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Combination Of Sharp Turn To Port + Single
> > HandedDocking
> >
> >
> >> Thank you Steve & Mark!  This was the article on single handed docking
I
> > was
> >> refering to.
> >>
> >> So, David, what do you think?  Wouldn't executing a sharp 90 deg turn
to
> >> port & throwing a single dock line over a piling or cleat on the end of
> > your
> >> finger pier be more graceful & less taxing on your equipment than what
you
> >> do now?
> >>
> >> By the way, if your marina is so tight & the wind blows like you say,
how
> > do
> >> the boats around you get into their slips?
> >>
> >> Roger Pihlaja
> >> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Steve Alm" <salm@mn.rr.com>
> >> To: <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
> >> Sent: Friday, January 10, 2003 5:41 PM
> >> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Single Handed Docking Article
> >>
> >>
> >>> Here it is:
> >>>
> >>> All boats have a point along both sides, usually just aft of
amidships,
> >>> wherein a single dock line will cause the boat to stop parallel to a
> > dock.
> >>> To find this point, pick a place along the side.  It's helpful to use
> > the
> >>> sliding cars on the genoa tracks for this purpose.  Attach a mooring
> > line
> >> to
> >>> this point & pull on it from behind.  If the bow pulls towards you
> > faster
> >>> than the stern, then slide the attachment point aft.  If the stern is
> >>> favored, then move the attachment point forward.  When the boat crabs
> >>> sideways towards you, then you have found the approximate sweet spot.
> > The
> >>> actual sweet spot will shift slightly when the boat has forward
> > momentum.
> >>> However, this approximate location will be sufficiently close to allow
> > you
> >>> to go out & try to pull up to a dock with a single line.  Try to stop
> > the
> >>> boat with a single mooring line using your approximate sweet spot.  If
> > the
> >>> bow or stern tend to crab towards the dock faster, then adjust the
> >> position
> >>> of the line fore or aft as before & try again.  When you have found
the
> >>> correct location, you should at least mark it.  You may even wish to
> >> install
> >>> permanent mooring cleats there port & starboard.
> >>>
> >>> With a single mooring line, simply motor up to the dock, slip your
loop
> >> over
> >>> the piling near the end of the dock, & shift into neutral.  The
mooring
> >> line
> >>> attached to the sweet spot will snub the boat's forward momentum & the
> >> boat
> >>> will almost magically "crab" sideways up against the dock.  This
> > sideways
> >>> crabbing involves a tremendous amount of drag, which uses up the
boat's
> >>> forward momentum in a matter of inches, thus making it almost
impossible
> >> to
> >>> hit the dock.  The boat will stop at a convenient distance away from
the
> >>> dock for you to go around attaching your bow & stern lines at your
> >> leisure.
> >>> Try this technique.  I guarantee it will make you look like a boat
> >> handling
> >>> genius!
> >>>
> >>> Roger Pihlaja
> >>> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
> >>>
> >>> On 1/10/03 12:50 PM, "Roger Pihlaja" <cen09402@centurytel.net> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Hey Everyone,
> >>>>
> >>>> Did anyone happen to save a copy of an article I wrote several months
> >> ago re a
> >>>> foolproof single line docking procedure?  I can't find it in the
> > SailNet
> >>>> archives or on the FAQ page & I don't know how to search the new
> >> archives.
> >>>> I'd really rather not retype the whole thing if someone has a copy
> > they
> >> could
> >>>> repost.
> >>>>
> >>>> I'd like to forward it along to David Keyes.  The combination of the
> >> technique
> >>>> for making a sharp turn to port which I described in my previous post
> >> along
> >>>> with this single line docking technique might work very well in his
> >> situation.
> >>>>
> >>>> Roger Pihlaja
> >>>> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
> >>>> _________________________________________________
> >>>> Use Rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
> >>>
> >>> _________________________________________________
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> >>>
> >>
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