[Rhodes22-list] Docking Issues

[Mike Cheung]

Ron,

Docking in windy conditions is challenging, no doubt about it.  Oddly,
success in fairly high wind depends on suppressing your natural impulse to
take it as slow as possible.  I suggest you practice this out in the open
someplace, but approaching the slip at a high enough speed to maintain
control is essential; as is being able to get the motor into reverse to
bring the boat to a stop alongside your dock.  Also, determine which line is
the most essential to get tied on first.  On our boat with our slip
arrangement it is the dock side stern line.  Once this is on everything else
can be handled with more leisure.  For good or ill that line is right behind
the helmsman (usually me).  So in moderate winds I focus on getting Muireann
in position for me to get ahold of that line off our dock and securing it to
the cleat behind me.  

In worse winds, another thing to bear in mind is that if its really windy
don't be too proud to ask for help from folks ashore.  Keep some longish (25
ft or so) dock lines on board; two should be plenty.  And be ready to toss
these to folks on your dock to help pull/guide you in.  Even with just one
other crew member, a long dock line can be handy as with a strong wind it's
easiest to bring the widest part of the boat (or just forward of it) to the
dock and have your crew step off with either one or two long dock lines.  If
one, it's usually the forward dock line and you can back against it once
it's cleated to swing the stern back to the dock if the wind is blowing you
off.  Having a crew step ashore with a line in hand (cleated to the boat
already of course) may be easier than that same crew fishing for the dock
tied line with a boat hook.  

Lastly, don't be afraid to back away from the dock and set up to try again
if the approach isn't going well.

Hope this helps!  I'm sure others will have ideas as well.

Mike



butterchurn wrote:
> 
> As a new boat owner I am having docking isues in wind.  I would like some
> suggestions concerning what steps to take in order to learn to do a better
> job of it.  This weekend at Lake Erie it was quite windy.  We wanted to
> sail but when we tried to untie from our slip the wind was so strong we
> couldn't control the boat.  The wind was trying to blow the boat away from
> us.  Our slip is has the wind blowing our port side away from the dock
> instead of into the dock.  Perhaps we were trying to go out in too windy
> conditions.  We saw other sailboats out though they were at least 26
> footers.
> 
> We don't want to use our Rhodes as a floating cabin, we got the boat to
> sail it.
> 
> Anything you might suggest that might help us to get up to speed with our
> skills?  Now once away from the dock I can sail no problem.  I just need
> to get out and in.
> 
> Sometimes I feel dumb asking these questions, but I guess I can't learn if
> I don't ask.
> 
> Ron
> 


-----
Mike Cheung
s/v Muireann 1993/2008 Rhodes 22
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