Boating Tips

Depending on the size and configuration of your boat, you may not be able to see each other during the docking process.

Many people use hand signals, so they don’t have to yell and shout over the noise of the motors.

When your First Mate is standing on the swim platform and you’re tying at a low floating dock where you can’t see the cleats or the lines from the helm, have your First Mate stand and signal with a clenched fist in the air where you can see it when the line is secure.

Then, you’ll know her fingers are clear of the cleats and you can pull against the aft line to bring in the bow.

If she needs you to back up or move the boat ahead, she can signal that as well by simply pointing forward or aft followed by the number of fingers to represent the number of feet required.

In each case, you can reply from the helm with the OK sign, so she knows you got the message.

You can no doubt come up with more hand signals to suit your situation.

Your docking will be safer, silent and way more professional to everyone watching.

My Boat Doesn’t Line Up with the Slip

Question

My boat doesn’t always line up with the slip when docking bow first. What can I do when I get off course when docking, other than backing out and trying again?

Answer

Docking in a slip can have many variables. Once you have mastered the basics in Dock Your Boat, you will soon perfect the best method after practicing in the wind and current in your own slip. However, sometimes you will dock in different slips, especially when traveling and you could experience different docking situations with new variables..

There are several techniques you can use to help you. This article is for those times when you don’t quite line up with your slip for whatever reason and would like to recover, instead of aborting and trying again. In this particular case, you are docking bow first and there is a post or piling at the entrance to the slip that you can use to your advantage.

Most posts in marinas are tall enough to be well above your sheerline and are soft wood. Sheerlines or rubrails at the hull-to-deck joint on most boats, cruisers, yachts and sailboats are designed at the widest point along the vessel’s length. They are a strong material like stainless steel, or hard plastic-that’s why it’s called a rubrail.

Pivoting on a post is a method of getting your boat into a slip, when the wind or current pulls your boat off course just at the entrance. You can recover and, make it look like you intended to utilize the post. Be sure to instruct your First Mate and crew not to panic and not to push your boat off, which would be their natural response. This will just make the situation worse.

Pivot on a Post without a springline

You can slide or slither into your slip using a corner post, if it’s position lines up with the docks edge. When you slide in, you want to have your fenders flipped up, because the post will rip them off. In most cases, it’s preferable to stop, pivot and go, than to slide full length. It’s easier on the rubrail and looks more professional.

On a single or twin I/O or O/B or single I/B or a Sailboat, it involves a combination of wheel and shifts to wrap the boat around the post with a minimum of fore and aft movement while against the post. Once the boat is against the post, turn the wheel hard over toward the post and your dock, put in forward gear for only 3 to 4 seconds, then neutral. Quickly, turn the wheel hard over away from the post, and pull into reverse for 3-4 seconds. The boat will wrap around the post with a minimum of sliding against the post. In close, rapid succession, repeat this forward hardover/reverse hardover procedure, until the boat is lined up with the slip, then drive in as you normally would using the techniques for your drive system.

On a twin I/B, it’s easier to stop, pivot and go, because you have twins that rotate the boat. Just before the boat collides with the post, pull into double reverse, so the boat hits the post, instead of scraping along on the post. Push the motor that is away from the post into forward, and simultaneously pull the motor closest to the post into reverse. As you pivot, the boat may start to creep ahead or aft. If it’s creeping ahead, pull that motor from forward into neutral for a couple of seconds to stop the forward motion. If it’s creeping aft, pull that motor into neutral. Continue forward gear and reverse gear until aligned with the slip. Drive in as you normally would by using the techniques for Twin Inboards.

Pivot on a Post with spring line

In cases where the forward-reverse combination isn’t working, because of extremely high wind or current. By the time you discover this, the post is likely positioned within a few feet of the middle of the boat-near the spring line cleat. Have your First Mate temporarily run a spring line, from the spring line cleat, out and around the post, then bring the other end of the line (bitter end) back to the spring line cleat. Wrap it around the cleat a couple of times, then pull against the cleat-Don’t tie it, just pull.
This line will hold the boat tight against the post and prevent it from creeping forward or aft. If the boat creeps, adding slack in this looped line, temporarily pull into neutral, allowing your First Mate to pull in the slack and rewrap the line around the cleat and pull.

On all the singles including sailboats, turn the wheel towards the dock and put it in forward. Your boat will circle around the post, without creeping.
On all twins, just put the outside motor into forward. Your boat will circle the post, without creeping.

Once aligned with the slip opening, pull it into neutral, call to your First Mate to quickly untie the springline from around the cleat and the post (it will come off easily because the line was not tied, just wrapped around the cleat and looped around the post), then proceed into the slip.

Proceed to Docking

As the boat passes the post, be sure to have your fenders flipped back into position and proceed to dock as you normally would. You have recovered by using the post to your advantage like a pro!

Recommendation

I would not recommend you try this ‘pivoting on a post’ technique, until you have mastered the basics as covered in the e-Lessons. Learn how you boat was engineered to be handled first so that it becomes automatic. Then you can focus on the more advanced techniques. Doug Dawson

Leaving a dock is easier than docking.

This season, after you’ve been out a few times in your boat, do your un-dockings also leave a little bit to be desired?

Like golfing, do you need some tips from a pro to improve your undocking skills?

Boat handling is similar to golfing. You wouldn’t use a 9-iron in a situation that calls for a 3-wood; likewise, you wouldn’t expect a single sterndrive to handle like a twin inboard, because each drive system handles differently. First, learn how to dock by using the right technique for your boat’s drive system.You may be able to dock your boat, but a few tips from a pro will improve your technique and accuracy. Docking e-Lessons are written specifically for your boat’s drive system.

We’ve had requests for advanced docking and undocking, and are covering them in question/answer format in newsletters. The undocking question that follows is the continuation to the last article on Docking at the Gas Dock:

Question:

How can I get my boat off the long gas dock or restaurant dock from between two big expensive yachts?

Answer:

In this particular undocking situation, when the cleat on the gas dock is at the wrong place for you to have tied square to it. The solution was two tight opposing stern lines to hold the stern corner in tight. The following instructions are for departing after a short stay like refueling, pump out or meal under various conditions.

Undocking w/First Mate under ideal conditions

Your boat is tied with the combination of opposing tight stern lines that has put your transom corner tight against the dock, the same is if you’d been able to tie ’short tight and square’ to a cleat in the right position. A bow line runs forward to another dock cleat. There is no current or wind. So, Mother Nature is on holidays in this case. Your First Mate can untie the bow line then the two opposing stern lines. As she steps aboard the platform or aft corner, she should push off the dock, to start the transom moving away from the dock.

On a single or twin I/O or O/B, steer away from the dock and pull the shift(s) into reverse. Your boat will pull out away from the dock and past the yacht tied behind you. See the e-Lessons for these 4 drive systems.

On a single I/B, it will take a series of short forwards with the wheel turned to the dock and long reverse with the wheel turned away from the dock, to kick the stern sideways away from the dock against the torque. See “Dock Your Single Inboard” e-Lesson.

On a twin I/B, leave your wheel straight and throttles set at 800. Use your “Green Giant” body language to rotate the stern out then back out and away wrapping out past the yacht tied behind you. See “Dock Your Twin I/B” e-Lesson.

Undocking Alone with Wind or Current

Sometimes, you need to undock alone from a crowded gas dock with a current and the cleats in the wrong position. Undocking with your stern upstream can be done when you are alone. I’ll discuss this set up here. Again, the boat is tied with two opposing stern lines and a bow line.

Start by determining the wind and/or current. This is your “Research Moment” of Mother Nature’s forces to assess the situation, wind and current. I call it my “Maa Mo” or Moment with Mother Nature. This moment will show you the effect that the wind and current will have on your boat.

If you are lucky, the current will be running the length of the dock from your stern. Also, if you’re lucky, the wind will be either running the length of the dock or off the dock. But, if the wind is blowing on the dock, it is a little more difficult and requires more skill. This will be covered in a later newsletter.

I say lucky, because you can untie your bow line and forward leading stern line and your boat will stay put. Before doing this, I want you to retie your aft leading stern line, so you’ll later be able to flip it off the dock cleat while staying in your cockpit. To accomplish this cowboy trick, use a dock line long enough to reach from your stern cleat out around this up-current dock cleat, and back to your hand in the cockpit. Temporarily tie the cockpit end to your stern cleat on top of the eye or first knot. This line just passes around the dock cleat, so you can flip it off with the flick of your wrist.

Now, start and warm up your motor(s), cast off your bow line and forward leading stern line. Now comes the trick from the cockpit. Undo your temporary knot, flip the line off the dock cleat and back away as outlined above with a First Mate depending on your drive system.

Unfortunately, Murphy’s Law is usually at play. When you do a perfect undocking, there’s no audience. So don’t even look around to take a bow. On the other hand, when you screw up, there’ll always be an audience.

Undocking with Dock Crew

When you have dock crew eagerly or reluctantly standing on the gas dock, you don’t know whether that person is going to know what to do with the line or not. So, give them specific, easy-to-follow instructions like ‘Wrap the rope around the cleat 2 times and pull the end and don’t let go until I tell you.’ If you can get the dock crew to do this, you will be able to pivot against this line that they are holding. Whether it’s the bow or the stern, you can draw the boat away from the dock. Keep one eye on the dock crew half expecting them to not pull hard enough or let go. Re-instruct them to “keep pulling”, until the other end of your boat is about 45 degrees out from the dock.

Shift into neutral to release the tension, shout “OK release the line”. Pull out into clear water. Stop. Pick up this line in the water.

Undocking From Stern In

When your boat was too big to fit the space that was left, you had backed into the gas dock. From being tied stern into the gas dock, is the easiest departure.

Cast off your down current or down wind stern line first. Lastly, cast off your up-current line, put in gear and drive away.

When there’s a really strong Mother Nature present, have your First Mate on that side deck to fend off the yacht on the down current side-just in case.

Conclusion

No two dockings or undockings are identical, but when you know how your boat was engineered to be handled and the techniques applicable to your drive system, handling is a lot easier, even when environmental variables like current and wind and other challenges are added to the mix. (Note: Be sure you use the techniques for your drive system. Using the instructions for the wrong drive system will not work)

Always be sure to assess the situation first–take a ‘MaaMo’, to assess the current and wind conditions, determine the plan and communicate it to your First Mate. Undock knowledgeably as a team. Leave your fenders in position until you are well clear of the dock.

Now that you’ve been out a few times in either your new boat or your old boat, do your dockings leave a little bit to be desired?

How about your golfing? Are you golfing like Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus or do you need some golfing tips about how to improve your swing and accuracy, from your club pro?

Docking is similar to golfing. You wouldn’t use a 9-iron in a situation that calls for a 3-wood; likewise, you wouldn’t expect a single sterndrive to dock like a twin inboard because each drive system handles differently. Learn how to dock by using the right technique for your boat’s drive system.You may be able to dock your boat, but a few tips from a pro will improve your technique and accuracy. Docking e-Lessons are written specifically for your boat’s drive system.

We’ve had so many inquiries for advanced docking that we have decided to cover them in question/answer format in newsletters. Each docking question will have several situations covered. This week’s question follows:

Question:

Docking at a Crowded Gas Dock with Current

How can I dock my boat when there’s only one space left at the long gas dock or restaurant dock between two big expensive yachts, and the dock cleats aren’t in the right place to use your suggested ’stern line tied first square to the dock’ method? Bill Rebey SC

Answer:

Understanding the basics of how your boat handles with your drive system is absolutely necessary, before attempting to dock your boat. If you do not have the basics, see the e-Lesson specific to your drive system and learn how it was engineered to be handled. Then, attempt docking. Once you have mastered a ’simple’ docking, then you are ready to add more variables.

In this particular docking situation, when the cleat on the gas dock is at the wrong place for you to tie square to it, there can be several situations. The solution is two tight opposing stern lines. The instructions that follow are for short stays like refueling, pump out or meal and; therefore, do not take tide changes into consideration. They are meant for landing not necessarily staying.

Docking w/First Mate under ideal conditions

With fenders in position, your First Mate can step off the platform or transom corner to the gas dock with 2 stern lines already looped on your stern corner cleat. Quickly take one line as far aft as the cleat on the dock is. She should pull the line snug against the boat cleat, so that your boat’s transom is positioned where you want it to be along the dock. Then, secure it with a figure eight cleat hitch.

Immediately, take the second stern line and run it forward along the gas dock to the next cleat. Take one pass around the cleat and pull as tight as possible. If there’s any slack in these two opposing stern lines, she should signal the captain to shift into forward. This will pull against the line she tied aft, putting all the slack in the line that she is now pulling forward. The First Mate can then pull in the slack and then tie a figure eight cleat hitch.

The combination of opposing tight stern lines will put your transom corner tight against the dock, the same is if you’d been able to tie ’short tight and square’ to a cleat in the right position.

Now that the transom corner is secure, you can hold the boat in position by steering towards the dock and shift into forward at dead idle. This will pin the full length of the boat against the dock giving your First Mate lots of time to pick up and secure the bow line.

Docking Alone with Wind or Current

Sometimes, you need to dock alone at a crowded gas dock with a current and the cleats in the wrong position. Docking with your stern upstream is easier, when you you are alone.

Start by determining the wind and/or current. Pull up near where you want to dock. Stop. Observe the effect of the wind and current on your boat. This is your “Research Moment” of Mother Nature’s forces to assess the situation, wind and current. I call it my “Maa Mo” or Moment with Mother Nature. This moment will show you the effect that the wind and current have on your boat.

If you are lucky, the current will be running the length of the dock one way or the other. Also, if you’re lucky, the wind will be either running the length of the dock or towards the dock. But, if the wind is blowing off the dock, it is a little more difficult and requires more skill. This will be covered in a later newsletter.

Because boats steer from the stern, you’ll want to turn so that your nose is down current and your stern is up-current. Again, have your fenders, two stern lines and bow line ready for action. Back in on a slight angle, as tight as you can to the end of the boat directly up wind/current from you.

With the boat hovering close to the dock and your transom snugged up under his bow or almost touching his swim platform, quickly step off your stern with both lines. Immediately tie the up-current line to