+1 for backing into a slip! 

I do it all the time facing aft but with the wheel behind me. It keeps me much 
closer to the 'action' as the stern glides in pretty much as Chuck describes 
below. I especially like the ability to stop her with a shift to forward and a 
burst of power--that is unlikely to happen as forcefully and as directly when 
you shift into reverse and do it.


I did the same with my former boat whose offset prop contributed to tremendous 
walk to port in reverse. I just started my maneuvers earlier in open water and 
avoided using reverse at all in close quarters. If I failed on my first try 
with that boat, I repeated the process (returning to open water) to start over. 


I got a lot of laughs from some dock masters as they watched me come in in 
reverse from a quarter mile away--but when they saw me nail the slip with 
usually no assistance, they 'got it'.


My current boat has a centered prop so the prop walk is minor but I still 
prefer to get going in reverse in open water.


Charlie Nelson
Water Phantom
C&C 36 XL/kcb


cenel...@aol.com




-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck S via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com>
To: cnc-list <cnc-list@cnc-list.com>
Cc: Chuck S <cscheaf...@comcast.net>
Sent: Fri, Oct 21, 2016 8:58 pm
Subject: Re: Stus-List Slip Choice, backing in




I'm lucky to have gotten a very good slip.  It's a goofy slip no one else 
wanted, with the dock on an angle, the two rear piling are on an angle. There 
is a pair of bow piling, 30 feet out from the nearest rear one and another pair 
another 20 feet out.  The previous boat was a 50 footer.  Everyone backs in at 
my marina cause the finger docks are short and it's the only way on and off the 
boat.  The piling spacing allows me to lay my boat against two piling most of 
the time.  But the angled dock means I must lay my boat's stern on one piling.  
If I go in too far, the bow can swing past the forward piling and into my 
neighbor's boat, so I'm careful not to do that.


I learned to back in effortlessly solo using short pulses of power.   I'm sure 
others use this method.  I approach the marina bow first with my engine at idle 
and shift to neutral and try to coast to a position where I line up the boat 
well out from the slip, like twoo boat lengths, and come to a full stop, 
Sometimes I use reverse to stop the boat, then I walk around in front of the 
wheel so I'm facing aft, the wheel and the direction of travel.  Now I have a 
great view of the slip and key reference points; the rudder head and backstay 
mark my boat's  centerline; the stern rails mark the sides of the boat.  I 
center the wheel, marked with white tape, and give a short burst of power to 
start the boat moving backward.  Once it's moving backward toward the slip, I 
shift to neutral and steer to keep the boat aiming always for the centerline of 
the slip.  The engine is idling and I steer and operate the shifter only, into 
reverse to keep her moving slow.  I find the bow follows the keel and the keel 
follows the rudder, and I come into my slip with the engine at idle, then shift 
to forward for a short burst to stop my boat so the stern quarter can rest 
against the rear piling and I can reach the landlubber line between pilings to 
grab my springline and tie it to a midship cleat.  One more dockline and she's 
safely in the slip.  Two lines are all that's needed if you get the right two.  
Then I grab the boat hook and fetch all the rest till I have 6 lines securing 
the boat.   


This method requires you to mark the wheel to center the rudder, and mark the 
docklines so the length is the same each time.  I use red and green tape to 
mark the docklines, but a sharpie would work as well.


Why back in?  I used to bow in to the dock for privacy, but if the bow gets 
blown off the course, there is no way to check it without a bow thruster.  You 
really have more control backing in.  You're closer to the end of the boat as 
it approaches the dock and have easier judgement and better control of the 
engine and the bow is less suceptable to crosswinds this way.


Chuck
Resolute
1990 C&C 34R Broad Creek, Magothy River, Md



On October 21, 2016 at 9:17 AM Michael Crombie via CnC-List 
<cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote:
I single hand a lot and prefer the slip on my port. I come in bow first so I 
pull towards the slip when i go into reverse to stop the boat (as I'm returning 
to the slip.) It is a slight hassle departing, but i just give the stern a bit 
of a push off as I step aboard.
I also made sure that i picked a slip that faces into the prevailing 
wind...this makes docking easier if you ever need to sail into your slip. I 
just turn into the slip and the wind stops me.
I agree with a previous lister that you want to avoid slips with the prevailing 
wind pushing you off the slip. This situation causes the most problems at my 
marina, even for boats with lots of crew.
Mike
Atacama 33mkii
Toronto
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
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This list is supported by the generous donations of our members. If you wish to 
make a contribution to offset our costs, please go to:  
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All Contributions are greatly appreciated!

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make a contribution to offset our costs, please go to:  
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All Contributions are greatly appreciated!

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