Learned this at a talk at the Annapolis boat show. I have occasionally and seen others use this docking method – my slip has pilings and very short finger pier.
A line at least 2 boat lengths and a long finger pier. Attached to the mid-ship cleat, the line is led outside the lifelines to the crew/wife standing on deck who forms a long U shaped loop. The remainder of the line is then fed outside the lifelines to the cockpit area and brought in under the lifelines to a winch/cleat. As the boat approaches the finger pier the crew with a leg of the U in each hand and the arms spread wide, DROPS the line on the DOCK so that the U loop surround the outer-most finger pier cleat. The helmperson adjusts the line and rudder to stop the boat at the appropriate position. The crew can drop the line/loop standing anywhere – from the bow to the cockpit wherever is the closest approach to the finger pier cleat. The engine is kept in slow forward. Now with the boat held along side the finger pier and stopped in the proper position, the crew/helmperson STEPS off the boat and attaches all the lines. The engine is then turned off. Depending on stanchion positions, a toe rail snatch block might be needed before being fed to winch. Again depending on deck equipment, another configuration is to place a toe rail block just aft the mid-ship cleat (loop between midship cleat and block) and then back to cockpit. This mid-ship loop method can also be used to “parallel park” on the leeward side of a long dock (sometimes winch cranking is required). For single-handing the helmperson must puzzle out how and where to drop/throw the loop over the cleat. Practice throwing the loop – arms parallel at start but spread wide at release. Not easy with lifelines. Rod Randow C&C 33-1 On Tue, Jul 31, 2018, 11:59 AM Dennis C. via CnC-List <[email protected]> wrote: > OK, after 20 years of ownership, I'm pretty good at driving Touche'. > Touche's "home" slip in Louisiana is in a fairly protected bayou, has both > outboard and midships pilings on either side and a port side finger pier. > I can competently back Touche' in using propwalk, etc. without touching any > pilings. Whoopee. > > However, the "temporary" slip I use in Pensacola is a whole different > scenario. First, it has a starboard side finger pier which extends to just > short of full boat length. Second, it is a double slip with NO pilings > between Touche' and my neighbor, an IP 37. Third, the prevailing wind is > from the starboard side. > > In Pensacola, I dock Touche' bow in for privacy and scenic view issues. > Docking > stern in isn't a desirable option because the bow will fall off towards my > neighbor while docking and looking at a scenic bayou is preferable to > looking at a working boatyard. > > So, docking bow in with a wind from starboard and prop walk which pulls > the boat to port is a challenge. The wind pushes the boat dramatically to > port when docking. The prop walk exacerbates the movement to port. The > wind and prop walk both working against the boat sucks. > > I've tried several techniques with limited to moderate success. The best > the Admiral and I have come up with is to approach at a slight upwind angle > to the finger pier, have a spring/warp line attached a bit forward of > midships, have crew leap off the boat and secure the spring to the > outermost cleat on the finger pier to stop forward motion. Once the line > is secure, we warp the stern in with forward propulsion and left rudder and > secure a stern line. The stern still tries to swing to port midway through > this process but we manage it. > > Now for my main issue. Docking single handed. I can't see myself > approaching the pier, putting the boat in reverse, scrambling out of the > steering station past the Bimini bows, securing the spring line, jumping > back on the boat, warping the stern in and then securing the stern line by > myself. > > Any secret tricks I haven't explored? > > Dennis C. > Touche' 35-1 #83 > Mandeville, LA > _______________________________________________ > > Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each > and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - > use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > >
_______________________________________________ Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray
