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Old 09-03-2016, 08:37 PM   #81
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PS, those fairways are too narrow! Good thing most boats hardly ever leave their berths.
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Old 09-03-2016, 08:38 PM   #82
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PS, those fairways are too narrow! Good thing most boats hardly ever leave their berths.
Not here...most of those slips are for transients. One month or less for many.
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Old 09-03-2016, 08:45 PM   #83
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Not here...most of those slips are for transients. One month or less for many.
What a pain! Fairways should be at least 25 percent wider than the boat's length. Wider than that would be better!
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Old 09-03-2016, 09:03 PM   #84
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Good thing you are where you are...many marinas are the same here on the East Coast.


They have certain sized slips but put much larger boats in there than they should. This results in some pretty nasty anchors sticking well out into the fairway in addition to being too small for the boat sizes.


Obviously... having thrusters in those situations put the pleasure back in pleasure boating for many.
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Old 09-03-2016, 09:20 PM   #85
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Skinny fairways. I understand how to use springs in this situation. What I was hoping to learn, is how to use springs to parallel park in a slot only a few feet longer than your boat between boats fore and Aft.

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Old 09-03-2016, 09:43 PM   #86
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A spring line can move you sideways into the dock and can pull you in to the dock when there is only a small amount of room between two boats.
I'd sure like to get a lesson on that.

The worst situation I come up against, is backing into a slip with the dock on my starboard, and a wind and tide pushing me to port.... and a boat down wind of mine so if I go sideways, I'll hit him.

That's almost impossible to get into, unless I can Tbone so my stern is not past his boat, turn on a dime around the piling off starboard and have a dock hand with my bow line in hand to keep the bow from blowing down wind... which I could post a diagram.
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Old 09-03-2016, 09:47 PM   #87
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Ditto. I too would like that lesson.

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Old 09-03-2016, 11:40 PM   #88
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Ditto. I too would like that lesson.

Gordon
There are at least a couple ways to do it.

"Getting Into the Dock

When there is only a small space left between boats, a spring line from a cleat aft of the bow should tuck you in without nicking anyone's paint.

Approach at a 45-degree angle with the spring line ready. When the bow is near the pier, pass the spring line ashore and then gently take up the slack with the engines in forward. Unless the pier is protected, fenders should protect your hull. Put the helm hard away from the dock and the stern will ease neatly alongside. This method is also ideal for use when the wind is blowing off the dock and the stern would otherwise drift outward after the bow line is passed ashore."

You can also stop parallel but off the dock between the two boats you want to dock between and throw a aft leading spring line coming from your midships cleat to a dock hand and have them cleat it off well back on the dock where your stern will end up. Then go forward and come tight on the line while turning your wheel slightly away from the dock (adjust as needed) or just go forward on the engine closest to the dock if you have twins. Once you come tight on the spring line it will start to pull you sideways right into the dock between the two boats. You may have to adjust the length of the line a bit to compensate for any initial stretch.

You can also of course run the spring line forward and reverse onto the dock if you wish.

But with a twin screw boat, if the wind or current is not trying to blow you hard off the dock, it's easier just to pull in to the dock between the two boats and get a very tight breast line on first. That stops you from moving fwd, backward and from drifting off the dock while you set out your other dock lines.

Same when leaving a dock. Especially single handed or if you are being blown of the dock. Rig a breast line up that holds you tight to the dock and leave that line on till the last.

I ran a 70' Viking MY for years that had no thrusters and never ran into a dock I couldn't get into or out of. Would it have been easer at times with a thruster? Sure. But not having one shouldn't stop you from docking where and when you want. It just takes a bit more planning and patience.
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Old 09-03-2016, 11:42 PM   #89
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I'd sure like to get a lesson on that.

The worst situation I come up against, is backing into a slip with the dock on my starboard, and a wind and tide pushing me to port.... and a boat down wind of mine so if I go sideways, I'll hit him.

That's almost impossible to get into, unless I can Tbone so my stern is not past his boat, turn on a dime around the piling off starboard and have a dock hand with my bow line in hand to keep the bow from blowing down wind... which I could post a diagram.
Is there room to go pasted the slip? And is there any outer dolphin pilings out from the dock ends at the slip?
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Old 09-04-2016, 06:26 AM   #90
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Coming into slips where there are no pilings between boats and the wind is blowing you off the finger pier are tough with no dock hands and no thuster.


In that case I would either bow in or place fenders so when I am blown down on the adjacent boat there is no damage.


Not a situation I would try in more than 15 knots or so of crosswind but still can be done. Use a long spring line from the stern cleat around an outer strongpoint to pull your stern into the slip, once aligned, it is usually placed around the strongpoint and led back to the same cleat.


As the boat rounds the corner you can now back and fill the stern into the slip, taking the bitter end of the spring off and taken to the midship or bow cleat. As you slide into the slip, the spring is adjusted to keep your stern near the finger and the midship or bow cleat near the strongpoint.


Tough to visualize and certainly not always possible depending on the docks. Also single handling might complicate things, but can be done in many cases. As I have posted, some boats are difficult to single hand, especially if quick changes in springs are required. Size and weight of the vessel can help or hurt.


Anytime wind or current are pushing you off a dock where you have to pull alongside requires many hands or extremely quick action....or thrusters, no doubt about it....but thrusters aren't the only answer to the problem...just one answer.
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Old 09-04-2016, 08:39 AM   #91
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Thanks, this what I was hoping to learn

Quote:
Originally Posted by Capt.Bill11 View Post
There are at least a couple ways to do it.

"Getting Into the Dock

When there is only a small space left between boats, a spring line from a cleat aft of the bow should tuck you in without nicking anyone's paint.

Approach at a 45-degree angle with the spring line ready. When the bow is near the pier, pass the spring line ashore and then gently take up the slack with the engines in forward. Unless the pier is protected, fenders should protect your hull. Put the helm hard away from the dock and the stern will ease neatly alongside. This method is also ideal for use when the wind is blowing off the dock and the stern would otherwise drift outward after the bow line is passed ashore."

You can also stop parallel but off the dock between the two boats you want to dock between and throw a aft leading spring line coming from your midships cleat to a dock hand and have them cleat it off well back on the dock where your stern will end up. Then go forward and come tight on the line while turning your wheel slightly away from the dock (adjust as needed) or just go forward on the engine closest to the dock if you have twins. Once you come tight on the spring line it will start to pull you sideways right into the dock between the two boats. You may have to adjust the length of the line a bit to compensate for any initial stretch.

You can also of course run the spring line forward and reverse onto the dock if you wish.

But with a twin screw boat, if the wind or current is not trying to blow you hard off the dock, it's easier just to pull in to the dock between the two boats and get a very tight breast line on first. That stops you from moving fwd, backward and from drifting off the dock while you set out your other dock lines.

Same when leaving a dock. Especially single handed or if you are being blown of the dock. Rig a breast line up that holds you tight to the dock and leave that line on till the last.

I ran a 70' Viking MY for years that had no thrusters and never ran into a dock I couldn't get into or out of. Would it have been easer at times with a thruster? Sure. But not having one shouldn't stop you from docking where and when you want. It just takes a bit more planning and patience.

I will have to practice this a couple times on an empty t-head had or a large bulk head with no boats around until I have it perfect.

Thanks again

Gordon
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Old 09-04-2016, 08:41 AM   #92
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Springs are great. However, it is a very rare event that there is any assistance when docking. Getting a spring on the cleat or around the bull rail when coming into a dock is extremely difficult and unsafe when short handed and all but impossible when single handing. So while I agree that spring lines are a useful tool, I just don't understand your insistence that spring lines will do the same job.
Ditto!
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Old 09-04-2016, 09:16 AM   #93
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Video would be great.
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Old 09-04-2016, 10:15 AM   #94
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Coming into slips where there are no pilings between boats and the wind is blowing you off the finger pier are tough with no dock hands and no thuster.


In that case I would either bow in or place fenders so when I am blown down on the adjacent boat there is no damage.


Not a situation I would try in more than 15 knots or so of crosswind but still can be done. Use a long spring line from the stern cleat around an outer strongpoint to pull your stern into the slip, once aligned, it is usually placed around the strongpoint and led back to the same cleat.


As the boat rounds the corner you can now back and fill the stern into the slip, taking the bitter end of the spring off and taken to the midship or bow cleat. As you slide into the slip, the spring is adjusted to keep your stern near the finger and the midship or bow cleat near the strongpoint.


Tough to visualize and certainly not always possible depending on the docks.
You can also do that with a running spring line that runs from a stern cleat around the piling and up to your bow cleat.

When the line is run that way, as you back into the slip the piling just slides up along the line keeping your bow from falling off as it goes.
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Old 09-04-2016, 10:52 AM   #95
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Ditto!
Because obviously they will do the same job. Just in a different way that takes more planning and time.

One day when the wind/current is blowing/running so hard that your undersized thruster can't over come it or time outs, you might find it handy to know how to use them.

I find in more cases then not dock hand help is available if you ask for it.

I'm not advocating not using thrusters or doing away with them. I'm just trying to point out that it's not the end of the world if a boat doesn't have one. And that you can get on and off a dock without one.
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Old 09-04-2016, 09:52 PM   #96
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I'm not proud, I'd love a bow thruster. But alas when they built my lady they put a 100 gal black water holding tank right where the thruster needs to go. The tanks "double bottom" so difficult to move, with 6" behind it my 1600 gall double bottom fuel tank. It would take a major rebuild up forward to accomadate a thruster.
So end result "keep using the throttles when docking" !
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Old 09-04-2016, 11:49 PM   #97
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Martin J, there are externally mounted thrusters on the market, one brand is Exturn. People debate the plus/minus of external thrusters, but your options seem more limited than most.
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Old 09-05-2016, 12:35 AM   #98
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Martin J, there are externally mounted thrusters on the market, one brand is Exturn. People debate the plus/minus of external thrusters, but your options seem more limited than most.
I installed the Exturn Duplex thruster last October, and couldn't be happier. He install was done in a weekend, and the unit works flawlessly. Bonus is that it's quiet, vice the cavitation sound of a traditional thruster.
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Old 09-05-2016, 06:54 AM   #99
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I doubt there are more than one or two people on this forum who have ever Docked a boat in seven knot current. Those of you who have done this, you are simply boater gods and can pat yourselves on the back. Gordon
One man's seven is another man's two. That said, river boating in the spring can certainly be a challenge. Upstream from St Louis 3 to 5 knots are common during runoff.

Of course pilot boats pulling alongside a freighter underway are the best examples of derring do.
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Old 09-05-2016, 07:01 AM   #100
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Ditto!
And this well placed ditto from a guy who used to jump from helicopters into a frothy ocean. If Walt speaks I listen.

BTW, watched a old steel trawler dock he other day, his techniques would have been a minimum $5k repair bill for me.
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