Jumping to dock ????

Years ago, in a fairly stiff breeze, my boss's wife mis-judged a jump and was pinned between the boat and dock. Luckily, it was a 1,500-lb. Highlander sailboat, not a 40,000-lb displacement hull. Still, she never set foot on the sailboat again.

Besslb said:

Ben not sure I'd use this method!! But for all others, Mr Ben here has mastered absolute patience in docking. I often tell Tom to put his "Ben Matthews" on.

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That comment is just too hot to handle .

But thanks for the love.

charles said:

Published in the August 2003 issue o Passagemaker.
Method of Tying Boats to a Dock
Submitted by: Charles C. Culotta, Jr.
On a recent multi thousand-mile trip up the Tombigbee and Tennessee River System, we found virtually every boat tied
with the "eye" of the dock lines on the boat and the bitter end on the dock. .....................

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What you might not be accounting for here is whether the boat was a seasonal resident of that slip. This is particularly the case with fixed docks, where you need more lines to secure the vessel. Even more so if it's a tidal area.

I keep my boat in a fixed slip with a 3.5 ft tide swing. It requires 8 lines on the boat. I'll also note the marina can get rough.

We all tie the bitter end to the pilings and leave the loop end on the boat cleats. We leave the lines behind when we cast off. When we come back, the lines are the exact same length they were when we left. Loop 8 loop-ends around 6 cleats and walk away.

I spend a good amount time making sure all the lines are setup right to be able ride through an entire cycle of high and low tides. I make sure we're not hitting the dock at high tide or hanging the boat from teh lines at low tide. Once that is done, they go essentially untouched all season.

I wouldn't want to have to re-tie and retune lines every time I came back to the dock.

Absolutely - a favorite stop, and a nice place to be. We've been holed up there for three days in a row more than once. This summer it was so nice we spent the afternoon rowing around in shorts.

It was early in June, several years ago, that the photo was taken. Not much cruising traffic yet that summer, and early in the day.

It's a little speech I give to anyone unfamiliar with boating. No body jumps to the dock. If I can't bring the boat alongside the dock for the crew to step off, then they wait until I do. No heroics to save the boat, I too have seen people injured over estimating their abilities.

We don't jump to the dock either. If it's a calm day there is no need, if it's blowing then the last thing you need is an MOB while now trying to single hand the boat in close quarters.

Docks can be slick. Both my wife and I twisted an ankle (me getting off, her getting on) getting on/off boats (different boats at different times) last summer. Those were tied to the dock already.

Al you must be pretty intimate w Myers Chuck to identify it from Cook's picture. But I agree .. kinda. Looking SW ?

I don't fully understand all the talk about the advantages of walk around side decks. Once one is near the float kicking the stern in (w our big trawler rudders) to the float where on can step off seems a no brain-er to me. Carry the midships line attached to the midships cleat, pull'er in and make her fast. What's all this talk about side decks and (ye gods) jumping?

OK OK I've jumped. We all do when we feel lucky. And some of us are Sagittarius.

I have dock lines in my slip that the loop goes to the boat cleats, these are always at the slip. I have a 2nd set of lines in the spares on the boat that we use when cruising & we stay at other marinas. When docking I'am alone most of the time & conditions dictate which helm I run from, how quick I need to get a line cleated. When I have guest aboard they always ask what they can do to help while docking. I always tell them the same thing stay in your seats until I get in the slip, I don't want someone trying to push or pull the boat while I'am docking.

Eric,
SW is correct.

In part the reason that we purchased the grappling hook to be thrown from the bridge to the bull rail. Hauling the boat in broadside and holding allows a gentle step to the float.

I agree with all the posts. jumping is a no-no, life being life, some do and others don't.

There is no doubt that your docking process works well for you and the same process does for me as well, it is the preferred method for our smaller boats.

It amazing me to no end the number of boats our size now possess bow thruster, stern thrusters in addition to twin screw. Let me add, the in creasing number of blue tooth (I guess-Still using a rotary dial cell phone!) communications between the helm and the docking crew. For those and the larger craft having similar fittings, there is little reason to jump.


Al.Ketchikan
Okay, I confess, even now and then I jump! Jump being less than a leap.

Shrew said:

What you might not be accounting for here is whether the boat was a seasonal resident of that slip. This is particularly the case with fixed docks, where you need more lines to secure the vessel. Even more so if it's a tidal area.

I keep my boat in a fixed slip with a 3.5 ft tide swing. It requires 8 lines on the boat. I'll also note the marina can get rough.

We all tie the bitter end to the pilings and leave the loop end on the boat cleats. We leave the lines behind when we cast off. When we come back, the lines are the exact same length they were when we left. Loop 8 loop-ends around 6 cleats and walk away.

I spend a good amount time making sure all the lines are setup right to be able ride through an entire cycle of high and low tides. I make sure we're not hitting the dock at high tide or hanging the boat from teh lines at low tide. Once that is done, they go essentially untouched all season.

I wouldn't want to have to re-tie and retune lines every time I came back to the dock.

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Same thing in my experience...boats that come and go to the same dock all the time...especially in marinas with bow lines to pilings and sterns to either fixed or floating...most tie to the dock/piling and loop to the boat cleats. No adjustments necessary and even someone who has never boated before can grab a lone and drop it on the cleat when returning to the slip.

Sure...when I'm traveling, especially single handling and mostly being assigned to floating docks alongside for just a night...drop loops on the dock cleats if they have them and snug up...but that's only one way of doing it.

I have a nice long spring line which is run back to the stern; I do my best to place the stern against the dock. The deck hand steps ashore in a dignified manner and ties the spring at the stern. If there is any issue with tide or current, I put it in gear with the rudder over and the thrust pins her to the dock. Next is the stern line and a leisurely walk to the bow to tie off the bowline.