Docking a 100,000 LB boat

[2savage]

I may need to know everything about handling heavy boats when docking. For this discussion assume single screw, 50 foot long and no thrusters.

My main concern is regarding how a deck hand deals with a dock line when the boat is still three feet off the dock. Can they just muscle the boat closer? Will I be looking at improving my skills of using a spring line and full rudder to get up against a dock?

Although I have a trawler right now (Ranger 29) its 9,500 lbs, not 100,000. The heaviest boat I have owned is 12,500 lbs (my C&C 34/36+ sailboat, which I still own). All advice greatly appreciated.

 

[Gdavid]

Assuming that the boat does not have a disproportionate amount of windage, a heavier boat will handle more predictably than a smaller boat. That still does not solve the challenge of manhandling a 100,000 boat. You would be well served to hire some professional instruction for hands on education and confidence building.

 

[twistedtree]

Above a certain size, and 100,000 lbs is a good line to draw, the boat will win any tug-of-war, not you or your crew. In fact, it starts to become dangerous to even attempt to man handle the boat. The only practical way to manually move the boat is to have a secured line, then pull on it perpendicular to the line's run direction. That gives you a lot of leverage, and can enable you to snug up a line, if needed.

 

[Hippocampus]

Reiterating what the best blue water sailor I’ve ever known (a little lady librarian) told me my BFF (a mega yacht captain) told me “if anything you do on a boat is hard you’re doing it wrong “
Everyone like springs. But for heavy boats sometimes a stern line is best. Many boats have more in the water aft than forward. Many don’t have flat sides. Using a spring alone may kick the stern or bow out. In a cross wind or current you may have more control with a stern line. Either have an alert person on the dock or loop the line and bring it back aboard. Then gently ease the throttle forward against the stern line. That will bring you in. If prop walk allows use reverse as line handler takes in slack. Then repeat. Make sure line is firmly cleated with each cycle of this. If prop walk doesn’t allow then use a forward spring in reversing part to allow taking stern line slack. By alternating easing and tightening no one needs to pull on a loaded line. They just take in slack.

 

[psneeld]

Things often seem to happen slower so you see how docking is unfolding in a somewhat different way...for the good and the bad. So handling things a bit differently than small, manhandled boats is important to start considering.

You should always be able to get close enough to the dock to get one line on, either bow or stern and turn it into some sort of spring. This is why a always chuckle when others say the midship line is best or critical, as good luck with that theory on larger boats in all situations.

 

[O C Diver]

Agree with what others have said regarding putting the boat where it needs to be, not trying to muscle it.

Probably a good idea to hire a captain / teacher with experience in larger vessels to show you the finer points. Remember when practicing, bigger boats with larger masses take longer to stop.

Ted

 

[twistedtree]

Reiterating what the best blue water sailor I’ve ever known (a little lady librarian) told me my BFF (a mega yacht captain) told me “if anything you do on a boat is hard you’re doing it wrong “
Everyone like springs. But for heavy boats sometimes a stern line is best. Many boats have more in the water aft than forward. Many don’t have flat sides. Using a spring alone may kick the stern or bow out. In a cross wind or current you may have more control with a stern line. Either have an alert person on the dock or loop the line and bring it back aboard. Then gently ease the throttle forward against the stern line. That will bring you in. If prop walk allows use reverse as line handler takes in slack. Then repeat. Make sure line is firmly cleated with each cycle of this. If prop walk doesn’t allow then use a forward spring in reversing part to allow taking stern line slack. By alternating easing and tightening no one needs to pull on a loaded line. They just take in slack.

Excellent point about experimenting with your own boat to see what works. I'm currently discovering that what I used to do on my last boat doesn't quite work the same on this boat.

 

[Blissboat]

Physically pushing or pulling a fifty-ton vessel is not in the cards, so forget about that. You'll become better acquainted with using lines and power to get the boat alongside and secured. Practice, contrary to the old saying, does not make perfect, but it definitely makes better!

Spending time with an experienced operator will usually pay dividends. Although, when I transitioned from single-handing underpowered 20-ton sailboats to running a 400-ton passenger vessel, the guy I learned from was an awful teacher. He could practically make that boat get up and dance on its hind legs, but he couldn't explain how. He'd just been doing it for so long that each situation flowed from his seaman's eye to his hands. I learned a tremendous amount from him, not because he consciously taught me, but because I paid close attention to the the conditions of each maneuver and how he responded.

At that time, extending the tonnage endorsement to my USCG Master's license required 90 days of sea service on a vessel in that tonnage zone. Alone among most of the contemporary skippers I knew, I actually put in the full 90 days of apprenticeship on that vessel, watching and practicing alongside that veteran operator.

 

[MYTraveler]

The other major difference between docking a 100,000 pound boat and one much lighter (besides that it cannot be muscled) is that you can't (or shouldn't) use the dock to stop the boat, even with fenders hanging.

 

[Hippocampus]

The other major difference between docking a 100,000 pound boat and one much lighter (besides that it cannot be muscled) is that you can't (or shouldn't) use the dock to stop the boat, even with fenders hanging.

And you need to be easy on the cleats. Especially if it a new place to dock. Remember: slow is pro

 

[Portage_Bay]

I find the heavier and deeper the boat the easier it is to maneuver. They are far more predictable and not nearly so quickly affected by wind and current. As others have said you won't be using muscles to get the boat in the last few feet. You'll get good at using the rudder and lines.

Some things to keep in mind. Don't let deckhands try to fend off with hands or feet. Never allow body parts to be placed between the boat and anything else. When using lines to bring the boat in the last few feet try the workboat style of putting the eye on the dock cleat or around the piliing keeping the bitter end aboard. Instruct the deckhand to take a single turn on the boat's cleat, no hitches, and let it slip applying friction to slow the boat's momentum. You can't trust dockside help to do it right. A heavy boat can part lines and pull cleats loose with potentially harmful results. Best to bring the boat to a stop while the deckhand gets the line secured then work against the line.

Understand that heavy can do a lot of damage. Until you have some experience creep in dead slow. If conditions won't allow that then don't come into the dock until things change.

Find a place with some extra room to practice. As you get comfortable with the boat you may find you really like maneuvering heavy boats!

 

[MYTraveler]

And you need to be easy on the cleats. Especially if it a new place to dock. Remember: slow is pro

Very true. Years ago, the pirate ship at Disneyland came to dock too fast. To stop the boat, a deck hand from threw the loop end of a nylon dock line around a cleat. The line stretched until the cleat was ripped from the dock, slingshotting the clean into someone's head, killing him instantly.

 

[ranger58sb]

You should always be able to get close enough to the dock to get one line on, either bow or stern and turn it into some sort of spring. This is why a always chuckle when others say the midship line is best or critical, as good luck with that theory on larger boats in all situations.

Yep, spring lines are my friend... and almost any line can be turned into a spring, no matter where it's attached or which direction its (originally) running.

We do often work against a spring line mounted to a midships cleat, but mostly that's just habit... not mandatory to make a spring work.

For OP: You can often add a thruster, should you decide to.

-Chris

 

[Stabi]

This is why a always chuckle when others say the midship line is best or critical, as good luck with that theory on larger boats in all situations.

Please explain
Thanks

 

[Arc]

The problem is docking where it makes sense. Backing into a slip with no way to bail out if things go south can be a problem. Big fishing boats with that set up usually dock along a pier or to another boat on the pier. That’s easy. Trying to dock in a crowded marina with pleasure boats and anchor pulpits sticking out get challenging.

I watched a pro Captain bring in a big single engine fishing boat to the Montauk Yacht Club . Wind blowing and slight current running out. He did some heavy damage and did not make friends that day. He should not have attempted it, even with his skills.

 

[Mako]

Also it is very helpful to have a powered capstan up on your bow, either part of your windlass or a separate one. Wonderful for warping in and making adjustments against the wind.

 

[BandB]

I may need to know everything about handling heavy boats when docking. For this discussion assume single screw, 50 foot long and no thrusters.

.

Everyone has provided you excellent pointers. That said, I don't like your assumptions. 50', single screw, no thrusters is doable, but not a choice I'd make. I would definitely add bow thrusters with a single screw that size.

 

[psneeld]

Please explain
Thanks

Reread post #4 and #13 for the info.

Others to know that a best line is handy in some situations, that other lines can be way more useful/easier.

 

[Lepke]

I have an 83', 80 ton boat and it needs to be in position for the lines. In slack water, no wind I can move it slightly. It takes several people to move it with lines. To adjust the position after docked, I use a 120v portable winch (looks like a chainsaw). I mostly solo.
When I dock, I always use a spring line from a chock 15' from the bow leading aft. On my home dock I have a mark on the spring line so it's tied off exactly where I want the boat to end up. I drop the eye over the dock cleat, go ahead on the engine next to the dock to engage the spring, full opposite rudder and at idle the boat moves into the position I want, up against the dock. With the one engine idling fwd, I run the other lines.

IMO, a big boat is easier to dock than a small one. But you move slower. In the 10 years I've had my current boat, except when rotating, I've never used more than idle to maneuver when docking. At times, just one engine. Too much speed and too much throttle gets a lot of people in trouble.

 

[markpierce]

If one single-hands and has no reliable dock crew, ....

 

[rgano]

2savege, your question was asked in terms too vague to give us much help in answering. Are you buying, crewing, skippering, short term, long term, other crew aboard, etc, etc, etc,? My note to self is that I would plan to anchor out and never enter a marina filled with fragile fiberglass hulls with such a beast. I HAVE entered plenty of marinas conning a 100,000-pound vessel, steel hull, single screw, with hydraulic bow thruster with just the non-nautical wife and me aboard. The BT is a game changer, but even then I always had a plan B exit in my hip pocket.

 

[Nomad Willy]

MP Propeller

I would say "landing a 100,000lb boat"
And I would want an MP prop. Made by Michigan Wheel. They have much more reverse thrust. Night and day difference.

The MP stands for "machine pitch". I don't know how that figures into it but the big difference is that the blades are symmetrical. LE of prop and TE of blade has the same shape and area. They are probably smoother to but I don"t really know.

Most all the trollers and gill netters in Alaska used these or similar props. They are probably intended for slower boats and our trawlers fit right in. Skewed blade props are slightly more efficient but probably mostly on heavily loaded props. And most of the time trawler props are lightly loaded.

I bought this MP prop new when in Alaska. This was the first haul out. On the grid actually.

 

[syjos]

I learned from was an awful teacher. He could practically make that boat get up and dance on its hind legs, but he couldn't explain how. He'd just been doing it for so long that each situation flowed from his seaman's eye to his hands.

I saw a lot of that when I was working for an yacht time share and boating school in Seattle.

We had many experienced commercial captains applying for instructor jobs. They could handle a boat expertly and smoothly but could'nt teach it to students. Some were also Captain Bligh's, barking out commands and yelling at students for mistakes.

 

[ranger58sb]

Please explain
Thanks

Reread post #4 and #13 for the info.

Others to know that a best line is handy in some situations, that other lines can be way more useful/easier.

And I think part of the deal is just that "spring" and "midships" isn't a hard-and-fast by-definition pair.

You can run a spring from a bow or stern cleat, too. You can also run a breast line from a midships cleat. And so forth.

-Chris

 

[Mako]

Some were also Captain Bligh's, barking out commands and yelling at students for mistakes.

Yep that's the same 1600 master who taught me. I learned really fast though - was a complete idiot before my lesson, and docked quite confidently after

 

[psneeld]

And I think part of the deal is just that "spring" and "midships" isn't a hard-and-fast by-definition pair.

You can run a spring from a bow or stern cleat, too. You can also run a breast line from a midships cleat. And so forth.

-Chris

The boaters I was referring to swear the best method is to get that midship line on so the bow or stern can't swing away..... I chuckle cause they have thrusters or never had to parallel a dock in enough current or wind where T - boning the dock or a huge stern kick was the only way to get close enough to even get a line over.

 

[2savage]

All excellent advice. I'm lapping it up. Keep it coming!!

 

[Mako]

Well after getting bounced all over the boat ramp yesterday in the Indian River with 15+ knots and waves kicking my stern all over the place, scraping my fiberglass fishing boat's hull all over, I think the best "tools" to have are:

1. A really heavy boat
2. Strong steel hull
3. Enamel or industrial coating.

Not being too flippant here, because my old 65ft steel boat was NOT nerve-racking, compared to smaller lighter fiberglass boats. OP's boat sounds like a perfect combination and he can do with or without a bow thruster.

 

[2savage]

Are you buying, crewing, skippering, short term, long term, other crew aboard, etc, etc, etc,?

I'm buying. If this boat lives up to expectations I will own it until they put me in a home. (Might be sooner than I hope for).

Other useful info to help with accurate replies, draft is six feet, with low windage and a keel running the full length, increasing to 18" at the stern with a horizontal end plate along its length.

 

[psneeld]

15 knots of wind and about 1.5 knots of current is about the limits for many boaters, even on the experienced side.

My stress level goes up to when in my current single, no thruster and I have to fit in tight spots.