Docking or Divorcing

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

From BoatTest.com

Some interesting tips and suggestions. On the west coast I believe most docks are floating. So how do you deal with a "fixed" dock?

We also use the Eartec headsets which keeps the shouting at each other at a minimum.

https://boattest.com/article/docking...ource=hs_email

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Alaskan Sea-Duction

From BoatTest.com

Some interesting tips and suggestions. On the west coast I believe most docks are floating. So how do you deal with a "fixed" dock?

We also use the Eartec headsets which keeps the shouting at each other at a minimum.

https://boattest.com/article/docking...ource=hs_email

Our solutions depend on the height of the dock and whether we're in a tidal area. In some cases a fixed dock can be easier if it's tall enough, as we can reach the cleats from the side decks rather than needing to step off.

As far as communication, we usually have a solid plan before the final approach, so not much communication is needed. In many cases, a word or 2, or hand signals is enough. And I'll often move around at the helm so I can see what's being done with lines.

[O C Diver]

I've found traveling solo eliminates the shouting.

Ted

[Jeff F]

Originally Posted by O C Diver

I've found traveling solo eliminates the shouting.

Ted

Heh. No shouting on my boats, ever.

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Originally Posted by O C Diver

I've found traveling solo eliminates the shouting.

Ted

So you don't shout at yourself?

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Alaskan Sea-Duction

On the west coast I believe most docks are floating. So how do you deal with a "fixed" dock?

We also use the Eartec headsets which keeps the shouting at each other at a minimum.

Many docks on this side along the AICW, starting from Norfolk/Portsmouth VA area and then all the way down to FL, are floating docks too. And then we have mostly fixed docks on the Chesapeake Bay, and some fixed in FL.

If there are piles, it's not hard. Approach, get a line on a pile, finish up with more lines on piles or cleats or whatever, docked. Rubrails and piles play nicely, assuming sloooooow speed contact.

I imagine bull rails would be a different animal, but we've never encountered those...

Fenders afterwards and that can get more complicated, sometimes best option being to tie the fender to a pile instead of to the boat. It's not horribly complicated, though... even if a fender board becomes an occasional necessity.

We use headsets too... partly to reduce noise, partly to improve comms, mostly because I'm in an enclosed bridge... and can't see wifey all round the boat anyway.

I've also expanded use of VHF (and sometimes loudhailer) directly with the dock hands, 'cause sometimes they won't do what wifey tells them to do... (I hate that!)

-Chris

[O C Diver]

Originally Posted by Alaskan Sea-Duction

So you don't shout at yourself?

Why would I? I don't recall ever having made a mistake when by my self.

Ted

[Hippocampus]

My continuing troubles are with med mooring. Some places with so called slips are virtually med mooring as well. Got pretty good with the 46’ sailboat but the NT42 still confounds me at times. Sailboat had just a bow thruster. The NT has bow and stern. Sailboat had a little engine. NT a big one. You would think the motor boat would be easier but find it harder. Probably lack of experience and I’ll hopefully will get better at it. But miss that real big rudder, predictable prop wash and walk and relative lack of response to wind c/w the motorboat.

[hollywood8118]

Originally Posted by Hippocampus

My continuing troubles are with med mooring. Some places with so called slips are virtually med mooring as well. Got pretty good with the 46’ sailboat but the NT42 still confounds me at times. Sailboat had just a bow thruster. The NT has bow and stern. Sailboat had a little engine. NT a big one. You would think the motor boat would be easier but find it harder. Probably lack of experience and I’ll hopefully will get better at it. But miss that real big rudder, predictable prop wash and walk and relative lack of response to wind c/w the motorboat.

Quit using the rudder.
Use both thrusters.
Short in/out of the transmission.
Easy to overthink it.
HOLLYWOOD

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Hippocampus

My continuing troubles are with med mooring. Some places with so called slips are virtually med mooring as well.

Haven't ever encountered med mooring on the US East Coast...

-Chris

[78puget-trawler]

OK, I will bite. What is a med mooring??

[garbler]

Startling sight to see a 40 foot fish boat adrift dragging piles and sections of foam filled docks alongside. Burning no fuel and guided by the current kinda like a horse that’s broke loose

Rick

[tiltrider1]

Originally Posted by 78puget-trawler

OK, I will bite. What is a med mooring??

You drop an anchor and then stern tie to the dock. There are no finger docks or side ties in the med.

[tiltrider1]

Originally Posted by Alaskan Sea-Duction

From BoatTest.com

Some interesting tips and suggestions. On the west coast I believe most docks are floating. So how do you deal with a "fixed" dock?

We also use the Eartec headsets which keeps the shouting at each other at a minimum.

https://boattest.com/article/docking...ource=hs_email

On the west coast the only fixed docks I have every dealt with were fuel docks/piers. At high tide it’s a non issue and at low tide there have been some very strange tie ups. Since it was only ever to get fuel it was short and I needed not concern myself with tide changes. If I had to be tied to a fixed dock with an 8 to 12’ tide I would need some very long spring lines and big ball fenders.

[darkside]

There are no side docks or side ties on town jetties in the med. Their marinas do have side docks and side ties.
All the fun is on the town walls so it's worth the effort. We had it pretty easy with a catamaran and the anchor windlass controlled from the helm.
Sailboats with the windlass controls on the bow and only two crew had their work cut out in a cross breeze.
Most off the fun was the next morning when someone left and you realized they had crossed your anchor.....

[porman]

Originally Posted by O C Diver

Why would I? I don't recall ever having made a mistake when by my self.

Ted

I saw a friend bringing his sailboat into the dock I was at and noticed his wife was not along. After tying up I asked him how the trip was. He said it was great. He didn't make a single mistake.

[psneeld]

Learning to handle one's boat by themselves has great advantages.

[Comodave]

I was watching a video of some boats trying to med moor. After multiple tries the first 2 boats gave up. The third one had a lot of difficulty getting tied up but did make it. With a bit of wind not a fun thing to do.

[Shrew]

Fixed vs Floating really depends on the tide swing. In southern New England the tide is around 3.5 feet. Northern New England can be 10-12 from Cape Cod Bay and gets higher as you go north into Maine.

Where I am in the winter on the ICW on the space coast, the tide is about 6-10 inches.

No fixed docks where there are large tide changes.

[Pete Meisinger]

For some reason the Admiral has a mental block about "port" and "Starboard", same for fore and aft, bow and stern, etc. We work pretty well as a team if I avoid using these terms. Plus, we have a pretty good system worked out so mostly no communication is needed.

Also very important to avoid terms like "dummy", "Stupid", etc.

pete