Easy Docker

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

My thought exactly. It's a curved piece of metal covered with foam, for God's sake! You could probably make one for $5!

Yes it is spendy, but it makes the Admiral happy, so the "boat boy" is happy.

 

[TONTOROSS]

I'm glad I got up this morning to read TF. I have jone on board, didn't know what it was for! I've moved it half-a-dozen times. Thought of giving it away. Guess I'll put my Riata away & use the dock, bull rail, dock cleat, grabber-upper to toss around. There are some bull rails around here, not many that I've seen. Mostly dock cleats. I tried tossing it at a cleat once. No bueno. Gave up on it.

 

[BandB]

I'm glad I got up this morning to read TF. I have jone on board, didn't know what it was for! I've moved it half-a-dozen times. Thought of giving it away. Guess I'll put my Riata away & use the dock, bull rail, dock cleat, grabber-upper to toss around. There are some bull rails around here, not many that I've seen. Mostly dock cleats. I tried tossing it at a cleat once. No bueno. Gave up on it.

Wifey B: Practice, practice, practice.....

 

[RNL]

I've seen these used a couple times by two boaters passing through and docking next to me. They were single handing, older men who were in no hurry, looked like they knew their stuff and had worked out their routine. One 80+ year old gentleman had his wife in a wheelchair in his salon! They came up alone from Seattle and had made the trip several times by his account!

 

[dhays]

I just had lunch with my Mom. I asked her about the Easy Docker and she said that they used it a fair amount. Primarily when coming into a dock with a wind or current forcing them away from the dock. She said they would use it amidships to hold them in while getting a bow and stern line attached.

I asked her how it worked on dock cleats as well as bull rails. She said all you have to do is toss it beyond the cleat and then pull the line so that it passes under one of the horns. She said it was easy, but then she has always been (and still is) a lot more talented than I.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Try throwing it over the dock. This works well when you have small cleats

 

[BandB]

I just had lunch with my Mom. I asked her about the Easy Docker and she said that they used it a fair amount. Primarily when coming into a dock with a wind or current forcing them away from the dock. She said they would use it amidships to hold them in while getting a bow and stern line attached.

I asked her how it worked on dock cleats as well as bull rails. She said all you have to do is toss it beyond the cleat and then pull the line so that it passes under one of the horns. She said it was easy, but then she has always been (and still is) a lot more talented than I.

It works well, I think. We use it more on our RIB than anywhere else. Jet RIB, light, easily caught by the wind, no thrusters to fall back on. Sometimes it's very nice to be able to grab something at the dinghy dock to hold oneself close.

 

[Bajabuzz]

Anyone willing to part with one?

 

[Art]

Anyone willing to part with one?

My wife stays! - LOL

 

[Rebel112r]

Local yacht club, garage sale, just picked one up, virtually new, $40, will give it a workout this season..

 

[tcoop]

I saw the hook and was shocked at the price. So I tried to do my own out of a SS round, rope, and adhesive heat shrink tubing. I was able to make 2 for $50 but I haven't tried them yet.

 

[boater3]

$175 lol

even at half of that would be overpriced but $175 is just a joke

 

[High Wire]

No bull rail, no problem. You just bounce it off the finger pier and off the neighbors boat side then snag his spring line. Through the salon window would be considered cheating. Easy peezy.

 

[bowball]

Does anyone have an EZ Docker they would sell? I’d like to try one.

Thanks

 

[FF]

If you see an electrician truck working in your area , you might ask if they would use their plastic pipe heated tubing bender to make a few from scrap pieces.

Should be reasonable since it would be a 5 min job .

 

[mvweebles]

At some point I'll clean out my storage and dig mine out. As mentioned in different thread, I used to do dockside demos at Trawler Fest and demonstrated EZ Docker. I guess the guy sold quite a few as a result. He was happy to let me keep the one I was using. This was almost 20-yewra ago.

$175 would be a lot, but as I recall, it was very well made. Nice heft to it and nicely protected. I'd guess the hook was bent stainless steel. No idea how the line was kept captive, but I used it as an instant spring line to pull the boat in so it could endure a decent pull on it. Pretty long dockline as I recall. Really only had to get within rifle shot of a dock and you could get a line to it.

If I were in the PNW with bullrails, I'd definitely spend the money (if they were still made). Bullrails are a head-scratcher for me.

For those unfamiliar, see attached Pic of a bullrail. I'm sure there are tricks to quickly tying up. Can't imagine it's faster or more secure than a cleat. I guess PNW has more timber than foundries.

Peter

 

[Bmarler]

i like bull rails. they give a lot of options for securing the boat. you can grab them anywhere, not like the fixed point of where the cleat is bolted. plus, there's a lot of surface area for your fenders to contact.
you can do a simple loop and cleat off on the boat, or do a clove hitch and leave the line on the dock. or a combination of both.
before i had thrusters, when i was pulling off a dock with bull rails i'd hang a couple of fenders off the bow and leave a spring line loop from the bow for the last. power up against the spring and the bow rolls on the fenders while the stern kicks out clear. handy in crowded side tie docks.
you can do that on low docks too, but the bull rail gives more secure contact area.

 

[rgano]

Bull rails? Grapnel hook, also known as grappling hook.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

AKA a "Hookline" standard equipment on tugs and barges in the Northeast...same tool, different use

 

[Max1]

It would not be too hard to make from some rebar and a welder

 

[Marco Flamingo]

I put a clove hitch on a can of beer and toss it on the dock. Only takes a few seconds for somebody to take the bait and tie the boat off. Never thought about using a $175 bent piece of rebar.

 

[BruceK]

I put a clove hitch on a can of beer and toss it on the dock. Only takes a few seconds for somebody to take the bait and tie the boat off.

Works for anchoring too. Octopuses(?octopi) here are big drinkers and expert can openers. Drop one on a line,an octopus will make it fast.

 

[SteveK]

I put a clove hitch on a can of beer and toss it on the dock. Only takes a few seconds for somebody to take the bait and tie the boat off. Never thought about using a $175 bent piece of rebar.

 

[bowball]

i put a clove hitch on a can of beer and toss it on the dock. Only takes a few seconds for somebody to take the bait and tie the boat off. Never thought about using a $175 bent piece of rebar.

???