Marina pinball

[psneeld]

A boat handling drill I used to teach to others was to come to a stop in a set of crossing fairways. Then have them turn the boat clockwise and counterclockwise 45 degrees, then stop and hold position for a minute or so until all the way around 360 degrees each way (or as much as time would allow each session).

When they got pretty good at stopping and holding position, despite cross winds and currents, docking in their own slip was much easier.

Obviously when doing this, quick adjustments to which way the bow was pointing were necessary to hold....but it was teaching them to read the wind and current at the time. Then getting back to the next heading and holding added to the maneuvering skills.

What model and year Silverton? (Sorry if I missed it) I used to gave a 37 Convertible with twin 3208Ts (factory special order by PO)

 

[rslifkin]

Sometimes you need to realize there's too much wind or current.

Yup. I have a personal policy with my current slip that if the wind is anywhere from northwest to southwest, I'm not leaving the slip if it's over 15 - 18 kts and I'm not going to try putting the boat in the slip if it's pushing the top of the 12 - 15 range.

 

[PAllen529]

Thirty years ago I ran a 40' single-engine dive boat that docked facing east in the Jupiter Inlet. The tidal flow runs east/west and we were just a few hundred yards from the mouth of the inlet. During tidal change the current ran hard, either with you or against you and both had their own set of dangers. Backing into an outgoing tide in a single-engine boat with 20 customers on board was no fun. An old salt taught me the value of line handling. I don't see it written about much in here but a well trained Admiral and a little timing coordination and you'd be amazed how you can pivot around a piling with a well placed spring line to set you up for a perfect landing. Oh, and BTW, in my humble opinion it is perfectly acceptable to come up against a piling (in a controlled manner) and use it to help manuever your boat. And lastly, if you haven't dinged something you're not boating enough! Even the best Captains have a bad day! All the previous advice was great. Take it, learn and enjoy!

 

[OldDan1943]

Leave at the very first light and come back in when you have more than enough light left.
Of course this is modified by wind, tide and general weather conditions. I am not about to go out in 3ft seas close to shore. If the waves are not breaking, once away from shore, the effects will be minimal assuming you know how to adjust the throttle to make things comfortable.

 

[swampyankee]

What model and year Silverton? (Sorry if I missed it) I used to gave a 37 Convertible with twin 3208Ts (factory special order by PO)

Ours is a 78 31 Sedan. Classic style, basic, perfect floorplan for us, and somewhat of a fixer upper, which is also what we like (did I mention we just finished restoring an antique home?).

Thinking back on the circumstances of the other day, my wife had brought us up to the marina and I couldn't tell where she left the rudder. I should have checked that rudders were centered. If it were over to port it would explain the feeling of no control using prop direction only.

 

[bshillam]

I have three suggestions,
1. Always fender and lay lines for tie up on starboard and port. When coming in you never know what side you'll have to be on. I have seen slips filled with boats that don't belong, winds and current change rapidly and if your prepared to tie on both its not a thing. Most marinas have side ties and allow for temporary tie up if the weather doesn't allow for you to do so safety.
2. Make sure to have a lose fender with a line (depending on the size of the vessel). This will allow the deck hand to put that fender between the boat and another object if need be. (Never a hand or leg)
3. If needed, start over. Don't try to force a bad docking. Sometimes I have had to approach three different times just to get the line I was comfortable with.
**We have all had to learn from experience, that is one of the best teachers. Try to mentally prepare yourself, something is going to go not as planned. It's better to anticipate this and react accordingly. When your all tied up if it went exactly as planned thats a perfect docking and no Youtube video will be needed.
***I know of some unlimited tonnage Captains that have had accidents. These are people that spend their working lives out at sea and underway. If they can have accidents, so can I.

****I can't wait to try my marriage savers.

 

[boathealer]

My first mate knows not to try to fend us off IF it puts her in the least amount of danger. Rub rails, hull blemishes and bent stuff can be repaired. A broken hand is NOT worth any damage to our boat. PERIOD!

Yes. My quote is that they call it a RUBrail for a reason!

 

[JohnEasley]

Perhaps you’re beating yourself up a little more than necessary. We’ve all been there and, as someone else pointed out, it’s nearly a rite of passage. No one was hurt and there was no damage so it was really just a learning experience. A friend of mine, a life long boater and experienced skipper, brought a 50’ boat into a side fairway that was too small on a windy day. The marina had assigned him to a slip in a space that was too small. No less than ten of us had hands on it to keep him off the other boats. It all worked out, just as it did for you.
A training captain is a great idea. Guided practice is your friend. If you’re in the Tampa, Bradenton, Sarasota area, I can help you.

 

[rslifkin]

To avoid the rudder centering problem, I typically center mine before the turn into the fairway and maneuver with engines only from there.

 

[swampyankee]

To avoid the rudder centering problem, I typically center mine before the turn into the fairway and maneuver with engines only from there.

Yeah, i usually do that but the wind had me all screwed up and it was only the second since the summer of '18 that i was docking the boat. We need to go out today to test out a repair i made. Good opportunity to do some more practicing.
BTW, to someone that asked if we're in Florida, unfortunately no. We are up the Taunton River off of Narragansett Bay in MA.

 

[Lollygag1]

The tide will be as much of a variable as the wind in that area. Perhaps do your initial practice at slack tide.

 

[DrissZougari]

I am going to quote " CaptTom " as it is very important to understand how your boat responds to your inputs:

""First, learn to spin using just the clutches. This is probably enough 80% of the time, and until you practice using the clutches there will be moments of confusion where you forget which way is which.
Next, learn to add throttle to one side or the other, to increase or decrease the rate of spin or any forward or aft momentum. This helps you approach a little faster so the wind or current doesn't effect you as much.""

Until you have mastered your boating knowledge, use your radio to ask the marina or friends at the marina for assistance. never turn down an extra helping hand.
Good luck,

 

[FlyWright]

A wise skipper will realize that sometimes ... You can't get there from here .... and pick an easier slip

...or sometimes you can get a better approach and landing by coming toward the slip from the other direction (by making a 180 in the fairway) and starting over.

Anyone who has docked has at some point faced the same issues. It comes with the territory. My 10 hrs of instructor training was the best $600 I spent.

 

[AlaskaProf]

WAIT!

I recently put a nice ding in my paint and gelcoat (corner of the finger, no other boats were harmed in the making of this story)

One hour voyage from the yard to my marina with a 15 knot crosswind. Yard said i could stay as long as i wanted (hint ignored). I hung around for a couple hours before talking myself into a bad decision. Two hours after my awkward arrival it was dead calm.

 

[syjos]

Lots of good advice given.

Hiring a training captain will be the best way to speed up learning to dock competently.

Practice, practice practice. Spend time practicing on a slow day at a marina when there is minimal traffic and no wind at first.

If you are hesitant docking in wind, check weather before heading out to make sure wind is not forecast. Nothing wrong or embarrassing about spending a day on your boat, in your slip.

Find an easier dock to land on when windy.

Even seasoned skippers have difficulty docking once in a while. None of us are perfect. I've boated for over 50 years and was a boat driving instructor for 20 plus years and I still occasionally have a "bad landing".

The first thing I taught new boaters was how to back out of trouble and practice that until proficient.

 

[FlyWright]

I lovingly describe my boat as "Comfortably Imperfect". Every single mark tells a story, taught a lesson or holds a memory. I'm OK with that!

 

[rgano]

But this boat came up and my wife loved it.
Between handling and nagging powerplant issues, I've gotten pretty discouraged and I've listed the boat for sale. I know from experience it takes alot of time to sell a boat so I plan to keep using it since it is comfortable at least.
So in the meantime I'll keep learning from my mistakes and practicing.

Well, phffft! Good that you are interested in practicing though.

 

[MurrayM]

Another thing often overlooked...before leaving your slip turn the wheel lock to lock (does it feel too easy to turn, does it take the right number of turns before it stops) and also bump the boat into forward and reverse to make sure those are working as well.

I left our slip one day only to find the steering was waaaaay too loose, squirrelly, and pretty much ineffective. Once out of the marina (thankfully a very small marina) I topped up the steering hydraulic oil and it got me back into the slip to chase down the problem.

 

[markpierce]

I don't see the necessity to dock a boat backwards unless that's the only way to use the berth (short or no fingers).

 

[swampyankee]

Yeah, I have always brought my sailboats in bow first and never had a problem. Of course that big rudder helped.
Stern first seems to be SOP in power boats marinas around here. Easier to unload, and theres the social aspect for us dock-suckers.

The weather forecast for today was not the best - N at 11 kts gusting to 20 and cool - so we postponed our test run til tomorrow. Less traffic than a Subday afternoon as well.

 

[Lollygag1]

We dock backwards as it is easier for my wife to get on/off the boat. Plus we get a great view of the cove. There have been times though when it is especially challenging to back in where I have gone bow first and then spun it when conditions improve.

 

[FlyWright]

I think it depends on where the best view/function/privacy combination that works best for you in the existing conditions.

In other words, it just depends...

 

[OldDan1943]

FlyWright, based upon my experience with inconsiderate dock walker, I pull in bow first. Seems dock walkers like to look into boats without regards to privacy. Historically, I have had kids ask to come on board and look around. They couldn’t understand, my boat is my home so unless they let me go into their homes to look around, they sure as hell aren’t going to come into my home.
I should add, my RIB hangs off the stern about 3ft beyond the swim platform and the finger piers are a bit short so if I brought it in stern first, the bow would extend beyond the outer pilings.

 

[BruceK]

... this boat came up and my wife loved it.
Between handling and nagging powerplant issues, I've gotten pretty discouraged and I've listed the boat for sale. I know from experience it takes alot of time to sell a boat so I plan to keep using it since it is comfortable at least.
So in the meantime I'll keep learning from my mistakes and practicing.

Years ago I took an Advanced Driving Course. To my surprise,it quickly brought together skills I already had, into something that worked. So when I had issues docking, I got help.You obviously have knowledge and experience, putting it all together with the help of an expert trainer,or an experienced helmsman you respect, is likely to help. If you don`t,what will change? You are frustrated to the point of selling. You may be telling yourself you "should" be able to figure it out for yourself, so you persevere with what has not worked.Trial and error may succeed eventually, but speeding up the learning process with available skilled advice and onboard help is worth a try.

 

[FlyWright]

FlyWright, based upon my experience with inconsiderate dock walker, I pull in bow first. Seems dock walkers like to look into boats without regards to privacy. Historically, I have had kids ask to come on board and look around. They couldn’t understand, my boat is my home so unless they let me go into their homes to look around, they sure as hell aren’t going to come into my home.
I should add, my RIB hangs off the stern about 3ft beyond the swim platform and the finger piers are a bit short so if I brought it in stern first, the bow would extend beyond the outer pilings.

Makes perfect sense. I prefer bow first, too.

I just returned to the boat after 3 of us guys on the dcck helped my dock neighbor move his boat from a slip that's shoaling to another slip on the dock that's open, but perpendicular to a 15 kt wind at the moment. He had to move NOW b/c it's a falling tide and he won't have the option in an hour due to our negative tides today.

He tried to go in bow first, but couldn't turn his bow into the wind. Rather than turn around in the fairway, he just backed in and we helped him manually turning the corner in sucky conditions.

Once I approached a friend's dock in a strong current vs wind moment. Once I realized that I could BACK UP to the dock and they could just grab a stern line, my problem was solved.

It just depends...

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

The best argument for getting a training Capt is, you don't know what you don't know. So you can practice for days but maybe a little bit of insight would save lots of heartache and gelcoat. An aha moment may come into play with a little bit of theory. Practice of proper techniques,trumps practicing of bad habits that you don't realize you have..

 

[syjos]

Backing into a slip for social reasons and better views, as others mentioned, are on our list too.

For us with a single, ease leaving the slip the next day would be a consideration for bow in or stern in. Especially tight fairways.

Ease getting into a slip with wind on the stern. The high bow gets blown one way or another but the flat stern is not affected as much.

Getting into a bow in port tie when it's the only slip available would necessitate backing in to ease manuervering into it and make getting on and off easier.

 

[syjos]

The best argument for getting a training Capt is, you don't know what you don't know. So you can practice for days but maybe a little bit of insight would save lots of heartache and gelcoat. An aha moment may come into play with a little bit of theory. Practice of proper techniques,trumps practicing of bad habits that you don't realize you have..

You nailed it exactly!

A good Training Captain can take a good boat driver and turn him/her into an excellent boat driver.

I have no horse in the race. I'm retired.

 

[Bob Cofer]

I have three suggestions,

1. Always fender and lay lines for tie up on starboard and port. When coming in you never know what side you'll have to be on. I have seen slips filled with boats that don't belong, winds and current change rapidly and if your prepared to tie on both its not a thing. Most marinas have side ties and allow for temporary tie up if the weather doesn't allow for you to do so safety.

2. Make sure to have a lose fender with a line (depending on the size of the vessel). This will allow the deck hand to put that fender between the boat and another object if need be. (Never a hand or leg)

3. If needed, start over. Don't try to force a bad docking. Sometimes I have had to approach three different times just to get the line I was comfortable with.

**We have all had to learn from experience, that is one of the best teachers. Try to mentally prepare yourself, something is going to go not as planned. It's better to anticipate this and react accordingly. When your all tied up if it went exactly as planned thats a perfect docking and no Youtube video will be needed.

***I know of some unlimited tonnage Captains that have had accidents. These are people that spend their working lives out at sea and underway. If they can have accidents, so can I.



****I can't wait to try my marriage savers.

You have learned young Skywalker!

 

[SteveK]

Oft repeated here is get a training captain.

So I have become curious to hear what you, who have had a training captain learned that assisted with the reason you hired a training captain.