Docking in a tough spot

[girlboatie]

I am new here and am impressed by the knowledge on this forum! I wish I had found this site earlier. Anyway, I have a question about docking I hope someone can help me with. And I will be back to look at other topics!

We have a 1996 20.5 Campion Victoria 627. Unfortunately there are limited areas to dock her. The place we have been using for the past 3 years is reserved mostly for logging boats so we're lucky to get even that spot. We only take her out in July and haul her out in Oct., so not too many months of boating here in British Columbia.

The problem I'm having is trying to get my boat parallel parked. I have rocks on the starboard side not more than 10' away so low tide is especially fun a boat behind me and a boat in front of me. I have to come in alongside the boat behind me, try & get just the right angle to the dock without hitting the boat in front of me, hope it kicks out of gear when I do the reverse engine/counterclockwise on the wheel routine to get the stern to come alongside the dock, and hope my hubby doesn't get dumped into the water while trying to reach the dock to tie her off. This can get really interesting when their are waves or wind.

How the heck do you parallel park a boat in these conditions? Or should I just try & find another spot Or give up boating, which I'm considering.

Thanks
girlboatie

 

[QC]

Re: Docking in a tough spot

Welcome aboard . . . Two words, Boat hook(s). Good luck, and DON'T give up!!!!

 

[Five O'Clock]

Re: Docking in a tough spot

boat hooks are a must in your situation. multiple if possible. you can hook the other boats cleats or rail to pull yourself in, and you can hook the cleats on the dock to pull yourself in... it isn't advised to hook another boat on the rail or cleat, but if it were my boat, i'd rather someone hook that than crash into me...

also, when facing a current or wind, make sure you head into the wind when going at an angle. head into the wind/current then cut the wheel and grab onto something... if its that tight, pull up next to one of the other boats and have your husband grab on, then walk you up those boats... make sure your fenders are out.

 

[girlboatie]

Re: Docking in a tough spot

Thanks for the help! You guys are awesome.

We have to head into the wind, no matter what, because the bow is docked facing south.

I think I'll just cut the power completely and let him pull me in with the hook. Thanks for the tip!

Usually he jumps off with a rope (from the bow!) and ties her off and I cut the power and grab the rope for the stern. A little stressful but maybe docking always is.

Part of the problem is that the boat in front of ours is a rental runabout and it isn't always in the exact same spot so I have to readjust every time.

We'll keep trying. I haven't crashed into other boats yet........

girlboatie

 

[HighTrim]

Re: Docking in a tough spot

It is good that you are going into the wind, bc that is exactly where you want to be. First thing, have your hook ready, and a good 10' line at both bow and stern, already tied. Have your hubby at the bow, pull in nose first, the key here is SLOWLY, and have him tie off the bow. Put the boat in reverse, turning the wheel towards the dock. The bow rope will keep the bow from pulling away or moving while the stern slides in slowly towards the dock so that he can tie that off too. Remember to have your bumpers down b4 docking, and have those dock lines ready like mentioned.

The main things are practise and a slow speed. Good luck.

 

[Renny_D]

Re: Docking in a tough spot

Another option is to find the balance point on your boat; if you use the bow line to a cleat and go forward the bow gets pulled in. If you use the stern line to a cleat and go forward the stern gets pulled in but their is a point on every boat between the bow and stearn cleat that if the boat goes forward it will just move sideways parallel to the dock. I haven't used this technique on small boats but I've docked big 30 and 40 footers this way. It' makes it nice and easy for two people to dock a really big boat. Tie the line to the mid deck cleat (alot of big boats have cleats at this mid balance point) Take the line to the bow or somewhere forward where you can still get off the boat or in some cases back to the stern to get off the boat. Take the line to a dock cleat near where the stern will be, take up slack then take a wrap on it. Idle forward and the whole boat will suffule sideways into the slip. Works really nice. For your boat I would imagine that hubby takes the mid line up to the bow, you push the bow in so he can get off without jumping (jumping for docks is bad mojo - if you don't make it generally the boat and the dock are much harder than the jelly filled person in between). He briskly moves back to the stern cleat and ties off you idle forward and the boat moves sideways into the slip. You can steer a little left or right to help control it. Once at the dock you can leave it idling forward while the bow and stearn lines get attached. Just a thought. Good luck and practice makes perfect.

Thanks
Renny

 

[Boat Drinks]

Re: Docking in a tough spot

I've always put the bow in first no matter which direction the wind is. You will have a lot more control with the bow tied first than you would if you tied the stern first.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Docking in a tough spot

Boat hooks, they are a blessing. I dont know how I did without it for so long..

 

[girlboatie]

Re: Docking in a tough spot

It is good that you are going into the wind, bc that is exactly where you want to be. First thing, have your hook ready, and a good 10' line at both bow and stern, already tied. Have your hubby at the bow, pull in nose first, the key here is SLOWLY, and have him tie off the bow. Put the boat in reverse, turning the wheel towards the dock. The bow rope will keep the bow from pulling away or moving while the stern slides in slowly towards the dock so that he can tie that off too. Remember to have your bumpers down b4 docking, and have those dock lines ready like mentioned.

The main things are practise and a slow speed. Good luck.

Thanks, HighTrim. Your advice sounds like what we try to do and sometimes actually achieve.... the problem is when I get the bow too far from the dock and have no room to maneuver, and he can't jump off. Then things get interesting. As everyone says here practice makes perfect.

Hey, HighTrim, where did you get your avatar? What's the story behind that photo?!

girlboatie

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: Docking in a tough spot

Can you set your rub rail on a piling and pivot?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Docking in a tough spot

Boat Hook. maybe even 2 one in bow, other stern. just pull your self side ways.

 

[girlboatie]

Re: Docking in a tough spot

Can you set your rub rail on a piling and pivot?

Nope. Not enough room. We're talking 6' of turnaround space to maneuver at low tide and slightly more at high tide. Not good with a 20' boat! I have a sea wall of rocks on starboard side, a natural shelf of rocks in the water that are especially fun at low tide and a rusty dock on the other.

Somebody could make a load of money if they ever build a decent dock around here with enough slips.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Docking in a tough spot

The trick to this, as a few have said, is the use of lines to hold the boat in place, while you use engine power to pivot the boat.

It sounds like you have to enter a narrow area and then tie up to a dock to your port side. Since it also sounds like the prevailing wind faces you, I would position a fender or two on the port bow and ease the bow into the space. You can then have a crewmember throw a line around a piling or dock cleat. While he/she can tie the line off, I wouldn't - have them take tension while the boat is still angled and then slowly release it as you back down with the helm hard to port. This will allow the bow to come off of the dock while the boat swings into the berthing space.

If the wind happens to be astern as you berth, pass the space slightly and back into it at an angle, "trap" the stern with a line and then pivot the boat in forward gear with the helm hard to port.

The other two possibilities are a crosswind from the starboard side, and one from the port side. The first scenario is pretty easy. You can use the bow in method, or possibly even let the wind settle you into the space. With the wind off of the port side, you will of course, have to fight it a bit. I would probably use the bow in method but would make sure that the crewmember gets a line around something quickly because the wind will push the boat away from the dock.

There are lots of ways to get the boat into the slip and all the suggestions offered so far are good ones. I recommend that you plan a little time the next time you go out, just to practice getting in an out of your space. This will be very helpful both in terms of docking and in learning how your boat reacts to various helm and engine inputs.

BTW, all of these comments assume that you have a single engine. If you have two engines, you can also pivot the boat in place by having one in forward gear, while the other is in reverse. In this case, I would probably back the boat in at an angle until the stern was a few inches off of the dock. I would then put the starboard engine in forward, with the port engine in reverse, to swing the bow around. You could use the bow in method, but since the boat will tend to pivot with the position of the props being the "fulcrum," you would want to use a line to the dock as well, to prevent the bow from swinging out.

 

[girlboatie]

Re: Docking in a tough spot

Jay, thank you for your reply. The different scenarios you mention have happened. The wind here can switch quickly from north to south; it's very fickle.

We do have a narrow spot to dock the boat. We also have a narrow window of time when we can go play in our boat because of where we live. I get to practice docking maybe 2-3 times a month - with the price of fuel especially nowadays we don't go out much. The boat is only in the water for about 4 months so it's just a matter of not enough practice.

You sound like you've been around boats for a long time. What type of boat do you have?

girlboatie

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Docking in a tough spot

Yes, I have been around them a long time. I am in my 50s and have been operating a wide variety of boats, from 12 foot skiffs with small motors on them, to a 34 foot sailboat, since the age of about 7 or 8. The largest "boat" that I have ever "driven" (helmsman) was a 327 foot Coast Guard Cutter.

My current boat is a 70s vintage, 18 foot Glassmaster Trihull, with a 1972 Johnson 65hp motor. Its extremely ugly but I like it, because it is a stable platform for the two things that I use a boat for the most - photography and SAR missions. Prior to this motor, I had a pair of 1958 Evinrude Bigtwins (35hp ea) on the Glassmaster. I love those old motors, and still own them, but they were gas hogs, so I replaced them with the Johnson. I also had another boat that had both the Evinrudes, and at an earlier time, a smaller pair on Johnsons on it.

I live in south Lousiana, not far from New Orleans, so I can boat 12 months per year. Even with these crazy gas prices, I am on the water frequently. Believe it or not, I do sometimes envy those of you in the northern climes just because it gets hard to convince myself to get into major projects on the boat. If I were forced off of the water a few months a year, my boat probably wouldn't be so ugly!

One suggestion that I will make to you in regard to boat handling, is to "hitch a ride" on a large sailboat some time. I find that gaining a crew spot on a sailboat is usally fairly easy if you place a notice on the bulletin board, or other location for notices, at the local yacht club or marina. Since sailboats usually have limited manuerability under power, learning to understand wind, current, and the way a boat drifts, becomes an essential part of handling the vessel. This is also a skill that is very "translatable" to the world of power boating - you just have to modify it a bit for the added capability that the powerboat will have.


PS: I just peeked at your profile and noticed that you have a single engine I/O. Having the I/O will give you a great deal of advantage over a single engine inboard, with a fixed prop and shaft. Being able to turn the outdrive, and thus change the direction of the thrust, will making swinging into your berthing space much, much easier.