What's the proper way to aproach the dock/trailer in a twin engine cruiser?

[rs2k]

Please take a look at the two diagrams. What's the proper way to approach side 1, side 2, and trailer 3 with the wind indicated in diagram 1? What about diagram number 2?

I have a 28' twin engine cabin cruiser and have had some difficulty docking and loading it in high wind. With a high crosswind I tend to hit side 2 hard and I can't get to side 1 unless I come in perpendicular to the dock. I also tend to hit the leeward side of the trailer hard when loading.


Thanks!

 

[salty87]

Re: What's the proper way to aproach the dock/trailer in a twin engine cruiser?

do you have guide-posts on the back of your trailer?

my ramp is somewhat similar to the first diagram, except there's no dock. current is hard though. get the nose of the bow between the guide-posts and use them to guide the boat in. make them tall enough to be above the rub rail.

mine are also made of flexible PVC, bendy for shock absorption.

 

[boat1010]

Re: What's the proper way to aproach the dock/trailer in a twin engine cruiser?

There are still quite a few things that are taken into consideration. If there is a good drop off before you get to the trailer you can have the props down a little and it will steer a lot better with the stern drives down a little. I have a 24 foot single drive. If there is a cross wind i just come in slow allowing for the wind to push me sideways until I line up with the trailer. Once I get the nose of the boat on the trailer you can swing the stern which ever direction you need to. With the wind to your stern I just come in very slow and see where the wind is taking me and make adjustments with the boat. I guess the key here is "slow" and little throttle make a big difference. Too many people overuse the motor. A little power will do a lot more for you that getting heavy on it. Hope that helped.

 

[Steve Mahler]

Re: What's the proper way to aproach the dock/trailer in a twin engine cruiser?

25 mph cross wind and a 28ft boat make a very difficult loading scenario. I think you would have to have guides because that much wind will force you to come in a bit to starboard letting the wind push you across the mid line of the trailer, but as soon as you secure the nose the tail of the boat will be blown right off the port side of the trailer. yuk.

guides would be helpful....

 

[rs2k]

Re: What's the proper way to aproach the dock/trailer in a twin engine cruiser?

The problem is that if I can't approach the trailer fast enough to compensate for the cross wind to get the nose of the boat into the trailer without risking a damaging collision. I can't crab it in because the crab angle is too great to load onto the trailer. I ended up getting the boat lodged in between both rub rails at an angle and then backing the trailer farther into the water and loading the rest of the boat by hand. The other problem is the wind tends to push the boat onto the rub rails when the trailer is far enough into the water to load the boat. Two large guide posts might make all the difference. Wider rub rails might also make a difference. Fortunately this think is a deep-vee and not a tri-hull. The boat will straighten itself onto the trailer once it start to go onto it.

This is important for me to learn. 25 MPH wind is not uncommon in Kansas. I had to load my tri-hull in a 35+ MPH wind last year. There were some BIG waves at the lake that day! It's weird to see the land disappear while in a trough when you know it's less than 1 mile away.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: What's the proper way to aproach the dock/trailer in a twin engine cruiser?

Have you tried leaving the port motor in forward and the starboard in reverse? I know there are some tricks to the twin-engine boats that allow you to crab or spin by using opposite controls. Steering would be interesting though.

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: What's the proper way to aproach the dock/trailer in a twin engine cruiser?

if you can stick the bow where it needs to be then with a twin screw you should not have a problem -going slow and think before you slam a throttle.
in heavy wind /seas i keep the trl a little shallow. use the winch the last couple feet

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: What's the proper way to aproach the dock/trailer in a twin engine cruiser?

self centering keel rollers, guide ons, be deep enough, you idle on, not have to power on. it is all in practice.

 

[PAK]

This is a very common problem, which has two very common solutions.
Solution 1 can only be used if you have access to Side 1. Solution 2 should be used only when you cannot use Solution 1.

Solution 1: Move your trailer as close to the dock as you can. I mean less than a foot. Approach the dock from Side 1 in the opposite direction of your arrow. Lay your port side mid ship on the piling at the end of Side 2, assuming you have a piling. If you have no piling, maneuver close without touching the dock. Gently power around the dock, making sure to keep your rub rail on the piling. This will keep you from getting slammed into the dock. Once around, gently power up to your trailer. You may be able to power up from here, but it depends on depth of water, tide, make of trailer, etc. If necessary, get out of your boat and guide it onto your trailer far enough where you can power up. In open water with heavy seas, use Solution 2, otherwise your boat will be toast.

Solution 2: This solution takes a great deal of skill, but it is done all the time. Move your trailer farther from the dock. This will allow maneuvering room for a poor approach. Approach the dock just like the arrow in the first picture, keeping your boat as close to the end of your trailer as possible and stern to the wind. It is very easy to maneuver a boat with stern windward, far easier than bow windward. Adjust your bow so that it is just past the starboard trailer guide. Your boat should now be perpendicular to your trailer and a foot past the starboard guide. Using the starboard guide as a pivot, throttle your port engine forward and starboard engine back pivoting your boat to starboard. Before your boat aligns with the trailer, turn hard port and use only enough power on your port engine to move between your guides. Once your port side has drifted to the port guide, use both engines to align and power up. Depending on water depth and your draft, you may have to adjust these positions somewhat. Generally speaking, if you have outboards or stern drives you can usually obtain a perpendicular position. If you have inboards, you may have to approach at a slight angle. If you have another person on board, it is very helpful to have them loop a rope around the starboard guide to keep your bow centered.

Practice this in open water with a couple of buoys as guides. You will be surprised at how good you get in a very short period of time.

Remember! Never approach a dock any faster than you want to hit it.

Good luck.

Regards,

Drew