# Proper docking techniques (under power)



## patrscoe (May 9, 2011)

Been sailing off and on for over 20 years and had small 16' to racing 22 to Pearson 26 to Oday cruisers to our current sailboat, Pearson 35. Love the science and process of trimming and always had no problem sailing anything from a 16' to 35' but docking under power.... always, I mean always had problems, especially with additional conditions like strong currents, strong winds or / and combination of a tight marina. I have put my wife in so many awlful conditions while docking that I'm lucky she doesn't request to be dropped off at the fuel dock slip while I enter into the slip. It feels like golf, whenever I think I have it undercontrol, my next drive I slice it right into the woods.

Any good advice besides finding a mooring lease?
My current problem is the angle or approach and controlling the speed, too slow or too fast.

Patrick


----------



## SVCarolena (Oct 5, 2007)

We found the best trick for docking our Pearson 303 is to keep long lines hanging from the pilings at the end of our slip. If current and/or wind make it difficult to just pull in, we grab one or both of those lines and use them to control the boat into the slip. For example, we pull up alongside the end of our slip and grab the upwind line. We then back up a bit and get the nose between the pilings. We then proceed forward very slowly while using the line to keep us centered. We do use our rubrails and will pivot off the pilings if necessary. Once we are docked, we put on the regular lines and return the ones on the pilings to their holders. Before they redid our marina and extended the finger docks, we used the same lines from the pilings as spring lines. Every slip is going to be different, of course. We also switched to pulling in bow first, which is much easier than trying to back in. The other key aspect is no more speed than necessary to keep steerage, and use propwalk to your advantage (think of propwalk as a stern thruster for the boat). Finally, never dock any faster than you are willing to hit something.


----------



## NCC320 (Dec 23, 2008)

You might find some useful info on this current SailNet post:

Single Handing Made Easy - What Are Your Techniques?


----------



## IslanderGuy (Apr 26, 2008)

A few more specifics to your particular docking situation might help, but here are a few general things I do that help...

1. Stop outside the marina and get a feel for what the tides and winds are doing and how they will effect the boat. Sometimes if going into a difficult situation I'll stop a few times, and different angles and see how the current and wind will move or turn my boat before heading in to the tight spots.

2. Pre-plan for the current and wind, is the bow going to blow off in the direction you are turning? Let it, rather then steering into the turn and having the wind blow you too far. You may end up steering a little in the wrong direction to slow the turn to the right speed. Is the current going to push you on past your slip? If so, turn early and get pointed in the right direction, and let the current push you into position.

3. Take the long way if needed. getting into some spots can be tricky coming straight down the fairway if the wind and current will sweep you right on by. It may be better to go past your slip, turn around and come back from the other direction so you are powering into the wind and current rather then with it. It can be much easier to control the turn this way. We had to do this a lot in our last marina.

4. Talk it out first. Going over the plan with my wife first does a few things. 
A) She knows what to expect, although she knows the plans WILL change once we get started. 
B) I talk through several options "If the bow blows off to fast, we will have to go down and come back around.." Lets her know again that things may not work out as planned.
C) She often sees potential issues I did not and has good idea.
D) If things go way wrong, it's not all my fault as she had as much chance as I did to foresee the issue and plan for it. We both missed it, that happens.
Of course the down side is if she says we should do X and I say, no lets try Y, and Y does not work, then it's REALLY all my fault 

Not sure if any of this is new or helpful to you, but it might help someone.


----------



## tomandchris (Nov 11, 2009)

Patrick, the two biggest helps in docking a larger boat are practice and spring lines. Sounds like you and your wife have had lots of practice, so try some more with spring lines.

I have long been a big fan of Capt. Jack Klang. He visits many boat shows for Quantum Sails and his clinics are great. You can find information by a simple search or go to Quantum Sales website and there is a link to Jack. He also sells instruction booklets and DVD's as well.

The most important thing I ever learned from Jack, and an instructor that Jack taught, was the use of a spring line when docking. I sail my C34 single handed more than with crew. A mid ships cleat and a spring line make it a simple, and usually very uneventful, return to my dock. I use the same spring line when visiting different ports and the fuel dock. This works in forward or reverse, dependent on landing. Obviously, it works even better with crew that knows what you want to accomplish. Careful with anyone else.

I have a spring line marked for my home slip that when on the mid ships cleat, and run outside the lifelines to a stern cleat at the mark, can be dropped over the post at the end of my pier. I come in with enough way on to keep steerage, but I am also a believer in that you come in as fast as you are willing to hit the dock. I don't like hitting docks. As I am passing my post (or cleat in some cases) I drop the spring line over it and let the slack out of the line. Sometimes I am in neutral, sometimes in reverse, depentent on wind conditions and speed. As I have control of the speed I put the boat back into very slow forward and take all the slack out of the spring. That stops me one foot from the head of my slip. I leave the boat at slow forward and set the wheel so that the boat holds against the dock. Leaving the boat in slow forward, and against the dock, I then go forward, connect my bow lines, then either put the boat in slow reverse to take out the bow line slack (or pull it back if not windy) and connect the stern line. Then the boat is shut down and I can do any additional lines totally under control.

When I return to my slip my dock neighbors let me come alongside under control and then they sometimes help tie the bow lines. They know that unless something really strange happens that there will not be a show to watch.

I use the same spring line and slow forward almost everywhere I go. I find that in some ports and fuel docks the staff is sometimes very willing to help but clueless. Same with some other boaters on the dock. Therefore I prefer to control the situation and not hand out lines in the hope that they know what to do with them. Coming into most fuel docks you are coming alongside. With my spring line at mid ships I just drop the line over a post or cleat as I come in and with the line in my hand the boat with come alongside in control. Once the boat is stopped THEN I will hand them the bow or stern line to tie.

Bottom line.....spring lines, and thanks to Capt. Jack!

Just read what islanderGuy wrote. Totally agree with his thinking in advance of the situation.


----------



## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

A spring line is almost always the answer. If you power against it, it should pull and hold you to the dock. Where to tie it on the boat and what to get it around on the dock will depend on what is around and the direction you are facing. If you can provide a diagram or description, we can probably be of more help.

As far as speed goes, you should never go faster than necessary to maintain directional control. Practice that away from the dock and near something visual. I think mooring balls are best. You can also test your prop walk this way, as you really need something visually nearby to fully appreciate how much you have. I will get her moving around the dock and return to neutral, then back in gear only to maintain control. When I'm about 10 feet from the stop, I put her in gear in the opposite direction, with no extra throttle. As I get very close, a quick burst to high throttle and back to neutral will stop her on a dime. This can also be tested by pulling up to or back up to a mooring ball, with little to no risk of damage as you practice.


----------



## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

I did see Capt Klang at the Annapolis sailboat show about two years ago. He's very good. I've also seen his DVD, which isn't the greatest production quality, but spot on anyway. I can recall him repeatedly saying something like the "boat will stay in position until you untie it or she runs out of fuel" over and over.... He is right.


----------



## YeahJohn (Nov 4, 2010)

Dock info is very important. Our marina allows boats to hang over slips up to 4 feet, so using a pivot technique is out of the question, my slip always has a wicked side wind and current, and the bow almost always tries to come back in to the slip. Something about having you boat spin on you in a tight marina with a 40 foot channel just makes you want to jump ship, I never use line assist but a few in my gangway have lines cleated off at the end of their slips for backing out, pretty much you keep a long line in hand back out and if anything happens you can pull yourself back in, and it helps you pivot from mid channel as well. Ask some friends at the marina.


----------



## MarkSF (Feb 21, 2011)

It's getting so that people come and watch when we start approaching the slip. But I'm getting better.

I think the most important rule is to go really slowly, just fast enough to steer. If you loose steering way, a quick burst of power will restore steering. Going slowly means if things go wrong the worst thing that can happen is that you look daft. No damage will result to the boat.

I learnt this on a club boat a while ago. When approaching the dock, at that point when you give it a nice final burst of reverse to stop the boat, the throttle lever came clean off in my hand. We were going slowly though and the crew killed the last bit of speed nicely with the stern line.

Second rule is : when everything is going wrong, firstly kill the power and into neutral. 

It got much much easier when I switched to an upwind slip.


----------



## patrscoe (May 9, 2011)

All great advise. Our slip has two piles in front about 15' apart and 40' to the main dock. There is another pile mid way and then a 18' small finger dock. 
Last weekend everything was going fine, entered into the slip and just past the first set of piles and then the bow started to drift and I immediately started to go in reverse which based on my prop walk, made it worse. At that point, the mid pile was to far away, panic set in and we quickly looked foolish.
I think setting up spring lines on the piles already will help.
We our previous sailboats, it wasn't a heartache when I slowly banged into a pile since it was a lighter and much less expensive sailboat. Now, it kills me seeing dock marks on the hull or just that noise of the hull rubbing against a pile.

I'll look into the springlines and perhaps some info on Jack's dvd.
thanks
Patrick


----------



## tomandchris (Nov 11, 2009)

Make sure that the spring line is to a mid ship cleat or strong point. Bow or stern springs will make for an even better show for your dock neighbors.


----------



## NCC320 (Dec 23, 2008)

patrscoe said:


> All great advise. Our slip has two piles in front about 15' apart and 40' to the main dock. There is another pile mid way and then a 18' small finger dock.
> Last weekend everything was going fine, entered into the slip and just past the first set of piles and then the bow started to drift and I immediately started to go in reverse which based on my prop walk, made it worse. At that point, the mid pile was to far away, panic set in and we quickly looked foolish.
> I think setting up spring lines on the piles already will help.
> We our previous sailboats, it wasn't a heartache when I slowly banged into a pile since it was a lighter and much less expensive sailboat. Now, it kills me seeing dock marks on the hull or just that noise of the hull rubbing against a pile.
> ...


While many people tout the virtues of spring lines, spring lines only work if certain conditions are met. In reality, against the wind or current forces, the boat is only held in position if (1) the spring line is tight, and (2) the boat (usually the stern) is pushing against something. In other words, you have to have two support points resisting the opposing forces generated by the wind. Your spring line (or any other line) is useless until it is tensioned. Additionally, if the boat only has one point of resistance against the wind or current, the boat will rotate downwind about that attachment or resistance point, whether it is a line or a piling. With a properly placed spring line (see Capt. Jack Video clip --- Seafaring Magazine -Latitudes and Attitudes Television | Seafaring ), the engine and rudder take the slack out of the line and the boat moves towards the pier (i.e. first point of support). The second point of support comes when the boat hull snugs up against the pier. It takes two points opposite the wind or current.

If you were tending (adjusting) the length of your spring line so it is always near tight, and as long as your stern has not pushed past the piling, you can snug up the line at any point and cause the hull to move up against the piling and use the rudder/more or less power to hold the boat there. This assumes that in the bow first landing, and that you have the spring line attached slightly aft of the boat's pivot point (if the spring line is attached forward of the pivot point the bow will want to swing inward and the stern away from the piling that you plan to use for the second resistance point). Think about how you can tend/adjust the length of your spring line when you are docking.

If the wind shifts suddenly to bring the forces to the opposite side, the boat will then swing down in the opposite direction*, so it's important to get a stern line on also...also where you can tend it's length. Now, with wind on one side, you go ahead to offset the wind force, when it switches to the other side, you go to reverse (prop walk has been negated by a combination of the hull pushing against the piling and the stern line (effectively a spring line also) being tight. The boat is now stationary more or less and you have time to work out a plan to get other lines on the boat.

* In the video, where you have absolute support on one side by the pier, the wind shifting to the other side and blowing you on the pier is toally resisted by the pier, and when the wind is on the other side (blowing away from the pier), the boat is held by spring line/rudder/engine at one point, and boat hull at second point.


----------



## NCC320 (Dec 23, 2008)

*Buddy Lines*

One thing I didn't mention is buddy lines. If you have two outer pilings with a pier at the inside of the slip, you are a candidate for buddy lines. Buddy lines are a pair of lines, one on either side of your slip, from each outer piling back to the pier and running parallel to the slip. These should be strong, say 1/2" and tied tightly. Low stretch lines are best. And tie these lines relatively low....i.e. where the hull will contact them at nominal water level. Now, when things get crossed up in docking, you have something to pull or push against. And, also a place where you can tie temporary lines if you need time to get things straightened out. It's a home slip aid and you won't typically find them in marinas that you may visit. In our marina, nearly everyone has them.


----------



## fryewe (Dec 4, 2004)

Patrick, you said your problem seems to choosing the right angle of approach and speed. Let me suggest a couple of things...

First, consider the situation where you have a bit of room to run toward your dock. Your angle of approach will generally be about the same for all head-on approaches to that dock. The angle will be quite a shallow angle formed by your track's intersection with the pier you are coming alongside. The key is to remember that the angle is established by your boat's movement, its track through the water - not the direction your bow is pointed. To set up to run that track, which is what you do as you adjust throttle setting and come to the approach course, you can't focus on your dock or finger pier. You have to observe the effects of what you have done by watching natural ranges to see if you are getting set to the left or right, and the rate of the set. You want to run that approach course. If you like your speed at that point, adjust your course (crab) to eliminate the set. If too much course change is required, throttle up to limit the amount, being ready to throttle back or reverse as needed to reduce speed as you near the dock. As you near the dock, use your rudder to swing the boat to put your bow and stern where they need to be, and back as needed to kill your way. Then step off and put a couple of lines to the dock. The advice above on using spring lines will sure help you control the boat after you are alongside. The advice about going real slow won't help when the wind and current are up. You have to have enough speed to drive the bearing of your berth to the right or left as you choose, and not let wind and current take you.

If you don't have any run up to the berth, but must swing the boat from a narrow channel to a finger pier at right angles to the channel, the same rules apply as above for setting your throttle and your course, but things are of course complicated by the turn. You have to have a "feel" for your boat, and have thought out what the effects of wind and current will be to set your course and throttle for a comfortable approach. I don't know of any other way to get this feel than to practice. Most begin the practice in open water under benign conditions, and work from there to closer quarters and higher wind and current.

Good luck with this. I know from years of watching Navy officers that a few folks just can't ever master the spatial relationships required to make a landing. I also know that everybody else can, with practice.


----------



## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Capt Klag is very good. I too saw him at the Annapolis show two years ago (Minnie that must have been you beside me with the 1lb propane tank with the cap on it haha). Seriously though spring lines are the key. I also single hand a fair amount. Once the spring is set, everything else is easier to get and the boat is secure from crashing the dock.

When we have guests on the boat we usually ask them to sit and not help us so as not to mess up our routine.

That being said docking is always an adventure....just when you think you are cool and good at it mother nature and Murphys Law along with maximum entropy take over and you become spectacle right in front fo your marina/ club friends


----------



## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

chef2sail said:


> Capt Klag is very good. I too saw him at the Annapolis show two years ago (Minnie that must have been you beside me with the 1lb propane tank with the cap on it haha).


You couldn't miss me, I was the one with the bandolier of propane bottles strapped across my chest. Never know when a BBQ might break out.

I was sitting on the floor down in front. Suspect he did several shows, however.


----------



## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

Crew always seem to want job assignments and then spread out around the boat. I go out of my way to keep everyone in the cockpit until literally the last minute. With fenders and docklines already in place, if something changes or we see something different on approach it is easy to provide updated guidance where everyone can hear well.

60 seconds is a long time. Plenty for everyone to get to stations.


----------



## patrscoe (May 9, 2011)

Great advise throughout and will take a lot from each comment. I will be installing buddy lines this weekend just to provide that additional docking aid and will try spring lines mid ship and will try a few other concepts from your comments. What I need is a about 20 - 30 fenders tied to the dock and piles, and also near by sailboats, just incase... 

We stopped sailing about 7 years ago (started a family) and now, I am sure there is some insecurity and rust within a skill that I seemed to never mastered. Never wanted to practice docking but instead to be sailing in the open water. Lack of practice is showing... will need to put more work and thought into this..


----------



## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Lots of fenders is good seamanship. Protects you and those around you.

If you have a good spring line approach worked out, another trick is to leave one at the right measurement on the dock in a different color from your others. This way, anyone on the dock to help doesn't need much instruction. "Please hand me the red line"...... slip it on your cleat and done.


----------



## fryewe (Dec 4, 2004)

The line of a different color is a keeper idea. Thanks...


----------



## WDS123 (Apr 2, 2011)

1) Buy a whopping huge ball style fender, place it a few feet inside the dock, tied to the dock, enter fast enough to have control,aim to hit the ball about 3-6 feet from your bow ( usually at first stantion is a good place ) let the ball fender roll and slow you down. 

2) install another large fender to stop your bow from crashing into the end of the dock. This should be one of those taylor made long white fenders, just let it float in the water perpendicular to the boats path of travel tied at each end to the dock, It is just a big ol' bumper which will get trashed after one season. 


In the beginning you will be displeased that you are using these 'crutches', but after a season, you will be able to dock perfectly smoothly simply due to being able to cast away the stress, know you can't smash up the boat. (secret, no one will even notice you have those 2 fenders )


----------

