Docking is Like Golfing

Now that you’ve been out a few times in either your new boat or your old boat, do your dockings leave a little bit to be desired?

How about your golfing? Are you golfing like Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus or do you need some golfing tips about how to improve your swing and accuracy, from your club pro?

Docking is similar to golfing. You wouldn't use a 9-iron in a situation that calls for a 3-wood; likewise, you wouldn't expect a single sterndrive to dock like a twin inboard because each drive system handles differently. Learn how to dock by using the right technique for your boat's drive system.You may be able to dock your boat, but a few tips from a pro will improve your technique and accuracy. Docking e-Lessons are written specifically for your boat’s drive system.

We’ve had so many inquiries for advanced docking that we have decided to cover them in question/answer format in newsletters. Each docking question will have several situations covered. This week’s question follows:

Question:

Docking at a Crowded Gas Dock with Current

How can I dock my boat when there’s only one space left at the long gas dock or restaurant dock between two big expensive yachts, and the dock cleats aren’t in the right place to use your suggested 'stern line tied first square to the dock' method? Bill Rebey SC

Answer:

Understanding the basics of how your boat handles with your drive system is absolutely necessary, before attempting to dock your boat. If you do not have the basics, see the e-Lesson specific to your drive system and learn how it was engineered to be handled. Then, attempt docking. Once you have mastered a 'simple' docking, then you are ready to add more variables.

In this particular docking situation, when the cleat on the gas dock is at the wrong place for you to tie square to it, there can be several situations. The solution is two tight opposing stern lines. The instructions that follow are for short stays like refueling, pump out or meal and; therefore, do not take tide changes into consideration. They are meant for landing not necessarily staying.

Docking w/First Mate under ideal conditions

With fenders in position, your First Mate can step off the platform or transom corner to the gas dock with 2 stern lines already looped on your stern corner cleat. Quickly take one line as far aft as the cleat on the dock is. She should pull the line snug against the boat cleat, so that your boat’s transom is positioned where you want it to be along the dock. Then, secure it with a figure eight cleat hitch.

Immediately, take the second stern line and run it forward along the gas dock to the next cleat. Take one pass around the cleat and pull as tight as possible. If there’s any slack in these two opposing stern lines, she should signal the captain to shift into forward. This will pull against the line she tied aft, putting all the slack in the line that she is now pulling forward. The First Mate can then pull in the slack and then tie a figure eight cleat hitch.

The combination of opposing tight stern lines will put your transom corner tight against the dock, the same is if you’d been able to tie 'short tight and square' to a cleat in the right position.

Now that the transom corner is secure, you can hold the boat in position by steering towards the dock and shift into forward at dead idle. This will pin the full length of the boat against the dock giving your First Mate lots of time to pick up and secure the bow line.

Docking Alone with Wind or Current

Sometimes, you need to dock alone at a crowded gas dock with a current and the cleats in the wrong position. Docking with your stern upstream is easier, when you you are alone.

Start by determining the wind and/or current. Pull up near where you want to dock. Stop. Observe the effect of the wind and current on your boat. This is your "Research Moment" of Mother Nature's forces to assess the situation, wind and current. I call it my "Maa Mo" or Moment with Mother Nature. This moment will show you the effect that the wind and current have on your boat.

If you are lucky, the current will be running the length of the dock one way or the other. Also, if you’re lucky, the wind will be either running the length of the dock or towards the dock. But, if the wind is blowing off the dock, it is a little more difficult and requires more skill. This will be covered in a later newsletter.

Because boats steer from the stern, you’ll want to turn so that your nose is down current and your stern is up-current. Again, have your fenders, two stern lines and bow line ready for action. Back in on a slight angle, as tight as you can to the end of the boat directly up wind/current from you.

With the boat hovering close to the dock and your transom snugged up under his bow or almost touching his swim platform, quickly step off your stern with both lines. Immediately tie the up-current line to prevent your boat from drifting down-current into the next boat.

Run the second stern line forward and pull as tight as you can. It doesn’t matter if the bow is going out, just get the stern tied.

Step back aboard. Turn the wheel toward the dock. Nudge it into forward. It will pull against your stern line and add a little slack to your forward leading stern line. If the current is light and the boat looks like it is going to stay put, put it in neutral. If not, put it in forward. This will pin the boat against the dock for you.

Step back off. Pull any slack out of the forward leading stern line and re-tie. Then tie the bow line. Shift into neutral. Turn off the engines and voila! You’ve done it alone.

Unfortunately, Murphy’s Law is usually at play. When you do a perfect docking, there’s no audience. So don’t even look around to take a bow. On the other hand, when you screw up, there’s always an audience.

Docking with Dock Crew

When you have dock crew eagerly or reluctantly standing on the dock, you don’t know whether that person is going to know what to do with the line when you throw it to him. Our experience is, even when you give them specific instructions, they rarely do it. Don’t rely on them to follow through. Have a 'Plan B' just in case.

Give them specific, easy-to-follow instructions like 'Wrap the rope around the cleat 2 times and pull the end and don’t let go.' If you can get the dock crew to do this, you will be able to pivot against this line that they are holding. Whether it’s from the bow or the stern, you can draw the boat into the dock. Keep one eye on the dock crew half expecting them to not pull hard enough or let go. Re-instruct them to keep pulling, until docked and your First Mate takes the line.

Once your First Mate has tied the other lines, she should also check the lines and knots the dock crew has tied for you! Never trust anybody else’s knots without inspecting them.

Docking Stern In

When your boat is too big to fit the space that’s left and there is little or no current or wind, you can always back in to a gas dock. Before attempting this, compare the height of your swim platform to the floating dock and/or pilings. You want the floating dock surface to be higher than your platform, so that when you get tied against it, a passing wake doesn’t rip your platform off.

For the dock with pilings or vertical boards, you want to be sure that they are smooth; i.e. not concrete or barnacle-covered. Also, ideally, you’d like the verticals to be evenly spaced, so that the flat surface of your platform can ride evenly against them.

Prepare the platform by tying two or three fenders to your transom handrail and hook a stern line on each stern cleat. Back straight in to the gas dock at right angles. In situations where all boats are backed in, also hang fenders on both sides at the sheer line. Position the upwind or up-current corner of the transom as close as you can to the dock cleat. Have the First Mate step off securing this up-wind/up-current line short, fast and tight. Immediately tie the other corner. Now the boat is secure and you can adjust the fenders and add a spring line on the up-wind side if deemed necessary.

If you can’t see the platform from your helm, have the First Mate stand in a spot where you can see her hand signals. She can be your rear view video camera. "First Mate 101" has many tips and tricks to help First Mates.

Docking for a Long Stay in a Current

For a long stay (overnight or several days), the boat should be tied bow into the current so the current doesn’t pull as hard on the lines, the dock and the boat.

Assuming you and your First Mate have the boat already tied with the stern tied up-current as described above, you’ll need some dependable dock crew to help you turn it around. Cast off and bring the boat back in with the bow first; i.e. with the bow into the current. You need dock crew for large boats tying to low floating docks, because your First Mate is not bionic and should not even consider jumping with a line.

The First Mate stands on the bow and tosses a bow line to the dependable dock crew, who secures the bow line to the up-current dock cleat or post, to hold the boat from drifting down against the boat behind you. Once the bow line is securely tied, draw the stern in using the docking technique appropriate to your drive system and then secure stern and spring lines.

Conclusion

No two dockings are identical, but when you know how your boat was engineered to be handled and the docking techniques applicable to your drive system, docking is a lot easier, even when environmental variables like current and wind and other challenges are added to the mix. (Note: Be sure you use the techniques for your drive system. Using the instructions for the wrong drive system will not work)

Always be sure to assess the situation first--take a 'MaaMo', assess the conditions, determine the docking plan and communicate it to your First Mate. Don’t approach the dock until fenders and lines are positioned for that specific docking plan, then dock knowledgeably as a team.

Submit Your Docking Challenges

Submit your docking challenges to doug@boatingwithdawsons.com and we’ll include it in a future newsletter. Be sure to include your boat size, make and drive system.

The next newsletter will be Undocking from a Gas Dock to get you off the dock in all the above situations.

First Mate 101 has many galley tips. Be sure to check it out at www.FirstMate101.com

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