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Docking Tips - Pivot On a PostMy Boat Doesn't Line Up with the SlipQuestion My boat doesn’t always line up with the slip when docking bow first. What can I do when I get off course when docking, other than backing out and trying again? Answer Docking in a slip can have many variables. Once you have mastered the basics in Dock Your Boat, you will soon perfect the best method after practicing in the wind and current in your own slip. However, sometimes you will dock in different slips, especially when traveling and you could experience different docking situations with new variables.. There are several techniques you can use to help you. This article is for those times when you don’t quite line up with your slip for whatever reason and would like to recover, instead of aborting and trying again. In this particular case, you are docking bow first and there is a post or piling at the entrance to the slip that you can use to your advantage. Most posts in marinas are tall enough to be well above your sheerline and are soft wood. Sheerlines or rubrails at the hull-to-deck joint on most boats, cruisers, yachts and sailboats are designed at the widest point along the vessel’s length. They are a strong material like stainless steel, or hard plastic-that’s why it’s called a rubrail. Pivoting on a post is a method of getting your boat into a slip, when the wind or current pulls your boat off course just at the entrance. You can recover and, make it look like you intended to utilize the post. Be sure to instruct your First Mate and crew not to panic and not to push your boat off, which would be their natural response. This will just make the situation worse. Pivot on a Post without a springlineYou can slide or slither into your slip using a corner post, if it’s position lines up with the docks edge. When you slide in, you want to have your fenders flipped up, because the post will rip them off. In most cases, it’s preferable to stop, pivot and go, than to slide full length. It’s easier on the rubrail and looks more professional. On a single or twin I/O or O/B or single I/B or a Sailboat, it involves a combination of wheel and shifts to wrap the boat around the post with a minimum of fore and aft movement while against the post. Once the boat is against the post, turn the wheel hard over toward the post and your dock, put in forward gear for only 3 to 4 seconds, then neutral. Quickly, turn the wheel hard over away from the post, and pull into reverse for 3-4 seconds. The boat will wrap around the post with a minimum of sliding against the post. In close, rapid succession, repeat this forward hardover/reverse hardover procedure, until the boat is lined up with the slip, then drive in as you normally would using the techniques for your drive system. On a twin I/B, it’s easier to stop, pivot and go, because you have twins that rotate the boat. Just before the boat collides with the post, pull into double reverse, so the boat hits the post, instead of scraping along on the post. Push the motor that is away from the post into forward, and simultaneously pull the motor closest to the post into reverse. As you pivot, the boat may start to creep ahead or aft. If it’s creeping ahead, pull that motor from forward into neutral for a couple of seconds to stop the forward motion. If it’s creeping aft, pull that motor into neutral. Continue forward gear and reverse gear until aligned with the slip. Drive in as you normally would by using the techniques for Twin Inboards. Pivot on a Post with spring line In cases where the forward-reverse combination isn’t working, because
of extremely high wind or current. By the time you discover this, the
post is likely positioned within a few feet of the middle of the boat-near
the spring line cleat. Have your First Mate temporarily run a spring
line, from the spring line cleat, out and around the post, then bring
the other end of the line (bitter end) back to the spring line cleat.
Wrap it around the cleat a couple of times, then pull against the cleat-Don’t
tie it, just pull. On all the singles including sailboats, turn the wheel towards the dock
and put it in forward. Your boat will circle around the post, without
creeping. Once aligned with the slip opening, pull it into neutral, call to your First Mate to quickly untie the springline from around the cleat and the post (it will come off easily because the line was not tied, just wrapped around the cleat and looped around the post), then proceed into the slip. Proceed to DockingAs the boat passes the post, be sure to have your fenders flipped back into position and proceed to dock as you normally would. You have recovered by using the post to your advantage like a pro!
First Mate 101 has many galley tips. Be sure to check it out at www.FirstMate101.com
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