Wind gave me fits docking my 39 EC today.

Thanks for signature suggestion... I'm new at this!

Last visit to Confederation Basin, the wind was around 25+ all weekend. A sailboat came loose from it's mooring out in the basin and ran into the first row of boats before they could get a line on it!
 

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Here is a technique that might be handy at times for boats that are difficult or have poor control during backing manuvers in high wind.

Put a crew member on the bow and drop a lunch hook in the channel up wind about two boat lengths windward and one and a half length out from the slip piling, and snug the anchor set from the windward bow cleat. As the bow stabilizes or comes up to the wind the hemsman calls for slack and backs down as the bow crew gives slack, bow blows off ... bow crew snugs the anchor line. With team work the helmsman can back down into the slip with the bow well under control.

If high winds are blowing directly into the slip drop the hook towards the open channel direction in the dock fairway.

Once tied up, let the anchor line settle to the bottom, while still cleated of course, to be retrieved when leaving the dock. This method has been used successfully for many years by commercial vessels and blow boaters with single screws.
 
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There's a really good read ,docking in style with twin screw boats
www.yachtsurvey.com/docking.htm
i know we all had good and bad days mostly because of wind conditions ,but were never to young to learn . i always enjoy reading this when my docking wasn't so perfect
Enjoy

I am saving this link, looks pretty good from a quick glance.

:thumbsup:
 
Shore1, thanks for sharing the link. This is very good info to go over at the beginning of a season to refresh our skills.

BTW, your PM is turned off. If you didn't do it on purpouse, then go to UserPC and change your config. I was going to contact you via PM inregards to another thread. Feel free to PM me.

Alex.
 
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Here is a technique that might be handy at times for boats that are difficult or have poor control during backing manuvers in high wind.

Put a crew member on the bow and drop a lunch hook in the channel up wind about two boat lengths windward and one and a half length out from the slip piling, and snug the anchor set from the windward bow cleat. As the bow stabilizes or comes up to the wind the hemsman calls for slack and backs down as the bow crew gives slack, bow blows off ... bow crew snugs the anchor line. With team work the helmsman can back down into the slip with the bow well under control.

If high winds are blowing directly into the slip drop the hook towards the open channel direction in the dock fairway.

Once tied up, let the anchor line settle to the bottom, while still cleated of course, to be retrieved when leaving the dock. This method has been used successfully for many years by commercial vessels and blow boaters with single screws.

very good suggestion, one not taught in Power Squadron or USCG Aux. courses
 
Works better if you rig a trip line to the anchor stock, then retrieve the anchor immediately rather than leaving it in a channel. Many times a channel or fairway is shallow and it is easy for a passing boat to pick up a line with its propwash.
 
After a great Easter Sunday of boating, the wind (as predicted) picked up late this after noon out of the east to 15~20 kts. When we got back to our slip I had a hell of a time backing in. I don't remember ever having that much trouble!!

My Admiral and I have our routine down but today really put us to the test. I had to abort and come again 5 times before I could get close enough to get a line. Our slip is oriented bow to North with the pier to starboard. We back in. With a strong East wind every time I would get close to getting the stern in the slip, a gust of wind would throw me toward a 41' Meridian that I am next to. I finally got close enough so the Admiral could get a spring line to the starboard stern cleat.

We never did loose it and start telling each other that our parents were never married but tensions were building.:smt021

I guess we need more practice.:huh:

I know this is an old post but I'm still learning to dock in strong winds/current...

If the wind is blowing out of the east and using a starboard stern spring line doesn't the bow still blow over to port:huh:

How do you control the bow with a starboard stern spring line?

thanks... Would be nice if there were videos of the use of spring lines on you tube.

thanks
 
Another input when backing into a slip with the dock on the port side of the boat lower the port side trim tab all te way down. Doing this will cause more of a drag on the port side of the boat causing th bow to turn in towards the dock.
 
All this talk makes me very nervous as I splash my new boat for the first time. I'm glad I have a bow thruster (I hope that will help).
 
Another input when backing into a slip with the dock on the port side of the boat lower the port side trim tab all te way down. Doing this will cause more of a drag on the port side of the boat causing th bow to turn in towards the dock.

Does it really work??? I've never tryed...I usually pull the tabs all the way up...

But...do not you have any assistance at your marinas in the USA? In Italy we do not have side piers and assistance is mandatory in strong wind...this means that someone from the marina will use an inflatable to push you into your slip!
 
I know this is an old post but I'm still learning to dock in strong winds/current...

If the wind is blowing out of the east and using a starboard stern spring line doesn't the bow still blow over to port:huh:

How do you control the bow with a starboard stern spring line?

thanks... Would be nice if there were videos of the use of spring lines on you tube.

thanks

I'll never forget this day: NJ Weather – Hard to Predict Based on Moving Front

My only goal is to touch any one of my pilings while maintain the bow not to be too close to the neighbored boat. As soon as I make the contact with the piling the rest is much easier. I'm not sure about the idea with spring line, b/c with full camper my stern is like a sail, which gets pushed very much like a bow during strong winds. But, it would be nice to see some video clips with tips on docking stern in the slip in high winds. No matter how much you know it never herts to see more tricks.
 
Let me tell you, I have done TONS and I mean TONS of docking stories, tips, and how-to's. I just don't get it. I'm a visual type of guy. Would be great if there were some videos of docking stern first using spring lines. That would be great.

Most of the currents in my area are pretty strong. .......I need to get out there and practice......I just compounded, polished, and wax by baby girl, I hate to get dock rash trying what I think MAY be the right way to practice. ahhhhhh
 
I'll never forget this day: NJ Weather – Hard to Predict Based on Moving Front

My only goal is to touch any one of my pilings while maintain the bow not to be too close to the neighbored boat. As soon as I make the contact with the piling the rest is much easier. I'm not sure about the idea with spring line, b/c with full camper my stern is like a sail, which gets pushed very much like a bow during strong winds. But, it would be nice to see some video clips with tips on docking stern in the slip in high winds. No matter how much you know it never herts to see more tricks.

Almost worth rolling up the sides on the camper canvas? Right now mine are just screens but when I install new Strataglass soon I can see how the sail effect will want to push me around a lot! :wow:
 
When I was first told to bring the trim down on port side for backing boat into port I thought yea that will do alot to help. After doing it there was a difference not alot but enough to notice it.
 
Exactly what I was going to say. When I had my 460 I had to put the after corner of the boat up against a vertical portion on the dock and then pivot the boat off that point to back in the slip in high winds. If you can just get the downwind corner gently against the dock/piling you can wist the boat around it and not worry about getting into someone elses boat.

We have quite high winds here in Oklahoma, for sure the way for us is backing into the wind and doing the pivot trick. We have rollers on all our posts. The most important of course are the first one's. These are what we have and are the best. http://www.dockrollers.com/ Best of luck...
 
Almost worth rolling up the sides on the camper canvas? Right now mine are just screens but when I install new Strataglass soon I can see how the sail effect will want to push me around a lot! :wow:

I can see how rolling up the sides and working the trim tabs may help a little, but the most important part is to learn the use of truttles and shifters and read the nature signs (wind and current direction). Practice, practice, practice and the comfort level builds up as you're getting better. One of the important tricks I've learned is to position the bow with the wind. This way you don't need to worry about the wind carrying it over making you feel like you're loosing control (e.g. if you put the bow against the wind the strong wind will swing the boat 180 dergees throwing you way off from your planned approach), so the only part is left to bring the stern in, in controlled manner.

We have quite high winds here in Oklahoma, for sure the way for us is backing into the wind and doing the pivot trick. We have rollers on all our posts. The most important of course are the first one's. These are what we have and are the best. http://www.dockrollers.com/ Best of luck...

Having similar idea in mind I've used carpet around my pilings (only first two). Cheap and very efficient.
 
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Some people are very sensitive abt using poles to get your boat safetly in. You cannot be shy about leaning on a piling. That's what rubrails are for. You don't want to hit a pole at 6 knots, but they are an extremely helpful tool. If you're backing in. once the transom is past the the forward most poles, YOU'RE IN. Troubles over. Even if the boat gets blown 45 degrees off, you come back using transmissions to correct the angle and ride the pole home.

As Alex said, a beam-to wind can be a very effective bow thruster. If you intentionally make your approach on an angle, knowing the wind will bring the bow around, you'll be successful. Takes some practice and usually some do-overs, but it works.

We'll frequently brag about a "swish" docking ("didn't touch a pole") but that's more of a bragging thing than an ultimate goal.
 
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I'll be out "practicing" some more in a couple of hours! I actually hired a local captain that teaches boat handling and general boating. I figure it is money well spent to garner more experience in a short amount of time. He boasts that I will learn more in 4 hours with him than 5 years of practice....we'll see.

More than anything he will be able to teach the Admiral basics and not get bitched at for telling her how to do something. Again...money well spent. :thumbsup:
 
We are at floating docks. The pilings protrude through the docks, so no using pilings at all. I have about 2 1/2 to 3 feet total to play with - 1 1/2 feet on each side. We are protected from current and most waves, but are very exposed to the wind. I don't have a thruster.

I first spin the boat to allow the bow to be down wind with the boat 90 degrees to the slip. As I begin to rotate the bow up against the wind, I time it so that just as the boat arrives parallel to the slip, it is also aligned. Just as this occurs, I put both in reverse and, if the winds are strong, add a little power.

I power it into the slip because my goal is to stop in position before the wind has caused the boat to drift and/or rotate sideways. I coast at about 3 knots the last 10 feet, then put it in forward, add power to stop, then neutral. If I ever miss, I stop the boat in place and allow it to contact the finger dock with no forward or aft motion. From there, it's a real struggle unless I'm at least 1/2 way in.

This is not for the faint hearted, but I have to score a "Swish" every time. The key is to get lined up and go for it. Oh, and don't frick it up.
 

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