Docking The Beast

63chaos said:
Thanks guys for all the tips, it seems like shifters only and practice practice and more practice. So here is fair warning if your in the Falmouth, MA area watch out for me!!!
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I thought I was the only one in Falmouth who couldn't get in a slip! As long as we don't dock next to each other it will all be fine!
 
I feel better I thought I was alone with this problem, seem like docking is a common problem. I hate that guy in the video, he really is good. For the guy who is asking I have I/O's. Capecodcruiser where are you docked or moored in Falmouth, I'm on the Child's River near the little beach, only the best place on the planet to boat, am I wrong?
 
mddickens said:
Another member posted this, but I'll re-emphasize: determine your boat's pivot point. When I started learning to dock my 320, I didn't do that and wondered why I was always coming at an angle, and then having to adjust and steer the thing into the slip with a lot of shifting. Once I paid more attention to the pivot point, things got a lot easier.
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I agree .....The pivot point helped me alot......
 
Gunn said:
Back in January there was a thread on docking where one of our members posted a video of him performing a docking in tight quarters. Can't find that thread, but did save the videos. After the first one received good reviews, he created two more, one outside the boat and one inside the boat looking at the controls.

Sea Ray Docking



Sea Ray Docking 2

Sea Ray Docking 3 One minute in on this one is impressive.

Good stuff, I learned a lot just by watching these videos...like moving sideways to go alongside a pier.

Tom
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That boater is good.....very impressive....:smt001
 
He does NOT have a thruster. Wish I could find the original thread, but there was much discussion about it until he chimed in and explained...then he created the next two videos to be even more helpful.
 
Here is his user name: MoB`7aR

His 320 has twin diesel DP Volvo Pentas sterndrives.
 
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63chaos said:
I feel better I thought I was alone with this problem, seem like docking is a common problem. I hate that guy in the video, he really is good. For the guy who is asking I have I/O's. Capecodcruiser where are you docked or moored in Falmouth, I'm on the Child's River near the little beach, only the best place on the planet to boat, am I wrong?
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I am over at Kingmans, but we usually go over to your side. OB/Edgartown/Tarpaulin, etc. Washburns is a little to busy for me. Nothing is more stressful to me than backing into a slip in OB, hence the reason we do moorings more often! Come by for a beer sometime!
Far Niente 31 Sundancer
 
If my Merc Alphas with Quicksilver controls were HALF as smooth as the ones in the videos, I'd be super happy. Being able to shift smoothly and quickly is a must in a tight situation and those Quicksilver controls make that difficult.
My slip is in a tidal canal that experiences strong currents better than 3 knots many times and a tidal range of about 4-5 feet on average. Full ebb is the worst and all current flow is across my slip. In our marina, its common practice to use the end piling as a pivot to help get the stern into the slip. I've seen better skippers than myself have trouble getting into their slip if a wind is helping the current. I always feel anxious when docking and this is my tenth year in the same slip, its a different expereince almost everytime you come in. Practice is the best thing and I always go as slow as possible. I just wish I had a boat that shifted quick and smooth to make the job easier, and a thruster wouldn't hurt either.
 
SCORPIO said:
If my Merc Alphas with Quicksilver controls were HALF as smooth as the ones in the videos, I'd be super happy. Being able to shift smoothly and quickly is a must in a tight situation and those Quicksilver controls make that difficult.
My slip is in a tidal canal that experiences strong currents better than 3 knots many times and a tidal range of about 4-5 feet on average. Full ebb is the worst and all current flow is across my slip. In our marina, its common practice to use the end piling as a pivot to help get the stern into the slip. I've seen better skippers than myself have trouble getting into their slip if a wind is helping the current. I always feel anxious when docking and this is my tenth year in the same slip, its a different expereince almost everytime you come in. Practice is the best thing and I always go as slow as possible. I just wish I had a boat that shifted quick and smooth to make the job easier, and a thruster wouldn't hurt either.
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We have the same boat with the V drives

Our boat shifting is very responsive , quick and smooth.....Why not yours?? cables??
 
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SCORPIO said:
If my Merc Alphas with Quicksilver controls were HALF as smooth as the ones in the videos, I'd be super happy. Being able to shift smoothly and quickly is a must in a tight situation and those Quicksilver controls make that difficult.
My slip is in a tidal canal that experiences strong currents better than 3 knots many times and a tidal range of about 4-5 feet on average. Full ebb is the worst and all current flow is across my slip. In our marina, its common practice to use the end piling as a pivot to help get the stern into the slip. I've seen better skippers than myself have trouble getting into their slip if a wind is helping the current. I always feel anxious when docking and this is my tenth year in the same slip, its a different expereince almost everytime you come in. Practice is the best thing and I always go as slow as possible. I just wish I had a boat that shifted quick and smooth to make the job easier, and a thruster wouldn't hurt either.
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My port side is difficult, but my starboard slips back and forth effortlessly. Checking my cables is next on the list.
 
Why not yours?? cables??
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Outdrives tend to clunk when they go from one gear to the next, and the detente is pretty tricky to get past. If I'm not mistaken, don't Alphas actually shut down for a split second during gear shifts?

I had a boat with an Alpha 1 and a boat with an Bravo 3. The Bravo 3 was much smoother than the Alpha, but there's nothing like inboards for smooth shifting. BUT, that comes with a tradeoff - with inboards you get ZERO steering (via the rudders) when in reverse. With the Bravo3, I could steer the boat in reverse like driving a car in forward b/c the directional thrust and counter-rotating props move the stern wherever you want it to go.
 
floriduramax1 said:
My port side is difficult, but my starboard slips back and forth effortlessly. Checking my cables is next on the list.
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I have a 2004 and the throttles are electric. I do have one that shifts easier then the other which I would like to adjust by adjusting the indents but have not figured out how to get the cover off of the throttle quadrant even though I have followed the directions on the 280 thread but have not had any luck.
 
C.W. said:
Agree with parking it like you're driving a skid steer using just the transmissions with outdrives straight.
Hopefully some tips that will work for you:
1. Turning: WIth both engines at throttle and one side in forward and the other in reverse, on a completely calm curent/wind, the boat will pull forward. So to spin on a dime, I keep one side in reverse more than the other in forward (hopefully that makes sense)
2. Straight: Once in motion in the direction you're heading take it out of gear to continue at the same speed (unless going against current/wind)
3. Straight: To counter current/wind, set the throttle on the leeward side just a little higher when attempting to go straight. (not much, just 100-200 rpm more max)
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Thank you for making point #1. I realized after I read it, that it's because the prop is more efficient in forward than in reverse, so while docking this weekend, I tried this and it really helped maintain my position while pivoting the boat around. That and nailing the pivot point allowed me to pivot the boat around and have it almost perfectly lined up to back into the slip. Of course, there was no current or wind to worry about this weekend.
 
Jetmart said:
I have a 2004 and the throttles are electric. I do have one that shifts easier then the other which I would like to adjust by adjusting the indents but have not figured out how to get the cover off of the throttle quadrant even though I have followed the directions on the 280 thread but have not had any luck.
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Post a photo of your throttle on the 280DA forum so others can help you. Are they different than the ones that are already posted? Must be...
 
Thanks everyone for the helpfull tips on "docking the beast" we were out over the weekend, docked at Oak Bluffs and at Falmouth Harbor. I did much better, Thanks again
 
63chaos said:
Thanks everyone for the helpfull tips on "docking the beast" we were out over the weekend, docked at Oak Bluffs and at Falmouth Harbor. I did much better, Thanks again
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That's good news.....:thumbsup:
 
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