Docking with stern drives on 310

[bajturner]

When backing into a slip with a finger on the port side, docked boat on the starboard side, and wind and current on the port side, the boat is going to drift into the docked boat, with the bow moving faster than the stern. As soon as you start turning that wheel to move the stern closer to the dock or fight the current, the bow is going to go hard into the docked boat.

This describes my slip, and the conditions about 50% of the time. Add into that the fact that the boat beside me is 40+ feet long with an anchor sticking way out on a pulpit! It is a challenge for sure, and directing the sterndrives can be helpful.

As long as the wind isn't so strong that I can't rotate the bow into it while reversing, which is most of the time, what I find useful is to back towards the finger at roughly a 45 degree angle (somewhat into the wind), with the big boat/anchor off the starboard side of my gelcoat/windsheid...and face! All the while the wind wants to push my bow into it. Use the shifters to start rotating to port, maybe over rotate a little, neutral, steer to port to bring the stern back over to port, reverse and out, centre the wheel, reverse both engines, rotate or over-rotate, steer, back, rotate, etc. Once I am in far enough I can usually just port reverse to get straight, then straight back.

Sometime I pivot a bit around a fender against my neighbour's boat, but it is expected (when my neighbour is tied a little loose, I always have to nudge him over to squeeze in, and that what fenders are for. Just don't let them roll up.

This is controllable and determinate. Timing the wind is a crapshoot for me. Oh, the wind stopped, wait now it's a big gust...doh, let's try again!

It's not easy and my wife hates returning in those conditions, but it's not a big deal if your reactions are automatic (which mine are about 70% of the time!) and you take your time.

 

[Billfletcher]

To clarify, I am shifters only, but we talked about gassing her, on the reverse engine to get more bite when needed. But, I didnt want to do that too much yesterday and confuse the issue. I would think shifters only, and a bit of reverse prop throttle would work in most situations here in SD where we have very protected marinas, and little current. Also, they are in a single slip.

 

[RollerCoastr]

I was in a situation a few weeks ago in the 40, and it wasn't fun and I didn't look cool!

I was docked port-to on an ugly wall with no uprights and uneven steel. Wind from starboard. There's a wall 15' behind me and rocks 5' off the bow. Let's see if I can draw it:
__________________
| ========> 0o0
|
|
|
|

Wind ^

There was nothing to pivot against, so had to get the stern away by holding the bow to the dock, but from a distance. Rudders aren't much help with 1 engine in reverse, so I had to bump stbd into fwd now and then to help kick the stern, but I couldn't get too close to sharp steel at the bow. NOT FUN!

Had I been in the 280, I would've been able to pull the stern out swiftly with the wheel, let go of the bow line, straighten the wheel and pivot the bow out, OR, just back into the wind and be free. The twin I/O's had two low-stress options compared to a twin inboard "high-stress" method.

 

[KC_Sundancer]

first master using only fwd/rev shifting in calm conditions, then add-in the steering wheel (again in calm conditions) later as it can be useful to move your stern laterally a little. One important technique, whether using the wheel or not, is bumping in and out of gear. If you are using the wheel, shift to neutral, point the wheel, shift into gear, shift to neutral, centre the wheel, point the wheel if necessary again or leave centred, shift into gear, etc.

Well said. You need a third step added: learning throttle. Always backing in, I often have to power one engine or both up against each other with the drives turned to pull or push the boat sideways to the dock or against a strong wind. As caution this third step should have the other two steps mastered first, boats are much easier to fend off when moving under low power if you make a mistake.

 

[GrandMaster]

I would say it is definitely useful to know how to use both but to provide a learning path, first master using only fwd/rev shifting in calm conditions, then add-in the steering wheel (again in calm conditions) later as it can be useful to move your stern laterally a little. One important technique, whether using the wheel or not, is bumping in and out of gear. If you are using the wheel, shift to neutral, point the wheel, shift into gear, shift to neutral, centre the wheel, point the wheel if necessary again or leave centred, shift into gear, etc. If you start turning the wheel while in reverse gear, it's likely going to get a little hairy. You have to be able to find centre in an instant at all times, likely by quickly going to one lock and then backing off a memorized amount, or by only turning the wheel a prescribed amount that you can always reliably back-off from.

Totally agree. Never turn the wheel with engines in gear. Always seems to creates more problems than its intended to solve.

Vectoring the thrust by bumping in/out of gear with the drives turned can be very helpful.

Also, remember that one day the boat may quite possibly have to be docked down an engine, In which case there will be little choice but to use the wheel, so one should practice for that situation.

 

[Billfletcher]

Also, remember that one day the boat may quite possibly have to be docked down an engine, In which case there will be little choice but to use the wheel, so one should practice for that situation.

That is a very good point. I have been meaning to do some practice runs at the dock with one engine for that very reason.

 

[KC_Sundancer]

That is a very good point. I have been meaning to do some practice runs at the dock with one engine for that very reason.

Been there a few times with old shift cable issues killing an engine. Of course it's was always on the windiest day with 100's watching from the tour boats. :smt101
That's when a well seasoned crew helps too. Be sure to spend time teaching your crew the docking procedure and how to help if an issue should arise. Big thing to stress with that training is the boat can always be fixed so don't put yourself between it and the dock or other boats. Teach throwing lines and lassoing poles, powering around a line and using boat hooks and such, just in case.

 

[sbw1]

I used to have twin I/Os and always docked the boat as if it were a single engine boat. One engine was in neutral and the other did all the work. And, yes I used the wheel and throttle to control it. Single I/Os are easy to dock once you learn how to control them. Adding another engine just complicates the process. Try doing it for awhile. You may surprise yourself

 

[JV II]

I disagree 100% with your Axius statement. Axius is not a maintenance hog - no more so than any other hydraulic steering. I have Gen I which is the "most expensive" to maintain - and it still serves me better than any bow thruster would. No extra holes in the boat. No extra battery. No extra inaccessible parts to get to when things go wrong. No fouling or anodes in the thruster to maintain. And the "family" safety factor is huge. Teaching them to use Axius - easy peasy - teaching them to use engines and bow-thruster - nowhere near as easy.

The price difference between Axius and Bow Thruster is $10.000-$15.000 (Bowthrusters are ? $9000+) - even at that cost I would not hesitate for a SECOND to chose Axius.

Who said it was a maintenance hog?

 

[JV II]

Why do you say unexpected? Everything that happens can be predicted when you know what forces are at work.

True, I should have said, things will happen very fast. To the less experienced boater, this subject, it will be unexpected to have his bow swing like a pendulum into the adjacent boat's anchor as soon as he starts messing with the drives.

Imagine no wind, no current and the bow boat is angled in the slip and stern is too far away.

This I can't imagine and only dream of. A slip wide enough that a boat can be angled in it and no wind and current are like unicorns.

In the scenario of wind and current, I totally agree with your strategy. My point is, and I'll always stand by it, is that never using directed thrust when it's available to you is a mistake, and it has lead people to falsely believe that twin I/O's are hard to handle. (they have more variables, they're more complicated, but they have MORE maneuverability than inboards)

No contest.

 

[RollerCoastr]

This I can't imagine and only dream of. A slip wide enough that a boat can be angled in it and no wind and current are like unicorns.

lol ok, perhaps I used a bad example. (but it WAS a real one - I was describing my own dock: no center piling, no well-mate and the dock mate upwind is a big BL Motoryacht)

A more common scenario:

A long pier with a restaurant, so there's 120-150 witnesses waiting for the boaters to screw up. Newbie-boater aims for an open gap, mis-judges the wind and finds himself angled toward the pier, but just out of his 1st-Mate's line-throwing range. If he pivots in, he'll be perpendicular when the bow is close enough. In fact, if he were close enough to safely pivot the bow to the dock, then what? He's got a bow line on, but his stern is swinging out fast and the pivot point is too far back to help. The wheel to the rescue!

 

[kaz911]

Who said it was a maintenance hog?

Sorry if I misunderstood - but in my book "complexity" = high maintenance. I had complex girlfriends before I met my wife :grin:

 

[JV II]

Sorry if I misunderstood - but in my book "complexity" = high maintenance. I had complex girlfriends before I met my wife :grin:

By complexity, I mean the additional computers, software, servo motors, and integration. More potential systems to fail.

 

[kaz911]

By complexity, I mean the additional computers, software, servo motors, and integration. More potential systems to fail.

There is not much difference between Axius and DTS with hydraulic steering. There are no extra servo motors - only oil pump, solenoids and filters. Then there is one computer controlling it located at your helm. I have not heard of those failing (yet). I think after the "White Glove" update - Axius performs well. There are a few issues like the need for dedicated "SmartCraft" GPS and Heading sensor - but apart from that - as I said - I would not hesitate a second choosing Axius over bow-thruster. I did also forget you do have the benefit of electronic steering which makes it "reasonably" easy to integrate with Auto pilot interfaces. (Check out Mercury / Simrad Glass cockpit) - that is not an option with a bow thruster unless you then add a full auto-pilot pump and accessories - and then you are back to "where is this less simple than Axius"....

The biggest issue with Axius was Gen I high pressure pumps failed too often and was in Gen II replaced with low pressure pumps. I have a bastard version in between. The tech's I know says the only thing they see fail is the high pressure pump - usually because people forget to change the filters. When I got my boat - the PO had not ever changed the filters. And it is usually cheaper to "update" a Gen 1 system failed HP oil pump to a Gen 2 system than it is to replace the high pressure pump by itself.

 

[hanger505]

I used to have twin I/Os and always docked the boat as if it were a single engine boat. One engine was in neutral and the other did all the work. And, yes I used the wheel and throttle to control it. Single I/Os are easy to dock once you learn how to control them. Adding another engine just complicates the process. Try doing it for awhile. You may surprise yourself

Same here - Found it easiest to drive my twin I/O exactly the same as my previous single.