Show your dock space and why its a pain in the butt to dock

Skybolt · Sep 15, 2022

Not really a big deal, but My boat is longer then I have room to pull out or get back in. The boat next to me has an LOA of 52' (48 Ocean) and mine with the dinghy is 54' (extended swim platform and dinghy). I have to pull between the bows of the boat's across from me if they are in there slip and my wife grabs the bow rail(s) while I maneuver a bit. If I am lucky the boat directly across from me is gone and then it's easy peasy.Pulling back in is easier, I back down the runway a bit and pull right in. But leaving is very interesting, no thrusters of any kind and only two engines. But that has always been enough.

Pirate Lady · Sep 18, 2022

Pirate Lady said:
I am in slip lower left, by time my ass end clears piling I am almost into boats across from me, and the one on my port is too big for that slip and sticks way out. I been waiting for the end slip upper right with full side pier to open for a year, finally did, moving to it this weekend.
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Finally moved this morning; was problem with shore power on new slip that delayed move. Sweet. Loving the full side pier. Wife very happy.

Pirate Lady · Sep 18, 2022

b_arrington said:
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This is my boat in her slip. Easy! you say. Usually you’re right. Lots of space to the boat next to me. Nothing across. Single engine with bow/stern thrusters makes maneuvering great.

So what’s the problem? Those pesky tides. The harbor shallows up and I can’t get in or out for at least an hour either side of low tide. Last Saturday was a very low tide and I missed the depth window by about 15 minutes. I tried to back in and got stuck in the mud halfway in. Had to sit on the outside dock for about 2.5 hours waiting for the tide to come back up. At least it my wife and I had some alone time to just relax when my in-laws took the kids home.

Old trick; take a old spring mattress with material removed, throw in by pier, and drag out with a boat, zodiac. Repeat multiple times thru the day, does a great job of dredging a slip.

b_arrington · Sep 18, 2022

Pirate Lady said:
Old trick; take a old spring mattress with material removed, throw in by pier, and drag out with a boat, zodiac. Repeat multiple times thru the day, does a great job of dredging a slip.

I may have heard that you can tie a dinghy to the dock at low tide and run the engine at full to blow silt out of the slip.

Pirate Lady · Sep 18, 2022

b_arrington said:
I may have heard that you can tie a dinghy to the dock at low tide and run the engine at full to blow silt out of the slip.

That too.

sbw1 · Sep 18, 2022

This slip looks like a piece of cake to get into until you realize the prevailing wind is almost always 90 degrees on your port beam and frequently blows 15-20 on your broadside. Add in the rude boaters who violate the slow no wake regulations blowing by you in front of and behind your boat on any given day while you are trying to pull into your slip and you begin to see the challenge of docking there. Backing out on a busy day with wakes coming over the back of your transom is also and interesting experience.

jmauld · Sep 18, 2022

My slip is pretty easy to manage. Wind usually blows me into the slip so as long as I can get lined up in time I’m all good.

slip is 40’ long by 15’ wide. Im 39x13.

Creekwood · Sep 18, 2022

This weekend I had to return to the dock in 20 knot wind. Probably only 15 at the marina. Fuel dock full on arrival so I had to hover around till space cleared. A few small boats also came in and had to do the same. A couple were really bouncing around the boats fending off everywhere. Hard to watch.

when it was time to go to my slip after fuel up, the wind was on the port side blowing me away from my side of the 2 boat slip. I have learned that if I tie a long line to the midship cleat and run it back to the cockpit I can grab that line and hop on the dock once I am in position and use a dock cleat to pull it to the dock before the wind blows it off. Makes solo docking in the wind a breeze.