Cruising realities

[CaptTom]

Never let anyone take the bow line!

This has got to be the #1 rule of docking.

 

[Nick F]

Never let anyone take the bow line - This has got to be the #1 rule of docking.

I am curious to know more about this (hoping this is not an "anchor" issue!).

I have a boat with twins and no thruster. My standard docking technique (when there is someone on the dock) is to put the bow in close and pass the bow line. If all goes to plan, the person on the dock then takes a turn around a cleat and holds the bitter end. I can now bring in the stern using the twins and I can also adjust the fore-aft position slightly. My partner then steps onto the dock from the gate near the stern and makes a stern line.

Is there some reason why this is a bad technique? If so, I would like to learn why.

 

[psneeld]

I am curious to know more about this (hoping this is not an "anchor" issue!).

I have a boat with twins and no thruster. My standard docking technique (when there is someone on the dock) is to put the bow in close and pass the bow line. If all goes to plan, the person on the dock then takes a turn around a cleat and holds the bitter end. I can now bring in the stern using the twins and I can also adjust the fore-aft position slightly. My partner then steps onto the dock from the gate near the stern and makes a stern line.

Is there some reason why this is a bad technique? If so, I would like to learn why.

That's a great technique and I use lots of different lines in different ways to dock...more efficient than relying on one... bowlines are probably the best line for strong current or wind pushing you off the dock.

The trouble is all too often inexperienced dock line-handlers snub tight and early...if you are still moving, the boat abruptly stops and the stern swings out almost uncontrollably. Then is impossible to bring in until the bowline is loosened.

 

[mvweebles]

I am curious to know more about this (hoping this is not an "anchor" issue!).

I have a boat with twins and no thruster. My standard docking technique (when there is someone on the dock) is to put the bow in close and pass the bow line. If all goes to plan, the person on the dock then takes a turn around a cleat and holds the bitter end. I can now bring in the stern using the twins and I can also adjust the fore-aft position slightly. My partner then steps onto the dock from the gate near the stern and makes a stern line.

Is there some reason why this is a bad technique? If so, I would like to learn why.

Often, the person on the dock tightens the bow line too tightly which stops the stern from swinging in so your mate cannot make it to the dock.......but they can toss the line handler a stern line. The boat is no longer under the control of the helmsman but rather your mate and line handler on the dock. When it goes really bad is when the helmsman does not accept that he/she (well, in this case it's almost always a 'he') is no longer in control and tries to continue whatever plan he has.

I have found that after this happens once or twice, both the helmsman and the mate need to adapt. Often, a line handler on the dock is really handy, especially with sundeck style boats that are difficult to get someone into the dock. You have a couple choices. Hand them the bow line but instruct them to ease it. You'll have to keep telling them to ease it because from their viewpoint with the boat at an angle, it looks really loose. Another option is have them set a breast line (midship cleat perpendicular out to dock - it's a relatively short line that needs to be removed shortly after boat is settled). But if your boat has a clear halfway between the bow and midships, use that one instead of the bow clear - less likely to pin the bow

Peter

 

[rslifkin]

I am curious to know more about this (hoping this is not an "anchor" issue!).

I have a boat with twins and no thruster. My standard docking technique (when there is someone on the dock) is to put the bow in close and pass the bow line. If all goes to plan, the person on the dock then takes a turn around a cleat and holds the bitter end. I can now bring in the stern using the twins and I can also adjust the fore-aft position slightly. My partner then steps onto the dock from the gate near the stern and makes a stern line.

Is there some reason why this is a bad technique? If so, I would like to learn why.

It depends on the boat. I do similar, but with a spring line, not a bow line. On my boat, if the bow is cleated, it's harder to pull the stern in with the engines, and if the bow line is too tight, the stern can't reach the dock. Having the attachment point further aft helps a lot and spring line length is much more forgiving.

Generally I try to slide the stern up to the dock so the admiral can step off with the spring line, then I can pull the boat back against the dock and hold it in place while the rest of the lines are secured. We generally plan for no help on the dock, and if there is seemingly competent help available, the spring line can simply be handed off rather than the admiral stepping with it. We're also a twins, no thrusters setup.

 

[Nick F]

Thanks for the feedback!

I kept my description short - as stated, the bow line must not be made too short, and the person on the dock must be told what to do. I ask the dock to only take a turn and hold the bitter end, so that line can be loosened a bit if necessary.

I prefer using the bow line over a spring when trying to get into a limited dock space with other vessels to the fore and aft (a very common situation in our club).

 

[SteveK]

We all dock a boat a certain way that works for us. I will make sure the bow line is not available to anyone on the dock until the other lines are secured. Instead I will use a longer than needed midship line and toss that to a dock helper. I retain control of the boat even if they tie it tight.

 

[rslifkin]

To some extent the technique will depend on where the spring cleats are placed. Mine are right at the widest point of the boat and about 2/3 of the way forward.

 

[Don L]

It took a while, but I finally learned that the dock monkeys don't know anything. Took a while longer to teach my wife to do what I said and not what they said and if she threw a line to them to tell them what we wanted them to do with it.

 

[SteveK]

many years ago I charted a new 41 sailboat. On return arrival I was greeted by 3-4 employees of the charter outfit waiting to fend me off. (I am guessing they charter to non boaters). I decided not to give them a line until the boat coasted to a stop beside the dock.

 

[Hippocampus]

We’ve changed practice long ago.
Never use the loop that comes with some dock lines. In fact it’s better and cheaper to make your own and have no loops.
Always have a long tail on both ends of dock lines. That way if the dock hand cleats too early you can loosen up your end and have an appropriate length.
We have two cleats forward on both sides. One set at the actual bow. Another set a few feet back. If you’re going to toss a line use the one further back. But agree with the folks at attainable adventures. First line should be a spring.
Hassle with power v sail is the typical design of swim platforms v sugar scoops. Whereas with a sugar scoop you can place a fender and protect it often with a swim platform there’s no good way to do that. In strong currents try to dock coming in to the current bow first . But leaving prefer to back out stern first in to the current. If not possible will leave a spring from the bow to a midship dock cleat and go into it to kick out the stern when a stern thruster is insufficient.

 

[Bmarler]

My bow line is the last one secured. My hull shape more resembles a sailboat being wider midship. If there’s a dock helper, he’ll get the breast line. I prefer the stern line to be made first so I can power fwd against it. Single screw.
If the breast line is made first I can reverse and use prop walk to bring it in.

 

[LovetoBoat]

My bow line is generally the first one secured - especially in my slip. Otherwise if I am on the T dock it could be the mid cleat but never stern first on my boat. Leaving the stern free allows me to move or position the boat much more freely - I am a single prop.

 

[psneeld]

My bow line is generally the first one secured - especially in my slip. Otherwise if I am on the T dock it could be the mid cleat but never stern first on my boat. Leaving the stern free allows me to move or position the boat much more freely - I am a single prop.

Very nice to use a stern line on a face dock if it's the smart move due to traffic or wind blowing the bow away from the dock or docking down current.... kick the stern over to the dock, get a real short line snubbed, then just idle ahead. Good for singles or twins. Just don't try it with a strong current on the nose.

Done right, pretty as a picture and amazes a lot of watchers.

 

[rslifkin]

Very nice to use a stern line if the smart move due to traffic or other to kick the stern over, get a real sort line on then just idle ahead. Good for singles or twins.

Pretty as a picture and amazes a lot of watchers.

Idle ahead is basically what I do with a spring line on my boat. Line led aft from the spring cleat to the dock, dock-side engine in forward idle and rudders turned away from the dock. Adjust the amount of rudder based on wind so the boat sits flat against the dock and it'll stay there even with 20+ kts of wind blowing it off (wind blowing off the dock means less rudder required, as the bow gets pushed more than the stern).

 

[Delta Riverat]

That the way the captain trained us.

Back up to dock and mate hooks loop on stern line on dock cleat from aft deck which is a good 5 feet above the dock and secures to boat announces "line secure"

Captain bumps dock engine forward and re-engages clutch when line pulls snug.

Now the boat is pinned to the dock on fenders and stairs can be deployed, boat exited safely and bow line secured.

Reboard and shut down engines.

 

[High Wire]

Even when you throw them a loop end and tell them where to put it. 99 out of 100 will pull the line until the bow crashes the dock then tie it off tight leaving the stern hanging out at about 30 degrees until they loosen up

 

[PierreR]

I have a couple different colors painted on the lines. I tell a dock hand what color I want at the cleat.

 

[Dougcole]

So here is a real world (no "mights" you have to decide yes or no):

That temp reading pegged high earlier in the year while in the Bahamas all of a sudden while leaving an anchorage. I didn't have an IR gun.

Would you have turned around or continued?

I continued. I did have a meat thermometer and I stuck that under the lip of the hose on engine and figured that was about the same temp and it wasn't hot. I continued that way for around 100 hours now.

I have now replaced both the sender and the gage and it still isn't reading right. So probably a wire problem, but I have not verified yet. I now have an IR gun, but ...........

Would you leave if you don't get to the wire?

Yes, I would continue my trip even without an IR gun (though I have an IR gun and baseline temp readings for multiple spots written in my log). I have an exhaust gas temp alarm installed downstream from my mixing elbows, I'd be comfortable relying on it to finish the trip if I suspected the temp gauge was faulty.


Similarly, my oil pressure gauge went bad on my port side (followed a week later by the stb side, long story) while we were in the Bahamas last year. It bounced around prior to becoming completely inoperable which made me confident it was the gauge and I kept going. The stb side doing the same thing a week later actually made me more confident that it was an electrical issue and not an oil pressure issue.

 

[Don L]

Don't think that exhaust gas temp is really a backup for engine temp. Is a good sw flow thing, but just saying and think they are great for that.

 

[Hippocampus]

Some people use exhaust temp to tune a CPP.

 

[Don L]

BTW I am STILL trying to get my engine temperature to work right. But I will leave after Christmas regardless if I do (on the last thing to try)

 

[slowgoesit]

Some people use exhaust temp to tune a CPP.

Exactly, that's what we do. BUT, if my EGT went wonky, the first think I would do is use the IR thermometer (we have two, main and spare). If the IR thermometer said the EGT was reading incorrectly, I would continue the trip until I could get the issue fixed. It wouldn't be months of running through . . . .

Ours, two days ago showed 100 degrees higher than normal for same speed though the water, and engine temp was 10 degrees higher as well I checked the raw outflow (normal), and the sea water strainers (mild fouling of the strainer), and we finished the trip (3 hours) checking every hour for temps.

Upon arrival at our anchorage, I dove on the bottom to see if the inlet of the sea chest was obstructed, finding mild to moderate barnacle growth on the grate. But, what I think the root of the problem was 1/4" of barnacle growth on the Hundested CCP, which occurred in just 20 days at anchor in La Paz, MX. . . . . Rest of bottom, rudder, etc is just fine with light soft growth. . . . So out will come the dive gear and I'll be cleaning the prop, inlet grate, etc today, or tomorrow. I think that will correct the high EGT. . . .

 

[ranger58sb]

Can't remember if I tried to "snapshot" our typical "en route" fix-it process...

Notice problem
Observe problem to identify symptoms
Identify relevant system(s)
Find the relevant system manual
Review the relevant system manual
Correlate symptom(s) to required parts
Apply immediate temporary work-arounds if/as required
Rummage through onboard spares for parts
Identify required tools (improvise, or buy new, if necessary)
If necessary, find parts (and tools?) supplier(s)
Compare prices and delivery terms if relevant
Order parts (and tools?), to be delivered at a future stop en route
Receive parts (and tools?)
Make repair
Evaluate success
Repeat all/some as necessary
Declare victory
Have a beverage

Of course I'm reminded of the process because we just worked our way through an event like this. Not a surprise, of course.

-Chris

 

[sunchaser]

Don't think that exhaust gas temp is really a backup for engine temp. Is a good sw flow thing, but just saying and think they are great for that.

+1

 

[ranger58sb]

Can't remember if I tried to "snapshot" our typical "en route" fix-it process...

Notice problem
Observe problem to identify symptoms
Identify relevant system(s)
Find the relevant system manual
Review the relevant system manual
Correlate symptom(s) to required parts
Apply immediate temporary work-arounds if/as required
Rummage through onboard spares for parts
Identify required tools (improvise, or buy new, if necessary)
If necessary, find parts (and tools?) supplier(s)
Compare prices and delivery terms if relevant
Order parts (and tools?), to be delivered at a future stop en route
Receive parts (and tools?)
Make repair
Evaluate success
Repeat all/some as necessary
Declare victory
Have a beverage

Of course I'm reminded of the process because we just worked our way through an event like this. Not a surprise, of course.

-Chris

And then the next morning, discover victory might have been declared too soon...

-Chris