dhays
Guru
- Joined
- May 26, 2015
- Messages
- 9,360
- Location
- Gig Harbor, WA
- Vessel Name
- Kinship
- Vessel Make
- North Pacific 43
We had a great weekend on the boat for Thanksgiving. We went North to Poulsbo on Thanksgiving day and spent a couple of nights. We had a slip there at the Marina which is a wonderful spot to enjoy the town of Poulsbo when the weather is poor. The only hitch was that I embarrassed myself on both arrival and departure.
Coming in late Thursday afternoon the wind was 20 kts out of the South. My assigned slip was a bow-in, starboard tie, heading North. The transient docks were mostly empty so there was plenty of room. I was to have the slip all to myself so didn't need to worry about another boat between the fingers.
Things were looking good as I crabbed my way down the fairway to make the turn to port into the slip. I made the turn and was lined up nicely in the finger. Only then did I realize that the wind was more Westerly than I had thought. My son says that the wind shifted to more Westerly, but I think he was simply being kind.
I now was being blown to starboard into the finger dock. I was able to use power and rudder to get the bow away but the corner of the dock was aimed for the hull amidships. The wind was too much for the bow and stern thrusters. Fortunately, a nice owner of a Bayliner 4788 came out to take the bow line and my son was able to step off and help push the boat away so that between the stern thruster and prop walk we were able to keep from hitting the dock. All in all, a poor performance.
Given the wind I used a both a port and starboard bow line, two springs and a stern breast line to keep us secure overnight.
Two days later we went to leave. The wind was only 5-10 out of the South so this was going to be an easy departure. I took off the springs, had my wife holding the stern breast line, and untied the starboard bow line bring it around the aft horn of the dock cleat and back through the hawse hole. This would fall off the horn as we backed out but my son was ready to release it from the boat if it didn't. Great plan.
I had my wife release the stern line and allowed the wind to push the boat forward against the starboard bow line, which swung the stern away from the dock. Then I applied power in reverse to back us away. Worked great until the boat stopped dead in the water, held by something. My son said the starboard bow line hadn't slipped off the dock horn. That was odd... He untied it from the bow, thereby releasing the odd tension which had kept it from slipping off. I then put it in reverse again. This time, the bow swung to port and then the boat stopped again. It was only then that I recalled tying an extra bow line on the port side to a clear on the dock ahead of us. The first attempt the port bow line kept the boat from moving back and caused enough tension on the starboard line so it didn't slip off the dock cleat.
Well, now I was in a pickle. We were 4' from the dock on the starboard side. I was working the stern to the side so my son could step off to get that line when a friendly boat owner came down the dock with a box of doughnuts. He kindly release the port bow line from the dock and we were finally away. Another embarrassing dock experience.
Coming in late Thursday afternoon the wind was 20 kts out of the South. My assigned slip was a bow-in, starboard tie, heading North. The transient docks were mostly empty so there was plenty of room. I was to have the slip all to myself so didn't need to worry about another boat between the fingers.
Things were looking good as I crabbed my way down the fairway to make the turn to port into the slip. I made the turn and was lined up nicely in the finger. Only then did I realize that the wind was more Westerly than I had thought. My son says that the wind shifted to more Westerly, but I think he was simply being kind.
I now was being blown to starboard into the finger dock. I was able to use power and rudder to get the bow away but the corner of the dock was aimed for the hull amidships. The wind was too much for the bow and stern thrusters. Fortunately, a nice owner of a Bayliner 4788 came out to take the bow line and my son was able to step off and help push the boat away so that between the stern thruster and prop walk we were able to keep from hitting the dock. All in all, a poor performance.
Given the wind I used a both a port and starboard bow line, two springs and a stern breast line to keep us secure overnight.
Two days later we went to leave. The wind was only 5-10 out of the South so this was going to be an easy departure. I took off the springs, had my wife holding the stern breast line, and untied the starboard bow line bring it around the aft horn of the dock cleat and back through the hawse hole. This would fall off the horn as we backed out but my son was ready to release it from the boat if it didn't. Great plan.
I had my wife release the stern line and allowed the wind to push the boat forward against the starboard bow line, which swung the stern away from the dock. Then I applied power in reverse to back us away. Worked great until the boat stopped dead in the water, held by something. My son said the starboard bow line hadn't slipped off the dock horn. That was odd... He untied it from the bow, thereby releasing the odd tension which had kept it from slipping off. I then put it in reverse again. This time, the bow swung to port and then the boat stopped again. It was only then that I recalled tying an extra bow line on the port side to a clear on the dock ahead of us. The first attempt the port bow line kept the boat from moving back and caused enough tension on the starboard line so it didn't slip off the dock cleat.
Well, now I was in a pickle. We were 4' from the dock on the starboard side. I was working the stern to the side so my son could step off to get that line when a friendly boat owner came down the dock with a box of doughnuts. He kindly release the port bow line from the dock and we were finally away. Another embarrassing dock experience.
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