Docking failure...

PascalG
I had a good chuckle reading your single engine story - because it brought back memories. Similar experience for me thinking I could single handedly get from the slip to the haul out hoist on one engine, windy day in November, and a crowd of marina hoist hands watching. BIG MISTAKE! Must have spent 20 minutes just getting her backed out and finally turned into the channel. I thought the worst was over until I needed to manuever her into the hoist slip. Knew I would only have 1 shot at it (with a strong cross wind) once I was parallel to the hoist.

Long story short, mother nature won. I ended up bridging her across the opening to the hoist slip. The hoist hands had no idea what I was up to until I yelled to the guys "1 engine dead". They recovered me, quickly helping to drag her into the slip via some ropes that I had sense enough to have ready "just in case". Everyone has their day! I am always the first one off the boat when colleagues are coming into a dock nearby, they do the same for me. Makes boating special when you never have to ask, regardless of the challenges of that day...

This year I got up the nerve to back her in. So far I am 4/4, and wonder why I was so scared to try it before. I think it's actually easier for me tham bow in. I have to be patient, focused, slow and methodical - she slides right in. Well, so far she has....
Don
 
Normally the weight of the chain in the locker will prevent my anchor from dropping. With the current setup (rope gypsy only) I have to start the anchor manually; once the anchor is off the roller it's weight is enough to pull the chain from the locker. It's not really a big issue as I built the boat for single-handing (the cabin door is immediately adjacent to the con and only about 4' from the windlass itself); but rest assured it can still be a wild few seconds getting it done. I'm feeling that a power-down windlass would at least get the chain out of the locker and allow the anchor to pay out; but as Pascal notes it takes time to get the anchor to the bottom, which I have little enough of when maneuvering. I figure I'll have to build a new bowsprit for the anchor anyway, and will try to design it so the anchor drops from the roller as soon as it is released. Research indicates that the Pro-Fish has a power-down mode which I can use if I have to. If I can't get the anchor to go from the roller, I can back it out 2-3 feet before coming in to the dock and then switch the windlass to free-fall mode so it's ready to go.

Anything has got to be an improvement; watching me dock this kite on a windy day can be like watching bumper-cars at the carnival. If the wind is really strong I forget about turning around and dock stern to the wind, but that has it's own problems.

How spoiled we get. I was in Cadiz in '91 and watched the NINA turn around at the dock using ONLY spring lines and the wind, and then SAIL out into the harbor. She either didn't have an engine, or the crew were just showing off. It was impressive! The Pinta and the Santa Maria used engines, and didn't raise sail till in the open. Sorry, no pix to share.
 
quote:
Originally posted by stmbtwle

I was in Cadiz in '91 and watched the NINA turn around at the dock using ONLY spring lines and the wind, and then SAIL out into the harbor. She either didn't have an engine, or the crew were just showing off.
Click to expand...


I think she was showing off, but what the heck, if ya got it, flaunt it!
 
willie - i was looking at a lewmar profish also (the 750 model) and thought both models were freefall only. are they both freefall AND power down? also, i was told it's a good idea to secure the anchor when underway with a pin or some kind of safety chain and have always done so on my boat. even with a freefall windlass (not a lewmar model), i would always have to leave the helm to undo the safety first (which i hated). is securing the anchor not necessary?
 
For the record, no docking failures last weekend. Of course, no wind either! Piece of cake without wind. I'm actually looking forward to the next windy day to try it again. I'll get her into that slip crosswind be damned!
 
yes, your anchor shoudl be secured underway with a pin or somthing to release tension on the wl but you can release the pin before getting into the anchorage so that it's ready to go when you need it.
 
Pascal - This is probably a stupid question, and I think I know the answer to it, but here it goes anyway. I'm assuming that you shouldn't let the windlass pull the boat to the anchor when you are going to pull it up right? Meaning you should forward the boat to the anchor while reeling in the chain rather than putting the pressure on the windlass right?
 
Regarding throwing a line to someone on the dock. I learned a while ago that the only safe way to pull a boat into the dock is to first wrap the line a half turn around the cleat. I have seen too many people practically fall into the drink as soon as the wind catches the boat they were trying to pull with brute force into the dock. The guy who showed me wrapped the line a half turn around the cleat, then holding the line taught, he stepped on the line that was off the dock between the boat & the cleat, and sort of ratched the boat in by stepping, pulling up the slack, stepping, and pulling up the slack. It's hard to describe, but it really works like a charm.
 
Rich,

yes, the windlass should not be used to bring the boat up to the anchor, you shoudl use the engines... Now to be totally honest... I use the windlass unless the wind is strong as in calm condition i think the effort on the windlass is no greater than a 50lbs anchor and 50' of chain being lifted off the bottom. :-)

jsut like you shoudl cleat off the rode while anchored to release tension on the WL. i do that at night or strong wind but not for a few hours on a calm day...

Rob

abasolutely right... you get much more leverage using the cleat. pulling a boat with your back is ok with a small boat but downright dangerous on larger boat and even physically impossible. This is why at a home dock, it doens't make sense to use the eye on the boat, you're better off using the bitted end to have excess line to work the line against the cleat.

on my boats, most cleats are on the deck and lower than the hull, 3 to 5" so i also step on the line while holding the bitter end, just like a ratchet. it's the only way i can move a 50k lbs boat without effort...

on the dock side, stepping on the line between the boat and cleat can be dangerous, an almost equally easy way is to pull up on the line between the cleat and the boat while holding the bitter end against the cleat... also like a ratchet.

little details that make the difference between easy and hard, safe and dangerous, the pros and the sunday clowns.
 
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