Docking failure...

R

rich356

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exMember
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Apr 3, 2007
RO Number
25751
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249
Well, this newbie experienced his first docking failure this weekend! It truly is amazing how fast the wind can blow a 10 ton boat around like it's nothing. Particularly one like mine with a high flybridge! I was in the middle of the channel approaching my slip with the wind blowing diagonally across my slip. I started to turn and the wind caught me, and within seconds I was all the way over on the left side of the channel (my slip is on the right side) right next to the docked boats in their slips! Thankfully, my brother-in-law/boat handling teacher was right next to me, and I handed off to him before I hit anything! He, of course, docked it like a pro after getting us back into the middle of the channel. Lesson learned though, I should have probably used the piling to pivot around. I just really underestimated the wind speed though. I guess I can't be too frustrated though because a fishing charter boat tried to come in way too fast and almost hit several boats before taking out two docks in the same wind. Just stinks that it had to happen in front of a lot of people on my dock!
 
Don't worry about the crowd. If they were nice, they should've come to your aid. At least that's what what my dockmates do, and they never make me feel bad even when am on my third try...

[:-love]
 
Well, now you have been initiated! Congrats [:-star]. I've made many crash landings into my slip, but I've never hit another boat.

One time I was having to power in against a strong cross current. When I was halfway into my slip, I put the gear into reverse, but the [single] engine died instead! Fortunately, my dinghy was floating in the slip and prevented my boat from crashing into the dock. There would have been damage to the dock otherwise!
 
There are those who have smashed into their dock and there are those who will.
 
Live and Learn.

I'm sure everyone on the dock has a similar story or much much worse.

Great job as Captain to give up the helm and swallow your pride !!!

Mark
 
quote:
Originally posted by giolic

Great job as Captain to give up the helm and swallow your pride !!!
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Pride? No way! He was saving his new boat! [:-timebm]
 
I actually was going to try to work it out, but with the wind directly abeam and my port side almost touching the swim platforms on the boats behind my slip pride had to take a back seat. I watched what my BIL did closely and he was nice enough to explain as he was docking. He didn't use the piling, but came pretty close to it. Basically he turned into the slip earlier than he would have without wind, and he was using more power. My dockmates are great actually. They always come to help, and they were very supportive of me. In fact, they all said they couldn't believe how well I was doing handling the boat. Since this is the first larger twin screw boat I've driven I guess I'm dumb enough not to know that a smaller express probably would be much easier. But hey, if you learn on the more difficult boat you'll be able to drive anything right? Well, maybe not anything.
 
I was witness to the antics, the worst thing you can do is panic and if you feel like you will panic its honestly best to hand it over to somebody who is a little more collective. Best advice is take the boat out on a calm night and really get used to docking it in several different slips and get it perfect when its calm. The progess a little further and when the wind is the worst and nobody else is going out, just take the boat in and out of the slip as many time as you can until you are 100% comfortable with it. I learned by just docking and then taking it right back out only to dock again. Practice makes perfect!
 
There are two types of boaters out there - those that have had a docking go wrong, and those that will have a docking go wrong.
 
In the "old days" when I first got a 26'single screw inboard, I would go to the marina with an experienced buddy, and spend hours doing 'touch and go' dockings and undockings...for hours. Tried to do at ebbing tide, slack and incoming, just to get the feel.
My wife's friend lived in a high rise on the cliffs above the George Washington Bridge, had a boat on the river as well, and typical of most of those dwellers, had a telescope. She related to my wife that there was 'this nut'out there doing dockings endlessly!
Boated there for almost 20 years, and the practice came in handy.
Before you know it, you will be so comfortable, you'll feel like your backside (or your feet...I never sit) are connected to the boat. Happy boating!
 
Ah man, I was hoping that you didn't see that Ray! Can't get away with anything when you have someone from your marina on the same forum! Seriously though, good advice Ray. I actually feel really comfortable docking it when it's calm already, but I was just really surprised by how quickly the wind moved it. I met your boss Tim BTW. Nice guy. Must be fun to work for!
 
Rich, how did he maneuver out of danger? I've never had twins, so I'm curious if you would do the same thing as I would with a single inboard. If I'm beam-to an object with the wind blowing me against it, I turn toward the object and give a burst of forward to kick my stern away. Then switch to reverse and back away.
 
He backed the port engine to get the stern swinging away from the boats and as soon as it did he backed the starboard engine as well and throttled up some. That got us back into the middle of the channel again. I don't think he had the starboard engine going forward with the port backing because that probably would have made the bow hit a boat, I'll ask him if he did though. I'm also not sure if he turned the wheel at all so I'll ask him that as well.
 
So, basically, he got the stern into the wind, and backed upwind, away from the lee shore.
 
He was swinging the stern into the wind, but not directly backing upwind. It was more of a crosswind so we were still at an angle to it as he backed (or went astern). Basically, as soon as we got back into the channel he started forward and turned into the slip almost immediately. He was also pointing out that when there is no wind you can't go slowly enough while docking, but if there is wind you have to get into the slip faster. Of course, it seemed like the wind died as soon as we got all of the lines on! I should also mention that we aren't allowed to back our boats in at our marina so we're always pulling in bow first.
 
quote:
Originally posted by rich356

I should also mention that we aren't allowed to back our boats in at our marina so we're always pulling in bow first.

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I haven't heard that one, before. What's the issue? Water depth?
 
quote:
Originally posted by rich356

Well, this newbie experienced his first docking failure this weekend!

Click to expand...

Do you have a bow thruster?
(just trying to stir up some trouble).
 
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