"parallel parking"

O

Orcbait

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In some perverse way I've found docking with twin engines one of the most fun parts to learn, and I'm getting comfortable (as a newbie boat owner) docking and manoeuvering in my own marina and slip, so that's all good. I'm ok with using the shifters and a bit of throttle for this, and leaving the wheel pretty much alone (as per the Pascoe tutorial which I've found useful).

The issue I had last weekend was that of docking the boat sideways on a dock.

Now, the dock happened to be empty so of course even just coming in at an angle and probably doing a bunch of things wrong I was eventually bound to make it work.

But it did get me thinking about what is the 'preferred' way of doing this if say the dock has a bunch of boats on it and you just have enough room for the length of your boat and say 10 feet or so of manoeuvering room.

Now the Pascoe tutorial suggests you go straight at the dock dead ahead, rest your bow on some conveniently placed pilon & then pivot off that with the 'inside' engine forward and the 'outside' engine in reverse until you snug up sideways to the dock.

I have two issues with this. First off, the conveniently placed pilon always seems to be missing when I go somewhere!!

Second, whether the pilon is there or not, it seems to me that at some point when the angle is less than perpendicular, the forward motion of the 'inside' engine will tend to push the boat forward & then out, and you don't end up snug to the dock but sort of 3 or 4 feet out, parallel to the dock, awkwardly placed, or at least that's what happened to me when I was practicing.

Is this one of these situations when you have to "walk the boat sideways" as I've seen mentioned on this forum, and how do you really do that?

Just wondering what peoples' preferred method of "parallel parking" a boat is...

Also I sort of intuitively prefer to keep the shifting down to what I can get away with, as I just don't imagine the constant shifting can really be good for the gears long term - so is this a good case where one should be using the wheel a bit also, and if so - how does it all best come together?

Thanks, folks.

Orcbait
 
My previous boat was a 36' Carver with dual inboards. Under ideal conditions I could walk the boat sideways. Let's say I wanted to move to the right:

Full left rudder - makes the stern move right.
Port engine in forward - being on the port makes the bow move right, but the rudders want to move the stern right and bow left, the two somewhat cancel but result in a net "move right"
Starboard engine - working between reverse and neutral as needed.

The net force to move you sideways is pretty small, so if there is any wind or current it will usually make the attempt futile.

The method of pivoting off the dock works even without a pylon. The pylon is preferred as you can use the rub rail which won't get all scuffed up but you can do the same thing by putting your hull up against the dock. If the dock has nice rubber edges this is okay but I wouldn't do that if there were any cleats, nails, etc. that could scratch the hull.

When I am trying to get into a tight spot on a dock my approach is to get a spring line to the dock any way I can, then use that to leverage off of. If there is help on the dock I will but the bow in, have my crew toss a line to the dock. The spring line is attached to my boat on the side, near the bow (NOT the bow cleat!). The help on the dock will tie the line to the dock near where my stern will be. I back out a little to give the bow room to swing, then let the spring line tighten up, then use forward with the rudder turned so that the stern swings to the dock (wheel turned away from the dock). The boat will swing right into the dock and stay snug as long as you have power applied.

If I don't have help on the dock I will bring my stern in first. I back the boat in so that a rear corner is up against the dock. My deck hand (or even myself if I am operating solo) can toss my dock line around the dock cleat and back to my own cleat, either tying it off or simply taking a wrap and holding it. Now ease the boat forward, rudder turned to push the stern away from the dock (wheel turned towards the dock). The stern line tightens up and the bow swings into the dock. Toss the bow line onto the dock. Shift to neutral, pull the stern in, step to the dock and grap the bow line before the boat drifts away.

Getting off the dock when it is time to leave is pretty much the same idea: if you can't pivot off a dock structure then run a spring line. Take a line from the foward side cleat to the dock cleat back by your stern, wrap it around that cleat and back to your boat. Cast off the other lines, turn the wheel towards the dock, ease it into forward. The spring line keeps you from going foward and pulls the bow towards the dock. Your engines push the stern out. Once you have a suitable angle you shift to neutral, cast off the spring line (its your line, so you cast off just one end, then pull it back.....). Shift into reverse and pull away.

Rod
 
i dock side to almost every weekend, usually alone and often in between other boats. It's very easy and very simple... in one word SPRING LINE ! ok, that's two words.

forget walking sideways and other maneuvers that mostly work on paper or on a calm day and will not work when the wind or current picks up.

this is what i do...
- approach the dock at a 30 to 45 degree angle, depending on conditions, with all my lines ready. stern, bow and spring line tied to the midship cleat or forwardmost midship cleat if you have more than one.
- when the bow is close to the dock i use full rudders away from the dock (ex dock to port, I turn hard to stbd) and put the engine away from dock in reverse to stop the boat. The rudders, and a little thurst in forward, help push the stern closer a little but i dont bother trying to bring the stern over.
- With the boat still at an angle but stopped, I throw my spring line onto the dock while holding the bitter end to catch a cleat and tie the bitter end of the spring line back on the spring line cleat.
- back to the helm, full rudders away from dock, both engine in forward and the boat gently comes alongside.
- tie the stern and bow lines.

this works everytime, anywhere, even with a strong wind pushing you off the dock. you should have plenty off time to throw the line and catch a cleat (or piling) as long as you can get the bow within throwing distance. doesn't require anyone on the dock either...

even if you have help on board, the last thing you want is to have someone try to climb over the railing and jump on the dock... too dangerous.

To leave the dock, you don't even need a spring line as Rod describes. of course, it works but it means you need to go and undo the spring. With twins, you can release all your lines and use the dockside engine as a virtual spring line. Rudders hard over into the dock, off side engine in fwd, dockside in reverse. adjust RPM as needed to prevent the boat from moving and swing the stern away. when you're at a 30 to 45 deg angle, put the offside engine in reverse and back out. you can pivot off a piling or jsut put a couple of large fenders at the bow...

I've been able to use that up to 25kts had had enough kick on the rudder to move the stern. above 25kts, i may need to use a spring line and both engines in forward...
 
The spring line will work, both to get you in and out of a dock but you need help, but you can "walk" it too, even alone and against a pretty stiff breeze provided you don't have alot of windage.
Think of it this way. At slow speeds the rudders push the stern, the props push the bow. So to dock port side to, rudders full starboard, starboard engine in forward and to keep the forward motion down the port engine in reverse, you have to use a little more throttle to the reverse engine because props work better in forward. Always be careful using throttles around the dock speed is not good.
Using rudders to your advantage comes with experience, so does knowing to take your time and don't be afraid to start over.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Orcbait

But it did get me thinking about what is the 'preferred' way of doing this if say the dock has a bunch of boats on it and you just have enough room for the length of your boat and say 10 feet or so of manoeuvering room.

Now the Pascoe tutorial suggests you go straight at the dock dead ahead, rest your bow on some conveniently placed pilon & then pivot off that with the 'inside' engine forward and the 'outside' engine in reverse until you snug up sideways to the dock.

I have two issues with this. First off, the conveniently placed pilon always seems to be missing when I go somewhere!!

Click to expand...

Orcbait:
I carry a large scotchman with line attached. If I am single-handing, then while still clear of the berth, I lower the scotchman over the side which will be nearest the float. I will lower it to a position where it will meet the float squarely and protect the vessel. I generally tie the line to the handrail on that side forward of midship about half way to the bow (play with it a couple of times and you will get the location right for your Zeta). I approach at 45 degrees, get the scotchman against the float and use the scotchman as Pascoe would use the pilon. Use your shifter's at idle speed to keep the scotchman between hull and float and walk the stern in.

When you think you're getting really good at this, come up our way and try putting in at the fuel dock at Egmont Marina when Sechelt Rapids are running, or the fuel dock at Blind Channel when Mayne Passage is running! :D

The use of a spring line is generally negated by the floats with a 4x4 wooden cleat that runs the length of the float, but where a cleat is available to you, you could give a spring line a try.

OS
 
quote:
Originally posted by MacInCt

What is a scotchman? And a Zeta?

Click to expand...

Nancy: Sorry!

Scotchman = a great big round fender. Mine's pink ! [:-blindfold]
It also serves as a float for a prawn trap, esp. with a leaded line. Used commercially as a float for crabbing, prawning in the Northwest. Most of the dock floats in the Northwest have the pilings inboard of the float, hence Orcbreath's concern about a lack of pilons.

Zeta = this particular Zeta is a 26' twin engine command bridge that will get Orclunch all the way to Southeast when he finds the time. Nice boat.

OS

Edit: Sorry, Nancy. Southeast = SE Alaska
 
OS, I stopped in for an overnighter at an Egmont in BC, same hard running currents and rapids nearby. I really screwed up my tender by leaving it tied up along my swimplatform, almost rubbed the rub rail off of it during the night. I did mangage later to snap my crane cable while hoisting it, another story.
 
navman:

On a strong ebb, the current really boils a long way north of the rapids. Bathgate Marina, nearest the Rapids is in a little cove and out of the direct flow, but Egmont Marina although further north is just out there in the open and docking on a 12 knot or greater ebb is one of life's more interesting challenges. This is the fastest tidal rapids in North America (no matter what NOAA and those Texans say).

" ... another story" ? Oh, good! You buy the beer (Canadian or Brit !!!) and You tell the story, and I'll shut up and listen. Promise!

OS

Wise Sayings: Don't tell the really good stories until someone puts a bottle of Scotch on the galley table.
 
Hey Pascal, you make it sound so easy....do you ever get to Ca??? I could use some tutoring :)
 
OS, ok-were talkin bout the same place. I remember Bathgate, I went into the small store there and bought some burgers for later on.
I won't argue the currents, fastest I ever seen. I never checked tides out upon my arrival, It was just plain luck I showed up at slack, and was happy for it.

Ya know what they say about a Scotsman after he takes a few belts ......... ya begin to understand what he is saying. :o)
 
"What is a scotchman? And a Zeta?"

you see, this - this right here - is why we may in fact benefit from a Canuck forum!!

All kidding aside, I see a lot of great advice here from you guys, although currently it seems a bit overwhelming I will mull this over and go & try out some of these things slowly. Yet another good reason why buying the boat at this time of year has turned out to be a good thing (public floats at most anchorages are empty so I can try things out)!!

Thanks a lot.

Orcbait
 
I'll take maneuvering into a current over none anyday - takes all the work and thinking out of it....makes it sooooo easy!!! Don't fer the current, use it!!! Everything about your boat moving is a function of water moving around the boat and its running gear and/or rudders - currents are free, perfectly steady, consistent waterflow across the boat! Give the current a liiiittle bit of your bow and you can move sideways with NO head nor sternway.

Currents are perfectly consistent and predictable, unlike the 'artificial currents', for lack of a more suitable description, you create and manipulate with your wheels and rudder.
 
With twins it's probably even easier with the stern to the current... but whichever way it is, learn to work with it or it WILL work against you.
 
When I have had to single hand a boat in a "parallel parking" situation, I have put the stern to and made fast a line to the quarter cleat. Then the engine(s) can swing the bow in.

One time, some nimblewitted dockhand in Annapolis seemed so inept that I let the boat hang off the single line while I refueled. The wind held it off the dock. Made getting underway a piece of cake.
 
I love a docking challenge, provided there is no danger to boat or person.

Give me a few feet fwd & aft of my LOA & a springline & I'll get my single IB in there. A good shot of power with the rudder in the right direction one way or another & a single can be made to do wonderful things. Never rely on the ability of a dockhand. I'll take care of my own lines thankyou.
 
and practice single handling ! i got a clogged primary on the stbd engine this morning, so i had to come in NNH on port only... no big deal, 12kts or so but there was a couple of sailboats anchored in the way of where i wanted to dock so i had to go around, make a 360 and come back. went fine although i knew that 12 kts was more or less the max wind i can swing the bow against on the engine on that same side... when i got a clear shot at the dock, i was able to come in bow first, swung with the rudders, threw a spring line aroudn a cleat and got the boat in... no big deal. woudl have been impossible without a spring line...
 
Agree with Mike,working into a current especially with a single screw is a piece of cake..gotta disagree on fair tide landings, with a current from astern twins or not you're looking for trouble.
springlines and a good deckhand are gold.A good deckhand can makes a bad wheelhouse man look good.

quarter springs that lock your stern before you have a line from the bow don't cut it, the stern always needs to be free to manuever. getting underway is another thing, but not docking under most circumstances.

Dick
 
With all due respect to Capndick, I have to disagree on the bow into the current or wind preference with a single. Twins are too easy to make a difference worth talking about. Given a choice, I'll take stern to the wind/or current everytime. If I had crew there would not be much of preference. It is nice to have somebody ready to get a springline onshore ASAP. Once that is done a bowline & sternline can be up at your leasure.

The last 20 years I have run single IBs almost exclusevly & most of that time I have been running a boat commercialy & doing it single handed. Running a tourboat does not afford the skipper of picking weather or docks to operate in. You have to play the cards you are handed.

Above all, no matter the boat single or twin, your best friend is the springline & knowing how to use it. It should be first line on the dock & last one off. Once it is on, the engine pulls & holds the boat to the dock till other lines are secured.
 
No disrespect to my friend from Bermuda, but you must be very good or very lucky. Any time you put a boat into reverse you are out of control, to have the current coming from astern with no way to steer makes no sense and is a recipe for disaster. Now I've only been running tugboats and docking ships for 30 years and I may have missed something, but that's the way I see it.
As far as spring lines go we are in total agreement as to their value, but I still say never tie down the end you need to maneuver with.

With the current from ahead, a fwd bow spring will allow her to spring alongside without the engine in most cases. holding a fwd qtr spring allows you to walk right off the dock with wind or current from ahead.
With wind/current astern, you better be right getting underway, you won't get a second chance and the guy tied up ahead ain't gonna be happy.

D
 
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