Are you ready to enter that narrow canal or passage ahead that leads into the marina...
Have you prepared your boat and crew for the unexpected...
like loss of engine power...
boats blocking the channel...
a last minute change in docking...
or a wind or current shift?
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If you are anything like me, you want to make tight quarters maneuvers without the worry of whether you have all the gear you need--out on deck and ready.
Follow these five easy rules of docking for any type of boat. They apply to cruising or racing sailboats, or inboard or outboard power boats.
1. Rig docking lines on both sides of the boat. The pros know that things can change once you get into a narrow maneuvering situation. With lines rigged on each side, you are ready to tie up on port or starboard side.
Spring lines are the #1 most important docking lines. Make springs long enough to loop around a dock piling or dock cleat and lead back to a boat cleat or winch.
2. Hang two to three fenders on each side--one near the bow and another near the beam (widest part of the boat). This protects you no matter which side you dock on, and protects other boats in case you make contact while maneuvering.
3. Break out a boat hook or two. Open up the collapsible type boat hook to the full extended position. This helps your crew reach hard to grab lines without leaning out over the water. If in a sailboat, place the boat hook on the coach roof to prevent it from becoming a trip hazard.
4. Assign a roving fender to one of your crew. This becomes the most important position of your crew during docking and maneuvering. Take a fender and make a large loop from the eye in one end to the other.
The rover uses the fender to cushion wherever he or she sees contact will be made. This prevents costly damage to your hull, pier structures, or other moored yachts.
5. Know your wind and current. Near the entrance to the marina or yacht basin, stop your boat. Which way does she drift? What signs do you see inside the basin to indicate wind direction?
Look for flags, masthead wind indicators on the top of sailboat masts, or ruffles on the water. For current, check water flowing around pilings, day-beacons, or light structures.
Expect to encounter wind shadows (wind blocked by obstructions like land, houses, buildings, trees) and current eddies (current that changes direction when it flows around or bounces off of an obstruction) inside enclosed bodies of water. Keep your eye on piling bases and wind indicators. Revise your docking approach strategy as necessary.
Now you know five basic preparations you need to make each and every time you enter a marina or basin for close quarters maneuvers. Learn how to dock a boat like a pro and you will boost your skipper skills to new levels--guaranteed!
Find more tips and techniques on docking and un-docking your sailboat in any condition of wind and current in Captain John's popular eBook "Dock a Boat Like a Pro!"
Captain John
www.skippertips.com
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