Dennis, your slip is almost exactly like mine. Floating dock with a finger to starboard, a neighbour to port without anything separating the two boats, prevailing winds from starboard. Add to it a narrow fairway.
I do it exactly like you do – turn after passing the finger (barely) and head up wind, towards the finger (at an angle). Right before I touch it, I steer to port, swinging the boat parallel to the finger. At this point I stop the boat using reverse – the trick is that you have to do it in a serious thrust (the prop walk is much more prominent when you reverse slowly). I keep the lines on the dock. It helps. If you have this option, it might help, as well. The main thing I would consider, though, is a mid-cleat line. If you adjust the length correctly, you could drop it on the outside cleat on the dock and stop the boat with it. If you are successful, it should hold the boat next to the finger if you put it in forward. If it is really windy and I am solo, I don’t mid asking just about anyone on the dock to catch me. This helps and compensates for the PWR factor. good luck Marek 1994 C270 “Legato” Ottawa, ON From: Dennis C. via CnC-List Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2018 11:59 To: CnClist Cc: Dennis C. Subject: Stus-List Docking seamanship OK, after 20 years of ownership, I'm pretty good at driving Touche'. Touche's "home" slip in Louisiana is in a fairly protected bayou, has both outboard and midships pilings on either side and a port side finger pier. I can competently back Touche' in using propwalk, etc. without touching any pilings. Whoopee. However, the "temporary" slip I use in Pensacola is a whole different scenario. First, it has a starboard side finger pier which extends to just short of full boat length. Second, it is a double slip with NO pilings between Touche' and my neighbor, an IP 37. Third, the prevailing wind is from the starboard side. In Pensacola, I dock Touche' bow in for privacy and scenic view issues. Docking stern in isn't a desirable option because the bow will fall off towards my neighbor while docking and looking at a scenic bayou is preferable to looking at a working boatyard. So, docking bow in with a wind from starboard and prop walk which pulls the boat to port is a challenge. The wind pushes the boat dramatically to port when docking. The prop walk exacerbates the movement to port. The wind and prop walk both working against the boat sucks. I've tried several techniques with limited to moderate success. The best the Admiral and I have come up with is to approach at a slight upwind angle to the finger pier, have a spring/warp line attached a bit forward of midships, have crew leap off the boat and secure the spring to the outermost cleat on the finger pier to stop forward motion. Once the line is secure, we warp the stern in with forward propulsion and left rudder and secure a stern line. The stern still tries to swing to port midway through this process but we manage it. Now for my main issue. Docking single handed. I can't see myself approaching the pier, putting the boat in reverse, scrambling out of the steering station past the Bimini bows, securing the spring line, jumping back on the boat, warping the stern in and then securing the stern line by myself. Any secret tricks I haven't explored? Dennis C. Touche' 35-1 #83 Mandeville, LA
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