Would have worked great too except that I let the RPM's drop too far
while distracted trying to explain to the bow line handler that you
only have to untie one end of the doubled line to slip it (previously
explained but it didn't stick) and the engine quit. (I'm coming to
hate the shutdown with throttle arrangement. An eighth of an inch of
travel is the difference between idle and quitting. The engine should
remain on line until you explicitly want it to stop.) By the time I
got to the starter button and back to the wheel, the wind had us and
the anchor on the roller had gone through the phantom window of the
imaginary powerboat next door.

It probably would have worked fine if I'd been alone. I'd have cast
off the boat and then given my full attention to the rest. This
business of teaching line handling while learning docking is tough.
Nothing like, "You mean this line?", as the kid puts his hand on the
roller jib sheet, to kind of freeze your mental processes at a
critical moment.

--

Roger Long


Here's what I'll try:

2 -3 feet of slack in the spring to the aft cleat I can reach from
the helm. Rudder full over.
Back until spring is tight and cut power.
Let the boat swing. Add power if necessary.
Cast off spring at the right angle and start backing.
Cut power as boat comes straight in slip.
Use short reverse applications just sufficient to keep sternway on.