On Sat, 01 Jul 2006 23:45:20 -0500, sherwindu
wrote:

It's a bit tricky, and there is a tendency for
the stern
to swing downstream before we have a chance to get a line to it. Any
suggestions?

Many boats (not all) will lay to the pier against considerable wind or
current with a judicious application of power and helm against a
springline. With the spring running aft from your midships cleat, a
small amount of power will cause the spring to pull the bow right
against the pier. A bit of rudder (or outboard traverse) will push
the stern in. Of course, the spring should be short enough to keep
the bow from hitting anything else, and it should run aft to the end
of the finger pier, not straight out to the side.

On my boat, I try to cut power and coast into the slip. I either
grap the spring from the dock, or (if away from home) drop a loop on
the dock cleat with about 2/3 of a boat length of slack. When the
spring is secured at both ends, the remaining momentum of the boat
will start it over to the side. I put the engine in gear at idle,
dial in a bit of rudder, and wait for everything to stop moving. It's
just that easy.

Obviously, the critical part is to get the spring on before you are
too far into the slip. But if you aren't going too fast, you have
time to fall back on Plan B. That's why I coast into the slip and add
power only when the spring is fastened.

YMMV - very beamy boats with poor rudder authority might not take well
to this tactic.


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