On Fri, 06 Feb 2004 14:09:54 -0800, engsol
wrote:


This has been likely asked before.

I'll be retiring this spring, and buying a sailboat, 30-32 feet. I have limited experience,
mainly two J-World courses, plus ASA through Advanced Coastal Cruising,
plus a two week trip off the Calif coast, plus a bit of racing on a Santana 20.

In my daydreaming, I have most things figured out in the locale where I plan
to sail (San Juan and Gulf Islands), except for this....

I'm approaching a slip with a cross-wind blowing me off the dock, and into another boat
sharing the slip. So what do I do? Being single-handed and all. One thought occurs
to me...toss a grapple and snag the dock. But this raises more questions....will I need
to use a winch? How do I route the line? Do they even make grapples, or will I
have to make my own?

Is this idea even worth it? Last year, we (class of 4 students on a 37 foot J-Boat)
tried to dock on the lee side of a dock in 35+ knots. It took all hands ( 4 men and a teen)
on the dock waiting to catch lines to snug us up, and it was a bit of effort.
I was amazed at how much force the wind exerted on the boat. It was obvious that
to dock a boat that size, in those conditions, a single-hander would have to be
lucky as well as good.

I faced the same problem when I retired at 65 in 2001. For three
seasons now I have singlehanded out J36 back from Maine so my wife
could spend more of her vacation cruising than passaging.

She had always docked the boat and I handled lines, so I was
concerned. I practiced at the home marina, first to the T end and then
into our slip.

My suggestions:

1. Put fenders out on both sides. If you do miss you don't damage your
neighbor's boat, or your own..

2. Learn to bring the boat to a stop next to fixed objects where a
mistake doesn't matter, like next to a mooring ball. Get a feel for
how much wind you can do this in.

3. When you string your dock lines, tie their ends together so when
you step off you have both of them. Loop one of them around its cleat
and move smartly to the other end and cleat that. Then go back and
cleat the first one properly.

So far you are using normal cruising docklines, long enough to make
springs of the leftover length.

Here is one gizmo you can make, that might come in handy if the wind
does get bad. Take a pice of line, and make an eye splice with a piece
of hose or plastic tube on the loop part, so the loop stays open. Take
a broomstick and drill a hole across one end. Tie it to the eye splice
so you can reach the cleat and drop the eye splice over it from the
cockpit.

Now determine where it should belay on your boat. On ours it is the
primary winch. You want it such that when it is attached to the end
cleat on your slip, powering forward will hold the boat against the
dock.

Test while you are tied up.

I did all the above, and I carry the gizmo, but I haven't had to use
it.

HTH



Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a


"Be careful. The toe you stepped on yesterday may be connected to the ass you have to kiss today." --Former mayor Ciancia