Al Thomason wrote:

I think Glen has the idea. Mount a line on the piling at the end of
your slip finger, then have your crew stand on the bow. Come in like
you do now but get the bow close enough that the crew member can reach
the line. If they miss the line, no problems as you have not
commited to docking yet. Just back out, and try again until the crew
has the spring line in hand before starting to end the slip.

Sorry, but this sounds too tricky, especially with a current pushing on the boat
all the time.



Once the have it, then you let the bow fall off a bit to line up with
your slip and proceed in. During this time the crew member walks the
line back to a mid-ship cleat and takes one wrap.

While the crew member is walking back, the current has already swept me into
the downstream piling, or worse yet, the boat in the next slip.

As you proceed in,
the boat will start to drift down stream. With your crew member
holding the spring line and taking up slack and you giving some
forward power, this will pull your boat back to your side of the
docks. Continue in slowly with the crew member slipping the spring
line through the cleat (this is why they took a turn as opposed to
made it fast) as you proceed in. When you get to where you want, the
crew member makes the spring fast. Leave the motor in forward, and
the action will pin your boat to your upstream finger. Then retrieve
the rest of the lines. After all is set you can cut the power.

If you dont have a piling at the end of your dock, you can tie the
spring line to the dock and affix some stand pipe which would hold the
free end of the spring line ready and at a height that is easy for the
crew member to reach.

This will also work at a visiting dock, but the crew member has to be
good at 'lassoing' a piling or dock cleat :-)

Hope this helps.

All these things would work if there were no strong current constantly
pushing the boat on the beam. You would then have lots of time and
a forgiveness factor if you mess up.

I think Rosalie might have an idea with these cross ropes to catch the
boat, as it enters the slip.


-al-