Is it just me or does everybody get knots in there gut every time they have
to dock?

I Have had boats up to 22 feet for a long time, but end of August I bought a
32 footer, with twin inboard outboard engines. WOW it sure a lot tougher
than I expected.

I dock in a boat house, which you would think would be relatively
easy..Wrong trying to keep it straight and steady I find quite difficult.

I've heard some people say "don't touch the wheel"
others say "idle speed only"

any pointers to help regain my confidence would be very much appreciated,
please remember I have an I/O twins.

Thanks

Get some jugs, fenders or whatever and mark out a "dock" out in some protected
piece of water, away from anyone watching and practice. When you get to the
point where you can approach it from any direction, with any wind or current
conditions, shug your boat up against your target spot and not run over the
jugs you should be ready for anything a dock can throw at you.
The secret is practice. When you see the captains sliding those boats up
against the dock so smooth it isn't a magic trick. It is doing it a few times a
day for a bunch of years.

Never approach the dock (or boathouse) faster than you are willing to collide
with it.

(Some exceptions apply for wind, current, etc)

Tell us more about your landing. Is the boat house located where there is a
strong current? How wide is the fairway, and do you have to make a sharp 90 to
get into the house or do you have the luxury of a "run" at it?

The advice about keeping your hand off the wheel is generally good, with some
exceptions. Absolutely true for inboards, unless some really weird situation
arises.
I/O's steer a little faster than inboards, (in most cases), so it might be
prudent to have that option available. The trick is to achieve controlled
manuerverability at slow speeds.

One tip among the may others you will receive: I once had a covered slip with
very high finger piers. The piers were as high as the gunwale- no stepping down
on the piers. Since the piers were set at about the widest part of the hull,
and since the slip was a grand total of two feet wider than the boat, there
wasn't much room for error. I always entered the slip bow first.

One day, before we *left*, I stood at the helm and looked carefully at the
crossbeam above the slip. I picked out a
big knot in that beam that was just about dead ahead of my position when
standing at the helm. Using that knothole as a visual check when making
subsequent approaches seriously reduced the number of landings where we had
fenders "rolling" down either side of the boat as we approached.

Is it just me or does everybody get knots in there gut every time they have
to dock?

I Have had boats up to 22 feet for a long time, but end of August I bought a
32 footer, with twin inboard outboard engines. WOW it sure a lot tougher
than I expected.

I dock in a boat house, which you would think would be relatively
easy..Wrong trying to keep it straight and steady I find quite difficult.

I've heard some people say "don't touch the wheel"
others say "idle speed only"

any pointers to help regain my confidence would be very much appreciated,
please remember I have an I/O twins.

Thanks

Its alot of fun trying not to bump into other boats and things. I got back
into a boat that I have to keep in a slip and I have to learn the boat's
particularities all over again. What I do is go out with enough people bumpers
to help me learn how to dock the boat.

Good luck
Rick

Don't touch the wheel, keep it at idle, and out of gear except to correct
course. Just bump it a little this way or that and ease it in.

My personal rules for docking a twin screw vessel:

-approach the dock and STOP about 100 yards away

-remain stopped for a minute or two and determine what the wind and current
will be doing to you during docking

-the boat will want to go beam to the wind and bow to the current

-once you've figured out what nature is gonna do, and how fast...make a plan
to deal with it

-explain your plan to all on board who will be expected to help with docking

-make sure they understand the plan

-put out your fenders and lines before moving toward the dock

-using what you learned about the wind and current, approach the dock slowly
into the wind and into the current

-remember that the rudder(s) must have water flowing over them to offer any
help in controlling the boat

-once you get within 20-30 yards of the dock, still moving slowly,
straighten and center the wheel

-take your hands off of the wheel and move them to the engine controls

-by manipulating the controls, you can move forward, backward, or spin in a
circle within one boat length. Directional control is accomplished by using
one engine alone for slight changes, or both engines for larger changes.
Don't hesitate at all to put one engine in forward and the other in reverse,
this offers excellent maneuverability

-if you get within 10 yards of the dock and are not on your planned course,
back off, regroup and try again

-learn to use you lines as docking aids, especially spring lines run to
midship cleats. These can be your best friend in a tight docking situation

-did I mention moving slowly through this whole process? You'll respond more
accurately, won't stress out, and won't holler at the crew. Even if you
screw up, if done slowly enough, nobody will notice. Throw a line around the
nearest piling or bollard and pretend you're moving along with your plan.

-by the way, gliding into contact with the dock at 1 knot beats the heck out
of ramming it at 10 knots!!

Hope this helps,

James

"WaIIy" wrote in message
...
Practice
Practice

Thanks




Follow Wally's suggestions, and visit the marina during the week when the
wind and current will be at a minimum and practice docking. If you can find
a unused courtesy dock that is well padded it will make it easier. After
you feel comfort handling the boat with minimum current and wind, come back
when it is gusting and/or you have a strong current and practice again.
It is amazing how much easier it is when you don't have to worry about other
boats or you have a large audience watching your ever move.

"Rob" wrote in message
...
Is it just me or does everybody get knots in there gut every time they
have
to dock?

I Have had boats up to 22 feet for a long time, but end of August I bought
a
32 footer, with twin inboard outboard engines. WOW it sure a lot tougher
than I expected.

I dock in a boat house, which you would think would be relatively
easy..Wrong trying to keep it straight and steady I find quite difficult.

I've heard some people say "don't touch the wheel"
others say "idle speed only"


Both of the above are good advice, with the caveat of first making sure the
drives are positioned dead ahead. Practice is a key element for sure, but
if it's not coming to you naturally, and it sounds like it isn't, there's no
substitute for a little one-on-one coaching. Not sure if you're in a marina
or not, doesn't sound like it, but if you notice someone who always seems to
get it right and make it look easy, take it upon yourself to introduce
yourself to him and ask for a little help. If he's normal, he'll be more
than happy to coach you. I've coached a few people at my marina with
excellent results. Half an hour of real-time one-on-one coaching can save
uncountable hours of frustration trying to figure it out on your own.

No, you're the only one who has ever had trouble with it.

====

Charles T. Low
- remove "UN"

"Rob" wrote in message
...
Is it just me or does everybody get knots in there gut every time they
have
to dock?...

Everyone else was an expert from the first day! ;-)

Rob,

You will have read lots of good advice in the other answers to this thread.

The only thing I have to add is that there is no one right way to dock. I
hear a lot of things like "don't touch the wheel" (better for IB's than
I/O's?), and "always go slow," and I find that any good rule is only true
most, not all, of the time.

The one rule I usually follow is "keep thinking," because just when I think
I have it figured out, I find myself in a situation which benefits from
departure from the "rules."

I say "usually" because sometimes, when I've been in a particularly vexing
dilemma, in heavy weather with a tight slip, a little voice inside tells me
that I have enough skill and experience to do this, and to stop being so
left-brainedly analytical, and just to go in. Some kind of Zen kicks in, and
it usually works out quite well. But that right-brain "approach" (bad pun,
sorry), does require a lot of other-occasion analysis, i.e. much practice,
and enough experience that you have developed some feeling of oneness with
your boat.

And then I still scratch her occasionally. But I just call that "research."

Charles

====

Charles T. Low
- remove "UN"

====

"Rob" wrote in message
...
Is it just me or does everybody get knots in there gut every time they
have
to dock?...

I Have had boats up to 22 feet for a long time, but end of August I bought
a
32 footer, with twin inboard outboard engines. WOW it sure a lot tougher
than I expected.

I dock in a boat house, which you would think would be relatively
easy..Wrong trying to keep it straight and steady I find quite difficult.

I've heard some people say "don't touch the wheel"
others say "idle speed only"

any pointers to help regain my confidence would be very much appreciated,
please remember I have an I/O twins.

Thanks