Writer Needs Help with Docking a Boat
 

I'm writing a novel and need to describe a boat-docking procedure. This
would be about a 40 to 80-foot fishing boat docking at a pier on a
river in a city. It doesn't need to be lengthy; a paragraph or two
would do. The simpler, the better.

Thanks in advance for your help!

+

On 14 Dec 2004 17:11:32 -0800, wrote:

I'm writing a novel and need to describe a boat-docking procedure. This
would be about a 40 to 80-foot fishing boat docking at a pier on a
river in a city. It doesn't need to be lengthy; a paragraph or two
would do. The simpler, the better.

Thanks in advance for your help!

http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/bdock.htm

That should give you an idea.

Later,

Tom

I'm assuming you asking because you don't know, and you want accuracy. If
so, I always appreciate accuracy in a book!

Here are a few things that I think are common:
1) The skipper would slow the boat's engine to an idle quite a ways out from
the dock, enough so he can make some headway against the current.
2) The boat would be headed into the current, i.e. headed upstream, to give
more control to the skipper at low speed.
3) He would approach the dock at a relatively flat angle, say 20 degrees or
so (if the wind is blowing on or off the dock, this would be adjusted)
4) As the bow approaches the dock, he would shift into neutral and then into
reverse for a few seconds to stop his forward momentum
(forward-neutral-reverse -- that's it on a boat). On most single-screw
boats, the stern will be pulled to port while in reverse, maybe you can work
that factoid in.
5) As the boat's forward momentum stops, the deckhand would get a line
around a cleat or a piling on the dock (docks vary a lot around the country,
where I live in the Northwest, floating docks are common; in the East, fixed
docks and piling seem more common).
6) Some skippers would get a spring line first, others would get a bow line
first. The stern line would be last and would probably extend to the outer
stern cleat on the boat to hold the stern to the dock. You would never make
fast a stern line first because the current would carry the bow out away
from the dock.

Hope this helps!

wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm writing a novel and need to describe a boat-docking procedure. This
would be about a 40 to 80-foot fishing boat docking at a pier on a
river in a city. It doesn't need to be lengthy; a paragraph or two
would do. The simpler, the better.

Thanks in advance for your help!

+

Snafu,
Well that's how I'd dock a boat as well. I took a trip over to Harsens's
Island which is in the St. Clair River across from Algonac. Now this is on
about a 150 foot ferry. All I can say is that if one of his engines failed
we'd be in deep dodo. I couldn't believe the speed he approached the dock
with and reversing at the last minute. But I got to hand it to the captain,
he just stopped short of the bulkhead, pretty as a picture. Just not my
style.
Paul

"Snafu" wrote in message
...
I'm assuming you asking because you don't know, and you want accuracy. If
so, I always appreciate accuracy in a book!

Here are a few things that I think are common:
1) The skipper would slow the boat's engine to an idle quite a ways out
from
the dock, enough so he can make some headway against the current.
2) The boat would be headed into the current, i.e. headed upstream, to
give
more control to the skipper at low speed.
3) He would approach the dock at a relatively flat angle, say 20 degrees
or
so (if the wind is blowing on or off the dock, this would be adjusted)
4) As the bow approaches the dock, he would shift into neutral and then
into
reverse for a few seconds to stop his forward momentum
(forward-neutral-reverse -- that's it on a boat). On most single-screw
boats, the stern will be pulled to port while in reverse, maybe you can
work
that factoid in.
5) As the boat's forward momentum stops, the deckhand would get a line
around a cleat or a piling on the dock (docks vary a lot around the
country,
where I live in the Northwest, floating docks are common; in the East,
fixed
docks and piling seem more common).
6) Some skippers would get a spring line first, others would get a bow
line
first. The stern line would be last and would probably extend to the
outer
stern cleat on the boat to hold the stern to the dock. You would never
make
fast a stern line first because the current would carry the bow out away
from the dock.

Hope this helps!

wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm writing a novel and need to describe a boat-docking procedure. This
would be about a 40 to 80-foot fishing boat docking at a pier on a
river in a city. It doesn't need to be lengthy; a paragraph or two
would do. The simpler, the better.

Thanks in advance for your help!

+

I've seen guys do that, too. And it probably *almost always* works for
them.

:^)

"Paul Schilter" paulschilter@comcast dot net wrote in message
...
Snafu,
Well that's how I'd dock a boat as well. I took a trip over to
Harsens's
Island which is in the St. Clair River across from Algonac. Now this is on
about a 150 foot ferry. All I can say is that if one of his engines failed
we'd be in deep dodo. I couldn't believe the speed he approached the dock
with and reversing at the last minute. But I got to hand it to the
captain,
he just stopped short of the bulkhead, pretty as a picture. Just not my
style.
Paul

"Snafu" wrote in message
...
I'm assuming you asking because you don't know, and you want accuracy.
If
so, I always appreciate accuracy in a book!

Here are a few things that I think are common:
1) The skipper would slow the boat's engine to an idle quite a ways out
from
the dock, enough so he can make some headway against the current.
2) The boat would be headed into the current, i.e. headed upstream, to
give
more control to the skipper at low speed.
3) He would approach the dock at a relatively flat angle, say 20 degrees
or
so (if the wind is blowing on or off the dock, this would be adjusted)
4) As the bow approaches the dock, he would shift into neutral and then
into
reverse for a few seconds to stop his forward momentum
(forward-neutral-reverse -- that's it on a boat). On most single-screw
boats, the stern will be pulled to port while in reverse, maybe you can
work
that factoid in.
5) As the boat's forward momentum stops, the deckhand would get a line
around a cleat or a piling on the dock (docks vary a lot around the
country,
where I live in the Northwest, floating docks are common; in the East,
fixed
docks and piling seem more common).
6) Some skippers would get a spring line first, others would get a bow
line
first. The stern line would be last and would probably extend to the
outer
stern cleat on the boat to hold the stern to the dock. You would never
make
fast a stern line first because the current would carry the bow out away
from the dock.

Hope this helps!

wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm writing a novel and need to describe a boat-docking procedure. This
would be about a 40 to 80-foot fishing boat docking at a pier on a
river in a city. It doesn't need to be lengthy; a paragraph or two
would do. The simpler, the better.

Thanks in advance for your help!

+

On Wed, 15 Dec 2004 15:48:12 -0500, Paul Schilter wrote:

Snafu,
Well that's how I'd dock a boat as well. I took a trip over to
Harsens's
Island which is in the St. Clair River across from Algonac. Now this is on
about a 150 foot ferry. All I can say is that if one of his engines failed
we'd be in deep dodo. I couldn't believe the speed he approached the dock
with and reversing at the last minute. But I got to hand it to the
captain, he just stopped short of the bulkhead, pretty as a picture. Just
not my style.
Paul

Or if the Captain passes out.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast...erry.accident/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/...276375,00.html

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On 14 Dec 2004 17:11:32 -0800, wrote:

I'm writing a novel and need to describe a boat-docking procedure.
This
would be about a 40 to 80-foot fishing boat docking at a pier on a
river in a city. It doesn't need to be lengthy; a paragraph or two
would do. The simpler, the better.

Thanks in advance for your help!

http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/bdock.htm

That should give you an idea.

Later,

Tom

Thanks to all for your input -- between the link Tom provided and all
the comments, I think I have plenty to draw from. This has been hanging
me up for a while -- much thanks again!