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#1
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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! + |
#2
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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 |
#3
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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! + |
#4
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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! + |
#5
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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! + |
#6
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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 |
#7
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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! |
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