Association Forum

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Bow eye

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Page: of 2

blanik
Navigator

Members Avatar

Canada
210 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2012 : 14:39:50

ok, i get it (i'm not used to english terms in sailing) i always use those anyway, it's the "leave the lines on dock" that's new to me, i'm used at keeping all the lines coiled up on the pulpits and have my passenger jump on dock with a bow spring line and tie it on the dock to stop the boat from hitting the front dock... since then i learned to come in so slow and put the engine in neutral so i bleed off my excess speed midway to the end of the slip and finish by hand.. oh that and yelling like a little girl to anybody on dock to help me while going down the "fairway"! haha

Edited by - on

eguevara
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
111 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2012 : 18:55:45

Blanik that is what I'm used to.. if there are two or more people on the boat.. one gets off and stops the boat and helps with attaching the lines...

-eddy

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2012 : 19:36:32

I have a hard and fast rule. No one steps off the boat until after it is stopped and tied off. The risk of falling between the boat and the finger is high and not worth the risk.

I keep the lines on the dock cleats as well. However, I don't use any of them to stop the boat. My spring line is attached to a midship cleat with a large loop at the other end. It travels with me. I drop the loop over a piling at the end of the slip at my home marina (and over a cleat at other slips I've visited) as I slowly slide by the end of the slip. The spring line stops the boat short of the dock and pulls the bow toward the finger. I use the outboard to slide the stern toward the finger and secure the stern line. Only then does anyone get off the boat to further secure the bow.

I also obey Dave Bristle's primary rule: "Never approach a dock faster than you're willing to hit it."

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2012 : 20:02:28

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by PCP777
 Another thought, I've never understood why some people leave their boat in the dead center of the slip, making it difficult and even dangerous to get on and off the boat...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
If I could I would keep mine in the middle so the boat doesn't get dinged during a storm. I've seen boats in Canyon Lake Marina that were adjusted to one side of the slip or at an angle and were heavily damaged during a violent storm.

Obviously it all depends on the location of the marina and the size of the slips along with how the lines were setup.

The following takes awhile to get right but it's worth it. I did this during Ike and came out unscathed. Adjust your lines so you have just enough slack to pull in the lines on one side until you can reach the cleats. Then release the lines on that side and let the boat drift over to the finger on the opposite side of the slip. Then board as normal.

Get the lines too loose and the boat will get too much momentum which will cause the boat to jerk on the cleats too hard until they eventually break, pull out, or break your line.

Get them too tight and you will have to jump for the boat which is very dangerous.

I've done both of the above but eventually got a sweet spot where it worked perfectly.

Edited by - on

eguevara
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
111 Posts

Response Posted - 03/07/2012 : 20:47:54

Peter have any pics of your dock setup online somewhere?
I would love to take a peak..

thanks

-eddy

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by PCP777
 My lines always stay on the dock when we go out, I have separate transient lines for docking elsewhere on the boat. I use spring lines on both sides when in my slip so that if the weather comes from the stern it is impossible for my boat to hit the dock. I never need to use fenders when going into my slip. The bumper stopper has taken all of the "thrill" out of coming back into the slip. Many of you know that my engine is not the most dependable so I never come rushing into my slip, depending on a huge blast of reverse to save my bow. But if I do come in hot, the stop bumper will save me. I come in as slowly as conditions allow, swinging wide in the fairway. When I come in I either have someone get off the boat and help me tie up as soon as she's come to a complete halt. I use my boat hook and my hands to recover the rest of the lines. I never use winches for docklines as I understand that can be bad for them.

Another thought, I've never understood why some people leave their boat in the dead center of the slip, making it difficult and even dangerous to get on and off the boat. I tie my port stern and aft side about 4 inches away from my floating finger and the way my lines are set up there's no way she will ever hit or rub the dock unless they fail. So my boat sits in the slip with her nose pointed a bit to starboard and the port side of the cockpit and coaming ready to step on. I always hammer my traveler to starboard to keep the boom out of the way. If you haven't, you might wan to give that a try.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Edited by - on

NautiC25
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
957 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2012 : 06:44:13

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by GaryB
I've seen boats in Canyon Lake Marina that were adjusted to one side of the slip or at an angle and were heavily damaged during a violent storm.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
The last storm that blew through here ripped a cleat off. Luckily the bolts broke and didn't take any fiberglass with it.

I also have bow damage from another storm before that when two of the dock lines broke.

Edited by - NautiC25 on 03/08/2012 06:53:08

PCP777
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1225 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2012 : 12:37:06

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by eguevara
 Peter have any pics of your dock setup online somewhere?
I would love to take a peak..

thanks

-eddy

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by PCP777
 My lines always stay on the dock when we go out, I have separate transient lines for docking elsewhere on the boat. I use spring lines on both sides when in my slip so that if the weather comes from the stern it is impossible for my boat to hit the dock. I never need to use fenders when going into my slip. The bumper stopper has taken all of the "thrill" out of coming back into the slip. Many of you know that my engine is not the most dependable so I never come rushing into my slip, depending on a huge blast of reverse to save my bow. But if I do come in hot, the stop bumper will save me. I come in as slowly as conditions allow, swinging wide in the fairway. When I come in I either have someone get off the boat and help me tie up as soon as she's come to a complete halt. I use my boat hook and my hands to recover the rest of the lines. I never use winches for docklines as I understand that can be bad for them.

Another thought, I've never understood why some people leave their boat in the dead center of the slip, making it difficult and even dangerous to get on and off the boat. I tie my port stern and aft side about 4 inches away from my floating finger and the way my lines are set up there's no way she will ever hit or rub the dock unless they fail. So my boat sits in the slip with her nose pointed a bit to starboard and the port side of the cockpit and coaming ready to step on. I always hammer my traveler to starboard to keep the boom out of the way. If you haven't, you might wan to give that a try.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Funny you should ask, took a picture last night for this thread. You can see that I have two spring lines as well as my forward lines. The bumper stopper is in front of the bow.

Also, you can see that my boat is at not much of an angle, the center if the stop bumper is about dead center of my slip. I have floating docks in a well protected marina, even so I've see a storm come through and blow over 70 MPH, and my boat and the C-27 I race on, who also angles, were fine. Other boats, including another C-25, (Bryan Richey) were not, biggest issue? No spring lines forced them to start crashing their bows against the dock and dock lines actually snapping under the strain. Boats were heeling at a 30 degree angle tied up under bare poles. Got the windspeed from the local news. We went out and rescued three different boats that night, it was intense.

Edited by - PCP777 on 03/08/2012 12:46:49

PCP777
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1225 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2012 : 13:01:58

More pics, different angles. If I come in hot my bow will kind of roll up the bumper, then get gently pushed backwards. Once the boat is stopped, then people can jump off and get the lines.

I'm going to embarrass myself here but if someone learns something it's worth it. Last weekend, at a different marina we came sailing into a transient slip on a C-27 and the skipper didn't bleed of enough speed, I jumped off to the dock to save the boat, grabbed the boat, he veered to starboard and I went partially overboard, hanging on to the stanchions and pulpit. Very stupid on my part. John Russell points out this danger and his policy in his post. I have now realized it first hand and wont be doing that again. As an aside my smartphone went into the water, first thing I did was take it apart, dry it will a towel, and let it sit in front of my West marine heater for about an hour. I left it apart in my cabin for the weekend, let it sit in rice for 24 hours and amazingly it's working flawlessly.

Anyways, with this kid of set up in the pics below you can sail or motor in without much worry of hurting your boat. Even if you have to buy the lines and a bumper, the peace of mind to me is worth it, again especially when you're single handing.

Edited by - PCP777 on 03/08/2012 13:03:15

Joe Diver
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1218 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2012 : 14:09:44

I have a floating bumper in the front of my slip as well to catch me if I come in too fast. I haven't done the emergency bumper on the dock yet but probably will this month. I'm going to add additional cleats as well. I don't have any spring lines, just bow/stern (4) lines. I keep mine mostly centered, but a little closer to starboard. My slip is 13' wide, so I keep 2' to starboard and 3' to port. I have a long stride so 2' is nothing to me.

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2012 : 14:27:11

Isn't this cheating?

Edited by - on

eguevara
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
111 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2012 : 19:59:52

Peter when I jump off to catch the boat I don't grab on. Once I'm on the dock I just go front and center and push the boat back.
I don't grab the boat. once all forward momentum is gone I push the bow one way.. and attach the lines.. they I push the other way and attach the other lines...
So far... I haven't fallen in or gotten close to falling in...

Thank you for the pictures... I enjoy seeing different people's setups...

-eddy

Edited by - on

Lee Panza
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
468 Posts

Response Posted - 03/10/2012 : 09:12:01

I've been using a little different line arrangement for docking/departing. I leave a length of line attached to my bow and stern cleats that's long enough to loop well out to the side. (I'll have to go measure it... I had just used a length I had lying around and it's been working fine). I coil the excess and leave it hanked in the cockpit while sailing. When I approach the dock at the ramp, if I'm the only one around, I motor past the cleat I want to secure the bow to and swing the stern in close to the dock; then I pass the line over the cleat and start backing toward the cleat I want to secure the stern to. If I'm on the downwind side of the dock, because some power boaters have the upwind side monopolized (there's almost always a crosswind at this dock), my bow swings out but I can pull it in from the cockpit with the line sliding around the dock cleat. As soon as I'm close enough to the aft dock cleat (backing with the outboard hard over, while I keep some tension on the line around the forward dock cleat) I loop the line over it and then step off. Now I have a continuous line from my bow cleat around the forward dock cleat, back to the aft dock cleat and then to my stern cleat. I can control both ends of the boat from the same line and there's no danger of losing an end. The worst that can happen is the boat drifts downwind away from the dock until the loop is taut. Either end can be looped completely around the base of the dock cleat while I'm pulling the boat in against the wind (using the technique of stepping onto the taut line between the boat and the dock, to bend it down, and then quickly taking up the slack when I step off) while the other end of the loop is secured to the other dock cleat.

If one of the power boaters starts to reach toward my lifelines or stanchions to "help" as I approach the dock I ask them to grab the line instead.

The most important thing about this technique is to avoid getting this line crossed with the sheets, lifelines or the lines holding the fenders. I usually leave it in place on my starboard side for docking on the leeward side of my home dock, but when I have to switch sides for a transient dock I've learned (the hard way) to be careful how it runs. The other thing to keep in mind, when I put the fenders out, is to drop them UNDER this docking line.

So, now that it's morning here on the West Coast I've got to go downstairs and see of those winch caps actually do unscrew.

Edited by - on

Page: of 2

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.