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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Docking

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Steve Raffel
Captain

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262 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/29/2003 : 14:21:21

I have tried to find a way to take a line off the dock put it on the boat and have it spring me into the dock with the rudder hard to the dockside. I've had no luck because the pivot point on the C 250 WK seems to be too far aft to have the boat pivot on the spring line. Has anyone had success doing this?

Steve Raffel
C 250 WK #408

Edited by - on

Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 06/29/2003 : 16:50:29

Hey Steve,

Hope you get some specific input from those with the wing and more solo docking skills than mine....

I will however offer a couple of thoughts... the rudder is likely less effective than the prop walk at docking speeds. Bryan Beamer points out that the thicker 3rd may be more effective at slow speeds than the 2nd. Outboards don't have the benefit of thrusting the rudder... they compensate however by thrusting the motor...so if your trying to do this with the motor fixed...try thrusting it.

Also, re-posting to the general section may yield good advice from C25 sailors. I'll be interested in the answers too.

Arlyn C-250 W/B #224
<img src="http://www.stewartfam.net/arlyn/rr.jpg" border=0>
N/E Texas and Great Lakes

[url="http://www.cox-internet.com/arlynstewart/"]Arlyn's C250 Mods n Cruisin Stories[/url]

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 06/29/2003 : 19:02:20

There are different ways of doing what you want to do, but you can't do it with the rudder on an outboard motor powered boat. You have to use the outboard motor, as Arlyn suggested. You can go forward on a bow spring line, or you can back down on an aft spring line.

To use a bow spring line, you attach a line to a bow cleat, lead it aft (along the starboard side of the boat, for example) and tie it to a dock cleat. The length of the line should be such that it attaches to a dock cleat at about the widest part of your beam, or a few inches aft thereof. Then put the outboard in forward gear at idle speed, and push the tiller of the motor towards the dock. The propeller of the outboard motor will push the stern of the boat alongside the dock. The spring line will prevent the boat from moving forward.

With an aft spring line, you attach the line to a stern cleat, lead it forward and attach it to a dock cleat at the widest point on the boat's beam, or a little forward thereof. Then you put the outboard motor in reverse at idle speed, and approximately center the tiller of the outboard motor. The propeller of the motor will try to pull the boat backwards, but, because the spring line won't let the boat move backwards, the boat will be drawn alongside the dock. You might need to steer the boat a little bit using the tiller of the outboard motor.

You can't use the rudder of an outboard motor powered boat to do this, because the rudder only works when the boat is moving through the water, or when the boat is stationary (as when at anchor) and water is moving past the boat. When you use a spring line, the spring line holds the boat and prevents it from moving through the water. If you are anchored in a current, you can actually steer the boat back and forth with the rudder.

Steve Milby "Captiva Wind" C-25 T/FK #2554

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coldducks
Captain

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USA
342 Posts

Response Posted - 06/30/2003 : 06:32:44

we bought a gadget called a DOCK CATCHER. we tie a line to a cleat on the dock and leave just enough line to keep the boat from hitting the end of the slip. the dock catcher attaches to the dock and has a hook at the top, about 4 feet above the dock. we hang this line on the hook. when we approach the dock we simply reach out and grab the line, throw it over the winch and the boat fetches to the dock. we tie a line to the front and back cleats on the boat and keep them in hand. once the dock catcher line is on the winch and the boat slides onto the dock, we step off and can control the pivoting of the boat. works great.

COLDDUCKS
FANTASY #409 C250WK

Edited by - on

Steve Raffel
Captain

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262 Posts

Response Posted - 06/30/2003 : 15:32:15

Thank you for your suggestions. We got to try putting the line on the bow cleat under ideal conditions. There was no wind and the boat on the other side of the slip was out. What I found after several trys was that I had to come in very slow. I put the line on the bow cleat and then allowed the boat to go forward on the line until it held. Once it grabbed, I then turned the motor's tiller to the dock so the stern worked toward the dock. The mistake I was making initially was to swing the stern in too soon which made the bow go too far out. I do have a line caddy which allows me to hang the spring line so it is easy to grab as I come in. I need to get more comfortable with the whole approach, but I think your suggestions have given me a much better way to dock.

Thanks very much.

Steve Raffel
C 250 WK #408

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2003 : 10:16:44

I use the same docking technique as Coldducks and it works great. What is great about this technique, for me anyway, is that the engine is taken totally out of the equation. With the engine idled, the only thing I need to think about upon entering the slip is grabbing my brake line for the winch. Since my winch/brake line is short(3-4ft), I must slowly enter my slip(which everyone should do) so I have enough time to grab the dockline eye from the dock and place it over the winch. As a matter of fact, when I see everything is looking good when approaching the dock, I turn the motor off about a boat length away from the slip(it's always in neutral anyway) and glide the last 25ft in blissful silence.

I enter my slip at a very sloooooow speed and since C25's have plenty of inertia(not sure about the C250), I bleed off as much as I can before docking. To do this I put my motor in neutral about 180 degrees and 100 or so feet from my slip. As I come down the channel in the marina at idle speed, I put the motor in neutral before making the 90 degree starboard turn into the row of slips where I'm docked. After making this turn I glide another 50ft and make another 90 degree starboard turn into my slip. As I gently complete the arc into my slip(portside to), I grab my dockline from the dock and drape it over the winch.

What makes this technique work for me is I've carefully chosen my slip location. In my marina boats are slipped in pairs so I have a finger dock on one side of me and a boat on the other. My slip orientation is such that at the end of my 180 degree starboard turn my boat comes into the dock on the outside of the turn, portside to. This means that if I make an error, it will only be between the dock fenders and my boat, and not another boat.

The other criteria on my slip selection is the prevailing wind. The wind is somewhat predictable in my area and I've chosen a slip where the majority of the time the wind is blowing me against my finger dock and not into the boat next to me(although he has to deal with that).

Slip selection, no engine, and using the brake line results in almost mindless docking.

<img src="http://www.catalina25-250.org/c25sm.gif" border=0>Don Lucier<img src="http://www.catalina25-250.org/c25sm.gif" border=0>
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2d904b3127cce9f7cd9ffdf1d0000003010" border=0>
North Star SR/FK

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coldducks
Captain

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USA
342 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2003 : 14:22:14

i agree completely with don. the speed (or lack there of) is the key to successful docking. we come in in neutral also. on our last turn into our slip we just creep up to the dock and grab the line. our marina is set up the exact same way and the wind is the same for us, it just gently pushes us onto the dock.

COLDDUCKS
FANTASY #409 C250WK

Edited by - on

jeffj
1st Mate

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USA
63 Posts

Response Posted - 07/02/2003 : 18:05:20

The only thing I can add to the helpful comments is the old saying "practice makes perfect". Docking is quite stressful for most but I find the more I do it, the less I worry about it.
Just try to practice along side boats with hull marks already<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

Jeff J.
'85 Cat 25'

Jeff J.
'85 Cat 25'

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