A case for slip lines!!

[Warren Kaplan]

The infamous "crap shoot" of putting the engine in reverse and backing out of slip in a Cape Dory has resulted in the loss of inches of stomach lining for many of us. Last year, I used a slip line to control the fact that the prop walk of my CD27 ran counter to the direction I wanted the stern to go. It worked well. This year, for that and other reasons, I changed my slip so that prop walk would actually aid in negotiating my way out of my slip.
My daughter flew in from California (to New York) on Tuesday and she wanted to go sailing (very badly) with her daddy. So, I took Wednesday afternoon off (I can do that especially for sailing) and we decided to go out. Things are not "quite" ready around the new slip but what the hell. Wind was blowing 18-25 at the slip and from the worst direction. In summer, 95% of the time its from the preferred direction. But it ain't summer yet!! I decided to forgo any slip line because prop walk will take care of my maneuvers. SO I THOUGHT!! I put Sine Qua Non into reverse. She began backing straight out of the slip. Great! Then a big gust of wind hit the stern and pushed her in the wrong direction. Without the slip line I had no way of controlling the stern. The wind overwhelmed any attempt at correction using prop walk and the stern was pushed further in the wrong direction. I don't have much room to backup in my marina so just continuing to back up and make a 360 turn from the wrong direction is impossible. Going forward didn't help much because the wind had started to also push the entire boat back towards the slip and I could not turn to avoid the poles and some other boats around. I had no steerage way in this confined area so I had no control over events. The wind just completely took over. Poor Sine Qua Non bashed poles and even grazed another boat. At least we were going slow enough so no damage was done to Sine or the other boat. I can't say as much for my pride, especially in front of my daughter.
The reason for this long embarrassing post is to let you fellow sufferers know that it DOESN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN! Use a slip line! I bolted a mooring ring into the stern post of the slip on the side I want the stern to swing to when backing out. In my case, the starboard side. Take a long line, put a couple of turns around the starboard (in my case) stern cleat. Take the free end and run it thru the mooring ring, then back to the boat. Make nice neat coils so it doesn't foul when paying out, and leave it loose. Back out and let the line pay out. If you're lucky and things go well, you won't need to use it. If the stern is not answering the helm or is swinging the wrong way, tighten the slip line by taking one turn around a cleat and hand hold it. When the slack is gone the stern will swing to starboard no matter what the wind and current conditions are. Just keep on backing until the bow is now turned in the right direction. Make sure the bow has cleared the slip poles before tighten the slip line... or at least play with the line to keep the stern backing straight out until the bow is clear and then take out all the slack. I even keep a little tension in the slip line when I start to go forward because forward prop walk works against me until I get steerage way. Once you are under control, bow clear of all hazards, simply remove the turn from around the cleat and let the slip line run thru the mooring ring until free. Pull the line in QUICKLY so it doesn't foul the prop. If you can put the gear in neutral until the line is in without getting into trouble, do it. I've never had a problem even with the boat in gear if you just pull the line in fast. Some people use polyprop. lines because they floats but I don't know if they are strong enough. As my lawyer once said to me, "If everything goes the way you planned it, you don't need lawyers, contracts etc. You need these things when things don't go according to plan". I think of my slip line in that manner. Last year I had it rigged all the time and most of the time I didn't need it. But when I did need it, it worked great. It took all the stress out of backing out of the slip in tight quarters. And MOST OF ALL, of course, the armchair admirals had nothing to cackle about. Yesterday was a cold windy weekday afternoon in May and there were no armchair admirals so I was spared that. Next month I wouldn't be so lucky. I know alot of us get stressed out over leaving a slip in unfavorable wind and current, no matter how experienced we are. A slip line with a little practice goes a long way to alleviate this and I know Larry DeMers would love it because its the epitome of low tech that works! Sorry for being so long winded!

Warren
S/V Sine Qua Non
CD27 #166



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[John K.]

Very good advice, thanks. I've found it's easy to just walk my CD26 out of it's slip. When it's nearly out and I'm at the end of the dock, I give the bow a gentle push in the right direction, step on, and shift into forward. One advantage of a smaller boat, I guess.

[John R.]

Very good advice, thanks. I've found it's easy to just walk my CD26 out of it's slip. When it's nearly out and I'm at the end of the dock, I give the bow a gentle push in the right direction, step on, and shift into forward. One advantage of a smaller boat, I guess.

This works with a 30 also, especially if crew is available to do the walkout, the length of the finger pier has a lot to do with this method. It also works well to have a crew on the bow and shove the bow away from the last dolphin pole with an extended boat hook.

I've never used a slip line and I'd definitely be very concerned about prop fouling which would be far worse than any steerage difficulties. I think I would opt for bright colored braided polypropelene if I ever decide to use a slip line.

[Bill Goldsmith]

Warren,

Ditto Ditto Ditto. Sorry to hear you got banged around a little. Before I figured out the slip line (or pivot line) I had a couple of bangups in the marina too. I also got very good at doing powered 180's and 3-point turns in reverse!!! (Sounds like I may have a tad more maneuvering room).

My slip is facing the "wrong" direction for prop walk. I face west, and I need to make the bow go left (south, toward the marina exit) as I reverse, but the prop walk makes the bow go right (north toward the clubhouse!!). Fortunately the prevailing wind is out of the northwest so most of the time the wind blows the bow downwind, south, where I need to go. When the wind is more than about 5 knots it easily overpowers the propwalk, and blows the bow downwind.

When the wind is out of the south I must use a pivot line, or slip line, or else I am doing diesel ballet in the marina.

It can help to walk the boat out by hand and shove it in the right direction, but if the wind is strong, it still takes the bow around in that time between jumping on the boat and getting to the controls.

From your post it sounds like the wind pushed your stern downwind. Did I read that correctly? If so, my 27 does the exact opposite--the wind pushes the bow downwind (not under sail).

I, too, was concerned about fouling the prop and recently bought 100 feet of 3/8" bright green braided polypropylene line at (gasp!) the Home Depot. It isn't very strong but it is never going to be used for anything else.

Hope you and your daughter had a nice sail after you got out.

Bill Goldsmith

The infamous "crap shoot" of putting the engine in reverse and backing out of slip in a Cape Dory has resulted in the loss of inches of stomach lining for many of us. Last year, I used a slip line to control the fact that the prop walk of my CD27 ran counter to the direction I wanted the stern to go. It worked well. This year, for that and other reasons, I changed my slip so that prop walk would actually aid in negotiating my way out of my slip.
My daughter flew in from California (to New York) on Tuesday and she wanted to go sailing (very badly) with her daddy. So, I took Wednesday afternoon off (I can do that especially for sailing) and we decided to go out. Things are not "quite" ready around the new slip but what the hell. Wind was blowing 18-25 at the slip and from the worst direction. In summer, 95% of the time its from the preferred direction. But it ain't summer yet!! I decided to forgo any slip line because prop walk will take care of my maneuvers. SO I THOUGHT!! I put Sine Qua Non into reverse. She began backing straight out of the slip. Great! Then a big gust of wind hit the stern and pushed her in the wrong direction. Without the slip line I had no way of controlling the stern. The wind overwhelmed any attempt at correction using prop walk and the stern was pushed further in the wrong direction. I don't have much room to backup in my marina so just continuing to back up and make a 360 turn from the wrong direction is impossible. Going forward didn't help much because the wind had started to also push the entire boat back towards the slip and I could not turn to avoid the poles and some other boats around. I had no steerage way in this confined area so I had no control over events. The wind just completely took over. Poor Sine Qua Non bashed poles and even grazed another boat. At least we were going slow enough so no damage was done to Sine or the other boat. I can't say as much for my pride, especially in front of my daughter.
The reason for this long embarrassing post is to let you fellow sufferers know that it DOESN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN! Use a slip line! I bolted a mooring ring into the stern post of the slip on the side I want the stern to swing to when backing out. In my case, the starboard side. Take a long line, put a couple of turns around the starboard (in my case) stern cleat. Take the free end and run it thru the mooring ring, then back to the boat. Make nice neat coils so it doesn't foul when paying out, and leave it loose. Back out and let the line pay out. If you're lucky and things go well, you won't need to use it. If the stern is not answering the helm or is swinging the wrong way, tighten the slip line by taking one turn around a cleat and hand hold it. When the slack is gone the stern will swing to starboard no matter what the wind and current conditions are. Just keep on backing until the bow is now turned in the right direction. Make sure the bow has cleared the slip poles before tighten the slip line... or at least play with the line to keep the stern backing straight out until the bow is clear and then take out all the slack. I even keep a little tension in the slip line when I start to go forward because forward prop walk works against me until I get steerage way. Once you are under control, bow clear of all hazards, simply remove the turn from around the cleat and let the slip line run thru the mooring ring until free. Pull the line in QUICKLY so it doesn't foul the prop. If you can put the gear in neutral until the line is in without getting into trouble, do it. I've never had a problem even with the boat in gear if you just pull the line in fast. Some people use polyprop. lines because they floats but I don't know if they are strong enough. As my lawyer once said to me, "If everything goes the way you planned it, you don't need lawyers, contracts etc. You need these things when things don't go according to plan". I think of my slip line in that manner. Last year I had it rigged all the time and most of the time I didn't need it. But when I did need it, it worked great. It took all the stress out of backing out of the slip in tight quarters. And MOST OF ALL, of course, the armchair admirals had nothing to cackle about. Yesterday was a cold windy weekday afternoon in May and there were no armchair admirals so I was spared that. Next month I wouldn't be so lucky. I know alot of us get stressed out over leaving a slip in unfavorable wind and current, no matter how experienced we are. A slip line with a little practice goes a long way to alleviate this and I know Larry DeMers would love it because its the epitome of low tech that works! Sorry for being so long winded!

Warren
S/V Sine Qua Non
CD27 #166

goldy@bestweb.net

[Larry DeMers]

Warren,
I Love It! The only part that could get hairy is the retrieval, and if you have enough time to retrieve that line before needing to pay attention to the course or speed, then it should be a great tool..and darn cheap too. As you say..the epitome of solutions.

-and don't feel too bad about the gawkers observing your learning curve with backing Warren. Everyone learns and makes their mistakes etc...everyone. Nobody I know was born with inate sailing talents, except perhaps Buddy Melges..

What we have learned to do is to gather way very quickly from the slip, starting with a large burst of reverse, then reducing to low rpm and neutral (important), then steering gently with the rudder. P effect (prop walk) no longer has a hold of the boat, but winds will still have their ways with you if really strong. Usually we find this working well. However, our marina has these Seiche Tides of up to 2 ft., with the attendant currents estimated at around 5 kts when running, so we have been literally *pinned* to the dock, with full reverse going..and no idea what was holding us from reversing. It was kind of funny really..I went slightly bonkers trying to see if there was a dock line still attached, or I had mistaken neutral for reverse..etc. Then we broke free and made it out of the slip, only to be pinned against the dolphin pole for the next slip over. Full forward would not brake this contact until the tide eased a bit. Then there was the recetoling of the toe rail where it got ground against the dolphin pole.etc. Now we look for the telltale sign of a Seiche..a V shaped current wave from the dolphin poles.

Now understand that us great lakers don't have experience with tides and currents usually, so this was a really amazing thing. I even video taped the effect, as it would rise through 18 in. over 20 minutes, then descend for 20 minutes, only to repeat 20 minutes later. Incidently, 20 minutes is approximately the time an subsurface wave will take to flow from one shore of Superior to the other..over 300 miles away. We were seeing the damn lake sloshing back and forth really..abetted by low pressure on one side and high pressure on the other.

Good Backing and Cheers!
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30

The infamous "crap shoot" of putting the engine in reverse and backing out of slip in a Cape Dory has resulted in the loss of inches of stomach lining for many of us. Last year, I used a slip line to control the fact that the prop walk of my CD27 ran counter to the direction I wanted the stern to go. It worked well. This year, for that and other reasons, I changed my slip so that prop walk would actually aid in negotiating my way out of my slip.
My daughter flew in from California (to New York) on Tuesday and she wanted to go sailing (very badly) with her daddy. So, I took Wednesday afternoon off (I can do that especially for sailing) and we decided to go out. Things are not "quite" ready around the new slip but what the hell. Wind was blowing 18-25 at the slip and from the worst direction. In summer, 95% of the time its from the preferred direction. But it ain't summer yet!! I decided to forgo any slip line because prop walk will take care of my maneuvers. SO I THOUGHT!! I put Sine Qua Non into reverse. She began backing straight out of the slip. Great! Then a big gust of wind hit the stern and pushed her in the wrong direction. Without the slip line I had no way of controlling the stern. The wind overwhelmed any attempt at correction using prop walk and the stern was pushed further in the wrong direction. I don't have much room to backup in my marina so just continuing to back up and make a 360 turn from the wrong direction is impossible. Going forward didn't help much because the wind had started to also push the entire boat back towards the slip and I could not turn to avoid the poles and some other boats around. I had no steerage way in this confined area so I had no control over events. The wind just completely took over. Poor Sine Qua Non bashed poles and even grazed another boat. At least we were going slow enough so no damage was done to Sine or the other boat. I can't say as much for my pride, especially in front of my daughter.
The reason for this long embarrassing post is to let you fellow sufferers know that it DOESN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN! Use a slip line! I bolted a mooring ring into the stern post of the slip on the side I want the stern to swing to when backing out. In my case, the starboard side. Take a long line, put a couple of turns around the starboard (in my case) stern cleat. Take the free end and run it thru the mooring ring, then back to the boat. Make nice neat coils so it doesn't foul when paying out, and leave it loose. Back out and let the line pay out. If you're lucky and things go well, you won't need to use it. If the stern is not answering the helm or is swinging the wrong way, tighten the slip line by taking one turn around a cleat and hand hold it. When the slack is gone the stern will swing to starboard no matter what the wind and current conditions are. Just keep on backing until the bow is now turned in the right direction. Make sure the bow has cleared the slip poles before tighten the slip line... or at least play with the line to keep the stern backing straight out until the bow is clear and then take out all the slack. I even keep a little tension in the slip line when I start to go forward because forward prop walk works against me until I get steerage way. Once you are under control, bow clear of all hazards, simply remove the turn from around the cleat and let the slip line run thru the mooring ring until free. Pull the line in QUICKLY so it doesn't foul the prop. If you can put the gear in neutral until the line is in without getting into trouble, do it. I've never had a problem even with the boat in gear if you just pull the line in fast. Some people use polyprop. lines because they floats but I don't know if they are strong enough. As my lawyer once said to me, "If everything goes the way you planned it, you don't need lawyers, contracts etc. You need these things when things don't go according to plan". I think of my slip line in that manner. Last year I had it rigged all the time and most of the time I didn't need it. But when I did need it, it worked great. It took all the stress out of backing out of the slip in tight quarters. And MOST OF ALL, of course, the armchair admirals had nothing to cackle about. Yesterday was a cold windy weekday afternoon in May and there were no armchair admirals so I was spared that. Next month I wouldn't be so lucky. I know alot of us get stressed out over leaving a slip in unfavorable wind and current, no matter how experienced we are. A slip line with a little practice goes a long way to alleviate this and I know Larry DeMers would love it because its the epitome of low tech that works! Sorry for being so long winded!

Warren
S/V Sine Qua Non
CD27 #166

demers@sgi.com

[Warren Kaplan]

Warren,
I Love It! The only part that could get hairy is the retrieval, and if you have enough time to retrieve that line before needing to pay attention to the course or speed, then it should be a great tool..and darn cheap too. As you say..the epitome of solutions.

-and don't feel too bad about the gawkers observing your learning curve with backing Warren. Everyone learns and makes their mistakes etc...everyone. Nobody I know was born with inate sailing talents, except perhaps Buddy Melges..

What we have learned to do is to gather way very quickly from the slip, starting with a large burst of reverse, then reducing to low rpm and neutral (important), then steering gently with the rudder. P effect (prop walk) no longer has a hold of the boat, but winds will still have their ways with you if really strong. Usually we find this working well. However, our marina has these Seiche Tides of up to 2 ft., with the attendant currents estimated at around 5 kts when running, so we have been literally *pinned* to the dock, with full reverse going..and no idea what was holding us from reversing. It was kind of funny really..I went slightly bonkers trying to see if there was a dock line still attached, or I had mistaken neutral for reverse..etc. Then we broke free and made it out of the slip, only to be pinned against the dolphin pole for the next slip over. Full forward would not brake this contact until the tide eased a bit. Then there was the recetoling of the toe rail where it got ground against the dolphin pole.etc. Now we look for the telltale sign of a Seiche..a V shaped current wave from the dolphin poles.

Now understand that us great lakers don't have experience with tides and currents usually, so this was a really amazing thing. I even video taped the effect, as it would rise through 18 in. over 20 minutes, then descend for 20 minutes, only to repeat 20 minutes later. Incidently, 20 minutes is approximately the time an subsurface wave will take to flow from one shore of Superior to the other..over 300 miles away. We were seeing the damn lake sloshing back and forth really..abetted by low pressure on one side and high pressure on the other.

Good Backing and Cheers!
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30

Larry,
Alot of concern has been mentioned about the slip line fouling the prop. I think concern will dwindle if you consider this. When you take up the slack on the slip line and the stern is then pulled around, you will find that the slip line is now leading forward from the stern cleat to the pole (pole in the slip) and that pole is now at the level of the bow or even more forward..depending on the length of the line. So when you release that slip line and start to haul it in, that line is being pulled in from forward of the boat as opposed to being dragged in from astern past the prop. By the time your boat gathers way, most of the line should be aboard. A polyprop line makes it even better. But if you're not lazy about retrieving the line you shouldn't have a problem with fouling.

That seiche business you have to deal with occasionally almost sounds like something Rod Serling would have dreamed up for the Twilight Zone. But then again I read a nice article a few years back on how tsunamis travel thru the ocean at an astounding 500-600mph!! The speed of a commercial jet plane! I checked many sources because I couldn't believe it. But its true. So I guess 300 miles of Lake Superior in 20 minutes is in the ball park. Interesting stuff!
Warren



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[Dan Moore]

Your technique would also work on the Queen Mary!
Well done.



ride9619@ride.ri.net

[Larry Mace]

Warren/Larry


We use a slip line on our 33 but leave the line attached at the stern dock cleat and loop the other end over the winch. After the line does its thing we just toss the line off towards the dock where it sinks to the bottom. Several people in the marina use this technique (the harbor master got everyone started)and I havenever heard of the line on the bottom getting sucked up into a prop. I also agree with Larry that you need to start out with a heavy quick bust of reverse and then shift to neutral to stop the walk before it starts.
Larry M
dolce

I Love It! The only part that could get hairy is the retrieval, and if you have enough time to retrieve that line before needing to pay attention to the course or speed, then it should be a great tool..and darn cheap too. As you say..the epitome of solutions.

-and don't feel too bad about the gawkers observing your learning curve with backing Warren. Everyone learns and makes their mistakes etc...everyone. Nobody I know was born with inate sailing talents, except perhaps Buddy Melges..

What we have learned to do is to gather way very quickly from the slip, starting with a large burst of reverse, then reducing to low rpm and neutral (important), then steering gently with the rudder. P effect (prop walk) no longer has a hold of the boat, but winds will still have their ways with you if really strong. Usually we find this working well. However, our marina has these Seiche Tides of up to 2 ft., with the attendant currents estimated at around 5 kts when running, so we have been literally *pinned* to the dock, with full reverse going..and no idea what was holding us from reversing. It was kind of funny really..I went slightly bonkers trying to see if there was a dock line still attached, or I had mistaken neutral for reverse..etc. Then we broke free and made it out of the slip, only to be pinned against the dolphin pole for the next slip over. Full forward would not brake this contact until the tide eased a bit. Then there was the recetoling of the toe rail where it got ground against the dolphin pole.etc. Now we look for the telltale sign of a Seiche..a V shaped current wave from the dolphin poles.

Now understand that us great lakers don't have experience with tides and currents usually, so this was a really amazing thing. I even video taped the effect, as it would rise through 18 in. over 20 minutes, then descend for 20 minutes, only to repeat 20 minutes later. Incidently, 20 minutes is approximately the time an subsurface wave will take to flow from one shore of Superior to the other..over 300 miles away. We were seeing the damn lake sloshing back and forth really..abetted by low pressure on one side and high pressure on the other.

Good Backing and Cheers!
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30

Larry,
Alot of concern has been mentioned about the slip line fouling the prop. I think concern will dwindle if you consider this. When you take up the slack on the slip line and the stern is then pulled around, you will find that the slip line is now leading forward from the stern cleat to the pole (pole in the slip) and that pole is now at the level of the bow or even more forward..depending on the length of the line. So when you release that slip line and start to haul it in, that line is being pulled in from forward of the boat as opposed to being dragged in from astern past the prop. By the time your boat gathers way, most of the line should be aboard. A polyprop line makes it even better. But if you're not lazy about retrieving the line you shouldn't have a problem with fouling.

That seiche business you have to deal with occasionally almost sounds like something Rod Serling would have dreamed up for the Twilight Zone. But then again I read a nice article a few years back on how tsunamis travel thru the ocean at an astounding 500-600mph!! The speed of a commercial jet plane! I checked many sources because I couldn't believe it. But its true. So I guess 300 miles of Lake Superior in 20 minutes is in the ball park. Interesting stuff!
Warren

[Warren Kaplan]

Warren,

Ditto Ditto Ditto. Sorry to hear you got banged around a little. Before I figured out the slip line (or pivot line) I had a couple of bangups in the marina too. I also got very good at doing powered 180's and 3-point turns in reverse!!! (Sounds like I may have a tad more maneuvering room).

My slip is facing the "wrong" direction for prop walk. I face west, and I need to make the bow go left (south, toward the marina exit) as I reverse, but the prop walk makes the bow go right (north toward the clubhouse!!). Fortunately the prevailing wind is out of the northwest so most of the time the wind blows the bow downwind, south, where I need to go. When the wind is more than about 5 knots it easily overpowers the propwalk, and blows the bow downwind.

When the wind is out of the south I must use a pivot line, or slip line, or else I am doing diesel ballet in the marina.

It can help to walk the boat out by hand and shove it in the right direction, but if the wind is strong, it still takes the bow around in that time between jumping on the boat and getting to the controls.

From your post it sounds like the wind pushed your stern downwind. Did I read that correctly? If so, my 27 does the exact opposite--the wind pushes the bow downwind (not under sail).

I, too, was concerned about fouling the prop and recently bought 100 feet of 3/8" bright green braided polypropylene line at (gasp!) the Home Depot. It isn't very strong but it is never going to be used for anything else.

Hope you and your daughter had a nice sail after you got out.

Bill Goldsmith

Bill,
You're right. The wind did blow the stern downwind when normal prop walk would have moved the stern upwind. The wind usually takes Sine Qua Non's bow downwind, just like Second Chance, but here's what happened (I think) yesterday. As you remember yesterday (Wednesday) had strong gusty winds out of the northwest. As Sine Qua Non was backing out to the north a big gust caught her stern on the starboard side out of the WNW. This started to drive the stern to the east when I needed her stern to swing to the west. The bow, meantime, was still partially in the slip and was partially in the "wind shadow" of a large powerboat with high flying bridge to our west. That effectively blocked the wind from hitting the bow and the full effect of the wind's force acted on the stern...forcing it down wind. By the time the bow came out of the slip at an "obscene angle" if you will, it was too late to maneuver back into the slip for another attempt. The wind started to push us back toward the slip at an angle but there was no room to turn in any direction without some part of the boat hitting something. Add to that fact that although my daughter was aboard I was effectively sailing single handedly as she doesn't know much about sailing...other than she likes it. That will change this year. She really wants to learn. Anyway, I learned one sure thing. If you are leaving a slip in 18-25 mph winds, you'd better really think about the effect the wind is likely to have and what you are PREPARED to do about it, before you push the gear handle into reverse.
Warren



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[Warren Kaplan]

Warren/Larry


We use a slip line on our 33 but leave the line attached at the stern dock cleat and loop the other end over the winch. After the line does its thing we just toss the line off towards the dock where it sinks to the bottom. Several people in the marina use this technique (the harbor master got everyone started)and I havenever heard of the line on the bottom getting sucked up into a prop. I also agree with Larry that you need to start out with a heavy quick bust of reverse and then shift to neutral to stop the walk before it starts.
Larry M
dolce

Larry M,

What a novel idea! Just a couple of questions if I may. 1) Assuming that this is a line that is just single...one length from the cleat on the dock to your winch...but not back again as you would need going thru a mooring ring...how long a line do you use on the CD33?
2) In my marina, the slips and boats are pretty close...cheek by jowl if you get the picture. Is your proximity to other boats (read propellers) that close or do you have more room between boats? One last question...at low tide in my marina my keel is just about on the bottom. I suspect a loose line lying along side at low tide might get sucked up. Are you in really deep water all the time? I like the way you do it and it sure sounds less complicated than my way.
Thanks,
Warren Kaplan
S/V Sine Qua Non
CD27 #166 (1980)



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[Larry Mace]

Warren

I use a single length line that is about 3/4 of the boat lenght since I am securing it to the winch. If I went to the stern cleat I would go about the boat length.
Our marina has side fingers that are about 3 feet so we are not close to the boats next to us and while it appears tight beind us it is more than the length of the boat by a few feet. At low tide I am about a foot or two off the bottom. As far as the line on the bottom we come in fairly slow and with a short burst of reverse to stop which is not enough to pick a line up in my mind.
If you are worried about fouling I would just ask someone on the dock to pull the line on the dock after you leave.
Larry

Warren/Larry


We use a slip line on our 33 but leave the line attached at the stern dock cleat and loop the other end over the winch. After the line does its thing we just toss the line off towards the dock where it sinks to the bottom. Several people in the marina use this technique (the harbor master got everyone started)and I havenever heard of the line on the bottom getting sucked up into a prop. I also agree with Larry that you need to start out with a heavy quick bust of reverse and then shift to neutral to stop the walk before it starts.
Larry M
dolce

Larry M,

What a novel idea! Just a couple of questions if I may. 1) Assuming that this is a line that is just single...one length from the cleat on the dock to your winch...but not back again as you would need going thru a mooring ring...how long a line do you use on the CD33?
2) In my marina, the slips and boats are pretty close...cheek by jowl if you get the picture. Is your proximity to other boats (read propellers) that close or do you have more room between boats? One last question...at low tide in my marina my keel is just about on the bottom. I suspect a loose line lying along side at low tide might get sucked up. Are you in really deep water all the time? I like the way you do it and it sure sounds less complicated than my way.
Thanks,
Warren Kaplan
S/V Sine Qua Non
CD27 #166 (1980)