single handing

[Wanderlust]

It seems like finding crew is proving to be hard for the number of times that I want to go sailing. Living in Alaska but sailing in WA requires that friends take a scheduled vacation (as a weekend just doesn't do it) or else I make more friends in Blaine/Bellingham WA. Until I do, I need to learn to singlehand. I am not too worried about sailing once I get out of the marina as I have an auto pilot for hoisting sails, pulling fenders, etc, and I am not even too worried about leaving the marina. I mean, how much damage can I do in reverse as I leave the slip anyway. But coming back is worrisome. Stopping the boat, jumping off and tying up with any kind of windage seems, well, fraught with peril.
I've been thinking that assuming I can come to a dead stop (without the docks help on the bow), seems like grabbing a spring line on the boats midship cleat would be the most effective. Neither the bow or stern could drift much with that secured to a dock cleat directly adjacent to it. After that, grab the bow or stern line, whichever seems most important to boat drift. Does anyone have tried and true methods and other warnings about single handing?

[Zeida]

Check out the various postings "Steering my 27 in Reverse" from Aug. 14, 2007 on the board. There you will find interesting stories of backing out of the slip with the help of a spring line, some links to interesting photos from Mike Raehl doing just that, and a link to a sailling course showing exactly how to come back to the slip by yourself. Then, practice practice practice. You've got to do it to learn it. It is very doable. After the third time you won't have a problem.

[Oswego John]

I've been thinking that assuming I can come to a dead stop (without the docks help on the bow), seems like grabbing a spring line on the boats midship cleat would be the most effective. Neither the bow or stern could drift much with that secured to a dock cleat directly adjacent to it. After that, grab the bow or stern line, whichever seems most important to boat drift. Does anyone have tried and true methods and other warnings about single handing?

Hi Wanderlust,

Yes, there is a method that some of us are using. Neil G, Zeida and some others have alluded to it recently. The method works. When used properly, it will bring you to a complete stop with fenders snug against the slip.We use it when tying up an 85' schooner.

You already have a pretty good idea of what the method is. Keep in the back of your mind the action of parallel rulers, like those used in plotting a navigation course. Keep them opened as far as possible. In your mind, consider the section of ruler in your right hand as the pier and the section of the ruler in your left hand as your boat.

Now lock the ruler in your right hand (the slip). Push the ruler in your left hand( the boat) foreward. As the left ruler moves ahead, it also slides toward the right until both rulers are touching side by side. The left section can no longer move ahead. (The boat stops)

What some people do is prepare a premeasured length of sturdy spring line. When the boat is tied up at the slip, try to use a cleat that is somewhere near the location of the transom or aft part of the cockpit. Permanently attach this dedicated spring line to the cleat. Walk the end of the line foreward to a midship cleat or winch, reachable from the cockpit, and mark the line at this point.

When you leave the slip, make sure that the spring line is loose, no coils, and easy to retrieve when coming in. It can be elevated off the dock to make it easier to snatch with a boat hook.

When coming in to the pier, snag the line and make it fast to the midship cleat/winch at the premarked spot in the line.. As you idle foreward, the line will become taut and the boat will sidle closer to the pier until it's up against the fenders. Kill the engine, adjust the position of the boat and finish tying off securely.

Practice this maneuver, make adjustments and then discover that it's a piece of cake.

Good luck,
O J

[Russell]

Indeed docking the boat single handed is the one thing I hate most. When possible I always radio ahead to the marina and request a dockhand to be ready to catch lines when I come in. This helps a lot, but not all marinas have dock hands. If yours does though, take advantage of it. I assume you also have a permanent slip? This helps a lot too, as you can leave your lines at the dock and not have to try lassoing pilings and such. Mark your lines for the exact locations you cleat them, this will help too. Indeed grabbing the spring line first to brake the boat most of the time is the best option. I find I can ussually get the boat to a dead stop though, I come into slips very slow if wind allows. Which line I attach first though depends on the wind. If wind is astern, or if there is no wind at all, then the spring is first. If there is wind abeam though, I will attach the stern line first (hoping the dockhand is handling the bow line). Have fenders out, and dont worry if your boat comes to rest on a piling or the dock while you are securing it, thats what rub rails are for.

Try not to run around like mad rushing things, no matter how tempted to do so. On a small boat your really not accomplishing anything quicker by running or rushing, but you will ad to your own stress levels and be more prone to mistakes or toe stubs.

[rtbates]

IF it's your slip, then the easiest method is to rig lines in front and in between side pilings. The line brought to a V in front will stop and keep the bow centered. The side lines will keep the stern from blowing off between the pilings. Use a boat hook to retrieve the dock lines and try to stay on the boat as much as possible. I use padding attached to my dock sides and corner wheels built from wheel barrow tires covered with sunbrella. This way I use no fenders when at my dock. This obviously won't work when visiting a marina. Every landing is a new learning experience. Circle around and pay real good attention to the prevailing wind speed and directions and the relative bearing to the wind of the slip in question. Rule number 1: The bow will blow off the wind just as to come to a stop.

Good luck

[bobc]

In my current slip, I've usually got to contend with wind and current on the stern, this makes single handling a lot more difficult. Before, when I was on the other side, I could work against the wind so life ran in slow motion. Now, I have to be a little quicker, but the procedure I use is more or less the same and much easier than trying to grab a spring line lying low on the floating docks we have here in the PNW.

When I'm coming into the slip I have to turn hard to port to get around the end of the finger pier. I usually try and swing a little wide so that I can then angle back into the slip towards the finger pier. While not necessary, I have a big orange ball fender tied half-way into the slip. I steer so that boat will drift into the fender just ahead of the shrouds. Once the boat is on the right trajectory, and I'm close enough that momentum will finish the job, I start moving up to the point where I step off of the boat. Prior to coming into the marina I set up all of my lines so that I have a bow line, stern line and two lines on a midship cleat, all draped over the lifeline and easily grabbed from the point where I step off. I usually have one of the midship lines in hand as I step off, but may also grab the bow or stern line, as conditions dictate.

I step off as the boat comes in contact with the fender. It's at this time that the boat is hard against the dock so there's very little danger. As the boat "bounces" off of the fender, it may still be moving a little into the slip in which case I quickly turn the midship line into a spring line to stop forward motion. Sometimes the wind catches the stern so that it starts drifting towards the boat next to me. In that case I quickly throw the midship line around something a make the stern line my top priority.

I guess the bottom line is that I don't try to completely stop the boat before I leave the tiller, allowing me more time to get forward and get lines on. I try and do this with a minimum of speed. Usually the boat stops when it touches the fender, but not always. This works on a smaller boat like the 27, perhaps other can comment on how well they think this would work with heavier boats.

One last thing that can help. Mark your lines where you cleat them to the dock. You'll spend less time adjusting lines later and you'll worry less about having left too much slack on one line while you're rushing to secure another.

[Neil Gordon]

Almost what OJ said.

If you can grab a spring line from the dock as you come in... the line looped on a pole where you can grab it with a boat hook, maybe... then take it around a mid-ship cleat and lead it back to a cockpit winch. You can pull the boat closer in, power forward a bit and the bow will pull you close to the dock.

Practice starting when you're already in the slip to see how your boat reacts.

[Wanderlust]

Good advice, thank you everyone. I will study your suggestions and try things out before I leave the slip.

[John Vigor]

Wanderlust, if you're berthed in Squalicum Harbor, Bellingham, where I am, I can show you O J's system in person. It's one I've used myself for many years. I can also show you how I back out with a spring line when singlehanding.

If you're interested, send me a PM and we'll get together sometime.

Cheers,

John Vigor

[Boyd]

I use a slightly different approach when docking by myself. I prepare a considerable time ahead by leading the bow and stern lines under the life lines then immediatly back into the boat the lifelines. I then take them to midships on the port side remaining inside the lifelines and place the ends so they hang on the life lines in a manner that allows me to grab both quickly.

I always dock port side so I can use the prop walk to port in reverse. I turn however necessary to achieve this unless there is simply no other way.

I approach dead slow at the shallowest angle possible to the dock, pointing the bow at the point on the dock I wish to eventually have about 1/4 boat length back from the bow. When the bow is about 5' from the pile I hit reverse and point the wheel to stbd hard. The braking action of the prop, turning action of the rudder, and prop walk to port pulls the stern in so the boat is now parrallel to the dock and virtually stopped. I take it out of gear and walk/run to midships retreaving the lines and jump to the dock. When this works well the boat is already stopped and I just pull both lines equally. With both a bow and stern line in hand you have total control of the boat. You are able to both stop forward motion and manipulate the bow or stern to where they need to go compensating for wind and current.

Docking to Stbd is much tougher. Ususally the last 10 feet is a series of gentle power bursts forward and reverse with a lot of rapid changes in the direction of the rudder till I get sort of close to the dock. Using reverse and then going to forward slightly to compensate for the prop walk is the best I have been able to do.

I avoid any situation where I have current running under the stern (in the direction of boat motion). This makes the boat virtually uncontrollable without lines to the dock first. In the rare cases when I have to dock this way I just dont unless there is someone there to catch a line.

Boyd
s/v Tern
CD30 MkII
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

[John Danicic]

Oswego John said it right.


A premeasured, aft leading line attached to the midship cleat will draw the boat in towards the dock and keeping it from going too far forward. I have found a few more tricks to help the single hander dock.

On Mariah, I tie such a line with a large loop on the dock end to the midship cleat as I prepare to enter the harbor. I used an anchor depth marking ribbon tucked between the strands to mark the maximum length that will keep the bow off the main dock when fully taunt. This looped line is carefully coiled and draped over the life line ready to grab.

I dock starboard side to my dock which requires a sharp 90 degree port turn from a narrow channel. There is a large, long boat to my port side so there is little room for error getting into the slip so I need to be at the helm and in control until I am pointing straight and halfway in.

Once she is turned, in her slot and still barely moving forward, I hop up from the helm, grab the coiled midship line and then slip/drop the large loop over the last cleat on the dock, (some, like my brother, would call it the first cleat). I then go back to the helm, put her in gear and move her forward. Turning the wheel hard over away from the dock (lock the wheel down) and leaving the propeller slowly turning at idle keeps tension on the midcleat line, keeps the stern quarter pressing against the dock for easy crew access and the bow pointing off the dock, in other words, straight in the slip. Kind of "hove to" but under power and at dock. This arrangement gives me plenty of time to do bow and stern lines. When all is secure, back to the helm, out of gear and shut her down.

As with all things, practice and experience with different docking condition will bring confidence and competence.

Sail on.

John Danicic
CD 36 - Mariah - #124
Lake Superior

[Zeida]

When coming back by myself to the slip on my CD-33 : I dock stbd. side to the dock. The last turn into the slip requires a 90 degree turn to port. I come in very slow, about 1 knot, in forward, gear, engine almost idle. As the boat starts gliding into the slip I put the gear in Reverse and give it a short thrust of power.. this slows the boat even more.

I then put the gear in FORWARD again, engine IDLING; I then step (or jump) on to the dock, with a line in my hand which has been looped over the stbd. winch, run under the lifelines, through the midship cleat and out of the boat, which I have hanging over the lifeline, where I can grab it the instant I need to jump to the dock. I immediately CLEAT it in the last cleat of the dock (or the first one as you're coming in). That STOPS the boat instantly, but by keeping the tranny in forward gear, the boat will then fetch up against the cleated line and come to rest against the dock. The boat stays there and I have ample time to then secure the rest of the dock lines. It works like a charm.

A properly positioned spring line and the engine idling in forward gear will keep the boat snug to the dock while you calmly tie up.

You need to preset that line and always keep it ready when returning to your slip. A loop over the winch closest to the helm, run it forward thru the hole in the midship cleat -if you don't have one, rig a snatch block to the toe rail somehow- the bitter end hanging outside and over the lifeline for easy reach as you step out to the dock. Rig the line while you are at the dock and make your measurements, so you will always know how much line to cleat. As a matter of fact, try it out while still at the dock. With the line rigged as explained above, put the boat in forward gear with the engine in idle (10 rpms or less). You will see the bow move against the dock and as long as she stays in forward gear, the boat stays put! Then with a couple of practices, you will no longer have a problem coming in by yourself.
[img]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sra ... 03f5f0.jpg[/img]

[Mike Raehl]

I do what John D. described only I leave the spring line attached to the last dock cleat. This picture was in my earlier post on maneuvering in reverse. It also shows my stopper or brake spring line permanently tied to the dock cleat and the loop end hanging from a PVC hook mounted on the dock. On returning to the dock, I grab the loop with a boat hook and drop the loop over the winch. The spring line is just long enough to stop the boat before the bow hits. Idling in forward brings the boat snug to the dock while the other mooring lines are tied off.

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m296 ... ine003.jpg

[Zeida]

Hi, Mike...

I used to do exactly as you, until the one day it was blowing a bit from the "other" side. I gingerly stepped off the boat, grabbed my permanently cleated stopper line, dropped it over the midship cleat and before I could even wink, saw the boat move away from the dock before I could grab any other line. The boat continued backing out of the slip, only attached by that one spring line, but the gap between the dock and boat was still too wide for me to jump back on board to control things. It was too windy for me to just pull her in, and there was no one around to help. I was one idiot clutz hanging on to the one line while the boat was trying to free herself away from me and from the dock.

I said, never again will I jump off without a line in my hand ATTACHED to the boat first and foremost, which I immediately cleat to a previously marked length, (as described in my previous post); this stops the boat and with the engine idling in forward gear, she stays close to the dock, giving me the time to calmly do all the other lines. When there's crew on board I stay at the wheel and make sure boat stops and stays close until all lines are properly attached. So far, it's the best system I've found. Try it, you'll see how nice it works.