Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

Chapter 6: The Art and Science of Docking
shifting in and out of gear briefly if you need to adjust by a foot or two. Get your dock
fenders over the side in advance.
Currents or winds parallel to the docks are usually less problematic. The only trick, if you
come in bow-on to a current, is to get a bow line on the dock quickly (see part A of the
following figure). The force of wind or current will then cozy you up to the planks (see
part B of the following figure).
Bow line
Wind
A Returning to the dock—wind parallel to the dock
Fenders
Bow line
B
Fenders
(wind pushes stern in)
The wind does the work when blowing parallel to the docks if you simply drop a bow line on a cleat and slip
the fenders over the gunnels.
Shoehorn Maneuvering
If there are boats ahead of and behind the spot you need to fit into, the best plan is to pull
up parallel to the dock and toss your lines to somebody ashore. If there’s no one there,
nose the bow in and put a crewperson on the dock. With a small boat 25 feet and under,
the crew can then manhandle you in, even in moderate winds or currents.
With larger boats, fitting into a spot like this requires using spring lines and judicious
maneuvering—it’s not something to try until you’ve seen a lot of water pass under the hull.
Slow Is Good
Things can go badly wrong when docking at anything other than dead slow. A few years
ago I was standing on the dock at Southwest Pass, Louisiana, as a brand-new 50-footer was
being brought briskly to its slip by a seasoned skipper. All went well until one of the
hydraulic lines on the gear box let go just as the captain needed reverse, and lots of it, to
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