Docking question

[ddgtr]

Hi all, not new to boating but new to this marina. Please see attached picture: I ran into an issue coming in, 20-25 kt blowing right from behind and in the same direction as the tide and currents. My slip is the second from the dock, top left. All slips are 12x30 ft and about 50 ft maneuverable channel space between the slips. My boat has a very shallow draft, a cuddy cabin which in this case acted like a freaking sail and twin outboards. The props are closer together than I would like, about 28-30 inches.

My mistake was I realized too late I wasn’t gonna have steering, threw it in reverse but even so I still got pinned with the starboard side against the end of the dock. I usually control it with the independent motor forward/reverse technique, but since the wind was so strong and the props close together this did not work. There isn’t room (only 12 ft) to go against the wind/current as to maintain steering. I was able to push off really hard at the bow while running the port motor in reverse and the starboard one forward.
The only solution I could come up for next time is to turn to port so I’m perpendicular to the current (facing my slip) and glide it in (timing will be crucial).

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

P.S. Now I know why my slip and the one across from it were the only available ones, and at a discount, LOL !!

 

[tpenfield]

25 knot wind ? All bets are off . . . it would be hard to bring the bow around and maintain within the 50 foot space.

If I were me docking in that situation, I'd probably try to do a 3-point turn in the channel ahead of getting to the slip, knowing the wind will take you back several slips worth, and then go forward into the slip.

It would be a bit of a wild ride though . . .

 

[mr 88]

I like to dock heading into the wind or current as you will have a bit of a stall time before the wind starts to move you as you get broadside to all the conditions. I also back in , so in your case I would head straight down the channel until I got abreast of the finger pier , pop the stb engine into reverse with a smidgen of gas and the port into forward. NowI have fenders on the end of the finger so I pivot with the hull again about midship off the end of the pier into the slip. If you have a pier on each side and are slipping bow first , again if possible , angle your boat like Tpenfield shows on his diagram. If you have proper fenders on the dock in theory all you should have to do is get your bow between the piers and bump yourself into the slip. What is your beam ?

 

[ddgtr]

25 knot wind ? All bets are off . . . it would be hard to bring the bow around and maintain within the 50 foot space.

If I were me docking in that situation, I'd probably try to do a 3-point turn in the channel ahead of getting to the slip, knowing the wind will take you back several slips worth, and then go forward into the slip.

It would be a bit of a wild ride though . . .

View attachment 342947

Awesome, thank you!!

 

[ddgtr]

I like to dock heading into the wind or current as you will have a bit of a stall time before the wind starts to move you as you get broadside to all the conditions. I also back in , so in your case I would head straight down the channel until I got abreast of the finger pier , pop the stb engine into reverse with a smidgen of gas and the port into forward. NowI have fenders on the end of the finger so I pivot with the hull again about midship off the end of the pier into the slip. If you have a pier on each side and are slipping bow first , again if possible , angle your boat like Tpenfield shows on his diagram. If you have proper fenders on the dock in theory all you should have to do is get your bow between the piers and bump yourself into the slip. What is your beam ?

Thx! Beam is 9’6”. There are two reasons why I’m a bit skeptical about backing in, one is my cabin acted like a sail, even with my twin 200s at 3000 rpm I was still going forward in those nasty conditions; the other reason is I really don’t have room, that drawing is not to scale and there are only 15ft to the end of the dock so I would have to back it at an angle which will still catch that wind… I can back it in decent conditions but that day I had a humbling experience.

 

[gr8knurlin]

Trial & error and lots of practice..... Eventually you'll be a master & make it look easy.

This is my first year with the new boat.... after owning my Regal 2650 for 7 years everything was like second nature no matter how confined the space. I back into a straight single dock but only have about 10' of decent (5') water to the port side then it shallows right out to only about 2 feet. I use the marina regularly for fuel and parking when I want to run into town to the hardware, grocery or beer store.
With the new to me Formula 27 I'm back to "nervous operator" again. I bow in on my own dock because I'm not used to the twin motors yet and the draft on this one is more, I haven't even taken her to the marina yet, I'll wait until a slow cloudy day when there is no one around to watch. Length wise she is only about 2' longer than the Regal but she weighs twice as much at 10K lbs and even with the twin motors the momentum and wind impacts are much different.
I've learned that the only way to get better is to #$%&- up, those little dings and scratches both to the boat and the ego are education credits and each season with a new boat or at a new marina gets easier - then once you master it it will be time for an upgrade and start the process all over......

 

[crazy charlie]

In a situation like you had ,the most important thing is to control your speed to a crawl on approach waaaay before you reach your slip whatever means possible.Eisenglass removed,cabin doors closed etc.Stay as close to your slip side as possible.If you can keep it at a crawl speed with reverse on approach,you need to try to dead stop 2 slips before your slip and just keep tapping it into reverse as the wind blows you fwd so when you get 1 slip prior to yours you can wheel turn full stbd and goose reverse which should bring your bow towards your slip IF you are at a crawl.Tough situation with not much room if you overshoot your slip,thats why you must stay as close as you can to the slip side.Good luck!! Charlie

 

[racerone]

At the local marina many years ago.-----Wind was really blowing.-----A transient skipper came in to ask for some help to move his 40' boat to another , more protected slip.----Couple of us volunteered to man the dock / lines for this skipper.----I tell you he had total control of his boat and backed it around like a pro.----Never would have crushed an egg !-----It takes time to learn.----On more than one occasion have I been complemented when folks observed me handling a 40' sailboat in high winds.