single handling cutwater 28 (but tug insights applies)

[Cutwater28GG]

so I've had the boat about 1.5 years now and I've learnt a few tricks along the way. but I'm interested in the collective wisdom single handling and especially docking.

when others are aboard, I generally drive from the inside including docking as you get a much better sense of where the bow is. but this becomes challenging trying to get outside when docking with lines and seems almost impossible to do when single handling.

what do you guys do in this scenario
what lines do you use?
I typically favor a single line from the midship cleat run back to the cockpit (bow and stern lines are ready but the midship is the line I go ashore with first.)
I drive from the outside position, pull up along side, hop over the gunwhale with the midship line and tie off. once the boat is under control, proceed to tie bow and stern lines.

I have the thruster remote control around my neck; but really dont like to rely on this and frankly if the boat starts drifting its quicker to grab a line than fiddle with the remote.

 

[Phil Nersessian]

I run my bow line outside the rails and tie to a handle at the back of the cabin for fast access. Which line I tie first depends on the current but usually the stern line as it allows for reboarding if things go awry. second is the bow line. I always have my thruster remote around my neck and I usually wind up using it a little.

 

[Automaticman865]

Hi,
I do pretty much the same docking. Thruster remote ready. Bow, midship, and stern lines ready with fenders in place. Bow line is outside the rail and ready to deploy from a rail in the rear. My real concern is that my bow line is short enough that if it falls in the water and I cant get to it, it will never reach the prop.

Stuart

 

[bill46]

Helm door on our 31 makes single handing easy - just snag a cleat or pile with the mid line and then can sort out stern and bow, then springs. I run bow line outside rail to near door - have to fight marina hands that want to throw up on bow. Have fenders so I can deploy from door with boathook, and stern from cockpit. Thrusters help, and thruster remote can be useful.

 

[Cutwater28GG]

thanks for the feedback guys.
Im wondering whether on leaving the harbor to tie the bow line along the side to the cockpit so its ready to go without having to go forward before entering the harbor to get set up. might be a nice time saver.

 

[Red Raven]

Yes. I keep a bow line tied back to the midship cleat just outside the window on each side of the boat. That way I reach through the window to toss a line to someone on the dock when docking on either side. It also makes the line readily accessible from the dock if I need to go on the dock myself. With some dock cleats I can even lasso the cleat from the window! 😀

 

[adventres]

I'm too scared to single handle, I call in to the harbormaster to help me out while coming in, or leaving the dock!
Lisa

 

[Navigator's Son]

I've had to deal with single handle docking my boat for about 8 years now. My previous boat was a Bayliner 265 Cabin Cruiser, stern drive, no thrusters.

Having a new R25 with bow and stern thrusters just makes things So much easier, but i still follow the same principles.

Always approach the dock as slow as possible, even bumping the throttle in and out of neutral, bow coming into dock at an angle. Let the momentum carry your stem into the dock and tie that stern line on first.

Now as long as there isn't a strong wind or current pushing your bow to port, walk forward and grab your bow line.

If you are dealing with a current or wind, jump back to helm, turn wheel hard to starboard, and give little forward throttle. Once you have tension on that stern line, the bow will walk sideways to the pier. Keep the throttle very minimal, get bow line tied off, put in neutral and shut down motor.

Now with bow and stern thrusters, you get a bit more leeway, but still use same fundamental principles

 

[Cutwater28GG]

The trick of using the engine to push against a strategically placed line is often used on sailboats. I have thought about this on the cutwater. The challenge I have is even at tick over in drive at 700 rpm that is a serious amount of power against a line or dock compared to a 20hp sailboat engine. If the line or cleat were to part ways, there goes your boat in drive with no one onboard. Am I being over cautious here?

Perhaps I might try using the trolling function as a way to reduce power?

That being said practicing this method would be very useful in conditions when the wind over powers the thrusters as happened to me the last time I visited gig harbor!

Oh and Lisa I don't blame you as I get pretty nervous about this. The funny thing is I'm almost always single handling as when I'm taking others out with me and it may feel like I have help, in truth, guests are more often than not, not that useful during docking/undocking
It's more a confidence thing! Keep practicing!

 

[Red Raven]

This discussion reminds me of a situation we were in last summer where I had the opposite problem. I had to figure out how to get away from the dock! We were at the Squirrel Cove general store near Desolation Sound when the wind came up on a rising tide. It was a cross shaped side tie dock such that we had pilings directly in front of the bow and a sail boat on our stern. The wind and waves were really whipping up and had us pinned against the dock. The thrusters were useless. Fortunately I was not single handing and I had an agile crewmate who was able to give a really big push to the stern and leap aboard while I hit the rear thruster and then throttle in reverse pretty hard once we cleared the bow of the sailboat. The wind wanted to blow us back into the sailboat as we went back so it was a pretty dicey maneuver. 😱

Afterward I thought about what I would have done if I were single-handing (and probably what I should have done anyway). Taking the bow line to the dock (with no tie) and back to the midship cleat would have allow me to swing the stern out with reverse without any gymnastics or risk of getting blown into the sailboat. Once clear enough, dropping the line off the midship cleat would allow backing away (relatively) safely. I would then need to go forward however to fish out the bow line before being able to go forward. If not single-handing a crewmate could retrieve the bow line.

Something probably worth practicing for future situations.

Curt

 

[Oregon Trail]

Good suggestions all.

The only other advice I would offer when single-handing is probably obvious, but worth mentioning:

Normally things go as planned, but you never know when things might unexpectedly turn hairy and cause you to react in haste (or is it just me?), so be ready for anything and remove as many distractions as possible.
Pause outside the harbor and make sure everything is in order and ready for docking. Lines and fenders ready (on both sides), transom and cabin door open and secure, cockpit canvas secured out of the way, and all tripping hazards properly stowed. Turn on the thrusters and remote and last but not least - wear your pfd.

 

[tlkenyon]

...and actually test the thrusters to make sure they work. It is too easy to shear a pin and not have that thruster when you need it. Just a short blip of the joystick for each thruster is all that is needed.

Be Prepared

TK

 

[Romakeme IV]

Taking the bow line to the dock (with no tie) and back to the midship cleat would have allow me to swing the stern out with reverse Once clear enough, dropping the line off the midship cleat would allow backing away (relatively) safely. I would then need to go forward however to fish out the bow line before being able to go forward.

I have had to do this a number of times and "necessity being the mother of invention" - came up with a way to retrieve the bow line. It works well on my cuddy with opening center windshield but could work on a Ranger to bring the line back to the cockpit or an open window.

My bow line is 20' which will stop just shy of prop. I take the spliced end of a 15' dock line and feed the bow line through the splice - bringing the splice to the bow cleat. The free end of the dock line then comes back over the windshield to the helm and dropped. I then drop the bow line around the dock cleat and back to the helm as you described. I hold onto the bow line and release a bit at a time as I reverse the stern out - just enough to keep the bow off the wall. Once the stern is clear I drop bow line and continue to reverse out into the channel. The bow line is now strung out forward. Then grab the other dock line and pull - because the bow line is strung out in front of the boat pulling the dock line aft will retrieve the bow line while allowing the spliced end of the dock line to slide along the bow line as it comes in.

Its actually trickier to explain than it is to do!

Regards, Rob

 

[Red Raven]

Rob,

Excellent! I just need to make sure I have an extra dock line with a splice (or just make an ad hock one) when the situation arises.

Thanks!

Curt