Get off the dock against the wind with a single engine

Cheats to make getting off the dock against the wind easier in a single-engine inboard, yacht, stern drive or outboard.

[@mrbrumby3409]

I love watching your "cheats".......which I personally believe are excellent boat handling tips. Thanks for making the effort to put these together and post so we can all benefit from your obvious experiences. Cheers!

[@theboatcheat1204]

Thank you for your very kind words!

[@theboatcheat1204]

My experience is relatively limited by some standards… I signed onto the crew of MV Raenif in 1979 and spent a year and a bit working and living it sea, and have been boating on and off ever since. I’ve had a couple of motor boats and a couple of yachts, of varying sizes, plus a several large cat bare-boat charter holidays…. and definitely still learning!

[@Misteribel]

Great explanation. However, each approach pushes the boat to the doc, which has risk involved, especially with higher winds. I prefer to tie a spring from windward aft cleat, away from the boat to the dock. Engine forward, steer towards the dock, this moves your whole boat away from the dock, keeping it mostly parallel. Now, gently (!) steer away from the dock. Without any pressure of boat to dock, or any pressure on the crew, your boat will pivot towards the wind. Now, slowly remove the line, keep the tension, and then take her in and sail away.

[@albertokusmic9239]

Useful advices, thanks for sharing!

[@bjrnaadny7786]

Brilliant idea. Need to test this tonight!

[@theboatcheat1204]

@@bjrnaadny7786 Thank you! I look forward to hearing how well it works on your boat…

[@sailingsibongile]

Much better solution is to tie a line from the port-side stern cleat to the cleat next to the abaft boat's bow, and then motor against that line with the helm very slightly to port. The boat will naturally swing off the dock, and you can slip the line and motor away. If needed you can have a fender on the starboard rear quarter to protect the stern from bumping off the dock.

[@michealhunter1977]

Brilliant video, thank you

[@theboatcheat1204]

Thanks - glad you found it helpful.

[@TheShawline]

Great video, thanks.

[@theboatcheat1204]

@@TheShawline Thank you!

[@ppp9126]

Great and very useful video Good work. Thank you!

[@theboatcheat1204]

Glad it was helpful!

[@qbitz1]

Great video! Just to note, a dual rudder sail boat doesn't respond to helm when using a bow spring so consider using a stern spring. Also, if you've got a bow thruster that can make things easier too.

[@simonstell8018]

Very helpful video. Thank you for this. I am just about to put into practice what you have advised for a single engined outboard on a small (24 foot) catamaran. We are really tight into the pontoon in Torquay Council pontoon so very little space fore and aft to manoeuvre or swing. Also we have an overhanging dinghy on davits so I think I will stick to using your first bow method to get out. Any extra tips for a catamaran as you said that you had also had experience with cats?

[@theboatcheat1204]

@@simonstell8018 Thank you! For a small cat there is one additional tip which you might find helpful… I will do a video in the next few days specifically about your issue. Am I right in assuming it has a single outboard like many smaller cats, or do you have the luxury of two engines?

[@simonstell8018]

Thanks for your reply. Just a single outboard in a well. We have a Solaris Sunbeam 24 cat.

[@allsearpw3829]

Nice video , thank you .😉

[@theboatcheat1204]

Glad you liked it!

[@ArtietheArchon]

well I don't know if I'd call it a cheat per se but some boats are still well within the territory of being poled in and out of a slip

[@stevendiraimo3315]

Great videos so informative with fanatic illustrations. I am a new mono hull sailboat sailor and would like to see if you could do a video on the following setup. I have a double slip with another right next to me. Most of the time the wind is directly on the beam. So departure and arrival is tricky. Wind will push me direct into the on my leeward side. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Your illustrations are really helpful, best I have seen. 👌🏼👌🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@theboatcheat1204]

Hi Steven, Thanks for your kind comments. I will be glad to try to help you… but a few questions come to mind… 1. Is this on a finger pontoon or piles? 2. I guess the prevailing wind pushes you onto your neighbour, so is that neighbour on the side you approach from along the fairway, or beyond your mooring as you approach? 3. Is there any current to consider? Best regards, Laurie

[@stevendiraimo3315]

Hi Laurie the setup is pontoons no piles. I have to approach the double slip from the fairway and make a port turn into the slip. There is no structure between me and the boat next to me. So any wind on my port side pushes my boat directly into my slip mate. There is current but it runs astern of the boats not usually a problem. But a westerly wind at 10 to 15 knots is a problem. The fairway runs East to West and slip north to south. Thanks for your help your videos are the best. The way you present the information with the illustrations really makes it easy to understand. Any help would be appreciated thank you.

[@ushi120]

​@@stevendiraimo3315 more questions: - single or double rudder? - how you stear into the berth? In reverse (stern to the pontoon) or in forward gear (bow to the pontoon) - how long is the finger in comparison to the boat length? - do you have a middle cleat on your vessel? - is there a cleat or a ring at the end of the finger? - are there more cleats or rings on the finger and the pontoon? - In which direction the stern is pushed in reverse (prop walk)? - Saildrive or shaft drive? - do you have a long keeler or modern vessel? - how much space do you have in the fairway to turn your vessel into the berth? A lot things to consider bevor anyone is capable to give some advices.🤔

[@johnhall942]

Brilliant!

[@theboatcheat1204]

Glad you found it helpful

[@tomjpt]

Your video should be required viewing AND practice before any new(ish) boat captain is allowed to actually take the boat out. Being able to dock (and leave the dock) safely is a very important skill for anyone who is taking responsibility for lives and many dollars worth of boat. As you pointed out, it is critical to remember that you and your boat are NOT the only ones affecting by your dock skills.

[@vaidotasratkus7619]

How to do that with no engine?

[@johnny_123b]

Rather stresful in any significant wind and when it's hard to fully protect the boat because you risk bow sprit or the anchor or the stern bathing platform hiting the deck. On small boats it's easier to just push the boat a meter or two off the dock at the start and on the larger boats use bow and stern thrusters

[@Misteribel]

Actually, no. It's srtressful and dangerous to push off a boat by hand and you won't get it a few meters off the dock with any serious windage (unless with small boat you mean like a dinghy or rowing boat?). If you've ever sailed in a small yacht of about 35ft or more, you know that you simply cannot push it off at all. And bow (or rare, stern) thrusters aren't strong enough against wind of 15kn and up. I tried, many times, as I agree, using thruster seems easiest, but it just won't work. I often sail single handedly with a 44ft 11k ton sailing yacht. My personal preference in cases like these is to use the wind-side stern line as a spring backwards to the dock, then rudder pointing to the dock and go in forward. This moves the stern off the dock first, less chance on damage as in the first approach in this video (which cannot be done singlehadedly anyway). Then give more thrust and wait a little (keep steering towards the dock), the bow will move away. Now you can let go of the slipline. It is much less stressful then some of the methods here as there's no "flip" of backward/forward thrust and no pushing against the dock. It can easily be done singlehandedly and works with (almost) all types of boats and engine types. No danger for your boat or crew and no hulk-like muscle strength needed ;).

[@Deebz270]

Good cheat... With nice clear diagrams... However.... I don't understand why you are calling the bow and stern lines - 'springs'.... I was always under the understanding that spring lines were diagonal warps running from inboard bow cleat/bollard to outbaard/shoreside-aft cleat/bollard/ring and from inboard stern cleat/bollard to outbaord /shoreside bow-cleat/bollard/ring.; thus presenting an 'spring' in the form of crossed equal warps ('X' spring). Alternatively (depending on size of vessel...), a single warp running from inboard stern to outboard stern, back to inboard midships cleat/bollard and then on to outboard bow and finally to inboard bow; presenting a 'W' spring using a single warp. The purpose of a 'spring' line being to keep the vessel's side parallel to the dockside/wharf/jetty regardless of prevailing wind.

[@theboatcheat1204]

Thanks! Glad you found it useful. My understanding of ‘springs’ is simply lines used to prevent fore or aft movement of the boat relative to the dock or pontoon, as opposed to breast lines which prevent movement laterally away from it.

[@neutku]

❤

[@observer2172]

Springing the stern out will work up to 12-14 kts wind, than watch out. Springing the bows up to 8-10. Your instructions don't mention the inevitable leeway (and eventual propwalk) before gaining speed, which would push the boat onto the respective other one, in motion!

[@Verradonairun]

in the example shown at 4:22 it seems to me that you could spring the bow out at higher wind speeds than 10 kts if you're willing to put a second spring line on the aft cleat port side, and if you tighten this second line enough, possibly using your sheet winch or a pulley system, you should be able to point the bow even directly into the wind.

[@observer2172]

@@Verradonairun The suggested ways are ok, I only warned that the animation works like that only in lighter winds (eg. suggests to put forward idle, while one has to rev up). Port/outside spring is ok in theory, but it has to be longer than the space shown ; it increases the risk of snagging, hitting the strb stern corner. If available a motor dinghy or a line across to upwind pier can make things easy. I'd go for stern out since the bow is easily blown down and then snafu.

[@Verradonairun]

​​@@observer2172I think you're right about my solution not being practical. A second idea would be to use your anchor, instead of a windward post, but you'd have to drop it before the bad weather arrives.

[@observer2172]

@@Verradonairun I've never seen preliminary anchor drop, although ferries use it for maneuvering in windy conditions. In most Aegian harbours they moor on anchor and stern to. This is done now very often in the crowded Dalmatian bays, with line ashore.

[@Verradonairun]

​​@@observer2172yes, I got the idea from the Mediterranean mooring technique, which I'll be trying out for the first time tomorrow evening. My only concern is that it might prove difficult to steer the boat and pull up anchor simultaneously from the cockpit, as I'll be practicing single-handed and don't have a fancy remote-controlled windlass. 😅

[@gatecrasher1970]

why nobody thinks to post a video on very hard tight dockings? many boats have to dock front or rear ended with boats either side with tides rushing out and in and strong wind

[@theboatcheat1204]

@@gatecrasher1970 We have several videos covering tricky moorings on this channel. However, there are doubtless loads of situations that we haven’t covered. With the various configurations of hulls, props, rudders etc there are literally hundreds of possibilities… and they invariably spark debate because there are as many ‘right’ ways to do it as there are correspondents. Please suggest any you don’t find that you’d like to see.

[@squatch2461]

🍻

[@H2OTOYS-90]

Ur a genius!

[@theboatcheat1204]

Thank you!

[@Stobb0]

I don’t like the first method! The wind will inevitably have the effect of pushing the bow into the dock as you try to pull away and reversing will increase the apparent wind, thereby increasing the effect! In lighter winds it might be OK. Also, in neither the first or second scenarios is there any mention of having a crew member with a spare fender (preferably a big one) on hand at bow or stern respectively whose task is to drop the fender down between boat and dock should the bow or stern quarter threaten to make contact so as to avoid a nasty crunch in the boat’s hull! Just my $0.02!

[@johnmcisaac7905]

Pull-ease people, the boat is IN the dock. It’s at the wharf. The wharf is not a dock. Still don’t understand!? Imagine this then. One can jump off the wharf into the dock. The dock is the water space beside the wharf. And think of it this way…. One can take the boat from dry-dock and place it in ‘wet-dock’ at the wharf !! Other than the incorrect terminology, the boating advice was good. Thanks.

[@theboatcheat1204]

dock dŏk noun A platform extending from a shore over water and supported by piles or pillars, used to secure, protect, and provide access to a boat or ship. An area along a commercial waterfront having docks or piers. The area of water between two piers or alongside a pier that receives a vessel for loading, unloading, or repairs. To be fair getting off the dock is not a phrase I use normally, but most of my powerboat audience are based in USA, where the phrase used in this title is in common usage.

[@johnmcisaac7905]

@@theboatcheat1204 I stand corrected. The language is ever evolving. Seems the word has been used incorrectly for so long it is now in a dictionary, although it does still reference the ‘water space between two piers’. In Lake country’ one can see many advertisements for floating docks for sale. To me those signs will always reference floating ‘wharfs’. Red skies at night !

[@Tricome187]

Has to be a better dock design for easier docking..why does it have to be so complicated