Ep 111 Pinned on the dock by 20 knot crosswinds. What do we do?

[@Misteribel]

Without bow thruster, or when there's more wind then the thruster can take (most thrusters cannot go against 10-15kn, let alone 20kn, so yours is very strong, or the wind was a bit less when you left), most would suggest to use a starboard spring line from the stern cleat forward. Then go in reverse will pivot, but this approach has the downside that you need a lot of fenders and that when you leave, you have to go from reverse to forward and you may be blown back too quickly. Instead, and they teach this at RYA as well, I believe, a much simpler and controlled approach is to use the port stern cleat and run a spring as far backwards as you can. Now you turn the rudder to steer the boat to starboard (into the dock) while giving forward thrust. This will move the stern away from the dock, allowing more leeway when you take off. Now just wait a little while in this positiion and you're far enough, you let the slipline go and you're off. No difficult maneuvering, no switching of gear, and no pushing against the dock while there's a lot of wind and possibly waves that can damage your boat.

[@socracat148]

I am a Great Lakes sailor. I have used the port stern cleat technique you detailed many times. Works especially well when I would single hand my Catalina 36.

[@observer2172]

It's not 20 kts on the water here, but you did right. Also could have used stern line on port to swing the bows and shoot out if didn't have dinghy help.

[@briangross45]

Great Escape! When my bow thruster was inop and I was pinned, I backed agains the stern line which I run forward to a cleat near the beam. After moving a few fenders aft and as soon as I had 45 degrees off the dock, 20 degrees starboard rudder, slip it forward and ease the stern line as we crabbed away. If this maneuver went to shit, I was back on the dock with fenders where I needed them.

[@SailingTalisman]

Gold Star for you, Brian! I had to do it once for my Yachtmaster training. It required a bit more power than in forward, but worked perfectly fine. Thanks for being with us.

[@rbyham]

A couple thoughts. First... good job... second I have learned not to allow marinas to bully me... if conditions do not allow departure something can always be worked out. Stay put for improved conditions. And I see their dinghy come help which again is something a marina can offer when situations present as needed. Make it their issue. I have never had a bow thruster and doubt it would be needed on my C36. Springing as you said would be my preferred option because as you wisely pointed out if the stern does not walk out sufficiently you simply power ahead and blow back on dock. Always good to have a backup plan in case plan A does not work. Well done and good vid

[@SailingTalisman]

Hi Rick. This was a case of a perfect opportunity to discuss an area of docking. As with piloting airplanes, it's all in the takeoffs and landings. And while I agree in principle with what you say about refusing to leave (which we've done before when the winds were blowing 40 knots + in Greece), in this case we'd only been given the berth with the understanding that we had to leave the following morning, as the Heineken Regatta was getting under way. I'm sure they would gladly have pulled us off with their big RIB, but where would the fun be there?

[@EltoV]

Excellent decision making and a beautiful execution of the manoeuvre! Well done 👏👌

[@SailingTalisman]

Thanks much.

[@jimmerriman6920]

You did it, just like I thought you'd do it! Nice work Kevin! Like the pro you are! I thought the tender would pull you out a little more, but it worked like a charm!

[@SailingTalisman]

Thanks Jim.

[@normanboyes4983]

Nicely done Kevin and Wendy that was very well done indeed. The key point (which you clearly know) is to assess and plan before you leave. Taking account of the fairway, route to exit, position of other relevant vessels, wind direction and tide (current) are the important elements to consider in planning. Having that chap standing by in the rib must have been a comfort.😀👍⛵️

[@SailingTalisman]

Hi Norman. Agreed on all points. And it takes practice, practice, practice. So many people watch a ton of KZbin videos and think they have it figured out, but once you get behind the wheel it's pucker time. I've eventually gotten to a point where I'm pretty confident, but only because I've had so many close calls and been tricked so many times. I think for new skippers it's just a matter of getting on the horse and riding it. And boy what a nice feeling it is to have a guy nearby in a RIB. Looking back I wish I'd told them more often that I was scared and if they wanted to jump in and help that would be great. They have big engines on those things for a reason.

[@benhodson2800]

Could you have started off with a stern spring to dock. Reversed against it to bring the bow out. Then powered forward to get steerage and motor away? Currently working towards my RYA day skipper so this stuff is great to learn from.

[@SailingTalisman]

Hi Ben. Gold star to you! That's exactly what I would have done absent the bow thruster. Wendy and I started out with RYA Day Skipper, which will get you ICC certification. People imagine that Day Skipper would be easy and pretty basic. And they'd be wrong. DS is the basis for Coastal Skipper, and Coastal Skipper is the theory portion of Yachtmaster Offshore. Pay very close attention and repeat every exercise until you have it nailed. It's not easy, but the skills and information are invaluable.

[@freakent]

Yep. Definitely spring off from the stern. Even with the bow thruster.

[@jesterjon]

I agree, however the wind would probably have been too fast and blown you back on, you are allowed to use other boats cleats to help; perhaps a stern spring and a slip from your port mid-cleat to the cat' behind would have kept your bow off without a bow thruster long enough to get forward way and escape.

[@kimfucku8074]

In such a wind I would use the stern line on the windward side. The boat will not use any room aft with this method. First you steer against the dock to get the stern a bit out, then you steer away from the dock until your bow is in the wind. Your boat should have a broad stern to act as a lever. Make sure you have enough fenders at the stern. Your manouver would work as well. It's more a personal preference when there isn't much space aft. sail24.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ablegen_la%CC%88ngsseits.jpg

[@finnerutavdet]

I'm a novice, but I have a simmilar boat (Half long keel, ketch, skeg rudder), and mine would definitely drift sideways with the wind into the doc as long as it's not moving . I've never atempted the sugested manouver, but I think it could work, but at the very moment I put it in forward and give full throttle, the boat still has no speed so will drift towards the dock in the very start (also with the rear for my particular boat (half long keel)), so would definitely be in need for fenders at the stern then, and they might pop up while starting to move forward, so I might scrub my aft starbord side that way. If it was me I would not even have atempted to get out on my own, but asked that guy in the RIB to tow me sideways out ;-). ...... So what you did was impressive to me :-) ..... And I think, impossible without the thruster (I also have one, and it's the only way I can steer the boat in reverse, the rudder has no effect).

[@Cptnbond]

Never disappointing on any of your episodes, well done execution, and nice that you discussed tactics before leaving and professionally captured the maneuver itself.

[@SailingTalisman]

Thanks so much. I figured it'd be something the viewers wanted to see, even more so if I screwed it up somehow.

[@waynematthews2362]

Use the bow line as a spring and power forward with starboard helm u till the stern of the boat is well clear, release the line and back out into wind. Or use the port stern line to the dock, forward gear with power to push the bows out against the wind pivoting around the aft stern line. Probably a few other ways to do it aswell if I was there at the time and had a better understanding of the situation. Lucky on a sailing boat that baring the mast you have minimal hull windage. Any size boat can be made to do what you want in any weather with good use of spring lines, only downside is the strength of the pontoons or pilings as you power against them.

[@SailingTalisman]

Hi Wayne. Gold star to be sure. Agreed on all points.

[@clewerhillroad]

Had an old Moody 425 that was a [bleep] to get off in those conditions (same thing with the bow...) You made a much better job of it than we used to, nice job! and about looking at the Oyster 56, my dad used to say the perfect length for a boat was 5' longer than the one you currently have :)

[@SailingTalisman]

Hi David. I like that. 5' longer and 10 years younger is always nice. We did look at a Moody, but it wasn't quite what we were looking for.

[@clewerhillroad]

@@SailingTalisman We looked at a Moody 47 (ironically she's back on the market 30 yrs later) ...you made the right choice with Oyster 485! Cheers, David

[@RichardinScotland]

Nice manouvre, well planned and exectued. Another option that might assist in that situation is to run a warp from port midships back around via port stern cleat and back to the dock half a boat length or so behind you. Position roving fender on starboard stern. Using the bow thruster to push off the dock and drive forward. The port stern warp might help to pivot out against the wind. I've seen this work for cats but might not work so well for a mono. Would have been a relief having the marina tender to help just in case. Nice one!

[@SailingTalisman]

Yes, for the question I posed about how to do this without a bow thruster, it would be the same technique I described (but didn't do), except with a dock line running from stern cleat to midships dock cleat. You then back against the line and pivot the bow off the dock. It would require more power from the engine, and again having lots of fenders is important, but once the bow is upwind, you can shift into forward and get yourself off the dock.

[@davegoulding2409]

Hi guys, I discovered your channel a few weeks back and sequentially binge watched your whole catalogue ! I’m a Yactmaster Offshore of 20+ years and a retired super yacht captain, you guys have done brilliantly over the last few years with Talisman, she’s truly epic and your skill set has come on leaps and bounds. My wife and I will be retiring in 3 years (age 57) and purchasing a 50ish foot motor yacht (she doesn’t like the idea of her world healing over), we’ll then be cruising the Mediterranean for as long as we can, starting in the east most likely. I’ve really enjoyed you channel, please keep them coming, stay safe and fair winds my friends, I’d love to know what you future plans are ? Cheers from a rainy and dull north of England...

[@SailingTalisman]

Hi Dave. Thanks so much for the kind words. It sounds like you've had amazing experiences too, and now it's time to share some new ones with your wife. You probably know better than I, but we found Turkey and (especially) Greece to be the gems of the Med. If we went back I'd probably skip everything else.

[@bretth5012]

We were on a Royal Caribbean cruise in Feb and stopped in St Maarten for the day. Beautiful island. Nice seeing it again in your vlog!

[@SailingTalisman]

Thanks Brett. We loved St Maarten and can't wait to get back.

[@upside_up]

Excellent explanation, great vid!👍⭐️

[@SailingTalisman]

Thanks so much!

[@arthurschuler8906]

When we left Amsterdam in 1979 in a new build schooner of 32 meter we took a small tugboat. The ship was a bit aground on that spot.

[@arthurschuler8906]

Now I have a catamaran and I sometimes pay out a line from the port stern cleat and gently motor the boat out and the nose into the wind. The dockcleat must be strong enough! For me no do or die manoeuvres. When I was on an Dutch 80 foot sailing barge without an engine in 1977 they just rowed out an anchor and pulled her off. Now speed no damage!

[@SailingTalisman]

I'm pretty sure they've dredged the area around the PYI marina complex, but if you go much further into Cole Bay, it's too shallow for Talisman.

[@manudo2342]

Good brands take their responcibility... Nice! And wow, nice manouver on the dock, always good to have some people stand bye just in case. Surtainly nice in the sailing community.. stay save guys! Greetings from the netherlands.., marc

[@SailingTalisman]

Thanks Marc! Sailors on the dock are always the best. The second they see something out of sorts they come running. In this case we had Brian from the previous episode and his parents for help.

[@manudo2342]

@@SailingTalisman yeah, really nice, I know. I did my share helping out and I m being helped when I really needed some, so... I really love living in such a world.. 😘 And honest, your videos are, I'm not sure if you fully realize, a real blessing, I love them. No pretend, it just is what it is, and I agree.. So, THANK you. Marc

[@paulsinclair3401]

It's always more difficult when one is shorthanded as you are...... however, one can always rely on the sailing fraternity to lend a hand as they did there, which is always helpful..... it was also extra helpful having the marina tender standing by! But great job! One of my past yachts was an old 74' schooner rigged monster with massive windage, which we sailed around the Med and with the summer Meltemi blowing there, often found ourselves pinned, especially when the bow-thrusters decided to play up, which was quite regularly..... then it could all lead to some sphincter tightening moments! But I'm pleased to say that we always managed and things never got to the critical stage!

[@SailingTalisman]

Hi Paul. Yeah, I think having some experience and an escape plan always helps. In Yachtmaster training our instructor Gavin was always asking "how do you plan to get out if things go wrong". Staying upwind in a fairway was always a good answer as you had some "sea room" so to speak downwind. I can zig-zag Talisman in a figure eight pattern back and forth in a fairway all day long, assuming reasonable crosswinds. We got the engine "cut" a few times and had to actually sail out! I saw a couple put a 70' wooden schooner into a berth in Gibraltar with her at the wheel and him in the dinghy pushing the bow around. Those guys had it down and I was very impressed.

[@SpiralDiving]

I would try spronging her off: Doubled line from port side stern quarter to dock. Motor ahead with rudder hard to stbd. Plus bow thruster she'll come off the dock easily I think. Cheers.

[@SailingTalisman]

Sounds good. Gold star for you! Hope all is well.

[@CheersWarren]

It was good to See the rib standing by to put itself between the end of dock and Tasisman if needed. With the lack of fendering on the dock you could not pivot around the end which might have been a no thruster option. Otherwise as others suggested , move boat forward may be 15’ and the stern spring the bow off and then repeat what you did to go down fairway to back out. Thanks for talking it through first that’s what my wife Always wants to know , what’s the plan!? Cheers Warren

[@SailingTalisman]

Hi Warren. Yeah, that guy had been around a time or two. He had it dialed as far as what was likely to go wrong. And just because someone looks like they have it under control doesn't make it so. Did you see how he followed us out, even though I was keeping a bunch of sea room to leeward? If our engine died he would have been right there. Gold star for you on the no-thruster option.

[@jackvisser]

You Both are Damn Good People! TY for the Great Videos.

[@SailingTalisman]

Thanks Jack. It's a mostly thankless job, except for when our great subscribers and viewers enjoy the episode. We love that.

[@johnrichard6802]

On the beam or off the beam winds coming into or leaving a dock can be a recipe for embarrassment at the least. Well done and enjoyable.

[@SailingTalisman]

Hi John. I've embarrassed myself enough times, but unless you do serious damage the memories fade or are replaced by newer, worse ones. It has taken a long time to get fully comfortable with Talisman's little tricks.

[@Mr45Bullitt]

Just recently found your channel and I am really enjoying your content. I especially enjoy the docking footage. I was a weekend warrior with a 34' Rival. I always dreaded docking in close quarters although most often I did fine. You and your wife are real pros. Thanks for the videos your boat is such a beauty!

[@SailingTalisman]

I think the real comfort for me came when I realized I could hold position. I had to think about where I needed to be, but for example in a fairway with a cross-breeze I could jog up and back to windward and know that I wasn't going to end up on the bows of the downwind boats. Thanks for being with us and we're so happy you enjoy the series.

[@tomwilliams8675]

It's good that they replaced the inverter for you. Nice maneuver off the dock. Take care guys. 🤝🤝👍👍 It's getting cold in Syracuse NY 😖

[@SailingTalisman]

Hi Tom. Thanks for watching. We just left Colorado a few weeks ago and it was starting to get cold there too. Sterling Power really did step up when it came to getting us a new unit. It's a family run company that's getting big, but not so big that they can't take note with what's happening with their customers and make exceptions to the written warranty when needed. And the new box is working great.

[@mikedevlin2048]

Nicely done 👌🏻

[@SailingTalisman]

Thanks Mike!

[@ianeagles7896]

Nice work and great explanation

[@SailingTalisman]

Thanks Ian. Hope all is well.

[@Gusinabus]

The dingy bow thruster was a great help lol

[@SailingTalisman]

Hi Gus. It's nice to have those guys around. The only thing is that not all marinas have them. A fair number just have a guy on foot on the docks.

[@bunkosquad2000]

That happened to me. I got pinned to a dock with no cleats! I wound up calling BoatUS and they towed me out of trouble.

[@SailingTalisman]

Perfect. Next time this happens, I'll film it with a spring (cleats required), and discuss the plan and backup plan in advance. You always want a backup plan. If the main plan doesn't work, what then?

[@bt6joso]

That propably was swan 57. Beautiful boat.

[@SailingTalisman]

Quite. I've always had a thing for the Swans.

[@anthonyfrattalone9937]

would have been more challenging had you not had the clear space ahead. If you had another boat right in front of you, what would have done. Perhaps a bow spring line then push stern up wind and back up into the wind?

[@SailingTalisman]

@@anthonyfrattalone9937 Yes. That would have been the play. But you have to get really far out with the stern, past 45 degrees for it to work. Great question.

[@johnappleseed936]

Nice work! What is headroom like on Talisman, and how tall are you? Thanks from NY

[@SailingTalisman]

Hi Thomas. I'm about 6' tall and there's plenty of headroom throughout the boat. I have to duck through the doorways, but that's it.

[@hankgibson8848]

Have a Dufour 470 and want to install a instrument cluster pod at the companionway like yours. Is yours custom or off the shelf and if you did the install any advice/tips?

[@SailingTalisman]

Ours came that way, but it's just plexiglass over a cutout. Make a template out of card stock and send it out to a plexiglass supplier to get get a professional looking panel. Make sure to specify polished edges on the plexi. I suppose there's either room for instruments or not. The main thing is getting access for wiring. The newer NMEA2000 instruments will require an individual spur cable for each, as opposed to "daisy chaining" them.

[@mikkeljeppesen3551]

We have been following your adventure for a long time as we ourselves are looking for an Oyster for a family adventure. We have learned a lot following you guys - thank you so much! We are currently looking at an Oyster 45. Not sure you ever mentioned how much you paid for Talisman, but do you have any thoughts on what would be a good deal on an Oyster 45 from the mid 90s in fairly good condition? Cheers

[@SailingTalisman]

Hi Mikkel. Thanks so much for the kind words. I think the price of the boat should be heavily dependent on how well taken care of it is. Especially when it comes to woodwork, which is very hard to fix once it gets water damaged. If I had to do it all over again, I think I would have spent the relatively small extra dollars to get one of the newer, better maintained boats. However, that said, at the time (2017) Oyster 485's were going from between $200,000 at the low end to $350,000 at the high end. These prices would be negotiated down 10-15%, or more, during the selling process, but I am convinced that our upgrades to things like brand new electronics and other improvements meant that at the end of our 2nd year of ownership we could have sold the boat for what we had into it. Get the best one you can afford and keep a fair amount (15% or so of selling price) in reserve for upgrades and repairs. The older it is and more in need of repairs, the more you have to set aside. Avoid project boats if you can. You can always contact me off-list via Messenger or email (see "About" tab in the SYT KZbin landing page).

[@RHP9898]

Kevin, why didn't you get the harbour RIB to pull your bow out? Bow thrust + RIB = job done surely?

[@SailingTalisman]

Probably the biggest reason is that we didn't need it. These are opportunities to practice skills you might really need someday. And easily half the marinas out there don't have a guy in a RIB. You just can't count on that. If I had had to execute the maneuver I described in the beginning, springing the stern off the dock and clearing the cat aft, there's a good possibility I would have given the RIB driver a stern line and told him exactly what I planned to do. I would have had him tie off the stern line to his RIB and shadow me as I backed out, with instructions to start pulling upwind if I got in trouble. The risk there is that he just goes ahead and starts pulling, because if he does that he'll pivot my bow onto the dock. Dragging a keel laterally through the water is virtually impossible, so the boat is always acting as a wind vane.

[@RHP9898]

@@SailingTalisman Thanks for the thoughtful answer Kevin.

[@seasergeant7821]

Having the marina guy in the RIB as a tug boat just in case is the best insurance. Fair winds.

[@SailingTalisman]

I really like it when there's a guy around in a RIB. But we work hard to makes sure we don't needed it, especially after seeing so many really stupid things happen in marinas. Especially if the wind and tides are up. It's always nice to have them around. In Yachtmaster training it's guaranteed the examiner is going to tell you to cut power while in a marina and you're going to need a plan ready for what you're going to do. I sailed out of a marina 5 or more times during my training and exam.

[@kurtb369]

Kevin, looking at the issues you have with the winding system in your furling mast ... when you would have a choice in replacing : would you still go for furling mast or lazy-jacks system ? ( both operated / supported electrically ofcourse ) also curious about your water-maker, how long that membrame is going to last, seems like lots of people experiencing issues with it ( or is it because of bad / no maintenance ... ? )

[@SailingTalisman]

Hi Kurt. Like all things in the boating world, the furling mainsail system is a compromise. On the plus side it's pushbutton sail control and extremely powerful in its ability to furl the sail, even under load. On the minus side, you lose your horizontal battens (since these can't be bent). Therefore, some performance is sacrificed. But the nature of a cruising sailboat is rarely about high speed performance. If you want that you'll end up with a skittish, lightweight hull that surfs and pounds upwind, trading seakindlyness and motion comfort for speed. And Talisman is not a particularly slow boat. We get 8-9 knots with wind aft of the beam, but never the double digit speeds of lighter weight, race oriented hulls. As for membranes, these are the weak link of any watermaker. There is no such thing as a membrane that will survive not being pickled when out of service or having chlorine or petroleum products ingested. And so many of the watermakers out there are overly complex, trying to hide the complexity of backflushing and other tasks. And these automated flush systems are the cause of a lot of failures because if you fill your tanks at the marina, there will be chlorine in the water and this chlorine will enter the watermaker through the flushing system. The chlorine filters that are sold are good, but can only take so much without having the filter elements replaced.

[@kurtb369]

@@SailingTalisman well we can not all compete in the VendéeGlobe, can we ;-)

[@OlivierDelausnay]

Another solution, obviously not ideal in a busy marina, and not always doable depending on the marina bottom.. would have been to take a light anchor out on your port side and winch you off that anchor, the old school way.. slow and steady..

[@SailingTalisman]

Old style, to be sure. You make mention of it, but marina bottoms are littered with concrete blocks and other debris. I think we'd probably launch our own dinghy to pull us out if we had to. It's the reason we chose a 20hp outboard. You never know when you might need the power. Thanks for being with us.

[@johnwishart7950]

nice

[@SailingTalisman]

Thanks John!

[@philandlyra3365]

awesome 👏

[@SailingTalisman]

Thank guys.

[@bobthesnobscotland2821]

Is the teak decking the original stuff fitted by oyster on Talisman? What's the life expectancy of the teak as it looks like it would be very expensive to renew. Cheers 🥃👍

[@SailingTalisman]

Yes, our teak is original. Replacing a teak deck can be a $100,000 plus job, given that it's so labor and materials intensive. There are places to go to get it done cheaper (Mexico, Turkey), but at some point quality has to suffer. The life expectancy of teak has a lot to do with how thick it was when it was installed. As teak had gotten more expensive a lot of manufacturers have started to skimp on the spec, installing literal veneers of teak. But Oyster does well, giving you between 10 and 12mm of teak when new, plus vacuum bagging it down (epoxy) instead of using screws. This way water is much less likely to enter the core of the deck. Last season we pulled a lot of caulk and recaulked about 70% of the deck. The rest is better but will eventually need recaulking too. But the deck looks awesome now.

[@bobthesnobscotland2821]

@@SailingTalisman Thanks for the reply that's good news then it's still OK. Yes it looks a very skilled job to replace it and have it looking that good. That's good that it's also glued down and not screwed. One of the other channels that I follow sail life he spent days removing the teak along with the hundreds of screws and never replaced the teak he just reglassed the full deck and replaced the core. Anyway that's brilliant and thanks again and I look forward to your next video Cheers guys 🥃

[@roncanizares9966]

Very informative. In which marina were you berthed?

[@SailingTalisman]

It's the first one to starboard when you come through the bridge. Superyachts come first, then once you round the corner you get the part with medium and smaller boats. I want to say IGY Simpson Bay Marina.

[@roncanizares9966]

That is what I thought. We stayed there on my friend's Swan 44, the one on the hard in Jolly Harbour at the moment, when we arived from Newport in 2016. Have you launched Talisman yet? I see that here is a "bubble" of islands one can now go to in the Caribbean.

[@SailingTalisman]

@@roncanizares9966 We’re still prepping the boat and hope to launch in a week or so. But our mast is in JH and we still have some work to do before we can have the mast reinstalled.

[@Dave-pz2vs]

Hello Wendy & Kevin. I’m a new to your videos. I’ve watched when you picked up Talisman in Troon. We visited Troon in 2014. By chance did you try Talisman whiskey as the Scotland locals call it. We were on the Isle of Shy. “Very Good” if like Scotch strait up on ice. My wife thinks I was nuts. “One drink” and I slept like baby. Lol. PS: You doesn’t have to post this comment. 👍🇨🇦

[@SailingTalisman]

Hi Dave. I think the comments post automatically. Anyway, there was so much choice of whiskey in Troon, and Scotland generally, that it was impossible to tell one from the other. You go into these places and they literally have hundreds, perhaps many hundreds, of bottles on the wall. One hotel outside of Troon had a library ladder going to a 15' high ceiling and bottles stacked at least 10 shelves high and easily 30' across. I mean what could you do except ask the bartender to just pick something. It was a crazy place and time for us.

[@justinsteele5822]

No need to comment on the commentators you’d already told us our plan skipper ⛵️😎👍

[@garethbarker9498]

Credit to the harbour master with the rib, he would have been my first call, failing that Wendy in your tender to help push the bow to port as you left the finger pontoon maybe..

[@SailingTalisman]

Yeah, you know I really appreciate when they have a marinaro in a RIB to help people out. If we didn't have our bow thruster I know I'd be much more dependent on them. A lot of skippers don't know that you can ask for that via VHF (to get someone out in a RIB). It seems the larger the marina, the more likely it is you'll have a RIB driver. It's easier to get from one side to the other by boat and it helps with leading boats to their berth.

[@golb91]

Hardly difficult when you bowthrust off...

[@SailingTalisman]

The trick is to know with certainty that you can do without. And always take the safest way available. A lesson I learned from my Yachtmaster, when I started sailing to a MOB during MOB training. The instructor looked at me like I had two heads. "Kevin!", he said, "Use the engine! I never told you you had no engine. You don't get style points for getting to a person in the water in twice the time, but looking good doing it!"

[@Trim1]

Alfa Nero?

[@realkingdiv]

*Sailing Yacht Talisman* I know that times are hard for alot of you right now and if anyone is feeling low or sad I just hope you guys feel better and know you are not alone! I've recently made a song called Imperfect which is probably relatable for alot of you right now made from my personal experiences with a positive message you all should believe! You aren't perfect but I know that your worth it! If it helps uplift or motivate or motivate you in any way please let me know cause it would make my day! I hope things get better for all of you feeling down❤✌

[@petertorrey236]

Have to love the steady Caribbean wind ! Noticed your comment about the Oyster 56....have you been thinking of moving up 8 feet (or so) ?

[@SailingTalisman]

Hi Peter. We're always lusting after a slightly bigger and newer Oyster, but in the end, barring some lottery win or the like, we'll be sticking with wonderful Talisman.

[@teddyboysdontknit810]

Forget all the advice posted here by armchair sailors. Just stay a few days longer until the wind drops and open another bottle of wine. I would!

[@SailingTalisman]

That's usually our first choice ;-) But here the marina wanted us out. When we initially booked the reservation they told us that the spot was reserved starting Friday at noon, so it was a deal we had agreed to in advance.

[@divensail2406]

@@SailingTalisman Hi, great video - is this an Oyster with a former owner at Miami ? Fair winds, Oliver

[@andrevandyck4848]

Remove lines on thé bow and reverse hard ......

[@SailingTalisman]

That'll do it. Gold star for you. Thanks for being with us!

[@NatNay-cu3uv]

Pub

[@Div3r]

You made the comment "scuffed a little bit" @2:19 I don't think this helped kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3etq4yrprynras The bridge operator was lucky to escape with his life.

[@SailingTalisman]

OMG! I hadn't seen that. I've seen a few vids of boats scraping the side, but WOW! Thanks for sharing.

[@badbobtn]

LOL. Bow thruster? I wasted 13 minutes to find out a bow thruster?

[@SailingTalisman]

Oh well. You'll be fine. Thanks for the 13 minutes. I hope you enjoyed.

[@geronimo4511]

Sorry but with a bow thruster and nothing in front I don't see the challange...

[@SailingTalisman]

The bow thruster can only move the bow off the dock, and the thruster (like with most recreational boats) draws an outsized amount of electricity. It is therefore only rated for intermittent use. So you're always being blown back to the dock. Typically, this situation requires springing the stern off by leaving a bow line attached to the dock and driving forward on it (with lots of fenders forward). Once the boat is at about 45 degrees, you can release the bow line and back up aggressively. At this point, the bow thruster helps to keep the bow off the dock (as it's still susceptible to being blown downwind).

[@gherican]

@@SailingTalisman and you were on the spot, I wasn't, so fair comment 👍

[@MonkPetite]

Buy Victron sir. Don’t use anything else

[@SailingTalisman]

We love Victron.

[@lay1back]

Start drinking.

[@SailingTalisman]

Always a possibility.

[@vancekeith5642]

“Pinned on dock with 20 its of wind”. Left out we have thrusters…..total click bait

[@allisonpower2594]

In 20 knots, you had a bow thruster, 2 dock hands, 1 deck hand, and a large rib as tug, and a heap of room forward! Pretty lame Talisman.

[@SailingTalisman]

Well Allison. I'm heartened to hear that there are experienced skippers out there who are comfortable enough to be dismissive of moving heavy equipment under adverse conditions. The approach we take is always to accept help from people on the dock as that can't hurt, but to treat the situation as though we're on our own otherwise. I will warn those who read this to be wary of the advise of marina employees, whether they be in dinghies or on the dock telling you how to maneuver your boat. The only person who ever gets to actually dock a boat is the owner or a paid skipper. It's just the way things are. Which means that the guy on the dock has never done it before and has no idea what he's talking about. The only exception is employees of charter companies like Moorings and Dream Yacht Charters. They have staff moving their own boats all day long, and they get good at it. But they're not the ones standing on the dock barking instructions.

[@johnk5025]

Dear Kevin and Wendy, Nice job getting off that windward dock at Simpson Bay Marina! I recognised the town houses in the background, and those concrete docks with the red stripes - I've never seen those anywhere else. I was just walking them in December '21. So Nancy and I are the new owners of Rhapsody, Oyster 485-34, which we just bought a few days ago. And we are very keen to meet you two. Our sail plans are pretty much set through January 2023, and we'll be aboard in the Balearics before the end of August. Our blog - just for family and friends - is AdventuressSailing.blogspot.com Best, John and Nancy Knight, Punta Gorda Ps When we meet, ask me about my 2004 heart-stopping adventure involving Simpson Bay marina's big inflatable "tug"!