Why Don't Sailors Know this Technique for docking? Parbuckling

A short video on the technique of using a parbuckle line to bring the stern of a boat in, in stormy weather when the boat is blown off. Small demonstration and second demonstration of using a winch to bring the stern in to the dock. Sailing technique.
I apologize now for the audio being out a touch.

[@artfulalias3984]

The doubled parbuckle line multiplies the shore hand's force. But it is also sweating the stern line. Sweating the line is an extreme force multiplier. But its not constant. When the stern line is taught force applied perpendicular is multiplied many times over. But as soon as some slack forms the force falls off (its a trigonometric function of the angles formed by the lines). This is why its more effective to have a coordinated team with one person taking up the slack and keeping that stern line taught.

[@theincompetentcrew]

Very well put. We could really have done with a windy/ gale day to demonstrate it as a useful function. (the fact the boat gained momentum with little wind to resist actually made it awkward to demo.)

[@sailingonadream]

As a single-handed sailor with a 12m boat, and nobody ashore to assist, I would never step off the boat until it is secure. My preferred technique is to run a long line from the midship cleat back through the stern cleat, and onto a winch. This forms a big loop to throw over a cleat. Drive the boat to the pontoon, doesn't matter if you are a bit away from it as long as you can throw a line. Stop the boat, the line will already be neatly in two coils at the stern, no need to leave the cockpit. Throw the line over a cleat near the stern and take in the slack on the winch. You can balance the boat with forward throttle and rudder, as you now have a stern line and spring set. Then winch her in. Once alongside, leave her in gear, step off and set the rest of your lines. No drama, no fuss, no sweat. Practice does make perfect though.

[@theincompetentcrew]

That sounds like a well practiced routine! Thanks for sharing it. I've rigged loops from only one cleat/fairlead , but not a larger loop as described. Nice one!

[@tomwalters2529]

I like the 'Parbuckling' technique! In the right circumstances it could be done efficiently and quickly.👍

[@theincompetentcrew]

Totally agree, like you say in the right circumstances. I can think of a few times it would have been handy for us had we brought it to mind. thanks for commenting

[@KristiRich-k9f]

Very clever. You guys always make it look easy.

[@theincompetentcrew]

Ideas out of old books :)

[@obiwanfisher537]

2 Sailors is not shorthanded in my opinion. But on my own, I would probably lasso the cleat with a big loop through a block midships and spring myself against the dock with forward motion, then with the running engine I'd step off and tie of the other docking lines. But the Parbuckling one is a nice idea. I remember we once pulled like stupid at a 15 ton boat to move her aft a few metres to make room for a different vessel. It was tough work for all of us.

[@theincompetentcrew]

Hi, thanks for commenting. The way you describe is the standard. For this video I was concentrating on basic ways to get the boat in without power and without back breaking work. Also, for short handed, I Suppose it depends on the size boat and how its fit. We're 14m LOA with hanked sails. (13.5T). And a long keel. It makes for a little work sometimes.

[@sempertalis1230]

Lol, very interesting, I never saw this done before and will try it. Just for fun, maybe some day it comes in handy. Thanks for showing it.

[@theincompetentcrew]

Have fun! we always have a laugh with obscure techniques.

[@paulprior934]

I usually attach bow line then put the yacht in reverse wheel hard to dock side , or attach line to centre cleat and move forward,only because I'm solo sailing

[@theincompetentcrew]

Hat off to you solo sailing Paul, thats a next level of difficulty, and stress. thanks for commenting

[@sv_wavedancer]

Well demonstrated, more tricks up the sleeve the better 💪⛵️

[@theincompetentcrew]

Probably never use it, but its fun to play with. :) thanks for commenting

[@tench745]

Bit of a tip given to me when I started sailing; when catching a line, stick your arm straight out to the side and have the person throwing the line simply try to toss it over your outstretched arm. No more tangle of (usually wet) line heading for your face, and if they throw long the line just drapes over your arm.

[@theincompetentcrew]

Good lil tip. thanks :)

[@sailingsibongile]

NOOO !!!... If you are being blown off the dock then get your midship line on first. That will hold your boat centrally, and if the bow swings because of the wind then the stern will come closer to the dock. However, the 2nd line to get on is your bow line, because the wind will catch that most; and then your stern line on.

[@theincompetentcrew]

Hi sailingsibonglie, you will be relieved to know its just hypothetical (as stated) to demonstrate the classic technique of parbuckling. :)

[@theincompetentcrew]

But yes, fixing a midship line will keep the boat in place followed by the rest :)

[@adrsauer]

Interesting approach-it's great to see stormy weather techniques demonstrated on such a peaceful day. Having a crew member already on the dock certainly simplifies things. I'm sure this method will work just as smoothly when the wind is howling and the waves are high. Do not get me wrong: Even if the video doesn't fully capture stormy conditions, the techniques shown could still be helpful in certain situations.

[@theincompetentcrew]

the next stormy day i get and they let me on a hammerhead, I shall have to do a comparison test between just sweating a line and applying the parbuckle. will be interesting to see.

[@koenijnn]

My boat goes backwards quite ok, so if the jetty is long enough like in this video I can in even quite strong winds drive with the back into the wind to the cleat on the end of the dock. Throw the line over the cleat, tie off and put engine in forward so it pulls up next to the jetty. Easy to do solo from the cockpit or just next to the cockpit.

[@theincompetentcrew]

Using the motor to do all the work is the best and obvious choice 9.999 times out of 10. Thanks for commenting

[@starfishsystems]

Almost always there is a narrow window of time for securing the vessel. You have one chance to take its way off, or you have one chance to throw a heaving line, or you're being blown sideways as you lose forward way. The best technique that I know for such cases is also the simplest. Use a BREAST LINE at midships. If you're single handing, you will step ashore with it and immediately get it around a cleat horn. You may also have carried a bow or stern line ashore at the same time, for additional control to prevent the boat from yawing off. Now you can SURGE the breast line gently to take the way off the boat, or alternate between SWIGGING the line and taking it up around the cleat, to bring the boat alongside. (The mechanical advantage of swigging is identical to parbuckling, except no extra line is needed and no time is wasted in setting it up.) A sheet or halyard winch provides excellent and immediate mechanical advantage, but only if you have a crew member aboard. And it too is best applied to the breast line, or to a second line similarly made off. Position your sheet car at midships and use it as a turning block from shore to the winch.

[@theincompetentcrew]

Hi, thanks for the comment. I posted these because recently I watched a boat docking with a crosswind, and instead of coming along side, they brought the bow in first (pointed into the wind, like picking up a mooring ball), lasso'd a line to fix the bow, took in the excess, then calmly one crew popped of the bow (bit brave for my liking) and walked a stern line along the dock. It was interesting to see but a very calm process that got me thinking. And yes you are right, midship line and using the motor takes away all the pressure from the people. ( its the logical choice, in many situations the only choice like you said). The process of parbuckling gives a 2:1 pulley advantage over Swigging/ sweating which is 1:1 ie only the force you can individually pull sidewards, vs you with a 2to1 block. (though the deflection of the mooring line gives the main advantage), so maybe this is more applicable to larger yatchs? I have spent more time swigging a line on a cleat than I like to imagine . thanks again for the comment

[@adelheidsnel5171]

the winch I used, but the first one is a great tip!

[@theincompetentcrew]

Thanks Adel. And the winch really does make things easy

[@boathemian7694]

As an old schooner captain I’m amused by people commenting who think little fiberglass yachts are heavy lol. When I got divorced I had to always handle my 46’ FC schooner all the time. All conditions, including two years when she didn’t have reverse gear. Great times.

[@theincompetentcrew]

I guess the weight is all relative. Losing the reverse gear would certainly create a lot of warping around I would guess. What was your schooner like?

[@boathemian7694]

@@theincompetentcrew my boat was a Jay Benford design named TOKETEE and she was our home for a long time. Raised my son on her, she was a Marconi ketch when we got her and Tom Colvin helped me rig her as a lug schooner (junk). She was our personal home and we chartered her seasonally. I had a machine shop in the focsle. Eventually I started working on bigger inspected schooners and we sold Toketee but that’s another sad story that’s easy to find online. Now I’m retired in Maine with a 22’ Herreshoff schooner.

[@theincompetentcrew]

@@boathemian7694 O cool, I had a google, a very pretty boat. A friend of ours has just built a 32' Jay Benford with junk rig. I'm quite impressed by it. a very nice boat. I love the lack of stays to go wrong, just a solid mast (well, 2). I have dreamed of having a boat big enough to have a machine shop inside. One day

[@CrewNo2]

I have watched large men nearly fall into the water as they try to pull a heavy boat into the dock in strong winds. Interesting techniques. Might have a play with them. Thanks.

[@theincompetentcrew]

Thanks for sharing

[@hatatfatcat]

I have been one of 3 large men battling to assist a yacht dock in a strong crosswind, eventually we gave up and the yacht had to take another 2 goes at docking before we managed to get her moored up, this would have been very handy to know.

[@theincompetentcrew]

@@hatatfatcat I think every one of us has been at least a few times. Always seems more stressful docking a boat when its windy for some reason :)

[@23degrees]

If the scenes confusing to anyone, it's very similar in concept to how you tighten a hallured on a small kielboat with no winch.

[@jmorrow6913]

Do vector analysis on the parbucle ~ if the load line has no slack (yes that is impossible, but stay with me) any deflection results in a infinite pull. This is why "sweating" a line by pulling sideways can get it really really tight.

[@frederickschuster7453]

Go forward against a bow spring line with rudder away from the dock.

[@theincompetentcrew]

Thats absolutely valid! (in fact its what we did right after making this video while re-attaching the other docklines). For this video I was trying to concentrate on manual handling techniques with the boat and find out if anybody else has any obscure techniques. Thanks for commenting. :)

[@sailinghjem]

Had a few occasions this season where fellow sailors are trying to use brute force, to their own detriment. Winch every time. Although one of the times we needed to do it, the French ‘cleat’ was a metal ring which just couldn’t be looped from the boat. If you’ve got any tips for this, please share!

[@cokeariail9398]

So the actual easiest thing to do if tied at the bow is to just put the boat in reverse at very low speed and angle in.

[@theincompetentcrew]

Hi, thanks for the comment. Realistically, every single docking maneuver is made with the engine , and under this circumstance motoring forwards or back on the line, depending on boat will work.(trust me, we aren't going to come along side then let the boat blow off just to make our lives harder pulling on lines by hand each day). I'm going to have to change the scenario to ' you almost dock and throw a line to shore, but then the engine dies, what do you do cokeariail9398??''. :)

[@jaliljacallen4114]

Parbuckling - cool! But my question is, first - why would you not just sweat the line? The person on the dock should never be just pulling on a line, it needs to be around a clear so you can sweat it. It would be a pretty extreme circumstance where sweating the line is too hard. I regularly sweat up my 20 ton catamaran in winds 15-20 kn. Second - why are you starting with a bow line? A spring line from the midship cleat will work better. Engine in forward, sucks you right in to the dock.

[@CrewNo2]

I commented earlier to say that I’ve watched grown men struggling to not be pulled into the water as they work to bring boats into the jetty. 15-20 knots is a nice breeze, but in 40 knots, I can see how one might need more than their own strength to manhandle a heavy boat.

[@theincompetentcrew]

Hi Jaliljacallen, Yes motoring in and tying off straight away and sweating the line when necessary would be the standard practices. As stated a few times in the video, you aren't going to use it every day, it is more a technique that would come in on windy/ gale days (by memory, the wind loading from 15kts to 30 kts is around 4x greater?, and its then the technique might come into its own) . I can only think of two or three days where this would have been useful to me over the last 3years. I have just tried to give a quick scenario where parbuckling technique could be applied. :)

[@johsieanna]

How about you just step on the line and use your body weight to get slack in the line which you then pull. Also works singlehanded and does not require working with another line

[@jasonhuxley674]

Also half turn around the cleat (under both horns and up to the deck hand. This should hold in most conditions, you can then use the full force of your legs in an upward direction (safely) and sweat the line with your body weight (foot) as mentioned while being able to take in the slack

[@theincompetentcrew]

Hi, yes, you can sweat your own line by standing then taking. Probably the most common way to sweat a dock line. And the way you see on docksides everyday for taking that little bit more. Slight risk for those with less balance. Thanks for commenting