First rule in docking: Never enter a dock faster than you want to hit it. Second rule in docking: Have all dock lines and fenders setup ahead of time Third rule in docking: Be sure everyone on the boat knows their duties (especially those that “are just trying to help”). I used to dock racing sailboats (40’ & 44’) into slips by myself. The key is knowing how the boat, engine and rudder behave and always respecting the wind and current. It’s also important to know your limitations and ask for help Before you need it. I have a 21’ bassboat that I use in Canada. The dock faces big water (wind & waves) and there is a rock reef 25’ to the side of the dock. Again, I am always singlehanded. Easiest approach is to get a preset bow line from a strong cleat at the end of the dock to a bow boat cleat, put engine in idle reverse, rotate the engine and the boat will literally back itself around the dock and rest along the pier. You may have done a video on it already but Spring Lines are rarely used by newer boaters and they are essential for so many reasons. In Canada, when the wave rollers come down the bay were my boat is docked, my Spring Lines literally force the boat away from the dock so it can ride comfortably. Location, length and line material (springy) are important. Be well. Oh, liked the aerial of Key Colony Beach, FL you had in your video. I tie up to the dock at the bait shop by Key Vaca Cut and there is usually current moving or ripping through there.
Agree about the spring line. Have a 19’ boat. I have the forward spring line ready as I approach the dock. I put it 3/4 in on a piling with a little slack, then run the motor with a little power to force the stern in, then secure stern line.
Captain Hooks 👍🏼Yeah, if you come through Vaca Cut when the tides are changing the current can really rip, and couple that with a bunch of boats pulling in and out for fuel/ice/bait all at the same time, you gotta stay on your toes. I stay there in KCB on 10th St. every year. As soon as I saw the aerial I said “Hey! That looks familiar!”
When training on the pivot turn with an outboard engine, key was to keep the engine in neutral while cranking the wheel until the engine was in the desired position and then resume with power.
You’re absolutely correct! That is probably the biggest mistake I see with boaters, They think they are driving a car and don’t realize the boat is still moving why are you turning the wheel! My family has a summer home on the Jersey shore so I grew up boating my whole life! So when I was teaching my best friend how to drive my boat that is the first thing I taught him and he never forgot that! When my brother-in-law decided to buy a new boat he did not want any advice on how to navigate, dock or launch a boat he wanted to learn on his own! Even though I had 22 years of boating at this point he was too stubborn! He had a 19 foot Palm Beach center consul with an outboard and every time he was backing into his slip he would get frustrated and complain that his slip was too small! I have a 23 foot cuddy walk around with an I/O, Full size teak swim platform the entire width of my transom and a 2” teak pulpit extending off of my bow so my boats total length is about 27 1/2 feet! So the next summer We launched my boat before his and he asked if we could bring his dock box over to his marina on my swim platform, I said no problem! So I pull up to his marina and he said just pull up to the gas dock and we can unload it there, I said no need to carry it from the gas dock all the way over to your slip I am just going to back right into your slip! He laughed and said there is no way because my boat is almost 8 feet shorter than yours and I have trouble backing my boat in! I pull up to his slip and I said watch this and I whipped my boat around and backed right into his slip! He looked over at me and said how, I said I must’ve picked up a few things boating over the last 20 years! That was back in 2007 and I still have that same boat to this day, It is special and very sentimental to me! RIP Grandma and thank you for the best childhood a little boy could ask for! 😠😥
@@tobybarrett5781 Any Good Boat pictures . I thought I had a prefect shot of 36 ft Sailboat coming in with Sunset Behind it , That was till my Buddy Made an abrupt course correction, My New Phone is now sitting in the bottom of the channel 25 coming off The Gulf 😒
@@NeverEnoughPyro40 sounds like an awesome place to hang out during school holidays dude , -hi from Sydney, Australia - I had a teenage friend when we were young his grandmother had a place in Bayview-(I can't send a link, but Google maps will show you what it's like , I'm guessing it's similar looking to those absolute waterfront homes, similar to those in Miami. Cheers buddy.
@@NeverEnoughPyro40 I have a 23 Gulfstream Grady White with bow pulpit and motors on a bracket. I can back it in with my eyes closed had a boat 40 years
Nice job. What’s funny is when the wind blows a sudden gust when you think you almost have it in the slip. Then you forget which way to turn to swing the boat closer to the dock and end up turning away. Now you need a burst of hard reverse to get the hell out of there and start all over. Yes, I can use some practice!
No matter how many years experience we have on the water, we can always use some refresher training and practice. Look at how even the Navy, Coast Guard, commercial fleets, fishing boats, etc with those running their vessels have mental lapses and they mess up, even with all the experience and continued training they do.
I know it was said before but find empty dock space somewhere and practice. All day. Practice when its windy. Learn your boats center of gravity turning point. I learned on a single and now have twins. Practice using a springline to get off a windward dock. How your prop "walks" Also practice holding station. Can throw out a marker buoy and practice that one anywhere. In certain docking situations wind is your friend, most of the time it isn't. Good luck, thanks Aaron and Happy 2021! It's going to get better folks!
@@barongerhardt hi man , -i have to ask you how to walk a boat , e.g.- PRETEND I'm berthed port side to at a jetty, then I give full hard port rudder, then I put the port engine in astern propulsion using relatively high revs, whilst the starboard engine is at high revs operating in ahead propulsion, or is this incorrect as I've tried to do it on a 100 ft. 1980s mono-hull' luxury motor yacht recently, and the vessel failed to walk at all- (all it did was move astern about 10ft. before I gave up)- somebody said to me the reason 100 ft. motor yacht didn't walk at all is because of the length of the hull (100ft.)- that there is a lot of water to move out of the way, or maybe the props on this 100ft. yacht may have been too small in diameter to be effective at walking the vessel,and also maybe because I wasn't giving it more than 3000rpm as the old caterpillar V12s' 'Merlins' are over 30 years old. I've seen a video on YT showing someone 'walk a 45 ft. Flybridge cruiser easily, but the whole vessel was shaking severely, due to the hydraulics of the water and propellers as both engines were at high rpms' due to the opposite thrust of the propellers.
Awesome docking video, I've been a boat owner for some time it's these videos and a lot of trial and error that made me a better captain. These videos may be repetitious to some but it's a world of information to others. When launching or docking be aware of boats around you, be respectful, take in slow or out, and it works every time. It's my experience others may differ.
Well depending on a situation, not necessarily. But like my comment says, practice first for everything situation. Their have been times on a really nasty day that I’ve had to back in at 6 knots to get it within my slip before the current/wind catches the bow. So many people go way too slow & that’s what causes a lot of accidents.
Good tips. Don’t forget to remind passengers not involved in line handling to sit tight til you’re stopped. Nothing worse than having your vision, balance and mojo buggered up by folks scrambling all over, eager to get off. Or worse, that hotshot who decides he’s going to launch himself off the gunnel from three feet out, pushing you off your track.
@@bentramell729 YES. I worked with a bunch of EGO tripping Narcissistic, know it all's. They can play there games all day at work. I am not there boss ( Captain) anyway made the mistake of inviting one for a local airshow over the water. Now "wait for it". He invited his girlfriend, and another friend of his, without asking me first. Then he wanted to bring his charcoal barbecue. I told him NO. He argued with me. His friend told him "it's his boat" Do what he tells you. Anyway halfway through the airshow his girlfriend started getting sick. Wanted to go home. Messed up whole day. What does this idiot do. He tells everyone at my work I have a boat, to use freely, as they want. Morale of my story. Never take EGO tripping coworkers out when they don't respect you at the work place. Don't brag about OWNING a boat to one up your fellow co works. It will backfire on you. They will never respect you being the Captain.
This! Even if you're moving to try and fend off or help me in some way, moving the weight around will undo whatever good you were trying to do. In a small boat if you're not already in position just stay where you are. I can always go around again!
LMFAO!!! Amen to that brother. As soon as we get to docking she becomes an expert all of a sudden wants to tell me how it's done. Then when I ask her to throw the rope over the cleat she's like "huh?".
That last maneuver is easy. That's how I load my boat on the trailer. Come in perfectly straight, then it turns completely sideways at the last second. Spectators love it.
taddamb1 - Back your trailer bunks under the water for a splash, pull trailer forward until about 1/3 of the bunk length is in the water, drive the boat slowly - in and out of gear and aim for a spot in the middle of your tailgate / rear door, after you have driven onto the trailer verify your centered and headed straight for the bow roller or stop give it some throttle to advance the boat all the way onto the trailer, hook up your strap and crank if you need to, go have a congratulatory beverage or two after you leave the ramp.
In a heavy blow I would either nose up onto the dock if I knew I wouldn't scratch the stem or get a bow line onto something and use the engine to pull against the line. The method shown here relies on pretty calm winds/current. The trickiest landing is trying to come into a busy lock with the wind swirling around. You see lots of jaw-dropping situations at locks where there are already boats in there and manoevring room is super tight.
Like mentioned, using the wind to blow you towards the dock is a huge help. If you have a crosswind blowing you away from the dock, it's much harder in a tight space. A boat with more than one motor is much easier as well.
I'm not a boater but this was a great job done well. Learning from someone else's video I would prepare my bowline, fenders, spring lines and aft lines first so that they could be easily and quickly tied off as soon as the boat is docked. Thanks Chris in UK.
I had a 24' center console fishing boat with a single 300hp outboard that I used so much I could turn it on the preverbal dime. I got so comfortable with it I could dock it pretty fast. People were amazed....
You can use a line to tie off temporarily fore or aft and manuever the boat against the line with the power of the motor. This method is especially useful for boats with a fixed prop and rudder system.
It's more fun with a single inboard!! The ruder becomes mostly useless at the dock and is kept in the right (hard to starboard) position, but the stern stern will tuck in reverse while moving forward, basically using the same technique. It's fun to watch someone who knows what they are doing! Great Video.
I've had beer can boats (aluminum) for years but I finally bought a "big" boat. A 20 foot bay boat, and this video was really helpful. I had the "general" gist, but this kind of nailed it down for me. Thanks for that. I appreciate it.
Nope. No pointers missed. Nicely done. I teach sailing and docking in Boston harbor and I profess two things: 1 - Go slowwww. So if you make a mistake, it happens slooowwwlllyyy. And 2 - Bailing out of a bad approach shows better judgment and seamanship than trying to squeeze it in there and failing miserably.
If you're still not comfortable just tie a dock like to the dock and forward cleet on whichever side the dock is on then turn the wheel into the dock and bump reverse. The docking will pull your stern into the spot.
How about the fender method when it's very windy? You do need a second person though. So you drive up to the dock where there is a cleat or a piling and as far into the wind as you can at a slight angle, then you get your crew to tie a fender on the bow between the dock and the boat where the bow is widest and put the bow line around the cleat or piling and hold the bow. Now put the engine or rudder pointing towards the dock which ever side you came in on and then put the engine in reverse with moderate rpm. The boat can not go backwards because it is held at the bow to the dock by your crew and because your engine or rudder is pointing toward the dock, the boat will be dragged sideways into the dock. The crew may need to release the line just a little to allow the bow to move out as the bnoat swings and levers against the dock pivoting on the widest part. Now secure the stern. I hope that makes sense, kind of difficult to explain only in words.
My docking situation is that my slip is a corner slip that I back into with a really narrow canal leading into my slip. Luckily my boat has twin Mercury Verado 350s with Rev 4 4 blade props which make it really easy to handle around the dock. When coming down my canal, all I do is that if the bow of the boat starts drifting to the right, I put the port engine into forward for a quick second to redirect the momentum to the left and vice versa if the bow of the boat starts wondering to the right. If my heading is good, I alternate putting the port motor into forward and starboard into gear. I never use both engines at the same time unless the wind is pushing hard against me. Once I get about a boat length away from my slip, I take it out of gear and let it float, in order to slow down my momentum. Once my starboard motor is just past the starboard piling, I stick the starboard engine back into reverse and give it a quick burst of juice to get the boat turning. I then tie my starboard spring line. After that, I put the port into reverse for a quick second to finish the turn and I tie up the port spring line (process might be reversed in rare circumstances when wind is pushing me off the dock, most of the time wind is pushing me onto the dock). Then I use the boathook to get my two port stern lines. After that, I get the bow lines, then the starboard stern line, and them I'm in and tied off. I have two 9 inch diameter Taylor Made buoys tide together that I tie off to my port stern cleat (the dock is on the port side of my boat). I know not everyone's in my situation but I've been in this marina for two years and that's the process that I've made for coming in. It's efficient, my boat is unharmed, the marina is unharmed, and everyone else's boats are unharmed! To depart, it's this process exactly in reverse! Stay safe and healthy everyone!
What is hardest for me is seeing the front of the boat change direction and thinking "the whole boat" is changing direction in that way...forgetting about my center axis point (the actual boat's position in the water) and how it's only slightly changing in relation to the visual swings you see happening around you. I think that's the biggest cause of panic and confusion -- seeing the boat "turn" and thinking that sway is a much bigger output than it really is.
That's very well done on the last docking procedure coming from 90 degrees to where you want to end up. I drove launch as a teenager and my approach would be to come at it with a bit more speed, turn at the last minute, let momentum swing the stern around, and then obviously reverse the helm and use reverse thrust to finish bringing the stern all the way in. Your method is more controlled but where I think you would run in to trouble is if there is wind or current. If a strong wind is blowing off the dock, for example, it's going to be very hard to stay in place as you are going back and forth getting the boat turned. The method I describe will work in strong wind, but it definitely requires that you've practiced it a lot before you try it. 25 or 30 years after I drove launch I don't get as much practice as I used to. Really great advice though. I wish more people would watch these videos and try these things. Even if it doesn't quite work for your docking situation it is an incredibly good exercise to do to train yourself how to maneuver precisely.
You’ve got it exactly right. Here’s a tip, training how to use the engine to kick the stern around I use a pistol grip garden hose nozzle. Use it to illustrate how the engine pushes the stern with a jet of water. Few illustrations off the dock then get the new operator to duplicate what I am doing with the engines prop wash using the hose nozzle. Using it makes for a faster understanding of the dynamics.
Its the bit that I dread the most is coming up to the dock when its busy and there is a single spot between vessels it stresses me out the most. So thanks for the tips. I will practise those next time I'm out.
Practice is key! in varying conditions, and every chance you get. Have to get that "feel" for how your boat handles. Then you will build skill and confidence!
Great video. An inexperienced/newbie isn’t going to get this maneuver without touching the other boats. This should be practiced MANY times at an empty dock by imagining the boats at bow and stern. An empty dock is your best place to practice confidence is……EVERYTHING!
I had a 23' cigarette mach111 with a 350 Chevy v8 330 hp. I had a slip at the end of the dock. The thing is I was docking my boat in a river. The current was very strong and tide and current was very strong . I grew up on boats thanks to my grandfather and my uncle Ray. I was raised by my uncle who had me piloting a 45' F/V. I mean my uncle took me under his wing when I was very young. His vessel had twin screws. I was fortunate enough to have a uncle like my uncle Ray who worked in the fishing industry. I really appreciate you for putting this video together!!! There is so many people who can't read currents or for that matter dock a boat to save their lives lmao..... Please teach people how to read currents and water markers? Ive seen so many boats on top of rocks, beached and accidents with other boats. Please people take a boating course? That way the coast guard won't find you and your boat sinking or your nice new boat crashing into other boats at the dock. I'm sharing cause I've seen novice boaters get in trouble? Boating is fun and dangerous at the same time 🚤🛳⛴🛥 My experience is what I'm sharing. I'm not perfect but I had a great teacher with my uncle Ray. You can also take your boat to the coastguard station. They'll check your boat for safty reasons. Like lifejackets? They do expire,air horn and flares expire too? Bilge pumps can get clogged? So things like these I mentioned are things I've learned. I don't know it all but I believe in boat safety. DON'T DRINK AND TAKE YOUR BOAT OUT!!! If you're going to party anchor for the day and night.
I boat on a river so there is always a current so I dock against the current which allows me to use a little more power. If the wind is blowing towards the dock, it's a pretty simple maneuver for my small express cruiser. It is when a stiff wind is trying to push the boat off the dock that makes is tougher for me. The only cleat on the boat that is readily accessible is the stern cleat. As long as I can get the line tied off, I can use the engine to keep the boat on the dock until other lines are secured.
Some hints: Used the wind and current to your advantage whenever possible. Get to know how your boat responds to power and rudder at slow speeds. Inertia is always present, more so the heavier your vessel. It can be an enemy or a friend. Practice in the open with a tethered marker until you are good at it. Prepare lines and fenders IN ADVANCE, and give clear instructions to your crew. Practice! If you don't know what you are doing, get a knowledgable instructor. And Captain is a title, not necessarily a measure of skill.
That's really good, here is a different technique. Pont the nose of the boat 90 degrees from parallel, and have your "dockman" up front, with a cleat tie in his hand. As you nose up, he hops on the dock and loops that cleat with the strong tie. Now the person as the helm uses the engine to pull or push her parallel to the dock. Practice this when the dock is empty, get the feel of it. When you think about it, it's a pretty good technique, if there is room for your boat, the nose is fixed--it CAN'T float back into the neighboring boat--and it can't go forward further that you are controlling. And if the cleat is not in the right place---the dockman can pull the boat forward a bit, or let the rope slip a bit if reverse is needed. It works very well for me. Of course, if I am alone (first, I never am) then this will not work, at least with the design of my cuddy.
@@barongerhardt agree with you 100% in situations in which you are docking perpendicular to the dock or sea wall. My home port is a parallel situation such as this and even to the extent where I am in the middle of 2 other boats. We have very high winds here in the Northeast and I own a Groverbuilt so I am confident going out in some pretty strong weather. I have yet to come home to a situation in 5 years that needed much power. When I am able to bow in, it's always a piece of cake. Additional power for me comes in handy when I want to stern into a perpendicular slip and my inboard has nothing to rely on for lateral movement but prop walk. That is where the the skilled pilot shows his stuff and others have to bow in.👍
Thanks for the excellent overview. It helps on getting your bow angled and touching at the dock temporarily to snub a forequarter line to a dock cleat/piling so the engine forward/reverse/steering maneuvers have a more controlled effects on “parallel parking”. The same effect can be used when leaving the dock, with that forequarter line being last cast off.
Great video. Another useful tip is to drop off a competent person with a bow dock line. Cleat off the bow and reverse the boat. She'll back in nicely. My wife and I have mastered this maneuver. Easy and makes the captain and crew look good too.
I learned how to dock single handed in an 18' walkthru with a 90hp 2 stroke outboard in the sloughs near San Francisco. 40 mph wind and 6 knot tide 90 degrees to the dock. You get a couple of ropes ready at the front of the boat and then you put the nose of the boat on the dock and then you run to the front and loop a line around a dock cleat. Then you use reverse against the ropes to pull the boat around and to the dock where you can throw a line over a cleat from the rear of the boat. Took me a few times to work out the logistics but it worked.
Please don’t practice this without fenders out on both sides and someone with a large roving fender in hand and don’t practise near my boat. Good luck !
I was taught odds and evens. Port/left even number of letters, that helps on larger vessels, even numbered things are on the port side, like fire stations, life boats, winches...I've been on boats and ships my whole life and still learn new things about them every day. Thanks for this video.
Man, the way you slip that Ocean Master right in there, it's almost as if you work as a marina all day! And, the drone footage was spot on. Happy New Year Aaron!
Reading the comments, some simple things to add. Port has 4 letters - so does left The bow and stern pivot around a center point that is different on every boat but a good place to start is to think of the pivot about 1/3 back from the bow. Bow? To quote Quinn - Hooper - front bow - back stern .... Never approach the dock faster than you are willing to hit it.
I’m thankful for the great insight you’ve provided in this video! I’ve never had to dock a big boat but with my inflatable 11 foot dinghy, I just plow myself towards the dock and ask my passengers or friends standing by to grab the dock and cushion the impact!
After reading all these comments, I was LMAO. I especially liked Robert Lee's "never approach the dock faster than you want to hit it". As a recent boat owner, I have personally discovered all advice here is rooted in fact because I seem to experience one or more of them during each of my docking events. It gives meaning to the old military adage...."It's not a job...it's an adventure"
I love the description I got when getting my CDL A. "Driving a Semi is a 99 and 1 job... 99% of the job is getting the trailer on the dock and the other 1% is driving." It seems to be applied to a lot of other industries as well like flying planes and boating. My flight instructor said on the first day, "Anyone can push the throttle in and pull back and make the plane climb into the air.. getting it back on the ground is another matter."
Super video! You can't review it enough.. Every docking experience is a new experience. Never ever the same. I read somwhere,that it you trim up the outboard/outdrive,when in reverse,you can get better control while in reverse.Less wash against the transom. Your thoughts. Cheers
I live in canada, most boat launches I go to don't even have docks. Only time I tie up to a dock is when I launch into Georgian Bay, and its only for two seconds while I park the truck and trailer. However, great video, and has taught me a lot about "proper" docking techniques. Thank you.
One rule to add for docking, know where the "point of no return" is going to be, and if you miss it, know what it will take to set up for a do-over. As in, you're not going to make the docking if you're out of position past a particular point, so have a plan ready to 'back up' to do it again. Don't let yourself get pushed beyond a point where it'll be even more difficult to get out of, or correct.
On smaller boats , someone always wants to scurry from the middle to one side or the other to help. Their intentions are ok. The problem is the weight digs the chine on that side into the water more and can alter the handling. Assign jobs and the people that don’t have a job ...their job is to stay still until secured to the dock. Also the rub rail is there for a reason. RUB rail not crash and drag rail. On this approach if the port bow were to get against the piling , hard starboard and gentle in and out of gear. The curved bow will follow the piling and you will snug right into the hole. This is done SLOWLY. it’s not the desired plan but it will get you in there and won’t damage anything. I liked the video a lot and wish people would be more willing to learn.
I came back to add another point. The statement you made about knowing where neutral is ! Know your controls without looking at them. Put a suicide knob on the wheel. Know straight is at 10 o’clock or 6 or wherever. Count the revolutions from amidship to hard over. 21 foot boat was 1-1/2. Or 3 from hard over to hard over. Big boat was 7 and 14. Keep count and you can focus on the point on the dock and not turn around 15 times to see where your motor is pointing. Ok that’s it. Carry on !!!!
Hi, I'm In Scotland im a coachbuilder of 3 decade turned boat builder for the last 12yr. I own little fishing boats but I've had a shot of just about every type boat bar top fuel drag boats. I am brutal with my approach on docking and onto trailers. Over here we have weird docks and slip ramps that lead Into nasty under currents and obviously over here our weather is a total joke for 9 month a year. The reason I am brutal on approach is that I just am not interested in allowing the elements to have any time to take control of whatever boat I am the master of. I swear that the first thing to get good at is your vision and just general spacial awareness. If you don't need to spend much time on thinking about the approach then you don't need to mess about taking it slowly, bring it in hot and do last minute adjustments to suit. I ride motorbikes and fly aerobatic gliders too and on the race track with bikes or gliders in general you quickly realise that spacial awareness and general ability to know what trajectory you want to be on in advance is the absolute bread and butter skillset. I swear I can come in fast and generally have it like a parachute opening in that I usually don't even bounce the Marina Dock it sucks me in. Like I said though don't be coming in hot unless you've got some skills in reserve.
To prepare for this kind of docking - as well as for maneuvering in a tight harbour - drive to a quiet and spacious part of the harbour and turn your boat on the spot around the central axis. Just by turning the engine from starboard to port and applying short blows forward and backwards.
Clients Love It when you do this Under Power , An Quickly Back outta throttle , drift , quickly Countersteer , Power back up Throttle - an then a lite lil bump against Dock - then announce We're Here , This is Your Captain Speaking - Thank You for Motoring with JimmyP's Charter Service . All Cash tips gladly accepted,
Or ,even announce- 'thankyou for chartering with Jimmy Carter charters, all tips appreciated ". Seriously ,my friend used to do that on a water taxi that he used to drive in Sydney harbour-(Australia)- before Covid-19 hit and now those taxis are in storage due to not being very profitable EVEN A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE COVID-19 EVEN.-Have a Google search of yellow water taxis in Sydney harbour.
Awesome video! That was the very first thing that I practiced over and over when I bought my single engine boat! You ever use spring lines for docking into tight spaces? It’s another great technique to have.
Outboards provide for a lot of control due to the ability to use thrust vectoring- you can point the propeller in the desired direction. Single screw inboards can be a bit more challenging assuming you don’t have bow thrusters.
Agreed but twin inboards with decent spacing between them relative to the length, are literally a zero turn mower in terms of maneuverability. Opposing leverage you can crab around very easily.
Oh! I forgot about coming out of gear as you approach but monitoring how the bow behaves in the wind using a little "engage" from time to time to control against the wind and of course always take out of gear before steering at low speeds and steer before engaging reverse. "Steer before gear"
Thanks. I needed to learn that bow in docking. Its a windy location. Parallel docking needed skill....which I need practice on! Bow in is perfect for my skills
When I dock, I come into the docking area from the open water, slowly, and say the dock is on the port side. I pull in and do a 180 degree turn towards the dock, which now puts the dock on my starboard side, with the bow almost where I want it, turn the wheel all the way to the right and edge it into reverse to pull the back end in. That way I'm always facing out when I leave.
@ 5:32 - I just randomly started watching this video (very confident with docking, but figured i'd check it out anyways) and you zoomed in on the canal I rented on. IT's an awesome place to visit, but docking skills definitely help there.
I've learned to lasso poles, tye downs and people from about 20/30 feet then follow up with a couple bumpers if needed. But nice job docking, I find just slowing down really helps.
Bumpers for when you have to tye off, run to parking lot and grab truck and trailer. Normally jet skis and boats are flying up and down river. Trying to keep the boat in good shape visually and mechanically. So bumpers when have to stay on dock
@@rogerreed9768 not being a smartass Roger though I am very good at tit but what you call bumpers which is the most accurate description of them is what most avid boating enthusiasts call "fenders" which had to be a British idea.
the big thing, is try this when there are no other boats--practice, practice practive and slow, slow, slow. Second, if you are not alone--and you should not be--have your friend ready up front with a dock line, so he/she can step off and tie to a cleat. Another thing you can do, with that second person is this--go straight in--90 degrees to the dock and have that person ready to step onto the dock (with dock line in their hand) as you "nose in". Now, the bow is pinned when they loop the line on a cleat, think about it. The boat could swing right, or left, but either way, the nose is pinned, and providing there is room, the boat can't hit the boat on either side--as the nose is already pinned. Next, don't pin it tight, the dockman can loop the line on a cleat--and if they need to let out line, or haul you forward, they have directional control of the boat. Reverse when you leave, have the dockman man the line, then you bring the boat 90 degrees from the dock, then the dockman step aboard, releasing the cleat as you reverse the boat away from the dock.
My first boat was a 23 center console. Perfect size boat to start with. Big enough that you have to learn how to dock it, you can’t just roll up and grab a piling. Buts it’s not totally ridiculous either.
Love no matter how many times I tell my cousins to remain on the boat until I’m done. They jump forcefully of the bow just before I’m done ruining a good docking.
Looks good, when there's no current or wind. You should have also demo'd using a bow tie off and reversing in, which would work well in wind and current conditions, but usually needs at least one person for assistance.
Not trying to brag but I'm pretty damn good at docking my boat, One big difference thought is if V drive or direct drive acts totally different that a outboard engine. Actually my Vdrive turns to port side when going from forward to neutral and also it goes to starboard side in reverse because of prop rotation so every boat acts different especially because of the different drives.
6:07 What kind of "boater" thinks they need 450 hp on a piddling boat like that one just ahead of him? You just know that owner is an irresponsible clown...and probably can't even dock his boat properly, this guy does so smoothly. Excellent video!
Great video, although I'm curious about the advise to put bow INTO the wind when coming in from a perpendicular approach. If there is much more than a few knots of breeze it seems to me that it would be fighting, not aiding your attempt to get your boat parallel to the dock. My intuition would be to let the wind push my bow left (in you video) then feather it in using gentle reverse impulses.
I taught myself to do this when I first started boating 35 years ago. I boat 95% of the time by myself with a 43’ Searay so I had to learn to make the boat do the work. I will not allow on board guest to stand on the platform or hang off the sides. I tell them stay seated until I get boat into position then they can help tie up. No thrusters on my boat.
I have been in the boating industry over 40 years, I once looked after a fleet of 32 foot flybridge cruisers which only had a single 4 cylinder engine , they are designed to take twin inboard V8s, they changed the motor so they could charter them as a bare boat for people who dont need a licence, problem was the boat would not plane and people who are in experienced would drive it like a car and of course the boat would not go in a straight line, docking these boats was almost impossible , I was the only one who could do it, I had to use the wind to my advantage, not only getting the bow in as a pivot but try docking one in reverse so each vessel sat next to each other in their pen
I skipped over some of this but in your explanation of what happens when in fwd/rev with bow/stern moving, you might have added that because of the direction of the prop's rotation, the boat will back in one direction more than the other. At least on single engine craft.
I run a tiller jet. Learning reverse is a little tricky. I’m comfortable with forward. Plus I’m learning in the river so it’s super tricky in reverse cause things happen twice as fast as this. Reaction and memory is key 🔑
Very good tips and video. Im working 22m lenght one screw tugboat and we are moving 60m lenght and 500m³ capacity barges to quay and backhoe dredger, and these tips working even that job.
I have a 1999 150 johnson 2 stroke. That's what I do but it is aggravating cause my motor hates reverse. It will cut off at times in reverse. Then you got to start it and etc...
Public comment is i love T.T as a first time boat owner it has helpet me immensely. With that said, my first boat is a 1979 Glastron v210 that stayed outside for at least 3 years uncovered. So my project is getting it and replacing all the plywood. While doing this I came across Styrofoam blocks that were used as floatation devices , saturated with water and very musty smelling. Now my question for the experts is can I fill these cavities with expanding foam as long as I leave a water passage from the front to the back IE. abs tubing. Looking forward to hearing from you. Crazzy Old Bill from Quebec Canada
Just got a boat with a broke shifter. And apparently can't reverse. Can't fix it till I take it out of water but I have no trailer and it's a 28 ft boat they can't pick up with their forklift.
When will a self-parking (docking) system be available. I myself have never had a problem parking (docking) a boat because I don’t own one. Excellent video and techniques! I want to buy a boat so I can try them out.
I literally just attempted this same type of docking, felt like my mechanics were spot on however unlike you the wind was fighting me the entire time and kept trying to push me off the dock so made it a bit more challenging. Amazing how many critics are out there when they aren’t doing it. Do you have any tips for this situation when wind is blowing across dock you trying tie up to?
Well, as you've noticed this video is shot in calm conditions and also it's an instructional video. I don't know anybody who uses their boat for work/commuting who is this gentle when docking. :) If it's windy you may have to use more speed (the longer you keep maneuvering the more the wind will complicate matters) and come in at a steeper angle to get the bow against the dock and then use the engine to push the stern in. Unless your boat is exceptionally fragile, perhaps. Also, you will make mistakes while learning. You probably will put a scratch on your boat at some point (everyone who's been boating for a long time has done that, whether we admit it or not). It's just part of it all.
I just randomly ran into your video, since I do not own a boat anymore. But it was fun to remember the pain as I was learning how to dock. Thanks for sharing. ;)
At my personal dock to pull in between two boats I touch the bow to the dock, attach a measured dock bow line to a starboard bow cleat, turn engine to full starboard, place engine in slow reverse, the boat pulls the bow line taught while the engine turned starboard in reverse pulls the boat slowly parallel to the dock never hitting the boat forward or aft. Clearance between boats moored at my dock bow to engine is about two feet.
If the dock space is tight, don't try and be a hero if you do not have a lot of docking experience. I have carefully run the Bow straight in to the dock and then have a crew member get on the dock from the Bow. They then tie (pin) the bow to a dock cleat or piling close to the forward boat. I then toss them a stern line and they carefully pull the stern in being sure that there is enough clearance between our boat and the stern boat. Also if the boat is in deep enough water, don't tilt the engine up, but leave it down. Your boat will take up less dock space and the prop will less likely be damaged.
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First rule in docking: Never enter a dock faster than you want to hit it.
Second rule in docking: Have all dock lines and fenders setup ahead of time
Third rule in docking: Be sure everyone on the boat knows their duties (especially those that “are just trying to help”).
I used to dock racing sailboats (40’ & 44’) into slips by myself. The key is knowing how the boat, engine and rudder behave and always respecting the wind and current. It’s also important to know your limitations and ask for help Before you need it.
I have a 21’ bassboat that I use in Canada. The dock faces big water (wind & waves) and there is a rock reef 25’ to the side of the dock. Again, I am always singlehanded.
Easiest approach is to get a preset bow line from a strong cleat at the end of the dock to a bow boat cleat, put engine in idle reverse, rotate the engine and the boat will literally back itself around the dock and rest along the pier.
You may have done a video on it already but Spring Lines are rarely used by newer boaters and they are essential for so many reasons.
In Canada, when the wave rollers come down the bay were my boat is docked, my Spring Lines literally force the boat away from the dock so it can ride comfortably. Location, length and line material (springy) are important.
Be well.
Oh, liked the aerial of Key Colony Beach, FL you had in your video. I tie up to the dock at the bait shop by Key Vaca Cut and there is usually current moving or ripping through there.
Agree about the spring line. Have a 19’ boat. I have the forward spring line ready as I approach the dock. I put it 3/4 in on a piling with a little slack, then run the motor with a little power to force the stern in, then secure stern line.
Captain Hooks 👍🏼Yeah, if you come through Vaca Cut when the tides are changing the current can really rip, and couple that with a bunch of boats pulling in and out for fuel/ice/bait all at the same time, you gotta stay on your toes. I stay there in KCB on 10th St. every year. As soon as I saw the aerial I said “Hey! That looks familiar!”
When training on the pivot turn with an outboard engine, key was to keep the engine in neutral while cranking the wheel until the engine was in the desired position and then resume with power.
You’re absolutely correct! That is probably the biggest mistake I see with boaters, They think they are driving a car and don’t realize the boat is still moving why are you turning the wheel! My family has a summer home on the Jersey shore so I grew up boating my whole life! So when I was teaching my best friend how to drive my boat that is the first thing I taught him and he never forgot that! When my brother-in-law decided to buy a new boat he did not want any advice on how to navigate, dock or launch a boat he wanted to learn on his own! Even though I had 22 years of boating at this point he was too stubborn! He had a 19 foot Palm Beach center consul with an outboard and every time he was backing into his slip he would get frustrated and complain that his slip was too small! I have a 23 foot cuddy walk around with an I/O, Full size teak swim platform the entire width of my transom and a 2” teak pulpit extending off of my bow so my boats total length is about 27 1/2 feet! So the next summer We launched my boat before his and he asked if we could bring his dock box over to his marina on my swim platform, I said no problem! So I pull up to his marina and he said just pull up to the gas dock and we can unload it there, I said no need to carry it from the gas dock all the way over to your slip I am just going to back right into your slip! He laughed and said there is no way because my boat is almost 8 feet shorter than yours and I have trouble backing my boat in! I pull up to his slip and I said watch this and I whipped my boat around and backed right into his slip! He looked over at me and said how, I said I must’ve picked up a few things boating over the last 20 years! That was back in 2007 and I still have that same boat to this day, It is special and very sentimental to me! RIP Grandma and thank you for the best childhood a little boy could ask for! 😠😥
@@tobybarrett5781
Any Good Boat pictures . I thought I had a prefect shot of 36 ft Sailboat coming in with Sunset Behind it , That was till my Buddy Made an abrupt course correction, My New Phone is now sitting in the bottom of the channel 25 coming off The Gulf 😒
@@NeverEnoughPyro40 sounds like an awesome place to hang out during school holidays dude , -hi from Sydney, Australia - I had a teenage friend when we were young his grandmother had a place in Bayview-(I can't send a link, but Google maps will show you what it's like , I'm guessing it's similar looking to those absolute waterfront homes, similar to those in Miami. Cheers buddy.
Hence the good ol' "steer then gear" mantra.
@@NeverEnoughPyro40 I have a 23 Gulfstream Grady White with bow pulpit and motors on a bracket. I can back it in with my eyes closed had a boat 40 years
I've seen many a seasoned boat operator that needs to see this video as a refresher.
I'm 55 and have been boating my entire life. Love your videos and learn something most of the time. Thank You
Nice job. What’s funny is when the wind blows a sudden gust when you think you almost have it in the slip. Then you forget which way to turn to swing the boat closer to the dock and end up turning away. Now you need a burst of hard reverse to get the hell out of there and start all over. Yes, I can use some practice!
No matter how many years experience we have on the water, we can always use some refresher training and practice. Look at how even the Navy, Coast Guard, commercial fleets, fishing boats, etc with those running their vessels have mental lapses and they mess up, even with all the experience and continued training they do.
I know it was said before but find empty dock space somewhere and practice. All day. Practice when its windy. Learn your boats center of gravity turning point. I learned on a single and now have twins.
Practice using a springline to get off a windward dock.
How your prop "walks"
Also practice holding station. Can throw out a marker buoy and practice that one anywhere.
In certain docking situations wind is your friend, most of the time it isn't.
Good luck, thanks Aaron and Happy 2021! It's going to get better folks!
@@barongerhardt hi man , -i have to ask you how to walk a boat , e.g.- PRETEND I'm berthed port side to at a jetty, then I give full hard port rudder, then I put the port engine in astern propulsion using relatively high revs, whilst the starboard engine is at high revs operating in ahead propulsion, or is this incorrect as I've tried to do it on a 100 ft. 1980s mono-hull' luxury motor yacht recently, and the vessel failed to walk at all- (all it did was move astern about 10ft. before I gave up)- somebody said to me the reason 100 ft. motor yacht didn't walk at all is because of the length of the hull (100ft.)- that there is a lot of water to move out of the way, or maybe the props on this 100ft. yacht may have been too small in diameter to be effective at walking the vessel,and also maybe because I wasn't giving it more than 3000rpm as the old caterpillar V12s' 'Merlins' are over 30 years old.
I've seen a video on YT showing someone 'walk a 45 ft. Flybridge cruiser easily, but the whole vessel was shaking severely, due to the hydraulics of the water and propellers as both engines were at high rpms' due to the opposite thrust of the propellers.
Awesome docking video, I've been a boat owner for some time it's these videos and a lot of trial and error that made me a better captain. These videos may be repetitious to some but it's a world of information to others. When launching or docking be aware of boats around you, be respectful, take in slow or out, and it works every time. It's my experience others may differ.
Good Advice is "Never approach a dock any faster than you want to HIT it."
My famous phrase “your either comin in hot or your really just not”
arrives planing, goes to the suicide stop, takes a plastic bag in the propeller and throw the boat away on the brick dock
So true
Unless the wind is strong
Well depending on a situation, not necessarily. But like my comment says, practice first for everything situation. Their have been times on a really nasty day that I’ve had to back in at 6 knots to get it within my slip before the current/wind catches the bow. So many people go way too slow & that’s what causes a lot of accidents.
A steering wheel knob is handy for maneuvering
Affectionedly called a 'suicide-knob'!!!
Have had the same skill knob on every car and truck since my first... It's going on my boat when I get it done...
Good tips. Don’t forget to remind passengers not involved in line handling to sit tight til you’re stopped. Nothing worse than having your vision, balance and mojo buggered up by folks scrambling all over, eager to get off. Or worse, that hotshot who decides he’s going to launch himself off the gunnel from three feet out, pushing you off your track.
great point
Just dont let idiots on your boat, problem solved
@@bentramell729
YES. I worked with a bunch of EGO tripping
Narcissistic, know it all's. They can play there games all day at work. I am not there boss
( Captain) anyway made the mistake of inviting one for a local airshow over the water. Now "wait for it". He invited his girlfriend, and another friend of his, without asking me first. Then he wanted to bring his charcoal barbecue. I told him NO. He argued with me. His friend told him "it's his boat" Do what he tells you. Anyway halfway through the airshow his girlfriend started getting sick. Wanted to go home. Messed up whole day.
What does this idiot do. He tells everyone at my work I have a boat, to use freely, as they want.
Morale of my story. Never take EGO tripping coworkers out when they don't respect you at the work place. Don't brag about OWNING a boat to one up your fellow co works. It will backfire on you. They will never respect you being the Captain.
This! Even if you're moving to try and fend off or help me in some way, moving the weight around will undo whatever good you were trying to do. In a small boat if you're not already in position just stay where you are. I can always go around again!
Dont forget to leave the wife home for this procedure
I was just thinking about how to make my girlfriend understand this...
LMFAO!!! Amen to that brother. As soon as we get to docking she becomes an expert all of a sudden wants to tell me how it's done. Then when I ask her to throw the rope over the cleat she's like "huh?".
She's driving
Wtf
Amen!!!
That last maneuver is easy. That's how I load my boat on the trailer. Come in perfectly straight, then it turns completely sideways at the last second. Spectators love it.
Bahahaha there is always atleast 1 guy doing that. Just give her some more throttle it'll straighten out 😂
taddamb1 - Back your trailer bunks under the water for a splash, pull trailer forward until about 1/3 of the bunk length is in the water, drive the boat slowly - in and out of gear and aim for a spot in the middle of your tailgate / rear door, after you have driven onto the trailer verify your centered and headed straight for the bow roller or stop give it some throttle to advance the boat all the way onto the trailer, hook up your strap and crank if you need to, go have a congratulatory beverage or two after you leave the ramp.
Rivers with strong currents are my nemesis, but I shall overcome!
What I can't understand is why every docking video lesson is done in zero wind. Crank it up to 20 knots, add a 3 knot tide, and see how it goes.
Absolutely, that’s looks about as rough as an indoor pool
😂😂😂😂😂
Speed..
Because it's for beginners.
In a heavy blow I would either nose up onto the dock if I knew I wouldn't scratch the stem or get a bow line onto something and use the engine to pull against the line. The method shown here relies on pretty calm winds/current. The trickiest landing is trying to come into a busy lock with the wind swirling around. You see lots of jaw-dropping situations at locks where there are already boats in there and manoevring room is super tight.
Like mentioned, using the wind to blow you towards the dock is a huge help. If you have a crosswind blowing you away from the dock, it's much harder in a tight space. A boat with more than one motor is much easier as well.
I'm not a boater but this was a great job done well. Learning from someone else's video I would prepare my bowline, fenders, spring lines and aft lines first so that they could be easily and quickly tied off as soon as the boat is docked. Thanks Chris in UK.
I had a 24' center console fishing boat with a single 300hp outboard that I used so much I could turn it on the preverbal dime. I got so comfortable with it I could dock it pretty fast. People were amazed....
You can use a line to tie off temporarily fore or aft and manuever the boat against the line with the power of the motor. This method is especially useful for boats with a fixed prop and rudder system.
It's more fun with a single inboard!! The ruder becomes mostly useless at the dock and is kept in the right (hard to starboard) position, but the stern stern will tuck in reverse while moving forward, basically using the same technique. It's fun to watch someone who knows what they are doing! Great Video.
I've had beer can boats (aluminum) for years but I finally bought a "big" boat. A 20 foot bay boat, and this video was really helpful. I had the "general" gist, but this kind of nailed it down for me. Thanks for that. I appreciate it.
Nope. No pointers missed. Nicely done. I teach sailing and docking in Boston harbor and I profess two things: 1 - Go slowwww. So if you make a mistake, it happens slooowwwlllyyy. And 2 - Bailing out of a bad approach shows better judgment and seamanship than trying to squeeze it in there and failing miserably.
A good boat hook (navy term)with line handling skills no need to use the engine as much.
If you're still not comfortable just tie a dock like to the dock and forward cleet on whichever side the dock is on then turn the wheel into the dock and bump reverse. The docking will pull your stern into the spot.
How about the fender method when it's very windy? You do need a second person though.
So you drive up to the dock where there is a cleat or a piling and as far into the wind as you can at a slight angle, then you get your crew to tie a fender on the bow between the dock and the boat where the bow is widest and put the bow line around the cleat or piling and hold the bow.
Now put the engine or rudder pointing towards the dock which ever side you came in on and then put the engine in reverse with moderate rpm. The boat can not go backwards because it is held at the bow to the dock by your crew and because your engine or rudder is pointing toward the dock, the boat will be dragged sideways into the dock.
The crew may need to release the line just a little to allow the bow to move out as the bnoat swings and levers against the dock pivoting on the widest part.
Now secure the stern.
I hope that makes sense, kind of difficult to explain only in words.
My docking situation is that my slip is a corner slip that I back into with a really narrow canal leading into my slip. Luckily my boat has twin Mercury Verado 350s with Rev 4 4 blade props which make it really easy to handle around the dock. When coming down my canal, all I do is that if the bow of the boat starts drifting to the right, I put the port engine into forward for a quick second to redirect the momentum to the left and vice versa if the bow of the boat starts wondering to the right. If my heading is good, I alternate putting the port motor into forward and starboard into gear. I never use both engines at the same time unless the wind is pushing hard against me. Once I get about a boat length away from my slip, I take it out of gear and let it float, in order to slow down my momentum. Once my starboard motor is just past the starboard piling, I stick the starboard engine back into reverse and give it a quick burst of juice to get the boat turning. I then tie my starboard spring line. After that, I put the port into reverse for a quick second to finish the turn and I tie up the port spring line (process might be reversed in rare circumstances when wind is pushing me off the dock, most of the time wind is pushing me onto the dock). Then I use the boathook to get my two port stern lines. After that, I get the bow lines, then the starboard stern line, and them I'm in and tied off. I have two 9 inch diameter Taylor Made buoys tide together that I tie off to my port stern cleat (the dock is on the port side of my boat).
I know not everyone's in my situation but I've been in this marina for two years and that's the process that I've made for coming in. It's efficient, my boat is unharmed, the marina is unharmed, and everyone else's boats are unharmed!
To depart, it's this process exactly in reverse! Stay safe and healthy everyone!
What is hardest for me is seeing the front of the boat change direction and thinking "the whole boat" is changing direction in that way...forgetting about my center axis point (the actual boat's position in the water) and how it's only slightly changing in relation to the visual swings you see happening around you. I think that's the biggest cause of panic and confusion -- seeing the boat "turn" and thinking that sway is a much bigger output than it really is.
Approach a dock as fast and your willing to hit it is advise I will always remember
That's very well done on the last docking procedure coming from 90 degrees to where you want to end up. I drove launch as a teenager and my approach would be to come at it with a bit more speed, turn at the last minute, let momentum swing the stern around, and then obviously reverse the helm and use reverse thrust to finish bringing the stern all the way in. Your method is more controlled but where I think you would run in to trouble is if there is wind or current. If a strong wind is blowing off the dock, for example, it's going to be very hard to stay in place as you are going back and forth getting the boat turned. The method I describe will work in strong wind, but it definitely requires that you've practiced it a lot before you try it. 25 or 30 years after I drove launch I don't get as much practice as I used to.
Really great advice though. I wish more people would watch these videos and try these things. Even if it doesn't quite work for your docking situation it is an incredibly good exercise to do to train yourself how to maneuver precisely.
You’ve got it exactly right. Here’s a tip, training how to use the engine to kick the stern around I use a pistol grip garden hose nozzle. Use it to illustrate how the engine pushes the stern with a jet of water. Few illustrations off the dock then get the new operator to duplicate what I am doing with the engines prop wash using the hose nozzle.
Using it makes for a faster understanding of the dynamics.
Its the bit that I dread the most is coming up to the dock when its busy and there is a single spot between vessels it stresses me out the most. So thanks for the tips. I will practise those next time I'm out.
ur not alone😬
Slow is pro. If you take it easy you can fend off other boats or obstacles, not cause any damage, and lower your stress level.
Practice is key! in varying conditions, and every chance you get. Have to get that "feel" for how your boat handles. Then you will build skill and confidence!
Great video. An inexperienced/newbie isn’t going to get this maneuver
without touching the other boats. This should be practiced MANY times
at an empty dock by imagining the boats at bow and stern. An empty dock
is your best place to practice confidence is……EVERYTHING!
Even a confident skipper will struggle with this I think
I had a 23' cigarette mach111 with a 350 Chevy v8 330 hp. I had a slip at the end of the dock. The thing is I was docking my boat in a river. The current was very strong and tide and current was very strong . I grew up on boats thanks to my grandfather and my uncle Ray. I was raised by my uncle who had me piloting a 45' F/V. I mean my uncle took me under his wing when I was very young. His vessel had twin screws. I was fortunate enough to have a uncle like my uncle Ray who worked in the fishing industry.
I really appreciate you for putting this video together!!! There is so many people who can't read currents or for that matter dock a boat to save their lives lmao.....
Please teach people how to read currents and water markers? Ive seen so many boats on top of rocks, beached and accidents with other boats.
Please people take a boating course? That way the coast guard won't find you and your boat sinking or your nice new boat crashing into other boats at the dock. I'm sharing cause I've seen novice boaters get in trouble?
Boating is fun and dangerous at the same time 🚤🛳⛴🛥
My experience is what I'm sharing. I'm not perfect but I had a great teacher with my uncle Ray.
You can also take your boat to the coastguard station. They'll check your boat for safty reasons. Like lifejackets? They do expire,air horn and flares expire too? Bilge pumps can get clogged? So things like these I mentioned are things I've learned.
I don't know it all but I believe in boat safety. DON'T DRINK AND TAKE YOUR BOAT OUT!!! If you're going to party anchor for the day and night.
I love when (in rare occasions) it actually happens as smoothly as it’s done in this video! 😊
I boat on a river so there is always a current so I dock against the current which allows me to use a little more power. If the wind is blowing towards the dock, it's a pretty simple maneuver for my small express cruiser. It is when a stiff wind is trying to push the boat off the dock that makes is tougher for me. The only cleat on the boat that is readily accessible is the stern cleat. As long as I can get the line tied off, I can use the engine to keep the boat on the dock until other lines are secured.
Some hints:
Used the wind and current to your advantage whenever possible.
Get to know how your boat responds to power and rudder at slow speeds.
Inertia is always present, more so the heavier your vessel. It can be an enemy or a friend.
Practice in the open with a tethered marker until you are good at it.
Prepare lines and fenders IN ADVANCE, and give clear instructions to your crew.
Practice! If you don't know what you are doing, get a knowledgable instructor. And Captain is a title, not necessarily a measure of skill.
Exactly this. If you keep all of this is mind, you'll become a master at docking in no-time.
That's really good, here is a different technique. Pont the nose of the boat 90 degrees from parallel, and have your "dockman" up front, with a cleat tie in his hand. As you nose up, he hops on the dock and loops that cleat with the strong tie. Now the person as the helm uses the engine to pull or push her parallel to the dock. Practice this when the dock is empty, get the feel of it. When you think about it, it's a pretty good technique, if there is room for your boat, the nose is fixed--it CAN'T float back into the neighboring boat--and it can't go forward further that you are controlling. And if the cleat is not in the right place---the dockman can pull the boat forward a bit, or let the rope slip a bit if reverse is needed. It works very well for me. Of course, if I am alone (first, I never am) then this will not work, at least with the design of my cuddy.
Going slow and taking your time is key as well. Most bad mistakes happen when people are trying to rush it
@@barongerhardt agree with you 100% in situations in which you are docking perpendicular to the dock or sea wall. My home port is a parallel situation such as this and even to the extent where I am in the middle of 2 other boats. We have very high winds here in the Northeast and I own a Groverbuilt so I am confident going out in some pretty strong weather. I have yet to come home to a situation in 5 years that needed much power. When I am able to bow in, it's always a piece of cake. Additional power for me comes in handy when I want to stern into a perpendicular slip and my inboard has nothing to rely on for lateral movement but prop walk. That is where the the skilled pilot shows his stuff and others have to bow in.👍
Thanks for the excellent overview. It helps on getting your bow angled and touching at the dock temporarily to snub a forequarter line to a dock cleat/piling so the engine forward/reverse/steering maneuvers have a more controlled effects on “parallel parking”. The same effect can be used when leaving the dock, with that forequarter line being last cast off.
Great video. Another useful tip is to drop off a competent person with a bow dock line. Cleat off the bow and reverse the boat. She'll back in nicely. My wife and I have mastered this maneuver. Easy and makes the captain and crew look good too.
In a side docking situation like in the video?
I learned how to dock single handed in an 18' walkthru with a 90hp 2 stroke outboard in the sloughs near San Francisco. 40 mph wind and 6 knot tide 90 degrees to the dock. You get a couple of ropes ready at the front of the boat and then you put the nose of the boat on the dock and then you run to the front and loop a line around a dock cleat. Then you use reverse against the ropes to pull the boat around and to the dock where you can throw a line over a cleat from the rear of the boat. Took me a few times to work out the logistics but it worked.
Please don’t practice this without fenders out on both sides and someone with a large roving fender in hand and don’t practise near my boat. Good luck !
Probably saturday and Sunday are not good days either.
😂😅
I was taught odds and evens. Port/left even number of letters, that helps on larger vessels, even numbered things are on the port side, like fire stations, life boats, winches...I've been on boats and ships my whole life and still learn new things about them every day. Thanks for this video.
Man, the way you slip that Ocean Master right in there, it's almost as if you work as a marina all day! And, the drone footage was spot on. Happy New Year Aaron!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Can't you te that his boat was a marina work boat ?- just kidding peeps.
Excellent video.....every new boat owner....no let me change that every boat owner should be made to watch this before operating a boat.
Thanks for watching!
Reading the comments, some simple things to add.
Port has 4 letters - so does left
The bow and stern pivot around a center point that is different on every boat but a good place to start is to think of the pivot about 1/3 back from the bow.
Bow? To quote Quinn - Hooper - front bow - back stern ....
Never approach the dock faster than you are willing to hit it.
I’m thankful for the great insight you’ve provided in this video! I’ve never had to dock a big boat but with my inflatable 11 foot dinghy, I just plow myself towards the dock and ask my passengers or friends standing by to grab the dock and cushion the impact!
I was taught left and right with “when the beer’s all gone the red port’s left”.
Great job docking. You make it look really easy. I have had many pucker moments
After reading all these comments, I was LMAO. I especially liked Robert Lee's "never approach the dock faster than you want to hit it". As a recent boat owner, I have personally discovered all advice here is rooted in fact because I seem to experience one or more of them during each of my docking events. It gives meaning to the old military adage...."It's not a job...it's an adventure"
I love the description I got when getting my CDL A. "Driving a Semi is a 99 and 1 job... 99% of the job is getting the trailer on the dock and the other 1% is driving." It seems to be applied to a lot of other industries as well like flying planes and boating. My flight instructor said on the first day, "Anyone can push the throttle in and pull back and make the plane climb into the air.. getting it back on the ground is another matter."
My brother, which is a Capitan, also told me "only go as fast as you're willing to hit something". Great vid, thanks.
Super video!
You can't review it enough..
Every docking experience is a new experience. Never ever the same.
I read somwhere,that it you trim up the outboard/outdrive,when in reverse,you can get better control while in reverse.Less wash against the transom.
Your thoughts.
Cheers
I live in canada, most boat launches I go to don't even have docks. Only time I tie up to a dock is when I launch into Georgian Bay, and its only for two seconds while I park the truck and trailer.
However, great video, and has taught me a lot about "proper" docking techniques. Thank you.
I hit the dock everytime i rent a boat, this helped me understand how to turn the boat easier, ill try it next time im in the water thank you...
Well this video was in almost perfect water conditions.
@@wg7644 yea i gotta agree with you on that, most of the time when i go back to the dock its windy and really choppy lol
As a new boater he made that look so easy . Not the case .
Awesome job
Really well explained. -as a new boat owner with a single outboard I thank you 👍
Practice! You'll get better.
By far the best informative docking video on TH-cam !!!.
Glad it was helpful!
One rule to add for docking, know where the "point of no return" is going to be, and if you miss it, know what it will take to set up for a do-over.
As in, you're not going to make the docking if you're out of position past a particular point, so have a plan ready to 'back up' to do it again. Don't let yourself get pushed beyond a point where it'll be even more difficult to get out of, or correct.
On smaller boats , someone always wants to scurry from the middle to one side or the other to help. Their intentions are ok. The problem is the weight digs the chine on that side into the water more and can alter the handling. Assign jobs and the people that don’t have a job ...their job is to stay still until secured to the dock.
Also the rub rail is there for a reason. RUB rail not crash and drag rail. On this approach if the port bow were to get against the piling , hard starboard and gentle in and out of gear. The curved bow will follow the piling and you will snug right into the hole. This is done SLOWLY. it’s not the desired plan but it will get you in there and won’t damage anything. I liked the video a lot and wish people would be more willing to learn.
I came back to add another point. The statement you made about knowing where neutral is ! Know your controls without looking at them. Put a suicide knob on the wheel. Know straight is at 10 o’clock or 6 or wherever. Count the revolutions from amidship to hard over. 21 foot boat was 1-1/2. Or 3 from hard over to hard over. Big boat was 7 and 14. Keep count and you can focus on the point on the dock and not turn around 15 times to see where your motor is pointing.
Ok that’s it. Carry on !!!!
Hi, I'm In Scotland im a coachbuilder of 3 decade turned boat builder for the last 12yr. I own little fishing boats but I've had a shot of just about every type boat bar top fuel drag boats. I am brutal with my approach on docking and onto trailers. Over here we have weird docks and slip ramps that lead Into nasty under currents and obviously over here our weather is a total joke for 9 month a year. The reason I am brutal on approach is that I just am not interested in allowing the elements to have any time to take control of whatever boat I am the master of. I swear that the first thing to get good at is your vision and just general spacial awareness. If you don't need to spend much time on thinking about the approach then you don't need to mess about taking it slowly, bring it in hot and do last minute adjustments to suit. I ride motorbikes and fly aerobatic gliders too and on the race track with bikes or gliders in general you quickly realise that spacial awareness and general ability to know what trajectory you want to be on in advance is the absolute bread and butter skillset. I swear I can come in fast and generally have it like a parachute opening in that I usually don't even bounce the Marina Dock it sucks me in. Like I said though don't be coming in hot unless you've got some skills in reserve.
To prepare for this kind of docking - as well as for maneuvering in a tight harbour - drive to a quiet and spacious part of the harbour and turn your boat on the spot around the central axis. Just by turning the engine from starboard to port and applying short blows forward and backwards.
Clients Love It when you do this Under Power , An Quickly Back outta throttle , drift , quickly Countersteer , Power back up Throttle - an then a lite lil bump against Dock - then announce We're Here , This is Your Captain Speaking - Thank You for Motoring with JimmyP's Charter Service . All Cash tips gladly accepted,
Or ,even announce- 'thankyou for chartering with Jimmy Carter charters, all tips appreciated ".
Seriously ,my friend used to do that on a water taxi that he used to drive in Sydney harbour-(Australia)- before Covid-19 hit and now those taxis are in storage due to not being very profitable EVEN A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE COVID-19 EVEN.-Have a Google search of yellow water taxis in Sydney harbour.
Just remember to treat your throttle with ease, ""WHISKEY THROTLE"" is nooo bueno in boating. Easy does it, no need to show off to anyone. 👌👌👌👌👌
Awesome video! That was the very first thing that I practiced over and over when I bought my single engine boat! You ever use spring lines for docking into tight spaces? It’s another great technique to have.
Thanks for this gem of advice video!As a rookie I am still scared to dock like this, learned a lot! Cheers!
Ditto 😂
Outboards provide for a lot of control due to the ability to use thrust vectoring- you can point the propeller in the desired direction. Single screw inboards can be a bit more challenging assuming you don’t have bow thrusters.
Agreed but twin inboards with decent spacing between them relative to the length, are literally a zero turn mower in terms of maneuverability. Opposing leverage you can crab around very easily.
Oh! I forgot about coming out of gear as you approach but monitoring how the bow behaves in the wind using a little "engage" from time to time to control against the wind and of course always take out of gear before steering at low speeds and steer before engaging reverse. "Steer before gear"
Thanks. I needed to learn that bow in docking.
Its a windy location. Parallel docking needed skill....which I need practice on! Bow in is perfect for my skills
When I dock, I come into the docking area from the open water, slowly, and say the dock is on the port side. I pull in and do a 180 degree turn towards the dock, which now puts the dock on my starboard side, with the bow almost where I want it, turn the wheel all the way to the right and edge it into reverse to pull the back end in. That way I'm always facing out when I leave.
I liked the last technique.
Is very useful for beginners to understand the outboard use
Just use a line.
(Spring line)
Tie it up..
Power stern in.
You can bump straight in.
Or back straight in.. again tie off... power to straight.
@ 5:32 - I just randomly started watching this video (very confident with docking, but figured i'd check it out anyways) and you zoomed in on the canal I rented on. IT's an awesome place to visit, but docking skills definitely help there.
I've learned to lasso poles, tye downs and people from about 20/30 feet then follow up with a couple bumpers if needed.
But nice job docking, I find just slowing down really helps.
Same man ,I can lasso poles and bollards at 30 feet as well-known but I worked as a deckhand for a few years as a job on charter boats.
Bumpers?
Bumpers for when you have to tye off, run to parking lot and grab truck and trailer.
Normally jet skis and boats are flying up and down river.
Trying to keep the boat in good shape visually and mechanically.
So bumpers when have to stay on dock
@@rogerreed9768 not being a smartass Roger though I am very good at tit but what you call bumpers which is the most accurate description of them is what most avid boating enthusiasts call "fenders" which had to be a British idea.
With outboard it is easy. Do this with an older sailboat without bow thruster and heavy wind.
And with full keel.
the big thing, is try this when there are no other boats--practice, practice practive and slow, slow, slow. Second, if you are not alone--and you should not be--have your friend ready up front with a dock line, so he/she can step off and tie to a cleat. Another thing you can do, with that second person is this--go straight in--90 degrees to the dock and have that person ready to step onto the dock (with dock line in their hand) as you "nose in". Now, the bow is pinned when they loop the line on a cleat, think about it. The boat could swing right, or left, but either way, the nose is pinned, and providing there is room, the boat can't hit the boat on either side--as the nose is already pinned. Next, don't pin it tight, the dockman can loop the line on a cleat--and if they need to let out line, or haul you forward, they have directional control of the boat. Reverse when you leave, have the dockman man the line, then you bring the boat 90 degrees from the dock, then the dockman step aboard, releasing the cleat as you reverse the boat away from the dock.
"There's a little red port left in the glass"
Color
Direction
Nautical term
All in a catchy phrase
My first boat was a 23 center console. Perfect size boat to start with. Big enough that you have to learn how to dock it, you can’t just roll up and grab a piling. Buts it’s not totally ridiculous either.
Love no matter how many times I tell my cousins to remain on the boat until I’m done. They jump forcefully of the bow just before I’m done ruining a good docking.
Looks good, when there's no current or wind. You should have also demo'd using a bow tie off and reversing in, which would work well in wind and current conditions, but usually needs at least one person for assistance.
I've been waiting for the video for a long time! Thanks !
Greetings from Croatia 🇭🇷
More to come!
Not trying to brag but I'm pretty damn good at docking my boat, One big difference thought is if V drive or direct drive acts totally different that a outboard engine. Actually my Vdrive turns to port side when going from forward to neutral and also it goes to starboard side in reverse because of prop rotation so every boat acts different especially because of the different drives.
6:07 What kind of "boater" thinks they need 450 hp on a piddling boat like that one just ahead of him? You just know that owner is an irresponsible clown...and probably can't even dock his boat properly, this guy does so smoothly. Excellent video!
Great video, although I'm curious about the advise to put bow INTO the wind when coming in from a perpendicular approach. If there is much more than a few knots of breeze it seems to me that it would be fighting, not aiding your attempt to get your boat parallel to the dock. My intuition would be to let the wind push my bow left (in you video) then feather it in using gentle reverse impulses.
I taught myself to do this when I first started boating 35 years ago. I boat 95% of the time by myself with a 43’ Searay so I had to learn to make the boat do the work. I will not allow on board guest to stand on the platform or hang off the sides. I tell them stay seated until I get boat into position then they can help tie up. No thrusters on my boat.
I have been in the boating industry over 40 years, I once looked after a fleet of 32 foot flybridge cruisers which only had a single 4 cylinder engine , they are designed to take twin inboard V8s, they changed the motor so they could charter them as a bare boat for people who dont need a licence, problem was the boat would not plane and people who are in experienced would drive it like a car and of course the boat would not go in a straight line, docking these boats was almost impossible , I was the only one who could do it, I had to use the wind to my advantage, not only getting the bow in as a pivot but try docking one in reverse so each vessel sat next to each other in their pen
I skipped over some of this but in your explanation of what happens when in fwd/rev with bow/stern moving, you might have added that because of the direction of the prop's rotation, the boat will back in one direction more than the other. At least on single engine craft.
With only one motor, the direction in which the propeller rotates also affects low speed maneuvers
I run a tiller jet. Learning reverse is a little tricky. I’m comfortable with forward. Plus I’m learning in the river so it’s super tricky in reverse cause things happen twice as fast as this. Reaction and memory is key 🔑
Great video on docking. Maybe you can do one when the weather is not so good ! Like strong winds or current.
Very good tips and video. Im working 22m lenght one screw tugboat and we are moving 60m lenght and 500m³ capacity barges to quay and backhoe dredger, and these tips working even that job.
Watching in fascination. TH-cam recommended this and I don’t have a boat nor watch boating vids. Great instructions, camera shots, and editing!!
Welcome aboard!
I have a 1999 150 johnson 2 stroke. That's what I do but it is aggravating cause my motor hates reverse. It will cut off at times in reverse. Then you got to start it and etc...
Public comment is i love T.T as a first time boat owner it has helpet me immensely. With that said, my first boat is a 1979 Glastron v210 that stayed outside for at least 3 years uncovered. So my project is getting it and replacing all the plywood. While doing this I came across Styrofoam blocks that were used as floatation devices , saturated with water and very musty smelling. Now my question for the experts is can I fill these cavities with expanding foam as long as I leave a water passage from the front to the back IE. abs tubing. Looking forward to hearing from you. Crazzy Old Bill from Quebec Canada
Just got a boat with a broke shifter. And apparently can't reverse. Can't fix it till I take it out of water but I have no trailer and it's a 28 ft boat they can't pick up with their forklift.
When will a self-parking (docking) system be available. I myself have never had a problem parking (docking) a boat because I don’t own one. Excellent video and techniques! I want to buy a boat so I can try them out.
about the same time the self-defeating idiot stops driving boats.
I literally just attempted this same type of docking, felt like my mechanics were spot on however unlike you the wind was fighting me the entire time and kept trying to push me off the dock so made it a bit more challenging. Amazing how many critics are out there when they aren’t doing it. Do you have any tips for this situation when wind is blowing across dock you trying tie up to?
Well, as you've noticed this video is shot in calm conditions and also it's an instructional video. I don't know anybody who uses their boat for work/commuting who is this gentle when docking. :) If it's windy you may have to use more speed (the longer you keep maneuvering the more the wind will complicate matters) and come in at a steeper angle to get the bow against the dock and then use the engine to push the stern in. Unless your boat is exceptionally fragile, perhaps. Also, you will make mistakes while learning. You probably will put a scratch on your boat at some point (everyone who's been boating for a long time has done that, whether we admit it or not). It's just part of it all.
Should do a video on dock etiquette, so many people just pull in to middle of dock blocking other spots. Gas docks are the worst.
I just randomly ran into your video, since I do not own a boat anymore. But it was fun to remember the pain as I was learning how to dock. Thanks for sharing. ;)
At my personal dock to pull in between two boats I touch the bow to the dock, attach a measured dock bow line to a starboard bow cleat, turn engine to full starboard, place engine in slow reverse, the boat pulls the bow line taught while the engine turned starboard in reverse pulls the boat slowly parallel to the dock never hitting the boat forward or aft. Clearance between boats moored at my dock bow to engine is about two feet.
Thanks! I know a LOT of boat owners who DESPARATLY need to get this vid between their ears!!!
If the dock space is tight, don't try and be a hero if you do not have a lot of docking experience. I have carefully run the Bow straight in to the dock and then have a crew member get on the dock from the Bow. They then tie (pin) the bow to a dock cleat or piling close to the forward boat. I then toss them a stern line and they carefully pull the stern in being sure that there is enough clearance between our boat and the stern boat. Also if the boat is in deep enough water, don't tilt the engine up, but leave it down. Your boat will take up less dock space and the prop will less likely be damaged.