Docking Skills

[ QUOTE ]
Clever, he handled it perfectly.
Saying "what if an engine failed"...

[/ QUOTE ]I don't get your logic.
My "what if" was just because regardless of how low the risk is, it was totally unnecessary to take it in that situation. He had the clearance for an easier and safer maneuver, approaching the dock at a normal 45 degrees angle, instead of 90 or so.
And he wasn't actually that slow, before reversing - hence my comment.
Otoh, if he posted a video showing the proper maneuver for that situation, he would have got just some "yawn" in reply...
See, I know a harbour pilot who could have made a similar approach against a 30kts wind and with one engine not working. And much faster than that, either ('cause it would have been the only way to do it against 30kts wind).
But in the same conditions of that video, I' sure he would have never made such approach.
So, who is clever and who is foolish?
 
I thought there was a bit of turbulence around the bowthruster region at about 1:39. May well be wrong, though. I often am.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Can you all claim to have been perfect at reverse parking in a marina in your early boating days?

[/ QUOTE ]Surely not all of us: I for one can't make such claim.
But I never surrended to fwd docking, either... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Take your time and try the reverse maneuver till you get it right, rest assured that eventually you will. The most important thing to bear in mind is, never listen at peeps shouting "do this, do that" from the dock - just ignore them.
 
Agree with you Haydn. I don't see anything clever about that docking manouvre other than he got the bow (unneccessarily) close to the pontoon. It's a manouvre that anyone half experienced with a twin shaft boat should be able to do especially as there doesn't seem to be any wind or tide. I don't see any bow thruster use either nor would it have been necessary
 
Dont mention the infernal bow thruster thingy to me. There going off here all day long. Mostly producing the opposite results than a big round fender would do for a hundredth of the price.


All a bow thruster seems to do, is to train folk to do the wrong thing and make a mess of the simplest manuver.

A bow thruster does have it's place, mainly for backing into a finger pontoon. But boat wise, backing in makes no sence, though it might with noisy wife in the ear. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif


Used to watch them in Falmouth, using fifty yards of pontoon as a make shift runway.

Just why do folk buy a bow thruster, just to do stuff arse about face, then make a total cock up of the simplest maneuver.
 
[ QUOTE ]
But boat wise, backing in makes no sence, though it might with noisy wife in the ear. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

It does if you've got a boat less than 20 years old that has a transom door. Means you can walk on and off it rather than having to vault over the cockpit coaming.

Makes even more sense if (as is often the case) the berth is shorter than the boat.
 
With that big flared bow, the pontoon edge would have been well out of sight! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif He knew what he was doing, and the conditions were perfect. The boat still would have come alongside at a slightly slower speed and the turn made slightly earlier. Still impressive though.
 
I agree with you whole heartedly (MapisM) about not listening to the peeps on the dock yelling instruction. They possibly mean well but will always confuse the skipper.

If the conditions are grossly unfavourable, look for an alternative and sit and wait. Theres no shame in a tactful retreat. Theres the potential damage factor to other boats, besides your own.
 
I think the secret was the backing music. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Very relaxing and helps to get the turning tempo right, don't know what it was called but I bet he couldn't have done that with Rap blasting out! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Nice to watch though, bit like watching a brace of Squadrons coming in at a south coast marina near you. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
We teach that manover as part of the ICC course but I dont let them use the bow thruster!!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Last week we had a whole family doing exactly that manover on the fuel bay wife daughter and 16 year old son, on the second day of their course on a new Targe 47. Its nothing special.

Don't think the boat hooks planned use was to push off or pull in rather to pick up the bow line from the pontoon once in.
 
Yep your right but I was realy refering to the side too mooring. American boat. my only ref to the boat hook was that he would be using this to pick up a drop line / bow line.

However we do teach both the side too and med style moorings between boats on all courses even though it is not a part of the sylabus.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Your talking about convenience rather than boat handling. Different thing.

[/ QUOTE ]

You said...

But boat wise, backing in makes no sence, though it might with noisy wife in the ear.

I was explaining why backing in often does make sense.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Don't think the boat hooks planned use was to push off or pull in rather to pick up the bow line from the pontoon once in.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you watch it at 20 secs and about 1 min he does seem to be using the boathook to both "hook" the boat left to it and fend off the boat next to it.
 
Quote (I can't imagine any berthing situation (other than picking up a mooring perhaps) where wielding a boathook is a good idea!)

I'm not saying this guy is maing a good job of it, but in the Med you use a boat hook to pick up the drop line which will be conected to the pontoon running out to a mooring block set to the boat length. Unless you have a nice marinero ready to lift the line for you then the only way to pick up is with a boat hook.

Don't get this confused with pick up buoys, mooring buoys, fending off (although he did) Being able to drive better is the only answer here.

Some have also said that the guy with the boat hook makes things worse ??? Actualy he is trying to save the day as if you think it through the boat next berth is berthed bow too the pontoon, so the usual bow lines are running from his stern. The guy with the boat hook is pushing away to keep the port prop of the drop lines /Bow lines which are running from the stern cleats to the mooring block.
 
Wish I had a video of a manoeuvre I saw in St Tropez last year:

Someone who certainly did know what he was doing was reversing an open 75 footer into a space which appeared rather problematic because it was somewhat narrower than the boat and flanked on both sides by similarly large and expensive craft the crews of which were seen to race on deck wielding extra fenders to protect their vessels.

Undeterred our man carried on backwards until his stern was in the gap at the pointy end of the neighbouring boats. Then with a gentle, as it were, wiggle of the hips to the left and a gentle wiggle of the hips to the right he prised them apart and glided in to the dock to a round of applause from the small crowd which had by then gathered.
 
yep however tight you get the drop lines they have a tendancy to close together. Even more help if the crews of the boats either side thrust out just until you get the stern between them. Arived in Cogolin last year to find that my berth ahd been nicked. Two friendly skippers both well over 100' managed to thrust out and let me squeez in for the night. Was in that tight only tied up on their midship cleats until the morning.
 
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