How To Dock A Boat With A Single Dock Line In Any Weather

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How to Dock a Boat with a Single Dock Line In Any Weather

How many times have you found yourself in a situation where you needed to dock a boat without the hassle of lots of lines? Perhaps you just need to stop for a few minutes to buy some ice, snacks, or beer for your cruise? Use this fast, easy technique to dock or undock any size small cruising boat.

Use a single dock line--called a springline--to tie up to any marina dock in all types of wind. This will work with small cruising boats of any size. Make all preparations before you enter the marina.

Docking Gear and Preparations

This single springline is cleated on the boat between the bow and beam. Assign one crewmember to work a roving fender (blue fender) to protect the boat from contact with the dock. * nylon dock line equal to the boat length * fenders attached to docking side * one unattached "roving" fender

Tie one end of your docking line to a boat cleat located midway between your bow and beam. Leave enough room on the cleat to tie off more line.

Clear communications make or break any maneuver in tight quarters. Go over the plan with your boat crew.

Assign one person to the line and another to the single fender--called a "roving fender". Use the roving fender to cushion any point where the boat makes contact.

Docking Under Power

1. Aim for a point 1/3 of a boat length back from where you want to end up.

2. Pass a loop around a dock cleat or piling on the marina dock, aft of your springline cleat. Pull the line back aboard and make a round turn onto the springline cleat. Stand forward of the cleat to keep out of the bite of the line.

3. On wheel steered boats, turn the wheel hard away from the marina dock. Tiller steered cruising sailboats should hold the tiller toward the dock.

4. Single engine boats; shift the engine into forward gear at idle speed. Twin engine boats; go ahead on the engine closest to the dock.

5. Once the boat stern gets to the dock, cleat off the springline. Keep the engine in gear and the wheel or tiller positioned as shown in 3.

Undocking Under Power

1. Direct one crewmember to fend at the bow. Assign another crewmember to work the springline. Remove all turns except one full round turn from the boat cleat. Stand forward of the cleat with the springline in hand.

2. On wheel steered boats, turn the wheel toward the marina dock. Tiller steered sailboats should hold the tiller away the dock.

3. Single engine boats; shift the engine into forward idle gear. Twin engine boats; go ahead on the engine farthest from the dock.

4. When the stern clears, place the engine into neutral, cast off the springline and bring it aboard. Once the line comes aboard, back away until clear the dock.

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Now you know how to dock a boat or undock a boat the fast, safe, and easy way. Remember that clear communications with your crew paves the way to docking success.

Want to learn how to dock a boat in any weather with complete confidence? Click here to find out more!

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