From: wwalker@qualcomm.com (Bill Walker)
Subject: Re: Tricky docking
Followup-To: rec.boats
Organization: Qualcomm, Inc.
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 00:54:44 GMT

In article <1992Oct7.194635.15889@mprgate.mpr.ca>, kell@mprgate.mpr.ca
(Dave Kell) wrote:
[stuff deleted]
> Here goes the ASCII art:
> 
> 
>        DDDDDD  B
>        DDDDDD BBB       |
>        DDDDDD BBB       |  Current
>        DDDDDD BBB       |
>        DDDDDD BBB       V              The DDD is the dock
>        DDDDDD BBB                      The groups of BBB are other boats
>        DDDDDD                          The ... are my route in to the dock
>        DDDDDD
>        DDDDDD
>        DDDDDD
>        DDDDDD
>        DDDDDD
>        DDDDDD       .
>        DDDDDD BBB    .
>        DDDDDD BBB    .
>        DDDDDD BBB     .
>        DDDDDD BBB     .
>        DDDDDD BBB      .              /|\
>        DDDDDD BBB      .               |  Wind
>        DDDDDD  B        .              |
>        DDDDDD           .              |
> 
> 
> The problem was to dock in the open spot on the dock, which was only
> a bit longer than Covivant (maybe 6 feet extra).  People on the dock
> assured us there was room for our boat.
> 
> Before making our approach, we put the engine in neutral to see whether
> the wind or the current had more control of us.  To my surprise, we
> drifted with the current, into the wind.  I concluded from this that
> we'd be better off approaching from down-current, since it's really
> hard to stop the boat against the dock with a tail current.  Also, our
> stern pulls to port in reverse.
> 
> I made the approach quite slowly, running nearly parallel to the dock,
> but with over a knot of boat speed through the water.  I checked a few
> times on approach, and was convinced that the wind was parallel to
> the dock.
> 
> Nonetheless, once I had the bow in the hole between the boats, it became
> apparent that the boat was moving towards the dock faster than the stern
> was passing the windward boat.  I couldn't turn out to abort the approach
> because the stern would swing into the windward boat.  If I turned to port,
> perhaps the people on the dock could have walked the bow up-current, but
> I think the stern would have swung into the windward boat also, plus the 
> possibility of hitting the dock hard.
[other stuff deleted]


One thought:  wouldn't there be a current eddy between the two boats, so
that as you pulled in between them you'd tend to accelerate?  Perhaps this
is why you suddenly found yourself moving faster than expected.  In fact, I
think the eddy would tend to try to pull your boat in.  If this is so,
perhaps the best approach would be to pull in close, slightly overlapping
the leeward (upcurrent) boat, toss a line to the dock from your bow, back
off the throttle to drift downcurrent, and reel it the line and make it
fast as the current sucks you in.

Alternately, come in bow-in clost to the leeward boat, attach a spring line
and then power the stern in against the spring line.


----------
Bill Walker - WWalker@qualcomm.com - QUALCOMM, Inc., San Diego, CA
All opinions expressed are mine, and do not reflect those of my employer.
"First thing we do, we kill all the lawyers." - Shakespeare