How to dock a boat on your own
Every now and then you may be faced with the prospect of having to dock the boat on your own. If that's the case, fear not - there is a simple method at hand. Check out the video below to see one method of how it's done. An explanation (with a bunch of caveats) is given below. First the video:
Let's list three of the caveats here.
- First, this is an advanced maneuver. You need to be very comfortable with docking your boat in normal circumstances before you attempt this method. This has real risk: if you come along too fast you can get your fingers caught whilst cleating off your stern line, or if something goes wrong when you are in gear, you will be off the boat. So be careful. Make sure you are very comfortable with your boat.
- Next, this does not work if there is a substantial tide running. If you're in the Solent or some other area with a decent tidal flow, pick the top or the bottom of the tide or else the current will be too strong for this method.
- Finally, this does not work if you have too much wind. This is a light wind, light current method. If you have too much wind, phone a friend and attempt this some other time.
In summary, this is a light-wind, light-current method for experienced sailors. Not just experienced sailors but those who are familiar with the boat being maneuvered.
Now let's break down the method into its constituent parts:
1. The Set Up - Single Handed Alongside
Set up your stern line on the inside, and pull an elephant ear out and above your guardrail (aka lifeline in the US). Then coil the remainder neatly.
Set up your bow line on the outside, and place a series of elephant ears from the bow to your shroud.
I recommend you always cleat your line to the cleat (rather than tie a bowline to the cleat), as this allows you to easily undo it in a tricky situation. For example, if your line gets jammed to the dock in any way, if you have cleated it onto your cleat, it is a simple case of undoing it at your cleat and leaving it on the dock. Then you can reset and come back to get your line.
2. The Approach - Single Handed Alongside
Even though this is a light wind, light current method, chances are there will still be some wind and/or current. As per your other methods, always try to drive into the force. In other words, drive upwind, against the prevailing wind, or against the current if there is one. This gives you maximum control. You don't always have this luxury but if it's on offer, use it.
Another great tip is to use as little energy as possible in your maneuver. "Slow is Pro" is a mantra of many a [professional] sailor - save my mate Steve Rice who has somehow been able to make coming-in-hot his trademark and always looks good doing it (damn you Steve Rice). For the rest of us mere mortals, what "slow is pro" really means is to use the least amount of energy you can whilst still maintaining full control of your boat. In a light wind day that's easy. In a windy day you need to be more aggressive, proportionate to the wind.
Approach the dock from a reasonable angle, say around 20-30 degrees, as you would any normal docking procedure.
Use neutral liberally. I like to find the speed that works in the prevailing conditions and go between neutral and in gear to keep to around that speed.
When you're about half a boat length from your desired final position, go into reverse. Sometimes it's just idle reverse, sometimes you want to put more energy into reverse to slow yourself down.
The prop-walk on Libertas means her stern moves subtly to starboard in reverse. Hence most of my docking on Libertas is on starboard, as this allows her stern to tuck in just when you slow the boat down. Find out the prop-walk on your boat and use it (or it will use you).
3. Securing - Single Handed Alongside
The aim with securing using this method is to have your boat inching forward at the slowest possible speed, when you tie off. If you don't have a slow speed, this method is downright dangerous.
The good news here is if you're not feeling it, just cancel the maneuver and reset, no harm no foul. You're on your own, so it's not like you have anyone telling you what to do.
Repeat, only secure your stern line when you're completely happy to do so.
Put the boat in neutral with it inching forward.
Then throw the elephant over the cleat on the dock, and as your boat inches forward, cleat it back on your boat.
Then once it's cleated, put your boat into forward. Because the pivot point is behind your stern cleat, when your boat is in forward it's going to want to tuck itself into the dock.
Think of it as a circle with its centre being the cleat on the dock to which your stern line is attached. The boat in forward is going to want to go around that point. Hence it is going to want to tuck gently into the dock.
Turning your wheel gently away at this point may allow you to straighten your boat up. Every boat is different so just be sensitive to this and find out what works best for your boat.
Now it's time to put your spring on. I like to break the "one line, one job" rule here and have the excess of my stern line used as the spring, slipped back to my stern cleat. Yes it is one line doing two jobs, but it is such a neat, minimalist method, it works well when you are short-handed.
With your stern line and spring attached, walk forward, pull your bow line off the guardrail and secure it to the dock.
4. Finesse
With three points attached to your stern and bow cleats, you have the basics down and the boat secured. Take your engine out of gear, keeping the engine on until you are completely happy with your lines.
There are several different methods you can adopt here depending on how much roll there is, what the tide is doing, and other reasons we won't go into on this post. So make sure you are happy with your lines, then turn your engine off and you are done.
Summary
If you ever need to dock your boat and have nobody to help you, we hope you can get something out of this method. We find it simple and effective. It comes with risk so take care and have fun.