Thread: Boat setup - onboard necessities

Looking great!

Docking. The best 3 bits of advice I've been given, and live by. Slow is good, slower is better. Get a stern line (short) on first.

On mine, I prefer to approach a Finger on the port side (looking forward from the helm on the starboard side, the jetty/finger is on my left/port side), and snag a cleat with a line on the boats port aft/arse quarter. Then just turn the wheel anti clockwise, and drop in gear but no more throttle.
Doesn't matter what the wind does(I'm also a HT) you'll be parked up tight asap.

The hardest thing is getting the rope hand (could be a relative, mate, child, or last time on boat person....) to flick the rope around the cleat, and not try to use the bow rope.....

Originally Posted by Beaker

Looking great!

Docking. The best 3 bits of advice I've been given, and live by. Slow is good, slower is better. Get a stern line (short) on first.

On mine, I prefer to approach a Finger on the port side (looking forward from the helm on the starboard side, the jetty/finger is on my left/port side), and snag a cleat with a line on the boats port aft/arse quarter. Then just turn the wheel anti clockwise, and drop in gear but no more throttle.
Doesn't matter what the wind does(I'm also a HT) you'll be parked up tight asap.

The hardest thing is getting the rope hand (could be a relative, mate, child, or last time on boat person....) to flick the rope around the cleat, and not try to use the bow rope.....

If you set up a loop on your stern cleat all you need to do is hook it over the corresponding hook or cleat on the jetty and stick it in idle ahead. Your advice is quite right - if you're going to crash, crash slow...

Originally Posted by Beaker

Looking great!

Docking. The best 3 bits of advice I've been given, and live by. Slow is good, slower is better. Get a stern line (short) on first.

On mine, I prefer to approach a Finger on the port side (looking forward from the helm on the starboard side, the jetty/finger is on my left/port side), and snag a cleat with a line on the boats port aft/arse quarter. Then just turn the wheel anti clockwise, and drop in gear but no more throttle.
Doesn't matter what the wind does(I'm also a HT) you'll be parked up tight asap.

The hardest thing is getting the rope hand (could be a relative, mate, child, or last time on boat person....) to flick the rope around the cleat, and not try to use the bow rope.....

100% agree with this - get my wife to use the port aft rope to basically secure the boat to the jetty stopping forward movement. She is 5’ not very much and can to this safely from in the cockpit. If the wind pushes the bow away from the jetty i can put engine in gear apply a bit of power and bring bow round as we held at the back and then easily tie up the bow.

Have a family member who for the life of me i cannot get to understand this simple concept- every time we come in to the jetty he grabs the bow rope climbs up on the gunnel to try to tie up and hes no help at all - silly prick will bloody hurt himself one day completely unnecessarily.
I’ve tried to teach him to moor the boat and ohh dear simple things like drive up to the bouy into the wind ahh nope he gets the boat hook on the bouy but the wind is up his arse pushing the boat forward while he hangs on to the boat hook for dear life trying to halt forward progress and then works out he got the bow rope on the other side to where he is and therefore he is stuffed and gotta try and unhook and try again.
Its funny how some people just can’t do practical simple stuff- in his job he literally produces works of art so so good and very technical- but tie up the boat or whip the sides of a fish - nada not gonna happen.