The mark of a a good teacher is that I was looking at Makita tools, came across this channel, watched it, subscribed, forgot about my tools and am now planning a new life on the water. Just need to find the money. The joys of a mid life crisis.
I haven’t got a boat and easily get sea sick. Yet I absolutely love watching Tom and these videos. Such an absolute pleasure to have people as such in the world and sharing their knowledge. Thank you !
Just absolutely excellent. I am a potential new sailor and I find that these things are almost guarded secrets. So hard to find clear, complete, non-patronizing instructions on these things. I have pulled speedboats into shore stations for decades but am thinking of retiring near open water and just have so much to learn. This is a real service. Thanks and please make as many as you’d like. We will watch.
Nice explanation, thank you. I have always personally secured a spring line first when entering my slip to keep me from entering too far and hitting the dock. Then with the rudder and a tiny bit of engine I can keep the boat alongside the dock until I have the remainder of dock lines secured. Since I mostly single-hand this technique has worked out nicely.
So good Tom. You are a wonderful teacher. I sailed long, hard and professionally for a decade including 1.7 circumnavigations. But that ended 20 years ago. I just retired and am loving having you remind me of all I have forgotten and, quite frankly several things I never knew. Thanks!
They say" you can always learn something" well that's only true if you have a good instructor .And you are a good instructor.Thank you so much for your videos, they are great, fun and you inspire so well. Thanks again
I like to reverse in against stream, winds allowing. Get a sternline on and drive forward on it, followed by springs to protect aftward surge. A short finger means I do your trick but on the stern. Two reasons for my preference. I'm crap at stopping the cutwater failing to cut the pontoon. I find presenting an anchor sharpens other skippers' collision avoidance awareness.
Great experience, knowledge and relevant information always humbly and simply delivered! It's almost therapy just hearing you deliver these tutorials, sir! Thanks loads, Tom.
06:20 Spider-Man in the background coming down.... great way of showing a working marina, seeing others working in the marina. I wonder what that sailor was doing up his mast? Great video!
when singlehanding I have a bow cleated line in my hand at the helm that I either quickly loop around a piling or toss to a shore hand...then I fasten the stern line...easy peasy
Well never sailed in my life which is a shame as it's always something I wanted to do but even this which I'll never do I found very satisfying to listen and watch.
Tom is a great imparter of the wealth of knowledge he possesses, we always put a breast line or spring to the midship cleat first, someone jumps and then stops the boat before bow and stern lines, the other thing I'd do differently is to cleat the bow lines off to the opposite side cleats so they cross over each other, IE port line to stbd cleat and vise versa. I'd love to spend a few days at sea with Tom on his Mason 44'. If you didn't hit anything and managed without having to make multiple attempts you have a successful docking, spent hours and hours doing this, bow to, stern to, prop walking, etc etc, most marinas have two berths between fingers so that makes for slightly stressful situations with reduced steerage with windage and current, practice practice practice
Came across this channel and subscribed. Tom has a great manner and a very simplified method of giving excellent advice. I could listen to him reading a telephone directory to me and it would hold my attention.👍
Great video and keeps things focused on "A" way without pretending to be "THE" way. You sound like you've been doing this a long time so some feedback or insights on running solo would be great!
Thanks Tom. Been sailing a few years now and just goes to show, in this world of ours, you never stop learning. Tomorrows weather looks good for a trip to my boat and a few adjustments to my mooring lines. Fair Winds.
we have loop on yacht cleats with the other end no knots, I step off with bow line catch mid pontoon cleat then back for stern line tie that off whilst husband turns off engine then we rearrange the bow line to proper bow cleat tie off then use remaining line as a spring to midship cleat on Wave dancer. So we only use 2 docking lines then on other side of bow a shorter line to keep her steady
Oh dear, I always tie off on the dock, shame on me! The bowlin looks a good idea though so will try it next time. Sharing a berth with another boat between two fingers can always be a challenge if the wind is blowing you off your finger - plenty of fenders between you and the other boat and just let the two meet with no forward or after motion. Who mentioned bow thrusters! The other setup I've seen on a regular residents birth is dock lines held on uprights on the finger, ready to be hooked or grabbed - worked well. Great instructional videos and refreshers after this Covid lark.
Like a number of others have commented getting your spring on first is generally the best thing to do. If you have a front and rear spring then perhaps get the front spring on, that stops the boat going too far forwards and will hold the boat to the finger. Then get your front and rear lines on. The other thing is if your returning to your regular berth in a marina, being able to pick up your spring lines from a pole on the finger using a boat hook if needs be makes sense. In this situation you don’t need to be having to jump off your boat onto the marina finger to secure the line, as it should be well secured over the cleat on the marina finger.
I do that with my little C-22. I have just lengths of line on a small reel that I use for mooring or towing etc. whip a bowline into the ends and ready to go.
Thanks Tom! Great video. Wish I’d known you ten years ago when I got my boat. You’d have recognized my newness. “Didn’t know a knot, so I tied a lot.” :)
Great video...my old (1984) marina.......old-home week! Excellent advice, changing a couple of things I do, in particular, bowlines on each line....Thanks, Andrew
Hi Tom great video. Know it was for MDL but try town Quay southampton you need extra lines ,snubbers , metal springs and still your boat gets damaged by red jet and red funnel.
Alan Williams Did you ever go in to Poole town Dock for a curry of an evening ? You need all the lines you have got plus some, particularly Shore lines, you can end up in the middle of a raft when you started against the wall ! In fact I have seen irritated froggies cast the whole raft adrift and motor off without a second look !
Great lesson. If possible I use the same configuration of lines. Only very often in Dutch marinas there are eyes instead of cleats. In those cases I prefer to keep the bowline on the cleat on board, loop it through the eye and back on board to cleat it off. In the perfect world I ca do all this without pulling through the end of the line so it can all be very easily let go from aboard ship when we leave.
I have a much better way when coming into the dock. I have a mid-ship line looped through a jam cleat. When I arrive at the dock, that line is tied off first. This prevents the boat from drifting anywhere away from the dock. Its on a jam cleat, so the slack is taken up quickly. Once that line is cleated, then I can go to the bow and cleat that line in, and then to the stern. Typically once I have the stern line in hand, I will uncleat the mid-ship line as I can hold the stern line in. Typically I will use that to position the boat. I leaned to do this because as most of us, we are stuck single handing. As a result, I needed a way to secure the boat with a single line without allowing the boat to drift into other boats. I also do this when casting off, so I only have a single point of release and can get to the helm quickly to control the boat.
The best marina slip has pilings that allow four lines with the boat in the middle between them. Two lines fore and two lines aft. Second best is back in with a mooring line off the bow and two lines aft. (med mooring) Then you have the dock side like shown but when the marina starts getting rough because a storm is blowing through those you have no line keeping you from bashing the side into the pier and fenders only do so much should it rough and yes it can get VERY rough in harbor at the dock for a short term slip that’s fine but any slip I’m calling my home port I want four point mooring lines not just on one side with fenders alone to protect the boat from Dock rash.
Doesn't matter how long I've been docking boats, I knew I would learn something from Tom's video And, all we can hope for is that " the Lord favors our enterprise"
Hi Tom, I like to rig my bow and stern lines as slips - fast on board, round the dockside cleat, back on board and made fast. I do this because I used to sail my Twister single handed, and being able to slip the lines from on board was a sanity saver. I now have a Rustler which I sail with my wife, and the first line we attach is a spring, dropped over the cleat at the end or in the middle of the finger with a boathook. With the engine ahead in idle revs and the tiller held hard over with a bungee, we have all the time in the world to sort out the other lines. We are in the Baltic so have no current to contend with. What are your views?
@@maxflight777 Sure, could do, but what would be the advantage? Wouldn‘t I just be adding a job? The only possible downside is that maybe rigging a mooring line as a slip leads to increased chafe. But when I leave my boat for any length of time I use a chain loop on the pontoon cleat with the warp shackled to it.
@@dmitripogosian5084 Hi Dmitri. No, just the single cleat. I use a bowline for the cleat, take the line round the dockside cleat, back on board and make fast to the same cleat. My mooring cleats are plenty big enough to handle both ends like this.
Iv been boating about five years or more a Iv always done the figure of 8 with the ropes as you have them . But now I’m going to swap bow -lin is it ? your way anyway. my other half will thank me So much simpler for her . Thanks Tom , I can honestly say Iv learnt so much from watching your channel already. Iv just got a new boat and she’s a bit of a handful in close quarters especially in reverse because the prop is aft of the rudder. She’s an Albin Vega lovely boat but man she scares me in the marina.
www.netknots.com/rope_knots/bowline if you're looking. There are probably videos of how to tie it but this gets you started. One of the challenges with a bowline is ensuring you understand which part of the knot is going to be the "loop" as you're tying it so it is the desired size. It takes some familiarity and some practice to get to the length you want. If you're just planning on initially "laying it over" a horn cleat then you have plenty of time to set it up- but in many cases you'll need to have wait to tie the bowline when you get on the dock (no open ended surface to slip the loop over.) You've been doing the figure 8 for 5 years or so so you may already know this but a neat trick that allows you to "lock" the figure 8 around the horns is a quick wrap around, one cross over and then a half hitch on the opposite horn... This can relieve you from feeling like you need to go back and forth criss crossing overzealously as I often see people do. (you may already know that if so I apologize if I sound like I'm pandering). My firm recommendation is that you look at the bowline as an option- a tool in the toolbox- instead of exchanging one for the other and regardless of what you choose to do, "don't change it on game day." The way you're doing it for 5 years has worked so far and a bowline option can be great too!
Tron Alpha If you can’t, get on your cellphone and check their website, if they don’t have one (unlikely but you may not be able to find what you need) google maps can still show you an overhead that can greatly help...
@@Rick_Sanchez_C137_ hear in Australia, all the marinars have an website and are on navionics. They will ask to make a booking in advance even if you are a lieaboard. so your reply to me is pointless. Gerard.
Thanks, very insightful! Like Tom, I also have a lovely moustache, and was wondering if there could be any discount on berthing at one of your marinas please? Thanks !
Easy and clear. I enjoyed watching this A well crafted bit of information that will make sense to anyone who throws a line. Thank you. (p.s. Loved your other videos as well... Holy Grail, Life of Brian, etc)
Stern line: You mention, that the angle is not optimal, but that is, how it is. What about using the cleat on the opposite side of the dock? The line's pull would be much more to port instead of forward.
As someone below mentioned, I prefer to have each line cleated aboard the boat, fed through a shore fitting and back aboard, meaning it's easy to pull the lines off when leaving the berth, whilst never leaving the boat. This is also partly because of drunken idiots, tampering with lines by easily casting off a bowline in seconds, silently, whereas they are far less likely to clamber aboard or cut a rope. However, in a tidal stream, an off-wind or other untoward circumstance, there is a good logic in just getting a quick loop over a cleat/bollard, and then afterwards organising lines better/aboard, one by one. Also I'd add that I instruct crew to leave *at least* 6 inches of tail after every knot, so that if a knot is jerked repeatedly, it won't pull through and untie itself. Nice video, thanks.
I always put the aft spring on first. Once that line is secured I can easily keep the boat snugged up to the finger peir by turning the helm away from the pier and putting the boat in gear at idle. Then I can secure the bow and stern lines at my leisure. I NEVER tie the bow line off first sine an over zealous crew member can easily pull the bow line too tight and then the stern swings out.
Wouldnt it be handier to secure the boat first and after you re docked, bring everything back to the boat so leaving the berth is completely controlled from within the boat(especially handy when sailing shorthanded)?
Interesting Tom, I would appreciate your thoughts on a couple of things. 1. Midship line. What do you think of using a midship line first off to secure the boat before adding the other dock lines? 2. Looping lines through the dock cleats and tying them back on board the boat.
Agree. I use a midship line first, it's closer to the helm than the bow line. Then my boat is attached to the dock. I can motor forward in idle, and the boat will naturally come up to the dock, and then I can tend to the bow and stern lines. I single hand and that's what works best for me.
Paul Fitzgerald Paul, looping your line through a dock cleat can put a lot of extra pressure on the cleat. It can be done if you are expecting to cast off relatively soon. If you may be there several days, through tidal changes and currents, I wouldn’t recommend it. Best thing to do is loop your line around the far side of a cleat before tying off. That puts a slower lateral pull on the cleat, rather than a hard pull directly on the cleat attachment to the dock. It’s also safer if there may be wind issues. On the mornings or days we are leaving, I may get out and do the looping myself before it’s time to leave the marina, while my mate checks latches on fridge, drawers etc. Then when leaving she can easily loose us from the dock whilst I attend side thrusters etc. Always start your hydraulic system before casting off, whether it runs electric or off your get home engine, makes the maneuvering easier and faster. Smooth sailing Paul ,
A mid ship spring line led back to a winch that the helmsman can pull in while motoring ahead with the the helm slightly over would be my first choice of line for the first line ashore. Then you can sit there motoring against it for as long as it takes to get the other lines on. Just ease it out if you need to move forward in the berth a little. I would question the use of bowlines on cleats. Bowlines are difficult to lift off or undo when under load and if a neighbour decides to dump his on top of yours then you have two lines that are difficult to remove just to get yours off. A cleat has two uprights and a cross piece so if round turns and two half hitches are used then three or more lines can be put on one cleat and all can be undone without having to remove any of the others and they can be undone whilst under load.
Thanks Bob, still don’t understand why you wouldn’t loop back to the boat or just tie off with a figure of eight. Around the shore cleats. Just trying to understand why a bowline onto cleats thought I was missing something
Gary Williams there is always more than one way to do things. It comes down to what is easiest for you, for the situation, for the location. Looping lines around a cleat with both ends on the boat is fine for a temporary mooring (lock, fuel pontoon) but not for long term in a tidal area, too easy to come undone. You can put the bowline end around the dock cleat or the boat cleat. I find it quicker to carry the bowline end off the boat and put it around the cleat rather than carry the entire length of line off the boat and tie it off around the cleat. I also prefer to have the loose end on the boat rather than laying on the dock where it could go into the water.
When you tie to anything ashore you have to do so in a way that your line is unlikely to chafe through and in a way that you can remove your rope without having to remove someone else's rope just to remove yours and in a way that allows you to undo your own rope whilst it is under extreme load. A bowline is a terrible knot for this. Use a round turn and two half hitches - a cleat can take four or more ropes tied in this way and none will chafe, all will be able to be removed without effecting any of the others and all can be undone under load. Even used on a bollard this is a better knot than a bowline.
SPRING LINE FIRST! Why? Because the crew can step off at the shrouds and use the shrouds as support. Crew wraps the spring line around the cleat ASAP. The spring line stops forward motion of the boat as soon as it is wrapped around the cleat. Then you can easily keep the boat against the dock while the transmission is in FWD.
Yes 1. Kiss the dock at shrouds level. Crew steps off with stern spring and wraps line around cleat ASAP. The boat is stopped. 2. Helmsman/person engages FWD gently. Tiller towards the dock. This brings stern of boat to the dock. Helmsman/person smiles to crew and passes stern line to crew to be wrapped around cleat. 3. Crew gets bow line (it should be prepared and ready at shroud level with a ready made bowline. Put bowline through cleat. Hop in and get all the slack. 4. Fine tune That's another way to do it but it all depends on how many crew you have. Tom's way is great. Although I would not like to try it if a strong breeze would come straight from the dock. In that case I would use the stern spring line technique which serves as a lever while engaging FWD, tiller to the dock.
I picked the method you describe up from Icelandic fishermen docking hard to maneuver oak boats. I ask the spring line crew to use the cleat to control how far forward the boat moves, before I step off with the stern. So far, no crashes or embarrassments, and actually just had a fellow ask me about my method as he felt it was stress-free.
I've just completed my Day Skipper so very new to this, we were taught not to step off the boat, but to "lasso" the cleat or bollard, in a similar way to a high sided powerboat , reasoning was, this was much safer than stepping off, anyone got any thoughts on this ?
Lassoing will work if you have horns like here, and if you practiced. Some harbors, however, only have rings as they're cheaper. In that case you don't have a choice and someone will need to *carefully* step off the boat. What we do is to enter the marina first, check out the berths and mounting points, go back out far enough so you have a few minutes, and then make a decision on where and how to moor.
I've seen American vids with the exact opposite advice. Bowline on deck. Pointing to the harbour people not being able to adjust vessel's lines from the shore. But our Tom easily out ranks any such nonsuch.
What I have seen in Canada was always tied at the dockside. In one of clubs I was sailing with (not a commercial marina), it was said indeed that as club members are watching each other boats, it is preferable they can adjust the lines from the dock. But this is what I saw in commercial marinas on the our West coast as well. If anything, I was taught how to neatly coil the excess of the rope on the the dock.
The mark of a good teacher . . . Tom never assumes his audience has the experience he has. Great stuff!
The mark of a a good teacher is that I was looking at Makita tools, came across this channel, watched it, subscribed, forgot about my tools and am now planning a new life on the water. Just need to find the money. The joys of a mid life crisis.
@@stephencullen9072 did you buy your boat?!
I haven’t got a boat and easily get sea sick. Yet I absolutely love watching Tom and these videos. Such an absolute pleasure to have people as such in the world and sharing their knowledge. Thank you !
I don’t usually make comments but you’re a good teacher and I really appreciate your input thank you
The one thing I would add when calling ahead is to write down the berth and which side you need lines.
Is so easy to forget while getting ready.
Thank you learning a lot, I am 62 saving for my first 30 footer, up to to 40ft. Again thank you so. Best wishes from Australia
So grateful for all your wisdom and experience being shared with us Tom. YAH bless you and your family.
Just absolutely excellent. I am a potential new sailor and I find that these things are almost guarded secrets. So hard to find clear, complete, non-patronizing instructions on these things. I have pulled speedboats into shore stations for decades but am thinking of retiring near open water and just have so much to learn. This is a real service. Thanks and please make as many as you’d like. We will watch.
Nice explanation, thank you. I have always personally secured a spring line first when entering my slip to keep me from entering too far and hitting the dock. Then with the rudder and a tiny bit of engine I can keep the boat alongside the dock until I have the remainder of dock lines secured. Since I mostly single-hand this technique has worked out nicely.
Agree
@@ruserious8761 Me too
Us too
Yep, I am docking in reverse with an outboard, so spring line first as well
So good Tom. You are a wonderful teacher. I sailed long, hard and professionally for a decade including 1.7 circumnavigations. But that ended 20 years ago. I just retired and am loving having you remind me of all I have forgotten and, quite frankly several things I never knew.
Thanks!
They say" you can always learn something" well that's only true if you have a good instructor
.And you are a good instructor.Thank you so much for your videos, they are great, fun and you inspire so well.
Thanks again
Just love Tom's down to earth advice - humble...
This was the most civlized video I have watched for quite a time.
I like to reverse in against stream, winds allowing. Get a sternline on and drive forward on it, followed by springs to protect aftward surge. A short finger means I do your trick but on the stern.
Two reasons for my preference. I'm crap at stopping the cutwater failing to cut the pontoon. I find presenting an anchor sharpens other skippers' collision avoidance awareness.
Great experience, knowledge and relevant information always humbly and simply delivered! It's almost therapy just hearing you deliver these tutorials, sir! Thanks loads, Tom.
That's a nice boat from Hamble Point Yacht Charters. Great video by Tom as well.
06:20 Spider-Man in the background coming down.... great way of showing a working marina, seeing others working in the marina. I wonder what that sailor was doing up his mast?
Great video!
Checking out how Tom had tied his bowlines, I suspect
Man, I really enjoyed this. I'm always interested in points like this, and you're a swell fellow and a very good teacher. Thanks.
when singlehanding I have a bow cleated line in my hand at the helm that I either quickly loop around a piling or toss to a shore hand...then I fasten the stern line...easy peasy
Some useful snippets here, thanks Tom.
Great video. Tom certainly knows his stuff!
My first line out is a spring line. Always has always will. 35 years on a tug in NY Harbor.
Absolutely
?
Yep, you can maneuver on a spring line, and NEVER a locking hitch, unless you always carry a sharp knife!!
Whats a spring line? If you know that much you don't need his rambling
Well never sailed in my life which is a shame as it's always something I wanted to do but even this which I'll never do I found very satisfying to listen and watch.
Tom is a great imparter of the wealth of knowledge he possesses, we always put a breast line or spring to the midship cleat first, someone jumps and then stops the boat before bow and stern lines, the other thing I'd do differently is to cleat the bow lines off to the opposite side cleats so they cross over each other, IE port line to stbd cleat and vise versa. I'd love to spend a few days at sea with Tom on his Mason 44'. If you didn't hit anything and managed without having to make multiple attempts you have a successful docking, spent hours and hours doing this, bow to, stern to, prop walking, etc etc, most marinas have two berths between fingers so that makes for slightly stressful situations with reduced steerage with windage and current, practice practice practice
I don’t own a boat and already look forward to listening to your teaching. 👍🏼👍🏼🍻
Came across this channel and subscribed. Tom has a great manner and a very simplified method of giving excellent advice. I could listen to him reading a telephone directory to me and it would hold my attention.👍
Great video and keeps things focused on "A" way without pretending to be "THE" way. You sound like you've been doing this a long time so some feedback or insights on running solo would be great!
Nice job Tom ! Great way to explain simply what can be a complex process !
Thanks Tom. Been sailing a few years now and just goes to show, in this world of ours, you never stop learning. Tomorrows weather looks good for a trip to my boat and a few adjustments to my mooring lines. Fair Winds.
we have loop on yacht cleats with the other end no knots, I step off with bow line catch mid pontoon cleat then back for stern line tie that off whilst husband turns off engine then we rearrange the bow line to proper bow cleat tie off then use remaining line as a spring to midship cleat on Wave dancer. So we only use 2 docking lines then on other side of bow a shorter line to keep her steady
that was very pleasant and I formative. thanks, tom.
Oh dear, I always tie off on the dock, shame on me! The bowlin looks a good idea though so will try it next time. Sharing a berth with another boat between two fingers can always be a challenge if the wind is blowing you off your finger - plenty of fenders between you and the other boat and just let the two meet with no forward or after motion. Who mentioned bow thrusters! The other setup I've seen on a regular residents birth is dock lines held on uprights on the finger, ready to be hooked or grabbed - worked well. Great instructional videos and refreshers after this Covid lark.
Here in Vancouver everybody I saw nearby ties at the dock. At least my club requires it with club boats. Go figure.
Thank you, for your patient instruction and enjoyable articulations!
Like a number of others have commented getting your spring on first is generally the best thing to do. If you have a front and rear spring then perhaps get the front spring on, that stops the boat going too far forwards and will hold the boat to the finger. Then get your front and rear lines on.
The other thing is if your returning to your regular berth in a marina, being able to pick up your spring lines from a pole on the finger using a boat hook if needs be makes sense. In this situation you don’t need to be having to jump off your boat onto the marina finger to secure the line, as it should be well secured over the cleat on the marina finger.
I do that with my little C-22. I have just lengths of line on a small reel that I use for mooring or towing etc. whip a bowline into the ends and ready to go.
Thanks Tom! Great video. Wish I’d known you ten years ago when I got my boat. You’d have recognized my newness. “Didn’t know a knot, so I tied a lot.” :)
Thanks Tom. We're relatively new sailors. Really clear, useful and de-mystifying information. Cheers!
Excellent Tom, I'm learning all the time with your videos
Best regards jim
The mark of a great teacher . . . Tom never assumes his audience has the experience that he has.
Thank you: maybe time for a rethink, for I've normally had a midship line taken ashore first, and kept as short as practicable initially............
Brilliant video. With that arrangement what would you do if you were expecting inclement weather?
Great video...my old (1984) marina.......old-home week! Excellent advice, changing a couple of things I do, in particular, bowlines on each line....Thanks, Andrew
Thanks Tom. Useful info.I wish my twin rudder boat had a kick that I could manage while berthing. I always end up backing in.
Hi Tom great video. Know it was for MDL but try town Quay southampton you need extra lines ,snubbers , metal springs and still your boat gets damaged by red jet and red funnel.
Alan Williams Did you ever go in to Poole town Dock for a curry of an evening ? You need all the lines you have got plus some, particularly Shore lines, you can end up in the middle of a raft when you started against the wall ! In fact I have seen irritated froggies cast the whole raft adrift and motor off without a second look !
Hi Tom
Super video well explained and some super tips
Hi Tom, You are a brilliant sailor. Why diid you not put on a bow spring. I always do. 5 ropes. 7 for anything over F7. 2 extra bow and stern.
I really appreciate's Tom's insightful reasoning - thanks Tom!
Really well done. On point and simple to understand port or starboard and a very common scenario. Let's try a video on backing into a similar slip.
Great lesson. If possible I use the same configuration of lines. Only very often in Dutch marinas there are eyes instead of cleats. In those cases I prefer to keep the bowline on the cleat on board, loop it through the eye and back on board to cleat it off. In the perfect world I ca do all this without pulling through the end of the line so it can all be very easily let go from aboard ship when we leave.
I have a much better way when coming into the dock. I have a mid-ship line looped through a jam cleat. When I arrive at the dock, that line is tied off first. This prevents the boat from drifting anywhere away from the dock. Its on a jam cleat, so the slack is taken up quickly. Once that line is cleated, then I can go to the bow and cleat that line in, and then to the stern. Typically once I have the stern line in hand, I will uncleat the mid-ship line as I can hold the stern line in. Typically I will use that to position the boat. I leaned to do this because as most of us, we are stuck single handing. As a result, I needed a way to secure the boat with a single line without allowing the boat to drift into other boats. I also do this when casting off, so I only have a single point of release and can get to the helm quickly to control the boat.
Agree one hundred percent, we are two and the mid-ship is the first line to go.
This really makes sense to me and I'm going to do it like this from not on to see if it works for me. Thanks.
The best marina slip has pilings that allow four lines with the boat in the middle between them. Two lines fore and two lines aft. Second best is back in with a mooring line off the bow and two lines aft. (med mooring) Then you have the dock side like shown but when the marina starts getting rough because a storm is blowing through those you have no line keeping you from bashing the side into the pier and fenders only do so much should it rough and yes it can get VERY rough in harbor at the dock for a short term slip that’s fine but any slip I’m calling my home port I want four point mooring lines not just on one side with fenders alone to protect the boat from Dock rash.
Doesn't matter how long I've been docking boats, I knew I would learn something from Tom's video
And, all we can hope for is that " the Lord favors our enterprise"
Hi Tom, I like to rig my bow and stern lines as slips - fast on board, round the dockside cleat, back on board and made fast. I do this because I used to sail my Twister single handed, and being able to slip the lines from on board was a sanity saver. I now have a Rustler which I sail with my wife, and the first line we attach is a spring, dropped over the cleat at the end or in the middle of the finger with a boathook. With the engine ahead in idle revs and the tiller held hard over with a bungee, we have all the time in the world to sort out the other lines. We are in the Baltic so have no current to contend with. What are your views?
Bill , (ref first 4 lines ) can’t you leave them with bowlines ? Then turn them into slip lines an hour before you plan to leave ?
@@maxflight777 Sure, could do, but what would be the advantage? Wouldn‘t I just be adding a job? The only possible downside is that maybe rigging a mooring line as a slip leads to increased chafe. But when I leave my boat for any length of time I use a chain loop on the pontoon cleat with the warp shackled to it.
Do you need to use two cleats per line onboard to do that ?
@@dmitripogosian5084 Hi Dmitri. No, just the single cleat. I use a bowline for the cleat, take the line round the dockside cleat, back on board and make fast to the same cleat. My mooring cleats are plenty big enough to handle both ends like this.
Very good teacher, how some training companies just teach you to oxo on the cleat on the pontoon then if this is the right way to do it.
Iv been boating about five years or more a Iv always done the figure of 8 with the ropes as you have them . But now I’m going to swap bow -lin is it ? your way anyway.
my other half will thank me So much simpler for her . Thanks Tom , I can honestly say Iv learnt so much from watching your channel already. Iv just got a new boat and she’s a bit of a handful in close quarters especially in reverse because the prop is aft of the rudder. She’s an Albin Vega lovely boat but man she scares me in the marina.
www.netknots.com/rope_knots/bowline if you're looking. There are probably videos of how to tie it but this gets you started.
One of the challenges with a bowline is ensuring you understand which part of the knot is going to be the "loop" as you're tying it so it is the desired size. It takes some familiarity and some practice to get to the length you want. If you're just planning on initially "laying it over" a horn cleat then you have plenty of time to set it up- but in many cases you'll need to have wait to tie the bowline when you get on the dock (no open ended surface to slip the loop over.)
You've been doing the figure 8 for 5 years or so so you may already know this but a neat trick that allows you to "lock" the figure 8 around the horns is a quick wrap around, one cross over and then a half hitch on the opposite horn... This can relieve you from feeling like you need to go back and forth criss crossing overzealously as I often see people do. (you may already know that if so I apologize if I sound like I'm pandering).
My firm recommendation is that you look at the bowline as an option- a tool in the toolbox- instead of exchanging one for the other and regardless of what you choose to do, "don't change it on game day." The way you're doing it for 5 years has worked so far and a bowline option can be great too!
Frankly the most stressful bit of a day out.
You should allso mention that if the person can visit the marina before comming in it helps to get an idear on the layout of the place.
Gerard.
Tron Alpha
If you can’t, get on your cellphone and check their website, if they don’t have one (unlikely but you may not be able to find what you need) google maps can still show you an overhead that can greatly help...
@@Rick_Sanchez_C137_
hear in Australia, all the marinars have an website and are on navionics. They will ask to make a booking in advance even if you are a lieaboard. so your reply to me is pointless.
Gerard.
They ( instructors ) tolled me to use a line that doubles back to the boat and cleats off at the ship.
You see this a lot on Dutch marina
Thanks, very insightful! Like Tom, I also have a lovely moustache, and was wondering if there could be any discount on berthing at one of your marinas please? Thanks !
Easy and clear. I enjoyed watching this A well crafted bit of information that will make sense to anyone who throws a line. Thank you. (p.s. Loved your other videos as well... Holy Grail, Life of Brian, etc)
'A sensible division of labor'...heh heh. Thanks, Tom. Gonna use that
another great video from Tom, fantastic content
Stern line: You mention, that the angle is not optimal, but that is, how it is. What about using the cleat on the opposite side of the dock? The line's pull would be much more to port instead of forward.
Loved this video but early in the video didn't you say one rope one cleat but didn't you have two ropes on the stern cleat.
As someone below mentioned, I prefer to have each line cleated aboard the boat, fed through a shore fitting and back aboard, meaning it's easy to pull the lines off when leaving the berth, whilst never leaving the boat. This is also partly because of drunken idiots, tampering with lines by easily casting off a bowline in seconds, silently, whereas they are far less likely to clamber aboard or cut a rope. However, in a tidal stream, an off-wind or other untoward circumstance, there is a good logic in just getting a quick loop over a cleat/bollard, and then afterwards organising lines better/aboard, one by one. Also I'd add that I instruct crew to leave *at least* 6 inches of tail after every knot, so that if a knot is jerked repeatedly, it won't pull through and untie itself. Nice video, thanks.
Great content as always
Great video, as always. But wouldn´t some rubber shock dampers be adequate?
TIL I'm not a real sailor. :) Knew that already though... I appreciate these videos.
I've been into every marina in the Solent. No one has ever come to take my line except the charter company itself. Even then, only sometimes!
Excellent advice, thank you!
Excellent advice, thank you Sir! 👍🏼👍🏼
I always put the aft spring on first. Once that line is secured I can easily keep the boat snugged up to the finger peir by turning the helm away from the pier and putting the boat in gear at idle. Then I can secure the bow and stern lines at my leisure. I NEVER tie the bow line off first sine an over zealous crew member can easily pull the bow line too tight and then the stern swings out.
Awesome thank you for your experience!!!
Wouldnt it be handier to secure the boat first and after you re docked, bring everything back to the boat so leaving the berth is completely controlled from within the boat(especially handy when sailing shorthanded)?
Interesting Tom, I would appreciate your thoughts on a couple of things.
1. Midship line. What do you think of using a midship line first off to secure the boat before adding the other dock lines?
2. Looping lines through the dock cleats and tying them back on board the boat.
Agree. I use a midship line first, it's closer to the helm than the bow line. Then my boat is attached to the dock. I can motor forward in idle, and the boat will naturally come up to the dock, and then I can tend to the bow and stern lines. I single hand and that's what works best for me.
Paul Fitzgerald Paul, looping your line through a dock cleat can put a lot of extra pressure on the cleat. It can be done if you are expecting to cast off relatively soon. If you may be there several days, through tidal changes and currents, I wouldn’t recommend it. Best thing to do is loop your line around the far side of a cleat before tying off. That puts a slower lateral pull on the cleat, rather than a hard pull directly on the cleat attachment to the dock. It’s also safer if there may be wind issues. On the mornings or days we are leaving, I may get out and do the looping myself before it’s time to leave the marina, while my mate checks latches on fridge, drawers etc. Then when leaving she can easily loose us from the dock whilst I attend side thrusters etc. Always start your hydraulic system before casting off, whether it runs electric or off your get home engine, makes the maneuvering easier and faster. Smooth sailing Paul
,
Fantastic advice .... Thank you .
A mid ship spring line led back to a winch that the helmsman can pull in while motoring ahead with the the helm slightly over would be my first choice of line for the first line ashore. Then you can sit there motoring against it for as long as it takes to get the other lines on. Just ease it out if you need to move forward in the berth a little. I would question the use of bowlines on cleats. Bowlines are difficult to lift off or undo when under load and if a neighbour decides to dump his on top of yours then you have two lines that are difficult to remove just to get yours off. A cleat has two uprights and a cross piece so if round turns and two half hitches are used then three or more lines can be put on one cleat and all can be undone without having to remove any of the others and they can be undone whilst under load.
Great little info for the unaware sailor,thx
Here in France we use what's called disposable gloves to handle lines from other boats
Informative and succinct
thank you tom ! no more eyesplices in docklines ! yippee
that was fun! - thanks Tom
my biggest issue with bowlines on the dock cleats is it seems too easy for some drunk to play mischief and drift away
Great tutorial! Question - are there any experienced skippers out there who would like to captain a sail boat (45'+) to NZ? Genuine question..
Great video.
Thanks Tom, can I ask why you wouldn’t you put a bowline around the boat cleat and tie off to the shore cleats?
Because when you cast off you want the lines on the boat not on the dock.
Thanks Bob, still don’t understand why you wouldn’t loop back to the boat or just tie off with a figure of eight. Around the shore cleats. Just trying to understand why a bowline onto cleats thought I was missing something
Gary Williams there is always more than one way to do things. It comes down to what is easiest for you, for the situation, for the location. Looping lines around a cleat with both ends on the boat is fine for a temporary mooring (lock, fuel pontoon) but not for long term in a tidal area, too easy to come undone. You can put the bowline end around the dock cleat or the boat cleat. I find it quicker to carry the bowline end off the boat and put it around the cleat rather than carry the entire length of line off the boat and tie it off around the cleat. I also prefer to have the loose end on the boat rather than laying on the dock where it could go into the water.
Thanks Bob, all understood just trying to make sure I’m not missing something. Happy sailing ⛵️
When you tie to anything ashore you have to do so in a way that your line is unlikely to chafe through and in a way that you can remove your rope without having to remove someone else's rope just to remove yours and in a way that allows you to undo your own rope whilst it is under extreme load. A bowline is a terrible knot for this. Use a round turn and two half hitches - a cleat can take four or more ropes tied in this way and none will chafe, all will be able to be removed without effecting any of the others and all can be undone under load. Even used on a bollard this is a better knot than a bowline.
I’m a third generation mariner... I agree, systemic docking every time. If possible everyone is cross trained as well.
You’re just plain cool. Thanks
Thanks very helpful 👍
I like this guy. thanks!
SPRING LINE FIRST! Why? Because the crew can step off at the shrouds and use the shrouds as support. Crew wraps the spring line around the cleat ASAP. The spring line stops forward motion of the boat as soon as it is wrapped around the cleat. Then you can easily keep the boat against the dock while the transmission is in FWD.
Yes
1. Kiss the dock at shrouds level. Crew steps off with stern spring and wraps line around cleat ASAP. The boat is stopped.
2. Helmsman/person engages FWD gently. Tiller towards the dock. This brings stern of boat to the dock. Helmsman/person smiles to crew and passes stern line to crew to be wrapped around cleat.
3. Crew gets bow line (it should be prepared and ready at shroud level with a ready made bowline. Put bowline through cleat. Hop in and get all the slack.
4. Fine tune
That's another way to do it but it all depends on how many crew you have.
Tom's way is great. Although I would not like to try it if a strong breeze would come straight from the dock.
In that case I would use the stern spring line technique which serves as a lever while engaging FWD, tiller to the dock.
I picked the method you describe up from Icelandic fishermen docking hard to maneuver oak boats. I ask the spring line crew to use the cleat to control how far forward the boat moves, before I step off with the stern. So far, no crashes or embarrassments, and actually just had a fellow ask me about my method as he felt it was stress-free.
I've just completed my Day Skipper so very new to this, we were taught not to step off the boat, but to "lasso" the cleat or bollard, in a similar way to a high sided powerboat , reasoning was, this was much safer than stepping off, anyone got any thoughts on this ?
Lassoing will work if you have horns like here, and if you practiced. Some harbors, however, only have rings as they're cheaper. In that case you don't have a choice and someone will need to *carefully* step off the boat. What we do is to enter the marina first, check out the berths and mounting points, go back out far enough so you have a few minutes, and then make a decision on where and how to moor.
2:25 got your thumbs up mate! ;)
Great job
Great! Just what I need.
I wish I had a teacher like him, first class.
I've seen American vids with the exact opposite advice. Bowline on deck. Pointing to the harbour people not being able to adjust vessel's lines from the shore.
But our Tom easily out ranks any such nonsuch.
What I have seen in Canada was always tied at the dockside. In one of clubs I was sailing with (not a commercial marina), it was said indeed that as club members are watching each other boats, it is preferable they can adjust the lines from the dock. But this is what I saw in commercial marinas on the our West coast as well. If anything, I was taught how to neatly coil the excess of the rope on the the dock.
Good advice 👍
Excellent.
I want this man as my grandad