Ep 42: Single Handed Docking Departure Close Call 

The simulations are so helpful, so impressed! I cannot say how much I admire your willingness to share other options and not reacting to criticism. Very admirable.

Another excellent video (I’m David from the quote you put on screen) thank you for your honesty in re-analysing your own techniques. Very useful to see you discussing the pros and cons of the different approaches and of course the option of waiting for better conditions which I imagine would be seldom considered by many! For me it reinforces the thought that every scenario is different and requires much consideration as to which technique would be correct to use on the day. I think you should also consider having a chat with the marina manager to find out why these power boaters keep boxing you in! Thanks again, really useful.

Thanks for the good videos and comments and like many others, I was a bit surprised that you actually showed the first departure (with the close call). Credits to you for letting everybody learn without you or anybody experiencing a damage situation. This new video very well clarifies and complements the case, again for everybody. I have owned and operated a 31-foot sloop and done a lot of my sailing single handed. Docking and departure typically takes quite a bit of planning in my case and the hick-ups sometimes happen when you least expect any problem at all. Your preferred method as shown in the last video is just fine, but only at very moderate wind. Otherwise the long 'arm' of the boat forward of the rotation point (the fender) and your manual short 'arm' manually pulling the stern to the dock, will overpower anybody. Also, if the wind is not dead astern, but turned 20-30 degrees counter clockwise, your job gets even harder. By motoring against a forward spring, it is easy to get the stern out to well over 45 degrees with very little use of the engine. Back away slowly while pulling in the line. Note that the 'pulling in' in the case you showed on video could easily jam. The line should go over a puller or through a wide open ring, which is not always available. Many ways to skin a cat :-)

Practice makes perfect, the only way to get better is to try different techniques. Thanks for getting the gears in my mind turning.

How about telling the power boats, 'No double-parking!' lol...Thanks, Marco

Another option is “spronging off” if you really don’t want to spring off. … ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1bLf7C-jAG0.html … It might have the advantages you seek from the stern line with simplicity and access for the singlehander from the helm. I also really think it’s important to mention the slip line technique in these singlehanded scenarios. I do think however, it’s almost always best to push into the current or wind, so my vote is with the comments advising the forward aft-spring. Your demonstration of that was so good you were almost 90 degrees to the dock! Nonetheless, there’s a lot of ways to skin this cat and I think this video could be one of your best as folks learn more from imperfection than from perfection. Thanks again for making these videos!

Well done for your honesty, nice to see. In my humble opinion a much more considered and improved explanation of the issues. I used to put the spring on the cockpit winch so you don’t need to hold the rope until you transition from reverse to forward. You can also remain on the boat so it can be a swift and efficient operation when practiced. I had a Tradewind 35 long keel yacht which weighed about 10 tons and I did about 40,000 miles single handed but it had a narrower pinched in stern so the bow came out a long way, probably further then some modern hull designs. Springing off worked well in U.K. waters with strong tidal streams an in my particular boat which was also heavy to manoeuvre by hand. Never found much use for a bow spring single handed as you had to go to the bow to release and the boat was difficult to manoeuvre backwards with the long keel so it never really worked. Thank you again for the great explanation of the options. Keep them coming.

Great honest review and commentary. Biggest takeaway is the need for considerable analysis of a situation before leaving a dock. What looks like. straight froward exercise requires forethought and selection of the right tool. Thanks Marco.

Springing off does seem to be the way to go when it's that tight. I think moving the spring line on the dock a little farther aft might help swing the bow out further, no? I don't have the experience to say for sure, but my hunch is that. I just bought a 32' boat and had an issue with 20 knots of wind pushing me (pinning me) right into the dock. After that I began to look into strategies for getting off a doc in that situation. An hence my look at this vid. Glad to have heard both perspectives. Know what I did? I asked the marina for help. They did, and I got off and running fine after that.

Great job explaining the different options.

Well done Marco. One of the most enjoyble parts about sailing and boat handling is the thinking part. There are many ways to do things, some beter than others. The key is to improve as you learn and to keep adding solutions for problems that arise.

Marco, when we use the outside- starboard cleat- the bow does spring right out. Also we use many more fenders, and especially like those big round balloons commercial fishermen use. Edward, watching from Newfoundland.

Love your videos. The combination of your teaching delivery and skills, in combination with the professional grade video editing , complete with outstanding animations is an amazing gift to up and coming mariners like myself and for those looking to hone their skills. Bravo. Add to that your humility , and as a result I am addicted to your channel ! I am curious if springing might have been a bit more effective for you had you not placed the spring line so far forward. If the Spring line was just in front of, or in line with, the rear "fulcrum" fender, I think you would have achieved more angle with the assistance of your port prop walk as well. I could be wrong , but again , I really appreciate documenting such useful , realistic , challenges for thought and discussion. Ultimately your demonstration of excellent helmsmanship, and understanding that turning TOWARDS the parked boats , actually moved your stern AWAY from the parked boats is a concept many newer boaters do not comprehend and is a valuable lesson in its own right. If you ever have time to kill , I am curious if my suggestion of a more Aft located spring line is more powerful than when located near the beam. I am nit picking here , and I have to end this dumb blurb with a giant THANK YOU for all your hard work , and sharing your passion and expertise for sailing.

Another great video! Every individual should find which techniques works best for them as we are all different in our skills and comfort level. Most people never practice these maneuvers until they actually need them then are disappointed when things do not work out as planned. I highly recommend practicing skills like this on challenging weather days and have crew available to help as needed but still practice as though you are single handed. Another point with crew is a thorough pre brief and the maneuver so every crew member understands what is going to happen.

Spot on analysis. I've owned a 12000 and a 22000lb monohull. I never used spring techniques on the smaller one, except when I was learning. However, I do so occasionally on the larger. My favorite technique: ask someone for help--before I untie!

Thanks for the video! I appreciate it. Please keep them coming you're a really good educator and I am learning lots. The sea calls to me!

Glad you put this video back up with your review. I also find with a smaller boat (26ft) pushing the bow out with a fender towards the stern acting as a fulcrum works fine. Although, I'd be hesitant about gunning it out of the docks. Thanks for your videos and for sharing your experience.

Great and usefull. If I may comment I'd like to mention an operation I did experience in very similare situations with good success. The wind push from aft and I'm along a pontoon on port side. I draw a line from my aft starbord cleat to a point on the pontoon further aft. When I realease other all other lines, the wind just gently turn my bow away from pontoon and other boats I want to avoid. When my ship has turned sufficiently I recover the line and engage the engine to go.

Excellent videos and it’s easy for us to comment from the comfort of our devices. Springing back with the same fender in the same location will only give a marginal benefit, but when springing back the fender can be placed further astern creating a more effective point of rotation. Additionally using a larger fender also helps. I have a large ball fender for this purpose. Secondly, once you have sprung out you can motor forward and retrieve the spring as you are going forward so you don’t lose the benefit. Of course the spring needs to be set so that you can easily retrieve it without it going in the water (more difficult with wooden dock furniture than with a ring or cleat).

I still do not agree, sorry. In general spring lines are very helpful, especially when single handed. Pull the stern by hand only works in very light wind from straight aft, and gives only slight angle at most. In this case here I would use the stb aftline (slip and as long as possible) only, then the engine in foreward low power with rudder to port (the dock) first until the stern is clear, then centered. The boat will slowly move from the dock then turn the bow away. When the angle is good (30-45°) release the line and pull in. Advantages: It works even in stronger winds, you can turn 90° and more (even to windward), engine stays untouched you can focus on steering and line handling, no risk to get line into prop.

1. Put the fender further aft. Add starboard fenders, particularly the bow. 2. Set a slipped line from the starboard aft cleat to a shore cleat 4 or 5 paces rear of the stern. 3. Drive forward with the rudder turned to port/the Dock. 4. The boat will travel outward and a little backwards and remain parallel to the dock. 5. Now with the stern a few feet from dock turn the rudder ahead. The bow will swing against the wind and achieve any angle you want, including 180 (but you don't have the space for over 80/90).... choose and adjust your angle with throttle. 6. Upto the next point the whole exercise is reversible and adjustable. 7. When you're at an angle that the slipped line will clear the prop, go into neutral, slip and consider retrieving the line. The boat will begin to drift forward. Change to forward gear for traction and steer past the power boats (and those to starboard). If you didn't get the trailing line aboard, do it now.... or before any acute port turn. 8. Award yourself a Blue Peter badge.

Top notch as always, Marco. Very thorough review and level-headed self reflection. Bravo!

Thank you so much for your honesty and advice! Especially about steering into the powerboats to avoid colliding with them on your stern is a mind-blowing advice for many! I was however surprised about the technique of taking in the final line (e.g. the springline) I was tought to make the springline doubled. If you pass the line from the boat as a bight and pull that bight around a cleat or even fence, you can bring the bight back to the boat and put it on a cleat. In this way, you can stay on the boat while casting off the final springline, as you just release the bight from the cleat and pull in the whole line. There is minimal risk of it dropping in the water and you are on the boat at all times (thus giving more control and limiting the risk of falling in the water). I might be able to illustrate it if you are interested! Thanks again for all the info and advice, I'll definitely keep following!

I'm glad that you went back over this one; it's valuable to see this depth of analysis on these "what almost went wrong" scenarios. I belonged to a club where the boats were basically parallel parked nose to tail at the dock with prevailing winds pushing you back onto the dock so I got really good at springing the bow out those two years. I had the advantage of a cleat horn so I would spring out with the dock line only over the front of the cleat horn; when I went into forward the line would release itself and there wasn't even enough slack in the line for it to get wet let alone get anywhere near the saildrive :) I could not have "spronged off" (new term for an familair technique) in this situation because the boat parallel parked behind would have been in the way. If you find yourself needing to spring the bow out further in the future I suggest doubling the line back to the stern cleat and then hold it at the helm (so the dockline goes cleated at stern, looped through bull rail, looped around stern cleat then to your hand). When you held the line directly from the cockpit you were pulling the boat into the dock forward of the fender/pivot point which limited how far the bow would spring off. You can actually chose a great frame for your side by side here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4aPwZ6g_-ww.html that shows the part of the line to your hand under tension and the line from the stern cleat to the bull rail is actually slack. If you then put another fender where your port side becomes your transom you should be able to spring out to 60 degrees or more (until the transom or dinghy get in the way).

Wonderful video! I do find spring lines handy when I’m single handing but I have an extra safety buffer. I’ll use floating dock lines so if they do drop in the water it’s no rush to retrieve them or risk of fouling the prop. The floating dock lines are soft, flexible, with a hand similar to nylon dock lines and great for temporary docking.

As a relatively inexperienced sailor, your videos are great at explaining issues that I'm facing. I watch your film then go and experiment with the technique on the boat. Many thanks for good and clear instruction and for being a real confidence booster to the newbies out here.

Hello Marco, I do agree that the original video was a bit of a tight departure. However, it is super important for people who are not experienced like me to be aware of how not to execute certain manoeuvres, or how to recover from wrongly executed manoeuvres. Showing what was executed wrongly and how it is supposed to be executed, is of greater value to anyone, especially new joiners. I am a flying coach and can 100% vouch for that, based on student feedback. This is what makes your channel standout. Showing only the happy day scenarios is great, but there are so many variables that impact sailing overall, how to deal with the unplanned is of absolute importance. Once again, thank you for the great videos. They are helping coming a long with my RYA course. Ps. Springing off maybe good but if you have a dinghy or other hanging obstruction, this can impact the spring off process. It seems that your dinghy is touching the railing of the pontoon.

As always great job Marco thanks for these. Very classy move to admit even professionals don’t always get everything right.

Great to humour those who 'know' - your experience shows, but great to show me as a novice the options and your personal preferences, THANKS :)

I'm late to the game, having only recently found your channel. This was a great episode, and I got more out of it than just leaving a dock in that situation. I'm fairly new to keelboat sailing, and have had challenging moments backing a Cal 2-25 out of a slip at the inboard end of a fairway, where there's a sllip on the other side of the fairway with a float connecting them. There's nowhere for the stern to go, and the turn down the fairway can be awkward. As I watched your video, I realized that that best way to handle that is to walk the boat back almost to the opposite side and spring off to point the bow down the fairway toward open water. Everything's under control.

We have learned through the years that backing on a stern spring line works exceptionally well for our canoe stern sailboat. That being said, I would have to reconsider if I were solo because our center cockpit arrangement does not allow me to tend the stern spring then quickly return to the helm. I would need to re-think my strategy in that case. Thanks for sharing this.

Thank you for reposting.

Use a polypropylene line for springing, it floats so do not foul prop. Same for mid ship spring line if throwing a loop over cleats in case miss.

Hello Marco, Thank you for making these sailing lessons and things to consider, they have helped me a lot to learn more about sailing. Thank you and I appreciate your efforts and the hard work you put in to making these free online class possible. Thank you very much and I appreciate it a lot! After watching this particular video of leaving the dock, I have thought that it would be possible to leave the dock with the main sail at broad reach on the port side and untying the bow and spring line first and the stern line last while stearing to starboard side after the the sail catch enough trust. For under power of leaving the dock in the condition of the video and animation have shown, I think it might be safe to keep the bow line while puting the extra fenders on the front port side until the wind turns the stern of the boat and use the prope walk of the direction of your boat screw as it will prope walk to port moving the boat to left at when the boat is passed from perpendicular from the dock it will be the perfect timing to use the prope walke and quickly untying the bow line and by then the boat would be at perpendicular to the dock again and you would be at the helm by then to slowly steering the boat out from the docking backward. Can it be possible at the reality of the conditions to operate in such a way to avoid the risk of collision what was seen in the video? I think the boat was driven out from the dock like a car, but there are more potentials and dynamics to consider for water locomotion vessels and advantages of dynamics to incorporate in the safty of vessels and efficiency of use. You tube teaching lessons making is not an easy skill when especially it's a practical skill and theory like sailing lesson to make for others. Certainly it puts a lot of pressure on the preparation, illustrations, timing, lessons and everything. I hope you will stay safe and well! Best of luck and keep safe! Fair winds and following seas! Sincerely,

Very much enjoying this series. I'm soon to be single-handing and these vids are a helpful tool to re-calibrate my brain. Your friend is clearly not a fan of springing-off. Otherwise, he may have named her Spring Theory! Cheers Marco for your work.

Tip, I always have a big bal fender (0,5m diameter) with me. The angle of the bow increases a lot. (Bavaria 36 Cruiser)

The 4th option starboard quarter to dock about 6+m aft of vessel and return. A video on this would show it to be the easiest method to safely depart in this situation. I know from many years experience including mainsail and no engine that this is easiest. I also have 2 cylinder fender tied together at Port quarter.

Thanks for being so honest:)

Good video. Good job. I worry using a spring because of what you mention. That original video did freak me out big time!!!

I think if you tied the stern line off as a slip line you may have got more leverage to push the bow out and your hands would have been free for the helm (held hard to port initially) and throttle in reverse until the bow angle was sufficient to straighten the helm release the slip line and move away in fwd. I liked the other comment about setting the stern slip to stbd and keen to try this one at the next opportunity

In calm conditions like you had, I employ some physics to "bounce" the bow out. I leave the stern breast at its normal length and when I untie it, I pull the stern aggressively toward the dock which compresses the aft most fender. It then bounces the midship and bow outward while I hold the stern in. Once the bow is out as far as I want it, I step aboard and motor out. This uses the compressibility of the fender (elastic collision) and Newtons 3rd law of motion (for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction) with a touch of Sumation of moments = 0 to let the inward pull create an outward push to the front of the boat which rotates the boat out away from the dock. I have often had a fuel dock worker ask me if I need a push out from the dock to which I say "No, I've got it" and step aboard at the stern as the bow swings away from him. The best reward is a started "how did you do that!?!?" because it happens so quickly that they often miss my inward pull. Better boating through Engineering.

Both techniques have merit and should be applied when conditions warrant. The key for the Competent sailor is to know the multiple techniques

That topic - vhf, gps MMSI coast guard radio, sounds like a new episode , unless you gave already covered it!

I’m with you Marco, less warp work, let the boat do the job, thanks, outstanding animations

Good video. I have a 322 as well. Couple of thoughts. In the 1st video, I probably would not have attempted to get past those boats without someone being on the outside power boat just in case. At only 1-2 boat lengths away, there's no way I would've gone forward until my bow was pointing clear of those two boats. But that's just me, who single hands about 90% of the time. I find that when I need to get the bow off, a good push off the dock usually gets me pointed out far enough. If that doesn't work, I go to the spring line. IN my neck of the woods I deal with dock cleats most of the time, so it's usually easy enough to swing the line clear without much fuss. Another other option (depending on wind, current, other boats, etc.) is to come off the dock in reverse. If you get a good push off the dock, or a favorable wind (or no wind), getting back a boat length with the bow moving across could be enough to get you clear of what's in front of you on the dock. Then shift to forward and off you go. Lots of ways to skin this cat. Good post, and good food for thought.

have you tried tie the aft spring line to the starboard side of the boat similar to this ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-H6O6gqcFxT0.html ? will it give you a better angle?

I just had an opportunity to watch this part. Indeed once I seen the very first movie with an example of leaving a dock sinhle handed I had much doubts regarding the safety of that manouver. Regarding the alternative presented - springing off - I have one major comment. The boat will reach much better angle If you move your fender further back , almost to the very end. This makes the big difference. Second comment is that you do not need to clear the line completly before you touch the gear. As you move forward your line coming from the dock has very limited chance of getting you into the trouble. And the last comment - as I value your videos high- you should not show young viewers that you move from boat to dock with any line in your hand. The rule is clear - line on the dock Then Man on the dock…..:-)

When you demonstrated the aft spring, the bight of the line was creating the inward pull that prevented the bow from rotating outward. If you would have had that line running under the pulpit to the rear chock, the outward rotation would have been much greater. Then what most people will do is let the line trail as you start to pull forward and pull it in as you get abreast of the cleat. It is unlikely to foul into the prop given that it is above, to the side and aft of the prop. Admittedly, springing either aft or fore does not work as well with a bull rail as it does with a cleat due to the large friction on the bull rail and the possibility of the line hanging up.

Would pushing the bow out with a boat hook or something also have worked? Perhaps pushing just forward of midship then jumping on?

I would prefer: 1) idle in reverse to match the force of wind and so holding the vessel in place, 2) untie the last line or two to cast off, 3) hard right rudder to pull stern off the dock 3) feather throttle to hold fore/aft position as the stern moves out, 4) when far enough off the dock, center the rudder .. at this point the wind will blow the bow directly downwind of the stern, 5) drive away normally.... this works with current astern even better.

Could move the fender more to the stern and add one extra. After reversing in a spring (not hand hold), let the boat turn an angle a little more then you need, turn the engine in neutral l, remove the spring and go.

Respect.

Could another strategy be to have spronged by rigging an outboard stern spring, and then engaging forward drive with helm hard to port, thus bring your bows out to starboard and keeping your stern away from the jetty. Then when you get the angle you want, midships the rudder and slip the sprong line?

You don't get out enough....in all senses. :) There's ALWAYS a better way that other's use and we're not aware of. Suggestion. Set a slip line from the STARBOARD stern cleat to shore. Driving forward helmed hard to port will push the stern away from the dock. Gradually ease and feed out the line while also gradually helming less than to port. She will pivot on the starboard cleat forcing the bows way way out. Slip the line and drive out at 45 to 90 degrees. It's called spronging and can turn the boat any angle up to 180. So forget a raft, this'll get you off even if you're pointing at the fairway's dead end. You might want to keep a floating line as a single handing propwrap mitigation. Don't forget to always helm to shore. I'll await version 3 of the video. Edit. Damn. I could have just sent you here. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1bLf7C-jAG0.html

The reason your rear spring was not effective was due to the angle of the line you were holding. I noticed in the video that the line to your rear cleat never tightened up. Had you run the line you were holding further aft, the spring would have been more effective.

Put the stern spring on the starboard stern cleat, not the port cleat, then motor forward… She will spring way way, out… much better.

I'm old school... I kick the bow out, cast the stern line, hop on and putt off in your conditions. The one time I remember not kicking hard enough I had a nail-biter like yourself. Where you been these days?... hope everything's OK. Gave up on waiting for you to sell me your boat and bought a c34mk2 ;;)

I feel your demonstration of springing off is still flawed. To be fully effective, a spring line to the cleat on the rear corner of the boat needs to taking the tension whereas in your demo, the line to the cleat is slack and all tension is taken by the line to your hands and standing in the cockpit the spring cannot be fully effective. I'd suggest the line back to your hands should feed around the cleat on the rear corner where the spring is anchored, then I believe the spring would be more effective in swinging the bow further off the pier. Cheers, and thanks for the great videos

There are several different ways to spring off. Since I always use an after bow spring line to snug the vessel into the dock while loading (with the engine in forward idle and rudder pushing the stern into the dock), I can just throw the wheel over to push the stern out as far as needed for departure. A highwayman knot makes releasing the line easy for the helmsman or automatic with the running end snugged at the desired length. Then I just reverse away a bit before making a pivot turn either direction. By ALWAYS docking and departing the same way, there is never any hard thinking to do, regardless of wind direction or crew status.

That's an excellent video, but in my opinion, it shows not what it intends to show. Actually, you are NOT reversing against the spring that is the line that is attached to the stern cleat (not pulled tight!) but to the loose part of the line that is in your hand (pulled tight!). Thus, you don't get enough leverage as the line in your hand pulls from the centre of the stern and not the far port side. Additionally, there are better methods to clear the spring line in order to get it in more quickly. Properly reversing into the right line, you should be able to get more than a 45° angle by springing.

Boats are so exciting, But only to look at when they're dock.

A question that has been bothering me… It’s regarding the vhf radio Emergency Distress ‘button’ … Do you need both a GPS signal tied into the vhf radio, and an MMSI number programmed into the vhf radio before the Distress DSC alarm will function? Thanks Edward

I'm curious, suppose you had the spring line or breast line on the port stern and then tried to pull it around with a line on the starboard stern. Would you consider this a viable option? I suppose it would be easier if you had kevels or bollards instead of square timbers working any of the options.

Great content and discussion.

It looked to me like your spring line never really got tight when you reversed

I am in a slip. Do you have a solo video leaving and returning solo.

in this case perhaps this other technique could be considered to move the bow away from the pier ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Bqn2C-ChOj0.html

Europeans need to know how to spring off because of fuel docks and how close people park!

Honesty! You are not a democrat. :)