[C320-list] Backing into slip

[Rod Boer]

Hi Adam,

There are other reasons to back into the slip.  At our marina, approximately 
270 boats, the tradition is to back the boat into the slip.  It indicates 
that you are a social person which the marina encourages.  So if you don't 
back in you are considered either unsociable or don't have good boat 
handling skills. In fact the town of Rock Hall, where are marina is located, 
has boat docking contests every year which consists of a boat exiting a 
small waterway traversing as fast as possible towards the slip,stopping in 
front of the slip and backing into the slip.  Just to add to the stress 
there is several hundred of people are watching.

Rod

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Adam Weiner" <esquirecatering at rcn.com>
To: "'C320-List'" <c320-list at catalina320.com>
Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 8:19 PM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Backing into slip


> Yes, well the best part of my slip is that it can be used 12 months of
> the year.  I will bite.  What water conditions require backing in?
>
> Adam
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com
> [mailto:c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Jeffrey Hare
> Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 7:01 AM
> To: 'C320-List'
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Backing into slip
>
>
> Oh, how easy it would be if we all had slips just like Adam's.
> Unfortunately, slips come in all kinds of configurations.  :)
>
> Re: #1 Marina conditions frequently determine how you "park".  :) 30% of
> the slips in my marina require back-in approach due to water currents.
>
> I also come in slowly enough to make the dock hands start to pace when
> possible.
> That's good advice, but you have to have enough speed to maintain
> steerage to counter wind and currents, which isn't always as slowly as
> you'd like.
>
> It's "docking" when I dock it.  It's "parking" when my wife docks it.
> Occasionally we call it "Crashing".
> After all, whoever has the helm chooses the terms.
>
> -Cheers
> -J
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com
> [mailto:c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Adam Weiner
> Sent: Monday, October 29, 2007 11:00 PM
> To: 'C320-List'
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Backing into slip
>
> Number one:  Why do you back into the dock?  Why do you make life
> difficult for yourself.  It is easier to dock bow in and then back up
> into the fairway.
>
> Number two: I come into my dock so slowly that you can feel the
> slime growing on the bottom.  This isn't a speed race.  My crew jokes
> that they can read a Harry Potter book in the time it takes me to dock,
> but hey I don't have fenders down and I dock have any scrapes on the
> boat.
>
> Number three:  I put my boat into neutral anywhere from 20 yards to 200
> yards from the slip depending on head wind.
>
> Number four:  If you want to practice drop a couple of fenders connected
> to light anchors in an empty spot of water and practice docking between
> the fenders.
>
> Number five:  It is called docking not parking.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com
> [mailto:c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Randy Averill
> Sent: Monday, October 29, 2007 7:42 PM
> To: 'C320-List'
> Subject: [C320-list] Backing into slip
>
>
> Another new owner question.
>
> I've had my 320 for less than a month and my biggest problem right now
> is parking.  My previous boat was much smaller and lighter, and I
> learned to maneuver it into the slip rather easily with its outboard
> motor and tiller. Now I would greatly appreciate the voice of experience
> helping me out.
>
> I approached my first couple times into the new slip with the 320 with
> great caution.  This boat can coast a long way and I can't afford to
> overshoot my slip (I'm at the end of the runway) so I slowed to a crawl.
> I used a "Y" approach in that I came forward down the runway to my slip,
> turned hard to port (away from the slip), and then backed in after
> completing a 90 degree turn to port.  I actually parked fairly well, but
> it took forever because I was going so slowly.
>
> Last time out was my first problem because there was some wind blowing
> me into the dock.  I think if I came in faster the wind would have less
> effect (i.e., it would have less time to blow me around), but I don't
> know how fast is too fast.  Does anybody have a rule of thumb you could
> offer?  If you're coming in a idle, how early do you put your
> transmission in neutral?  How much time to stop the boat with reverse?
> Any good way to get a better feel for this on open water?  I'm not sure
> I trust my ability to transfer the open water experience to the marina
> because it's so tight.  Any good stories to make me laugh and relax?
>
>
> Randy Averill
> Tesoro (#29)
>
>
>