[C320-list] Backing into slip

[Dennis Harris]

> So if you don't back in you are considered either unsociable or don't 
> have good boat handling skills.


Seems to be a bit harsh....

Rod Boer wrote:

> 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)
>>
>>
>>
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