Approach 

Bow into the slip

      • Wind direction and strength, will it help or hinder
        • Wind on the nose
        • Wind is behind
        • Cross winds from the docks
        • Cross winds to the docks (lee shore)
      • Assign crew to handle lines
      • Rig an aft spring line and fenders on the side you are docking. Aft spring line is the first one to be put around a cleat on the dock.
      • Aim to stop the boat 2/3 of the way into the slip as the final stopping point
      • Come at minimum control speed in neutral gear unless going against strong winds
      • Get your spring line handler on the dock first
      • Stop the boat 1-1.5 ft from the dock without the hull touching the dock (the fenders may touch, but not squeezed to death)
      • Prop walk, is it helping or hurting?
      • Instruct your spring line handler to slip/snub the line and then make it once the correct length is reached.
      • Do NOT rely on the spring line to stop the boat. The spring line is the emergency brake only.
      • Do NOT rely on reverse power to stop the boat, it may not be available if the engine cuts out. You should be using the reverse to slow down long before you commit into the slip so that you can bail out if it doesn't work or the engine cuts out.
      • At about 10-ft from the entry, you should be in neutral with the boat barely moving forward and the bow slightly angled toward the side you will dock to.
      • Make the stern line and then all the other lines and adjust to keep the boat parallel to the dock 
      • After the boat is docked, move the aft spring line to a cleat forward of the shrouds. This is to prevent the boat from hitting the boat next to it in case the bow line breaks.
      • Make sure you tie a proper cleat hitch using the US method, not the RYA.
      • Take first turn on cleat base side opposite the entering line (load), the far horn of the cleat relative to where the line is attached on the boat.
      • Go around the cleat base to capture the near horn and then cross once to come back to the far horn.
      • On the next cross, flip away from the entering line to lock the line so that is is exiting in the opposite direction



Back into the slip

      • BSC boats assigned to the inside slips are always left docked head-in to make it easier and safer to dock. The boats assigned to the outside docks are backed in.
      • You can either use a pivot turn by staying close to the slip, or start from 5-6 boat lengths away and get the boat tracking in reverse.
      • It is important to be able to use the pivot method because in many marinas, you will not have a long runway to come into the slip.
      • Rig a forward spring line as the emergency brake, but also prepare your aft spring line. If there are cross winds off the dock side, you will need the aft spring line to be able to bring the bow in. 
      • Some boats do not pivot against the forward spring line easily. On longer boats, a midship cleat can be easier to work with. If a midship line is used, it should lead forward to a cleat. Finding the pivot point on a boat is important. The cleat on the boat may not be in the ideal position, depending on the boat.
      • As soon as the spring line handler is off the boat, the forward spring line should be made loosely and then the aft spring line should be taken around a cleat. It is easier to bring the bow in by going against the aft spring with the wheel to the dockside. If a midship line is used, it should be kept short and tied forward so that it can bring the boat alongside the pier sideways more easily.
      • In cross winds, try to hold the boat into the wind during the approach as long as possible and steer into the slip at the last moment just before entering the slip. At that point, you should be in neutral gear so that the prop walk is not hindering your alignment. In fact, it is better to stay in neutral two lengths before entering the slip so that the prop walk is not a factor.
      • The speed should be minimal control speed. If you had to speed up while trying to get the boat to track straight backwards, allow sufficient time in neutral to slow down or engage the forward gear before entering the slip. Remeber there are no breaks on a boat and our engines cut out all the time!
      • Never come into the slip fast to maintain steerage. Your goal is to position the boat correctly so you don’t need to steer much as you enter the slip. This requires a lot of practice with the particular boat to judge the momentum correctly under different conditions.
      • Do NOT use the spring line to stop the boat. The spring line is the emergency brake only.
      • Do NOT rely on forward power to stop the boat, it may not be available. Slow down the boat before entering the slip enough so that it will stop at 2/3 of the way into the slip. To do this, engage forward gear early enough so that you can bail out if it doesn't work or the engine cuts out.