close quarters maneuvering - Printable Version +- Fishing Forum (https://bigfishtackle.com/forum) +-- Forum: Misc. Fishing Forums (https://bigfishtackle.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=335) +--- Forum: Fishing Boats (https://bigfishtackle.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=70) +--- Thread: close quarters maneuvering (/showthread.php?tid=310867)

close quarters maneuvering - tomc - 02-20-2007 My home dock, assigned by my friend, the local Harbour Master, has, by virtue of its difficulty, made me a better boater. I have no choice but to try to hone my skills on every docking. The ‘HM’ expresses no interest in my anxiety level (or my crew’s), nor in how many close calls we have had — as long as I actually can get in and out, then he is happy, and for the finesse which this has added to my technique I am grateful. Any committed boater will, after a few seasons berthed at this dock, have mastered probably 90% of the basic close quarters maneuvering skills, through nothing more than experience and the survival instinct, assuming that he or she does not shy away from gradually more challenging winds. [center] [/center] [left] [font "Arial"][#ff00ff][size 4]Step number one:[/size][/#ff00ff][/font] make sure no one is leaving the harbour just as you try to enter. There isn’t enough space for two boats to pass and still allow adequate maneuvering room. It can, however, be difficult to discern another boat in motion when you yourself have some ‘way on’, through the tangle of masts and pilings, so be careful. [/left] [left] [font "Arial"][#ff00ff][size 4]Step number two:[/size][/#ff00ff][/font] the next, and probably least significant conundrum of this docking entails that first turn to port, to head more or less north, between the two rows of docked boats. The prevailing wind tends to push the boat through a much wider arc than available space permits. We overcome this using the same techniques as for the more exacting maneuvers coming up in a few moments. [/left] [left]The boat must go very slowly, often coasting, more rarely even using reverse gear to take off headway. Slower speeds allow sharper turns. Start the turn early, knowing that the boat slides and skids as it yaws. If you start too early, flattening the curve out presents little difficulty, whereas the converse, starting too late, may leave you out of room.[/left] [left]Also for reasons of having reserve space in which to perform maneuvers, start on the outside, upwind side of the turn; if this causes an internal contradiction, then make your best compromise.[/left] [left]Now that you have slowed down and are about to make the turn, you may need to give the boat a little shove, with the wheel hard over, using more engine power than available at just idle speed. The extra power gives you ‘steering authority’. Use it briefly, in short spurts, lasting usually only a few seconds at most, adjusting throttle and steering moment by moment as needed. Don’t use too much, but certainly don’t use too little — in a strong wind, especially, a boat may require considerable force to persuade it to turn. [/left] [left] [font "Arial"][#ff00ff][size 4]Step number three:[/size][/#ff00ff][/font] Back off on the power as soon as possible, and make your way between the two rows of boats. You may have to over-rotate, sometimes by a surprising amount, to compensate for the gradually dissipating momentum which wants to make the boat skid wide through the turn, and to counteract the force of the wind, which is now more or less abeam. [/left] [left] [font "Arial"][#ff00ff][size 4]Step number four:[/size][/#ff00ff][/font] The next corner to negotiate is just the same as the first, except worse. Quarters are getting closer, and a novice or unskilled boater may, even though he felt comfortable making the first turn, now experience unease, even though the general principles have not changed.[/left] [left]My boat’s stern swings to port, in reverse gear, due to ‘asymmetric propeller thrust’. A minority of boats have sterns which swing to starboard. The phenomenon goes by several names, one of which is ‘walking’. Anyway, right here, about to make the second turn, vaguely towards the east, I more often actually do use reverse gear to slow the boat down, and the propeller walk helps to start the boat turning. Sometimes, I will even begin to make a little sternway, which also helps prepare the boat to make that very short, sharp turn to starboard. [/left] [left] [font "Arial"][#ff00ff][size 4]Step number five:[/size][/#ff00ff][/font] By this stage, I need not say that getting through a narrow gap, and then turning the boat sharply into its deep alcove, with many other boats tied up nearby, and the wind howling, is not a trivial exercise. It’s still all the same as the first two turns, except that each one gets more gut-wrenching. [/left] [left] [font "Arial"][#ff00ff][size 4]Three final points:[/size][/#ff00ff][/font] (i) There is quite often a point of no return, a place beyond which there is no practical way to go into reverse gear and back out into open water. Close quarters, wind, reverse gear — these can be an impossible combination. The higher the wind, the earlier on this point is; occasionally, and also depending on the winds’s direction, even entering the harbour commits me irrevocably to completing the docking. It is very helpful to have some idea where this ‘no return’ point is! Rarely, in very heavy weather, the intended slip may be simply inaccessible — better to know about it while there are still options! [/left] [left](ii) I don’t always drive the boat right into its slip. Sometimes, I’m content just to get a part of it, usually the bow, in close to the dock, and from there I or a crew member can take a few long lines ashore to control both ends of the boat and haul it in manually. In certain adverse winds, I will even dock up initially on the south side, across from my slip, occasionally needing to rest against another boat there (using lots of fenders). Then, I throw a line or two across to ‘my’ side, walk around, and haul the boat over. This is much more elegant than crashing around, and even the guy who ‘wrote the book’ absolutely has to know his own and his boat’s limitations.[/left] [left](iii) If it’s completely calm, I may back in, but that doesn’t happen very often. Usually, I go in forwards, as I have been describing, and then, in preparation for my next departure, turn the boat around end for end by hand (‘winding ship’), using a simple, effective system of lines. [/left] [left] [font "Arial"][#ff00ff][size 4]Conclusion —[/size][/#ff00ff][/font] Close quarters maneuvering has no conclusion. I find this docking easier in October than I did in May, and I hope and expect to find it easier in ten years than I do now. It’s never perfect, and I’m always learning. As I gain ever more experience, it gets easier at least partly because I work at it harder (although, when you love boating as I do, ‘work’ isn’t quite the right word), giving closer attention and a more concentrated focus to the details of close quarters maneuvering. [/left] [signature] Re: [tomc] close quarters maneuvering - fish1on - 02-20-2007 That is an absolutely TERRIBLE slip............ How the heck do you get back out?? Reverse all the way back?? [signature] Re: [tomc] close quarters maneuvering - Fishhound - 02-20-2007 [black][size 3]LOL ! you call the Harbor Master your friend ? It looks like there are a couple of boats there that also have challanges as well. I guess poor berth is better than no berth.[/size][/black] [black][size 3][/size][/black] [black][size 3]In really adverse conditions, I would probably opt to use the choice of temporarily docking across the way and tossing a bow line over to the other side and haul the boat over by hand or, install a power winch to manually pull the boat into the berth.[/size][/black] [signature] Re: [tomc] close quarters maneuvering - Tarpon4me - 02-20-2007 LOL, that is a crappy senario. Thank god for bumpers, that's all I can say. I had a similar docking situation in Guam, but they were only 19 foot boats. I actually turned the bow towards the right side corner of the hole. When I got close, I slow it down to an idle and litterly "slide" into the hole my putting the motor into reverse and turning the wheel all the way to the left. It's a nifty way to parallel park a boat. It takes a little practice, but it's not hard. Now, if you've got a 40' boat, there's no parallel parking one of those. LOL, i'm pretty sure that picture isn't to scale. You have to have atleast a few feet to manuever. Hey Tomc, You went nuts again! LOL, way to stay on the great info[cool] [signature] Re: [Tarpon4me] close quarters maneuvering - tomc - 02-20-2007 i guess no-one has been to some of the harbors in the northeast.we got some real winners,not as bad as the one shown but not too far off [signature] Re: [Tarpon4me] close quarters maneuvering - tomc - 02-20-2007 can you tell i had some extra time on my hands??i was waiting to gring the wife to the dentist,she had all her teeth removed.they all got loose from the heavy medication over the past 7 years from her kneee injury dont forget alot of larger boats have bow thrusters that can spin that boat around in very tight places [signature] Re: [tomc] close quarters maneuvering - Tarpon4me - 02-20-2007 Bow thrusters? Damn, it's like star trek now. LOL, all this new stuff i've never seen. That would definately make it easier to dock a large boat. [cool] [signature] Re: [tomc] close quarters maneuvering - Feydakin - 02-20-2007 Wow.. I thought that getting my dad's pontoon in and out of his narrow channel was tough.. At least all I have to hit there is a boat that hasn't moved in years and a whole lot of rocks [signature] Re: [Tarpon4me] close quarters maneuvering - tomc - 02-20-2007 [left][font "Impact"][#000080][size 5]Walk Sideways With Bow Thrusters [/size][/#000080][/font][/left] [left] [font "Verdana"][#000080][size 5]S[/size][/#000080][/font][font "Verdana"][#000000][size 2]mooth maneuvering is easy on the open water, with one foot on the wheel and one hand on an icy drink--until... the time comes to dock with the wind in the "wrong" direction. Suddenly, you have two[url "http://dev.pilothouseonline.com/IS2V1_00/images/bowThrusters/bow_thrust_pic27.jpg"][/url] hands on the wheel and your feet are sweating while you try to maneuver your 30,000-pound trawler in between two toothpicks with million dollar boats on either side. Some in this situation might say, "No problem, I have bow thrusters" while others might say, "holy @&%*!" If the time and money is right, bow thrusters are a worthwhile investment for any trawler owner. Here's an overview in the world of bow thrusters from some common names in the industry.[/size][/#000000][/font][/left] [left] [font "Impact"][#000080][size 4]History[/size][/#000080][/font] [font "Verdana"][size 2]I[#000000]n a crude form, bow thrusters have been around since the early 1900's. In these early years, mariners discovered the usefulness of the bow thruster to help steer in close quarters. The modern bow thruster has the same basic concept. However most New England fisherman, especially the long-liner, uses the bow thruster not for docking but for slow precision net tending in the ocean. A fishing vessel can stop dead in the water and use thrusters to move about the nets. Some mariners will let their macho pride show when speaking of thrusters, "If you can't dock a boat without thrusters, you don't need to be on a boat". Hey, if you can financially and physically own and use a piece of equipment that makes life easier and safer...go for it! Besides, tell a tugboat captain he is not a man because he uses a bow thruster and see what kind of response you get! Once you've decided that a bow thruster is right for you, choosing the right one can be a bit confusing. The manufacturer you choose will be more than happy to point you in the right direction, but here's a little head start. [/#000000] [/size][/font][/left] [left][font "Verdana"][size 2] [/size][/font][font "Impact"][#000080][size 4]Things To Consider...[/size][/#000080][/font] [font "Verdana"][#000000][size 2]The LOA (length over all) and displacement are main considerations when choosing a bow thruster. Thrusters come in two forms: electric or hydraulic. The form of propulsion is solely the buyer's discretion. It's uncertain which is more efficient, each manufacturer claims personal glory for their form of thruster. Thrust exerts horizontal outward pressure and determines the size of thruster needed, not electric motor size or hydraulic output. Thrust is usually measured in thrust per kg (kilogram). For example, Side Power (a bow and stern thruster representative) distributes a 35S model bow thruster, which has a thrust of 35 kg or 77 lbs.[url "http://dev.pilothouseonline.com/IS2V1_00/images/bowThrusters/bow_thrust_pic_25.jpg"][/url]with a 3hp 12-volt motor. Bare in mind this thrust load is at optimum performance (i.e. perfect batteries or perfect size and length hydraulic hose without a single leak, etc.). This thruster is recommended for smaller vessels 25-32 feet. If your displacement is greater than most of this length, such as a Willard 30 full displacement trawler, you may have to step up one notch to get acceptable performance. At the other end of the scale would be Side Power's 285-TC bow thruster with a whopping 285 kg or 627 lbs. of thrust. You could turn this thruster around and use it for main propulsion! This model is for vessels up to 80 feet in length. Bow thrusters come with either single or twin propellers. Vetus brand thrusters state they have the same performance with one prop as their competitors do with two. The theory being that in order to work in perfect order, one prop must turn twice as fast as the other and in the opposite direction to gain only 3-4% more efficiency. Vetus claims this doesn't[url "http://dev.pilothouseonline.com/IS2V1_00/images/bowThrusters/bow_thrust_pic26.jpg"][/url] always happen and that one prop doing all the work balances out the performance gain of twin props. [/size][/#000000][/font][font "Verdana"][#000080][size 2]Factors that lead to less than optimum performance:[/size][/#000080][/font][/left] [ul] [li][font "Verdana"][#000000][size 2]Low battery voltage[/size][/#000000][/font] [li][font "Verdana"][#000000][size 2]Tunnel in bow not shaped properly[/size][/#000000][/font] [li][font "Verdana"][#000000][size 2]Tunnel openings with grids over hole; grids can cause decreased performance[/size][/#000000][/font] [li][font "Verdana"][#000000][size 2]Thruster unit too small for the vessel[/size][/#000000][/font] [li][font "Verdana"][#000000][size 2]Hydraulic hoses not in proper condition[/size][/#000000][/font] [li][font "Verdana"][#000000][size 2]Hydraulic hoses not proper length[/size][/#000000][/font] [li][font "Verdana"][#000000][size 2]Low hydraulic fluid level[/size][/#000000][/font] [/li][/ul] [font "Impact"][#000080][size 4]That Big Hole! [/size][/#000080][/font] [font "Verdana"][size 2][#000000]The biggest concern with most mariners beginning a job like this is the big hole that has to be in place below the waterline. Who does the installation? Not you, unless you're a certified thruster installer because obviously, this is a serious structural job. Drilling a big hole in your boats' hull below the waterline needs to be carried out by someone reputable with experience and one who can provide references from other bow thruster jobs. The manufacturer will give you suggested contact people. As recommended, a tunnel needs to be made in the hull as far forward and as deep as possible. After the tunnel is cut into the vessel, a tube or sleeve is secured inside the tunnel where the unit will be mounted. The tube material is available in fiberglass, aluminum or steel to accommodate the hull material of your trawler.[/#000000] [#000000]The tunnel dimensions are roughly between 5" ID (internal diameter) 10" (internal diameter) ID depending on thruster of choice. The vessel itself can suffer a bit from having an unnatural hole drilled through its bow. While underway, if water rushing past the hole is not deflected away, water will rush into the hole and cause drag and reduce speed on the vessel. Your batteries must be able to handle the load as well. A separate power supply (battery bank) for the thruster should be provided. For example, the Vetus model 5012 with 51-lbs. of thrust draws 150 amps during eight minutes of continuous use. The price tag for these jewels are not small, convenience comes with a not so convenient cost. The units themselves range from approximately $2000 to $6500 including control panel. This price does not include installation, which can easily double with labor costs. In some cases, price alone will determine who owns a bow thruster. We have all experienced times when we wish we had one, but somehow we always manage to get our trawler back where it came from. A bow thruster can be a very useful tool, but it is not for everybody nor is it a necessity. Many mariners have circumnavigated the globe without one and many sailors have voyaged the globe with no engine, let alone a bow thruster. If you are thinking of purchasing a thruster, call around and talk to people who have them. Get their take on this invisible man under the water. Is it worth it? It's worth it if the time is right. Using all the tools at hand to make your voyage as comfortable and pleasurable as possible is a great way to go.[/#000000][/size][/font] [indent] [indent] [/indent][/indent] [signature] Re: [tomc] close quarters maneuvering - Tarpon4me - 02-21-2007 Thanks for the info Tomc. That's pretty nifty though, but I bet they are high dollar, and probably just about as expensive to have installed. I just wish I could afford to get my boat hull painted and get an actual raw water injection live well on my boat, much lessly get a bow thruster. LOL, that's cool though [cool] [signature]