Next time you walk down the dock or stare over the rail at the pretty boats nestled
snugly in their their berths, consider how it all came about. In the past that 18′ open bow was a snap to bring in. She’d slide right up to the dock and hug the rub rail. Toss a few lines to the cleats and day is done. Go get the truck and trailer and get on down the road. In bigger marinas where we launched I always had to linger and look at the ‘big boats.’ Those 30 footers with fly bridges and big wide sterns. Not once did I ever give any thought to how they got there.
Docking is one of the top 3 topics around docktails at the end of the day. Maybe #1 unless someone brings up what kind of anchor to use. We talk about marinas we like, tides and currents. Dock hands that help, and places you are all alone. We talk about slip widths and water depth. We discuss approaches in detail and how the wind will “walk yer boat back out into the channel before you can say “ahh crap.” We trade stories about this nick and that gouge, those props with the polished edges and that stain on the stern. . . Continue reading “Docking –”