Docking Question

[onremlop]

We are going to launch our boat in a week or two (as soon as we can get the Honda recall issue handled). We are back in our slip we had last year. This slip is 10 feet wide (if that) and we have a narrow 8" finger pier that we have to hop on. Getting people on our boat is a challenge since it does not extend all the way back to the cockpit, so people have to crawl over the boat to get on. Plus, the wind is generally from the northwest, so when we are docking the boat, chances are, the wind is on our stern as we enter the slip. In stronger winds, this proves a challenge.

I am thinking about backing the boat into the slip this year. My idea for docking is to take a long spring line and throw it over the bollard on the port side, and then slowly pivot the boat back into the slip. The wind would snug me up to the bollard where I would have horizontal fenders cushion the boat as I pivot into the slip. Haven't tried it yet and was wondering what everyone's thoughts would be about this. Since the motor and rudder of the T2 is totally unique to most other boats, how would this work? I'm thinking it would work really well, or work awfully bad. Any thoughts?

[Ron]

I could see the challenge of getting to the cockpit when folded and bow first into a slip with a small finger pier. I'm lucky that I have to fold only when I want to put the boat on the lift. And that's only when I don't intend to use it for a few days.

You should be able to "easily" make it in stern first with the wind coming from either the bow or the stern, but it could get very interesting if you have a significant wind or current coming from either side. An upwind spring line would really help in this case, assuming it can be done at all. Trying to control the bow of a sailboat while backing with anything even close to the beam is an adventure. I don't think you would really need a spring without wind or current moving the bow around. A spring is also very usefull when you don't have the space to swing the bow or stern, but this doesn't seem to be your case.

I used the word "easily" above but that may assume that you've practiced and mastered the art of backing a sailboat. Some are fairly easy to do and with some you may as well flip a coin to find out which way it will really go. The Telstar with it's engine and rudder locked together is definitely in the former category - easy and predictable. It's one of the most manueverable sailboats boats that I've ever seen. You can use the engine as a stern thruster even - but don't let go of the tiller while backing. Also note that the boat will be much more managable in tight quarters or with wind on the beam with the centerboard down. It forms sort of a pivit point where the boat can rotate around. But don't back into shallow water - the board will not pop up then.

[Dan]

I actually back my boat into a slip all the time. It isn’t that difficult, as long as you keep the centerboard about a third of the way down or more... If you don’t have the centerboard down, the bow tends to blow around with the wind, and the boat is very difficult to control. With the board down, you have a lot more control over the boat. The fact that the outboard turns with the tiller helps give you a lot of control over the boat, since you’ve got vectored thrust.

A good spring line would help a lot, especially if you have a very short finger pier.

As Ron points out, you have to be careful when backing the boat with the centerboard down, since it can’t kick up in reverse... and if the slip is too shallow, you can get in trouble. That said, with the board about a half-turn down, which is effectively 1/3 of the 1-1/2 turns, your draft is still pretty shallow, less than three feet as a rough guess.

Keep the speed in reverse relatively slow, since the rudder isn’t a balanced design, and if the boat is moving in reverse with any speed, it will try and kick to one side or the other... and as Ron said, “Keep your hand on the tiller.”

[Mark G]

I also back in. I had a half finger pier and I now have none and Med moor. I use springs on both sides to keep the boat from moving back into the pier and then I board from the dock directly onto the stern platforms or the hatch above the rudder post. Do keep an eye on the straps that support the stern platforms. I found that they chafed almost thru in a little over a year and I replaced them with thicker material.

The boat is easy to back (slowly) and everyone else's warnings are wise. The boat is very light for it's size and windage can be a big problem. I have generally had the board all the way up, but no longer. When I have real wind problems, I often bring the boat in by hand - I simply grab the upwind dolphin and muscle the boat around. Here the boat's light weight and shallow draft can be a real asset. I have added two light lines from the outermost dolphins to the pier and I walk the boat in by hand. Not elegant or seamanly, but it works.

[onremlop]

Thanks for the info everyone. We are hoping to splash our boat next week. It still is blustery here in MN and still cold. Looks like it might even try to snow.

[Ron]

With the board partially or all of the way down, the windage problems are not that bad. Board up can be a little tricky with some wind on the beam, but you should see some of the other trimarans try to turn with the boards up - they can't. A Telstar 28 must be 1,000+ pounds heavier than the same size Corsair. If you have to turn just about any sail boat in a confined area with 20+ knots on the beam you are going to have a major problem - doesn't matter how big or heavy it is.