by K.C. Walker » Mon Jun 15, 2015 11:28 am
Of course, I would rather be sailing. However, motoring to and from the docks that I most frequently use makes the sailing experience far more pleasant. I have to deal with shallow, narrow, and rocky channels, with short docks and often with adverse wind conditions. My motor is either on or off, no neutral and no reverse (needs to be spun around for reverse). I do also steer with both, however, most of the time I would just be using the rudder. When maneuvering in close and needing to use both (this seems to work when it's relatively calm), the addition of a tiller tamer really helped the situation. The tension on my motor swivel is set so that it stays put without me holding on, the same with the tiller tamer. That way though I am using both I really am using them alternately and don't need my hand on both at the same time.
Because of my narrow rocky channels with very unpredictable wind because of the islands, I almost always leave the dock with my sails down. I motor to deeper water and clearer air before raising sails. With the motor and tiller set I can go forward and raise sails while motoring. The same thing in reverse for preparing to dock, while motoring I drop the sails.
I have found that planning ahead while approaching a dock and talking to my crew (if I have one) about what I am doing helps considerably. If it is an unfamiliar dock or a crowded dock I often do a survey pass before final approach. At the dock to deal with this situation I have permanently attached docking lines that are 15 feet long on both stern cleats and the bow cleat. This allows me to maneuver the boat at the dock by using the docking lines (standing on the dock), including turning the boat around to leave the dock. It also allows me to have two docking lines in hand as I approached the dock so that I can jump off and wrap lines around a post. To maintain maneuverability I often need to come in kind of hot to maintain steerage or I will drift into the rocks. My margin of error is often very small. I do keep the centerboard down halfway. I approach the dock at about a 30° angle so that I know I have enough momentum to get to the dock and then use the rudder to turn just as I reach the dock. I time it so that I kill the motor just at the time that I can glide up to the dock just using the rudder to maneuver, step off and wrap the lines around a post. In my situation I tend to error on the side of a little more speed and using the docking lines to stop the boat rather than risk drifting out of control. It definitely has taken practice to make it look elegant.
I hope this helps to make your motoring more pleasant.
KC Walker, DS 1 #7002