spartonboat1
Legendary Member
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2005
- Messages
- 2,494
- Hatteras Model
- 43' DOUBLE CABIN (1970 - 1984)
Well, I hestitated to post this, as it is an admission of questionable judgement, resulting in emergency, almost gone bad, but final ok outcome. But here goes.
Labor Day weekend I prepped for an entire day, before a several day run: pulled hatches, added/checked coolant, batts water up a little, pulled strainers, tightened clamps, etc. Missed one item, which was loose raw water pump belts, but that was under a shield, but will catch next time at boat. One engine used to use coolant, but not since pulled and reset the heat exchanger.
Well, next morning at 6am sharp, engines running, block heated so won't smoke out boat behind me at our river's edge breakwall slips, ready to get underway at my favorite time, before sunrise.
Now starts my troubles. A boat has never been that close behind me, plus I am using an aft cleat in an unusual way, since marina has asked me to move upriver a few feet.
I start casting off...first the springs, then the bow, then head for the stern line. Uh-oh...the river is running hard and pulled the boat away from dock faster than usual and she is now 4-5 away from the dock! I can't get aboard!! So I pull on the stern line to swing my stern away from the craft docked behind me. The Admiral is now 'on her own' and I throw her the stern line and make sure it is pulled aboard so it can't foul the props.
She is now out in the river channel headed toward the draw bridge, which is way too low for me to clear (43'DCFB)...yikes!!
Well, she (the Admiral) can steer, but doesn't know the throttle from the tranny controls, esp at 0'dark 00. I chase the boat along the river bank, while she floats along, thankfully slowing in the center of channel.
Luckily, my son is aboard but asleep, who can operate the boat. He is awakend rapidlly..."help, emergency, come now". So he comes up quickly, sorts out the controls. By now the windows are fogged over, so he can't see the river very well. But he comes under control and slows the advance toward the bridge, now 150' feet away.
He comes around to the city docks and close enough for me to climb aboard near the bow. Whew...back aboard.
Well, I tell him, you've done well...many thanks! Go ahead and stay at the helm. We are now past the 1/4 after bridge opening time, but I call on the Cheboygan State St. Bridge on the VHF and he takes pity, since there is no traffic, so he raises for me! We are one our way and have a great run into four of the nicest Labor Days I can remember in N. MI. All clear skies, 75-80 degrees, calm to low winds all four days.
Lesson Learned:
1) Keep a knowledgable skipper at the help at all times, if at all possile,
2) Keep a control line attached to the boat, based on the maneuvering required. I.e., my docking circumstances had changed, but I did not change my lines approach.
3) I will switch to the technique I have seen elsewhere for upstream River docking, when leaving (reversed for coming in). Shift the the fwd spring line (fwd cleat), to the fwd dock cleat, after dropping the bow line. Just as the bow line is dropped, attach the fwd cleat spring line to the fwd dock cleat. It will keep the boat pulled into the dock, similar to a bow line, but also act as spring to limit backward movement of the boat. The stern line can then be released, held under control, followed by the fwd temporary spring line. Voila (I think), my issue/emergency should not reoccur.
End of red-faced post...thanks for reading through all this!
Labor Day weekend I prepped for an entire day, before a several day run: pulled hatches, added/checked coolant, batts water up a little, pulled strainers, tightened clamps, etc. Missed one item, which was loose raw water pump belts, but that was under a shield, but will catch next time at boat. One engine used to use coolant, but not since pulled and reset the heat exchanger.
Well, next morning at 6am sharp, engines running, block heated so won't smoke out boat behind me at our river's edge breakwall slips, ready to get underway at my favorite time, before sunrise.
Now starts my troubles. A boat has never been that close behind me, plus I am using an aft cleat in an unusual way, since marina has asked me to move upriver a few feet.
I start casting off...first the springs, then the bow, then head for the stern line. Uh-oh...the river is running hard and pulled the boat away from dock faster than usual and she is now 4-5 away from the dock! I can't get aboard!! So I pull on the stern line to swing my stern away from the craft docked behind me. The Admiral is now 'on her own' and I throw her the stern line and make sure it is pulled aboard so it can't foul the props.
She is now out in the river channel headed toward the draw bridge, which is way too low for me to clear (43'DCFB)...yikes!!
Well, she (the Admiral) can steer, but doesn't know the throttle from the tranny controls, esp at 0'dark 00. I chase the boat along the river bank, while she floats along, thankfully slowing in the center of channel.
Luckily, my son is aboard but asleep, who can operate the boat. He is awakend rapidlly..."help, emergency, come now". So he comes up quickly, sorts out the controls. By now the windows are fogged over, so he can't see the river very well. But he comes under control and slows the advance toward the bridge, now 150' feet away.
He comes around to the city docks and close enough for me to climb aboard near the bow. Whew...back aboard.
Well, I tell him, you've done well...many thanks! Go ahead and stay at the helm. We are now past the 1/4 after bridge opening time, but I call on the Cheboygan State St. Bridge on the VHF and he takes pity, since there is no traffic, so he raises for me! We are one our way and have a great run into four of the nicest Labor Days I can remember in N. MI. All clear skies, 75-80 degrees, calm to low winds all four days.
Lesson Learned:
1) Keep a knowledgable skipper at the help at all times, if at all possile,
2) Keep a control line attached to the boat, based on the maneuvering required. I.e., my docking circumstances had changed, but I did not change my lines approach.
3) I will switch to the technique I have seen elsewhere for upstream River docking, when leaving (reversed for coming in). Shift the the fwd spring line (fwd cleat), to the fwd dock cleat, after dropping the bow line. Just as the bow line is dropped, attach the fwd cleat spring line to the fwd dock cleat. It will keep the boat pulled into the dock, similar to a bow line, but also act as spring to limit backward movement of the boat. The stern line can then be released, held under control, followed by the fwd temporary spring line. Voila (I think), my issue/emergency should not reoccur.
End of red-faced post...thanks for reading through all this!
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