How do you dock your Sailfish..?

[onoahimahi]

Hi - I'm moving up from a 25 ft Wellcraft walkaround with a single outboard to a 27 foot Sailfish with twin outboards and am wondering about docking it. To be frank I'm not particularly great at docking the Wellcraft where I have to back in to my finger float. Some days I nail it perfectly, usually when I'm alone and there is no one the pier to see Other days, not so graceful. Those, of course, are the days the pier is loaded with onlookers...

My particular docking situation is that I motor in with the fingers to port, start a right turn before my slip, usually in neutral, and then back in with my finger to starboard and neighbor's boat to port. More often then not, I end up with the stern where it needs to be but the bow is too far to the left and I have to push off my neighbors rail by hand. (I go slow so I've never hit anything...)

Anyway, is having the two outboards going to help much with docking the Sailfish? I suspect they are mounted too close together to offer the control the big boys have with their twin diesel inboards. Does the propwalk effect provide enough control to back up and dock using only the throttle and shifter controls? Or do you primarily use the steering wheel? Do you have to tilt the motors up first to increase the propwalk effect? The prevailing wind and current are in line with the finger float and usually not a major factor. Any tips would be appreaciated. I plan to go in early this year and try lots of practice before the other boats go in.

Thanks,
-Scott

 

[capeguy]

I moved from a single outboard (Sportsman 180) to the Sailfish 282 with twin 225s. It takes some practice (I had the 180 for 7 years and had been pretty good with the single) but I find the twins give much more control. Like you I back in to my slip the same way although with a very strong tidal cross-current and sometimes cross wind.

Sometimes I only use one engine, sometimes two... When I turn to starboard, I put the port engine in F and the starboard in R which spins me perfectly.

You will find it much more responsive than a single after some practice.

 

[onoahimahi]

Capeguy - so you use a combination of the steering wheel and throttle/shifters when backing rather than either or?

 

[ocnslr]

When you get the Sailfish go out to a quiet piece of water by yourself. Stop the boat and then try maneuvering using the engines and throttles only.

We had a single on our Islander and repowered to twins. I can spin the boat in its own length, and you should be able to as well. Lose that idea that the engines are too close together.

If you've never driven a boat with twins, then try this. Put the stbd engine ahead at idle speed and the port engine astern at idle. Watch what the boat does - if probably has more ahead thrust. So GENTLY increase the RPMs on the port engine as needed, but do NOT try playing with both throttles at once. Once you've gained some feeling for how this is working, try it with the engines opposed in the opposite configuration. I find it always easier to vary the throttle of the astern engine, even taking it out of gear if needed.

Also when out in an open area, try backing the boat with just one engine so you can see what it does. You can do this with varying throttle to see how it affects the bow of the boat.

You don't have to tilt the engines up unless you have them all the way tucked under. If tucked under your astern engine is pushing some water against the transom, instead of under the boat and developing good thrust. It you normally run them trimmed up (the usual three bars) then you shouldn't need to adjust them at all for close quarters maneuvering.

As always, try to learn to do your maneuvering with minimal power, not large amounts. Just safer for all.

Brian
Commander, US Navy (Ret)
Master, Oceans, Steam, Motor or Sail, 1600-Tons
Chief Mate, Oceans, Unlimited

 

[BobP]

When you have mastered the boat first in no wind you should be able to stop about any dock w/o even kissing it from any direction.

Then try that in wind you will find it a lot different, so do it again, don't think you will find much time to throttle steer nor the positive effects as before with twins. Whatever, the stern will always turn to the wind with reverse power and the rest of the boat will follow down wind, this is your fall back position in wind, so you steer into the wind engines first, winds also may also incl taking down the canvas when it gets tough, if you are in such areas and have to dock, a boat this large doesn't bounce off things as you know.

The bow doesn't respond so readily to power in wind on OBs this large one or two hence more bow thrusters on smaller OB boats.

If you slow troll fish in heavy wind / seas the counter rotator motors will anchor the stern so boat will track w/o constant steering input, but in light wind / seas a single will troll fine, save some fuel. Try it both ways.

 

[1998sailfish]

Like others have stated................practice without wind or current. Then add either and practice more. Also as mentioned, the canvas enclosure is a sail which you must plan for in any wind condition. Yes, this boat will turn on a dime in calm conditions. I tie up at an end finger. It allows me many options in most conditions. Most of which on a return is simply approach at 30 degrees, once my stern is clear of the boat behind me it's hard starboard and a gentle reverse that will snug me tight ( the finger is starboard side). When we depart it's usually forward to clear the finger then port reverse / starboard forward and she spins gracefully 180 to exit.

Watch the wind and the tide, have a mate at the bow and maintain control. Ramming your bow pulpit and anchor into a neighbors vessel never wins any new friends :<><

 

[capeguy]

Yes, I use both engines and the wheel. I am berthed in a tidal river with a 10' exchange. Late flood/ebb tide currents can be 5 knots+ which can be combined with wind to make it impossible to get in. Wait for slack tide! But mid-tide is doable, just hard.

When I am in a harbor with no current and little to medium wind, I will mainly just use engine throttle and F/R as others indicate.

As BobP says, add the wind and current and I can't do it without more power and the helm. I need to get in very quickly or I miss it. I just lose control of the bow way too quickly down current/wind.

I agree to go out, drop a bouoy and practice where there is plenty of open water.

 

[Grog]

In addition from the above information:
---- no steering needed

I would pull past my dock (for reference which side doesn't matter)
put motor furthest away from dock in reverse (you'll learn how much gas you need to give it but start off easy)
bump the motor closest to the dock into foreward as needed to kick the nose around

now if it's blowing or you're fighting a current:
once the transom is past the piling you're in, while still in reverse (and no more foreward thrust)cut the wheel towards the piling and rotate around the piling as you go in gradually straightening out the wheel

 

[alfa1023]

Adding to what the others have said, when you are out practicing, center the steering on the motors and then don't touch the steering wheel again. You should find that you can do a 180 degree turn within the length of the boat (assuming no wind or current of course) using just forward on one motor and reverse on the other. The key here is take things slow. These heavy boats take a minute to start moving but longer to stop moving. And get comfortable with going in and out of forward and then reverse and sometime giving lots of throttle on one engine to stop or accelerate a turn. It will not take long until you master it.

 

[Gary M]

One way that I remember which throttle needs to be in Rev/Fwd is to look at the handle itself. It's "L" shaped so when it Fwd (towards the bow) it "points" to which way the bow will go. In Rev (towards the stern) it will "point" which way the stern will move.

You will need to learn the boat's "pivot point" that is where along the side of the boat will it pivot. Generally that's about in the middle or a foot or two aft of that. That's the point that you want to have lined up (90 degrees to) with the slot that you want to back into. This will take practice and you'll need to adjust for wind/current. Well before you get to the slip, take a close notice of what the wind is doing as well as any current. This will help you to decide how you want to make your approach to the slip. Always try to "use" the wind/current to help you.

Also, STOP the boat before you start spinning her. If you go roaring up to a slip, then Fwd/Rev the throttles, guess what? That boat will still have a LOT of momentum and will continue in that direction! Slip both throttle into Rev about 2-3 boat slips before yours and you'll see the boat still move forward.

Don't be afraid to bump them in and out of gear either. I try to go very SLOW because I don't not back in all that often. I'd rather crawl safely into a slip than to try to look like Capt Charterboat who does this every day!

Your crew is your BEST friend! Use them, but make sure that they fully understand what you need them to do well before you get to the slip. A good quality boat hook is the best tool that a deck hand can have! Before I shove off at home, (if we will be backing in somewhere later), I instruct them how to grab under a pier/dock to help guide/hold the boat to assist me. Telling them as you're backing in is NOT the time to stress both of you out!

They will most likely be in the stern as that's the first part of the boat to go in a slip. They can help fend the stern off as need be, throw a line to someone on the dock, etc. Can't do that if they are on the bow.

A spring line is also invaluable. When approaching a new slip for the first time, have a spring line attached to the side of the boat that will be alongside the pier before you back in (same goes for bow and stern lines.... they should be attached and ready to throw to someone on the dock). Have the spring line lightly coiled and maybe sitting on the top step near the aft hardtop pipe. Your cockpit mate can then easily grab and toss it to a person on the dock. The person on the dock can keep some pressure on the spring cleat as you back in to help you control the boat.

As you prepare to shove off from the home dock, always leave at least some of your docklines ready to be easily grabbed by your deck hand who's standing in the cockpit with his/her boat hook when you come back. I leave a few lines (and the all-important spring line) slightly hanging off the dock with the loops just hanging there, ready to be easily grabbed by hand or with a boat hook.

 

[Motivator]

Rolling up your curtains helps reduce the "sail" effect if there is any wind.

 

[Tucker]

I use one engine only. The engines are too close together to do the 1-forward, 1-reverse thing in tight situations. Treat it like a single engine boat.

 

[ahill]

I've owned and run several twin inboard and outboard boats.
My 272 reacts very much like a twin inboard UNLESS there is a reasonable crosswind on any bow 1/4.
Especially if my eisenglass is up.
In that case the bow becomes a sail and is hard to overcome without creative vector thinking.
Sometimes I get it right, sometimes I don't.
I've learned to keep the bow into the wind but sometimes a stray wind shift will create problems.
Aggresive power helps but you have to know the dynamics before you start.
Don't be afraid to use a piling as a pivot point.

 

[megabytes]

Had a 272 and now a 300. Principle is the same but larger boat with more engine spacing is easier.
Good advice here on this thread. I agree with Alfa on not using wheel. It just adds another distraction when timing may be important. This is true when wind or current is a factor.

One more tip. If there is strong wind on the bow, treat that force as the forward engine on that side while using reverse on the opposite engine. In some cases I even bump into forward on the leeward side to slow the wind effect. Also be aware you need much more reverse throttle. I also take engines in and out of gear to slow the rotation and maintain control.

The best advice of all is lots of practice when the docks are clear. Early mornings are great.

 

[Winged Pig]

Gary M nailed it. I had a few problems figuring out my 272 until I realized that I had to STOP the boat before pivoting it. Any forward motion when I come into my slip just pushes me off where I want to be/go. As long as I stop all forward motion the boat does pretty much what I want it to. Even in some wind.I have lots of authority with the twin 225's, and unless there is a direct crosswind I usually look like I know what I'm doing.

Note I didn't say I do know what I am doing, just that I look like I do...

Hope that helps.

 

[Wetcoast Noel]

I got put on driving our crew boat last year, twin 502's 28ft welded alum, its like a tank, but now I bought my own 24 offshore grady with twin 150s
find a slip with no boats in it and practice, but go out into the calm water, get your sterring straight and practice using the twins, like a tank have it spin around each way, one forward, one back, different throttle amounts, should pick it up quickly.
practice is key and do it where other boats are if you can with a couple obsticals...

 

[ocnslr]

I use one engine only. The engines are too close together to do the 1-forward, 1-reverse thing in tight situations. Treat it like a single engine boat.

I can rotate the boat 360* in either direction, in its own length, on 26" centers.

 

[onoahimahi]

These are great tips and responses - I can't wait to get started. Hopefully with a little practice I too will look like I know what I'm doing...

I found this free docking simulator on-line and have been playing with it a bit. It presents a few docking scenarios to try with no steering wheel:

http://www.pigdogtoad.com/customer/boem ... chool.html

Thanks,
-Scott

 

[SeaSaw1]

Went from a 21' to Sailfish 282, it does take some getting used to. The simulator you posted is pretty cool.

 

[onoahimahi]

by SeaSaw1 » Feb Mon 18, 2013 3:57 pm

Went from a 21' to Sailfish 282, it does take some getting used to. The simulator you posted is pretty cool.

Does that simulator behave like a real Sailfish at all? It's pretty responsive.