Docking at the Marina

Current is brutal.

sloppy

The real test would be with no dock hands helping!

Easy with three deck hands!

good attempt - docking a single engine boat in that current is very difficult - well done to the helpers too! Boaties are great!

25 people to dock a boat well duh anyone could dock then. I want to see videos of a someone solo and nobody to help. Then we will talk.

what da hack, five peoples for docking a bout and then upload it in youtube?

That looked great...  The current is ripping in there.  So I think they did a great job.

We've all been there.  Nice job with no panic. I learned a lot just reading the comments. 

dont you love dock people; I help them and they help me, always!!

Thank you @Janstroyer Holla!

i have a 35 foot houseboat with a 40 horse outboard. very hard to dock

I was always told to bow into the current, attach a spring line onto the bow cleat on the side you want to secure and then (in your case) turn the wheel to the right and reverse, or back the stern into the slip. Easy piezie. I have done this hundreds of times on my boat, but it is a little smaller than yours. I always appreciate good people on dock willing to lend a hand. Oh, Safety first. Your wife, or girlfriend standing on the swim platform? No pfd and not the best place to be, near the prop.

I normally jump to help out fellow boaters , but there have been quite a few, that have made me pass on the polite in fear for my own safety. And anyone who obviously isn't ready. IE no lines ready , no bumpers out, a crew that is intoxicated including the capt. I think you get it and know what I mean. Thanks again for the message

No problem. Luckily you had helping hands. I've been to a lot of marinas where people will just sit by and watch the show...and then post it on youtube of course.

Thanks

Always back into the current or the wind, whichever is stronger. Do a little understeer as the boat will straighten itself.

A skilled Captain knows how to make a "float plan" that includes planning the tides. With your skill set (or lack thereof) I would recommend planning to dock in a mid (slack) tide interval. You do not need dock hands, just be a better Captain. Handrails and boat hooks are not for "puling" the boat in. Would you need all these people to park your car? No, it just take skill. Learn "what" to do then practice. You don't even know "what" to do and you don't have a thowable pfd if someone fell in!

You are obviously not skilled with your boat. You need to learn how to use a spring line. Further your crew needs to be in a PFD since she is not very steady and were she to go over then you'd have two issue to deal with. Get a Chapman Pilot and read it! You also need to teach the deckhands to run their lines under the dock cleats since they can be pulled in the way they are trying to wage a tug of war. By using the cleats any 90 degree angle of the line will hold the vessel with no effort.

Thanks @Newsnetuk, we always have the current not being in our favor as a huge problem at this Marina that sticks out way to way with no breaker wall to slow it down. when ever dock hands are available I use the extra help. But, I plan on posting a video showing what to do when you don't have those extra helpers... Since we struggle so much here, we look like Pros everywhere else!