Two Different Ways to Dock Sailboat Stern First

Hi, this video is all about docking the sailboat stern first. In some situations, docking stern first or bow first is personal choice, but in others, docking stern first may be necessary. Most single rudder modern sailboats behave somewhat similarly when docked bow first. But they may be different when driven reversely and docked stern first. There are two different ways I learns how to dock stern first. They could be used in different situations. The first method is to drive the boat reversely into the fairway and dock the boat stern first. Basically I drive the boat as slow as possible without losing the steerage. This method is suitable to the situation you are familiar with the marina layout and know exactly where the boat needs to be docked. I didn’t go straight towards the slip because there was considerable size of current pushing the boat to the starboard side. And it is a good practice since open water in front of slip may not be available when you need it. One tip I would say based on my own experience is making sure you know where the center of wheel is and never lose track of it.

The second method is to drive the boat bow first, and do a quarter standing turn just when the boat passing the slip. Then reverse into the slip very slowly. I found this method somewhat problematic when wind and current are involved. And prop walk and prop wash play a big role too. The timing of standing turn is important and it depends on the wind, current and how much prop walk the boat has. This was actually a failed attempt. I was aiming at the corner of the slip to compensate the effect of prop walk but I underestimated the current that pushed the boat too far right on the screen. I did a couple of adjustment but it’s not enough with no steerage. The current made the situation worse. Eventually, I had to move the boat further forward to have enough space to let the prop walk kicking the stern to the port to have big enough angle to reverse into the slip. Let’s try it again, so this time it’s better but still needs improvement. Personally, I prefer the first method especially in the windy condition. That’s all for today’s video. Thanks for watching. Happy sailing.

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Sailboat - Beneteau Oceanis 31
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Videos were shot by GoPRO HERO 9
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Background music is licensed from Artlist
Captivated Guitar Version by Cristof Walters

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#sailing #sailinglife #goldengatebridge #sanfrancisco #bayarea #PropWalk #Docking #unDocking #standingturn