Show your dock space and why its a pain in the butt to dock

Sicktght311

Active Member
Sep 21, 2021
107
Boat Info
Sundancer 270
Engines
7.4L MPI/Bravo3
I'll go first........

30ft LOA, 9ft beam, single screw, no bow thrusters

i have about an 11ft spacing between the pilings, BUT the space between the bow/stern sticking out of most boats on either side of the dock channel is no more than 45ft at best. Its a floating dock and there's about 6 of them total in the marina, so my slip is between 2 of those floating piers and its one of the more narrow ones. Most of the boats in my dock max out at 27ft, or are docked bow in with outdrives sticking out, but it was one of the only slips available until i can move over one of the the larger spaces, so i had to take it for this year

So first, getting out of my slip regularly requires a 3point turn just to give myself enough wiggle room to start pulling forward down the lane to get out.

Second, docking leaves NO room for error. I have to back the boat in stern-to, making sure to get the pivot correct and right on the money since there's not a ton of room to correct myself, but the wind is typically South or West, which means i'm either backing with a crosswind, or a wind pushing me into my slip (any my bow if i'm off ever so slightly). To top that off, with those strong South or West winds, it makes it almost impossible to try to back down the lane and back in facing the other direction, since there's very little room to turn around in general past my slip, and one wrong move and i'm broadside against a bunch of props. Forget about backing in from the end of the pier down to my slip. One gust and my bow is scraping props with no room for me to correct

So my docking procedure is always the same and has to be right on the money or i have to abort immediately.
1) Pull south into the channel/between my pier and the pier next to me, usually into the wind, or with a crosswind
2) Get just past my slip about 1/2 boat length, turn the bow about 25 degrees to starboard, then spin the wheel the other direction and pop into reverse gear
3) back the boat into the slip with a little more juice than i normally would if the winds were dead and try to get it right on the money between the pilings. If its perfect, then stop backwards momentum quick, let the bow come around in the wind if its south/southwest, and back down into the slip quick
4) if i'm off slightly try to have my wife on the swim platform pushing/guiding me between the pilings, and then pop it in reverse quick for backwards momentum into the slip
---Bonus that we have spring lines that run from the piling back to the dock on either side, that we use as cheaters. As soon as the boat's ass is in the slip, if we need extra help, my wife or I can also yank on them to walk the boat backwards into the slip.

*for Reference. The boat next to me with the blue bimini is 25ft
uwcoMKX.png
 
I am in slip lower left, by time my ass end clears piling I am almost into boats across from me, and the one on my port is too big for that slip and sticks way out. I been waiting for the end slip upper right with full side pier to open for a year, finally did, moving to it this weekend.
5C13D5F5-6C80-4D5A-83B0-BFA84B997859.png
 
I'm in a covered slip so I really can't show you mine from the top. My boat fits in snugly with enough room on each side to get a bumper in, and then maybe another foot. I've had no issues backing in by myself, docking by myself, and leaving by myself. I wish they were floating docks and I wish the darn birds and spiders would go away otherwise I'm happy with it. Oh and there's a low water issue as well which I seem to be figuring out.

I know you said you had to take that slip, but your situation would be too much anxiety and stress for me to enjoy the slip and the boat. Be careful, marinas are notorious for bringing you in saying they'll give you a better slip soon, that never happens sometimes, especially once they get that signed contract in a 12-month check.
 
I'm in a covered slip so I really can't show you mine from the top. My boat fits in snugly with enough room on each side to get a bumper in, and then maybe another foot. I've had no issues backing in by myself, docking by myself, and leaving by myself. I wish they were floating docks and I wish the darn birds and spiders would go away otherwise I'm happy with it. Oh and there's a low water issue as well which I seem to be figuring out.

I know you said you had to take that slip, but your situation would be too much anxiety and stress for me to enjoy the slip and the boat. Be careful, marinas are notorious for bringing you in saying they'll give you a better slip soon, that never happens sometimes, especially once they get that signed contract in a 12-month check.
Its a town slip, which is something you have to jump on once you get one since its significantly cheaper than a private marina. Once you're in, then future years you have more and more opportunity to move around. But once you're in for the year, you typically stay in that slip for the season. Our season ends in mid october, so its only another month or so before the dock spaces clear out.
 
I am in slip lower left, by time my ass end clears piling I am almost into boats across from me, and the one on my port is too big for that slip and sticks way out. I been waiting for the end slip upper right with full side pier to open for a year, finally did, moving to it this weekend.
View attachment 133131
Congrats! must be a nice weight off your shoulder. I already told them i want the other side of our current dock, or the one to the east of it, since its much larger and designed for 30+.
 
Wife is shaky on small finger pier, we tried the new slip for a day last weekend and wife thought she gone to heaven. So much easier to get on and off.
Marina recently sold and new owner is cleaning out derelict boats, one was in that slip. I like this guy. He is like, whatever works for you kinda guy.
 
Congrats! must be a nice weight off your shoulder. I already told them i want the other side of our current dock, or the one to the east of it, since its much larger and designed for 30+.
I got a real NOT nice dent on my starboard bow rail where the wind blew me into bow pulpit of the boat sticking out too far.
 
We started two slips in and have been moving outward. Not in a bad spot here until they put a transient or two outside, typically blocking half the fairway. Outside is reserved for transients, the bigger the better (commision). Wind and currents are strong, the center divider piling is typically the biggest obstacle in high winds/current.


It's not a bad location though
Screenshot_20220911-080306_Maps.jpg
 
Our slip/dock is tricky to get into, especially in the afternoon. The channel where the marina is located feeds a local power plant with cooling water that causes an 8-10 knot under current from West to East. In the afternoon the wind is normally in the 15 knot range, blowing in from the West to East. A mere 30 yards away, East from the slip is a bridge that I cannot go under. So on a windy afternoon, I have to get as close as I can to the bridge and then go upwind and up current to the slip and pivot right at the correct moment. My boat does not have bow thrusters, but my neighbor has them and they are useless according to him in the afternoon. To add to the complexity, the docks all have concrete pilings on either side and at the front of each slip. ;)
My solution was to add dock wheels to the two front corners along with corrugated drain pipes to cover the concrete pilings. If I screw up, I figure I can bounce my way into the slip.
Overhead:
Basin8.jpg

And the slip:
SeaRay450EBslipAlamitos.jpg
 
I need to come back to this thread from time to time. I get all uptight when we have a strong east wind with current going in the same direction. That's nothing compared to what some of you crazies deal with. No wonder some people actually spend $10k on a bow thruster! :):)
 
upload_2022-9-15_9-22-53.png


upload_2022-9-15_9-26-29.jpeg

This is my boat in her slip. Easy! you say. Usually you’re right. Lots of space to the boat next to me. Nothing across. Single engine with bow/stern thrusters makes maneuvering great.

So what’s the problem? Those pesky tides. The harbor shallows up and I can’t get in or out for at least an hour either side of low tide. Last Saturday was a very low tide and I missed the depth window by about 15 minutes. I tried to back in and got stuck in the mud halfway in. Had to sit on the outside dock for about 2.5 hours waiting for the tide to come back up. At least it my wife and I had some alone time to just relax when my in-laws took the kids home.
 
This is mine on the lower part. Its not obvious from the google earth snip, but my slip neighbor with a big old Chriscraft has a hard bottom dinghy like a small Whaler that he has floating and tied off to his swim platform. And he leaves his outboard tipped up with the skeg towards my slip. It sticks out past his boat. There are no pilings between slips.

I have lots of room to get positioned before backing in, but the prevailing winds are from right to left and blow me towards that outboard. Once I am in the slip its out of the way, but it gives me grief sometimes. I am right across from the main fuel dock which makes for a lot of traffic at times when I am backing in.

The other upper right arrow is my previous slip. It was dead simple to get into but it was a lot narrower leaving about a fender width on each side if the boat beside me was anything large (like an older 340). I moved because I realized that slip costs the same as the larger slips on the other dock. I guess they figure being on the main dock means a larger boat can use that slip so they charge accordingly.
Capture.JPG
 
View attachment 133859

View attachment 133861
This is my boat in her slip. Easy! you say. Usually you’re right. Lots of space to the boat next to me. Nothing across. Single engine with bow/stern thrusters makes maneuvering great.

So what’s the problem? Those pesky tides. The harbor shallows up and I can’t get in or out for at least an hour either side of low tide. Last Saturday was a very low tide and I missed the depth window by about 15 minutes. I tried to back in and got stuck in the mud halfway in. Had to sit on the outside dock for about 2.5 hours waiting for the tide to come back up. At least it my wife and I had some alone time to just relax when my in-laws took the kids home.

I have a tide issue also. Love our slip, both docking and location. Slip and immediately around it is deep water (for West coast of FL).

The route I have to follow to get to the bay has low water. On a typical tide cycle that means the 2-3 hour before low tide and the 2-3 hours after low tide we cannot transit. We almost never are in and out on a day trip. For the most part when we go out it is for several days before we come back. Requires planning for departing and returning, but workable.
 
I have a tide issue also. Love our slip, both docking and location. Slip and immediately around it is deep water (for West coast of FL).

The route I have to follow to get to the bay has low water. On a typical tide cycle that means the 2-3 hour before low tide and the 2-3 hours after low tide we cannot transit. We almost never are in and out on a day trip. For the most part when we go out it is for several days before we come back. Requires planning for departing and returning, but workable.

Interesting. Went by your boat on Sunday. I guess the only way in and out for you is to head north and go around Island Way? I went that way for the first time and could see where the water would get skinny for you as you got closer to the main Intercoastal channel. It is surprising the causeway bridge just before the traffic circle is so low.

20220911_115213.jpg
 
Interesting. Went by your boat on Sunday. I guess the only way in and out for you is to head north and go around Island Way? I went that way for the first time and could see where the water would get skinny for you as you got closer to the main Intercoastal channel. It is surprising the causeway bridge just before the traffic circle is so low.

View attachment 133889

Yes that's it. Actually the low water is after rounding the tip of the island for a stretch to the second finger. Specifically I know what the house is on each end. Once clearing that stretch good water all the way back to the ICW. If you were seeing low water approaching the ICW you might have drifted out the channel.

Another interesting learning is the deeper water is closer to the sea wall. I run right off the docks through there - gain an extra foot of depth versus out by the channel markers. Old timers tell me its because when they built up the island, they used drag lines, dug silt out as far as they could throw the bucket to build up the land.

If the tide is moving, there will be a cross current through that stretch after you are past the islands out to the ICW. You have to continually look behind you while guiding towards the markers in front. A person can think they are in the channel but cross current drifts you out.

Traffic you saw on the causeway is more or less normal most of the time. Will pick up during the time between Christmas and New Years. Drop off again in after the first of the year. Then start back up around mid to late march as spring breakers show up.

When it gets bad, it can back up onto the mainland making it a 30 minute trip across. It's pretty predictable. Friday afternoon in March. Saturday mornings March through June. We just avoid crossing during those time or if we do cross take the back way across the other bridge to the south.
 
This is my home dock highlighted in red. There are no pilings on either side of the slip to pivot on and current and wind frequently push us toward the boat next to us. Our Sedan Bridge has no bow thruster.

I have docked boats at marinas up and down the east coast and this is by far the most challenging unless we have favorable wind and current.
 

Attachments

  • 44113FA0-EA79-46B8-8F4F-B2FF82DF223F.jpeg
    44113FA0-EA79-46B8-8F4F-B2FF82DF223F.jpeg
    201.4 KB · Views: 121

Forum statistics

Threads
112,948
Messages
1,422,821
Members
60,930
Latest member
Ebrown69
Back
Top