Mooring / Docking single handed

[Bilgemaster]

And here's how to moor a boat...Roll em...

Well, that was...ummm..."scenic"...Good to know I'm not too geezed out to appreciate a good stern cleating. Still, I don't think the Admiral would approve that particular expenditure, no matter how handy it might be to have one of those aboard.

Actually, the problem I could foresee with one of those nifty line-grabber-setter gimcracks in my case is that for some reason the design folks at the State Park where I launch have decided to put the docking cleats on the FAR side of the dock relative to the boat ramp, as you can kind of make out below from the cropped and zoomed version of this image:



I suppose that may have been done to discourage folks from just sort of camping out on the ramp sides of the docks, hoping they'd pull their boats around to the far side, but that extra 5 or 6 feet makes it a bit of an impossible stretch from the cockpit to reach those cleats when you're coming in. It seems you really have to sort of jump out onto the dock to tie up. I haven't done the math, and I'll have to experiment with my regular old floating boat hook, but my hunch is that If I could consistently tag those cleats from the cockpit, even with one of those gizmos, I might be ready for the Olympic Fencing Team.

[budgates]

And here's how to moor a boat...Roll em...

Well, that was...ummm..."scenic"...Good to know I'm not too geezed out to appreciate a good bow cleating. Still, I don't think the Admiral would approve that particular expenditure, no matter how handy it might be to have one of those aboard.

I've never seen her when I've been on the island. If I ever get too geezed to appreciate such scenery just call the coroner. I'm ready to check out..............

[budgates]

Not nearly as attractive but skillful docking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qHdPhkSSNQ

[Jimmyt]

Was that Erik?

[K9Kampers]

While we're at it, don't forget the art of launching...

[dlandersson]

Everybody doesn't do it that way?

While we're at it, don't forget the art of launching...

[Bilgemaster]

At this rate I'll be lucky if I don't wind up in a YouTube "Boat Fails" clip. First my maiden voyage+1 debacle, where it didn't occur to me that not having the rudders down means you have all the close quarters maneuverability of standing on the deck with a leaf blower, and now today's bizarre "lurch" off of the trailer: Gliding in to the trailer as usual, dead straight perfect, and suddenly, less than three feet from the bow bumper, she veered off wildly to port, missing the bumper and even those metal "V" guides, leaving her bow sticking out over the side of the trailer. It wasn't very windy, nor was there much current that I could detect. It just veered off wildly. As near as I can figure, what with the storms hereabouts lately, which have even washed away parts of the beach in the park I launch from (and are now raging again as I write this), there must have been a log or something else down there on the ramp that maybe snagged one of my rudders or the engine, yanking her to port at the last moment. In any event, as you can see, her starboard rudder is a little worse for wear, possibly having caught the trailer frame's cross member as I gingerly backed her off:





It looks like the prop took a little beating too, though admittedly it was already pretty "ratty" beforehand:



So, repair or replace the rudder? What is your advice? If "repair," then what would be a a suitable material? It's pretty clearly hollow fiberglass and matting construction, so I am thinking a light sand, winding some matting around with either fiberglass resin or some sort of epoxy to get me through the season. If "replace," which type of rudder for a 2001 26X would be an exact match? Would BWY be the best place to get one? I don't know this for sure, but I believe these may be the original or at least "original style" replacement rudders. Even if I replace it, I'll still likely patch up this damaged one and tuck it into one of the shallow "pizza oven berth" storage holes aft as a spare.

As for the prop, can anyone tell me what a direct replacement for my Honda BF50A's old 3-blader might be just by "eyeballing it" in the photo above? Possibly not knowing any better, I've been pretty happy with this one, but even I can see it really should make that voyage to "Sparesville" now. The Honda website's options are too many for me to confidently sort out, and previous postings concerning "Honda prop" to these forums leave me little wiser and really just make my brain hurt. Incidentally, if anyone has a nice (well, nicer than mine anyhow) serviceable 3-bladed or other Honda-suitable prop that they may have upgraded from, PLEASE do feel free to PM or email me with what you'll take for it. Tips or links for good vendors are also very welcome.

The moral of this story: I am NOW going to download the full version of the music played in that "How to Dock Like a Boss" video, and henceforth put that thing on a loop whenever I get anywhere near a dock: Hoping it will inspire me to a higher level of nautical grace.

[Starscream]

Mr Bilgemaster, that rudder and prop look like they have matching damage marks: the rudder looks like it was chewed by a prop and the prop looks like it chewed something hard! coincidence?

I just posted on another thread that I had success with a Honda 50 with an 11.8X9 four blade Honda oem prop.

[Bilgemaster]

Mr Bilgemaster, that rudder and prop look like they have matching damage marks: the rudder looks like it was chewed by a prop and the prop looks like it chewed something hard! coincidence?

I just posted on another thread that I had success with a Honda 50 with an 11.8X9 four blade Honda oem prop.

Now that I look at, I am sure you're right: The rudder probably rose up on the trailer or whatever caused the boat to bear off to port (I usually slacken its downhaul line slack when near the docks or shallows) while the motor was turned towards it. Thanks for the tip about the four blade prop. You haven't heard any of that "prop singing" one hears about with them, I assume?

[Jimmyt]

If you're good with fiberglass, you can fix the rudder (sounds like maybe you haven't done it much). It looks like the general shape is in tact, and possibly still lined up top to bottom. I would price the resin and mat, gelcoat, and figure about 2 weeks of spare time (you may have a higher spare time ratio), and compare that to the number you get from BWY or IDA. The real test is, what would you rather be doing in your spare time?

Definitely prop rash. The first thing I would do is try to analyze exactly how that happened. That's an expensive mishap which I'm sure you don't want to repeat. You say you slacken the down haul - bad idea. Rudders may have come up partially - which allowed the interference. Rudders should be secure up or down - never loose.

[Starscream]

I didn't experience any singing with the Honda prop. It couldn't get the X up on a plane with the BF 50A with ballast in but it did fine with ballast out.

Get a 90 and you'll be planing at 20mph+ with ballast!!!

[Herschel]

So, repair or replace the rudder? What is your advice? If "repair," then what would be a a suitable material? It's pretty clearly hollow fiberglass and matting construction, so I am thinking a light sand, winding some matting around with either fiberglass resin or some sort of epoxy to get me through the season. If "replace," which type of rudder for a 2001 26X would be an exact match? Would BWY be the best place to get one? I don't know this for sure, but I believe these may be the original or at least "original style" replacement rudders.

For what it is worth, I have repaired one of my rudders damaged from a similar incident. I used fiberglass cloth that I had on hand with resin and filler. It turned out well. I still have the original '98 rudders; they have proven to be more than adequate for my needs. I actually enjoyed the repair; it was my first foray into that kind of DIY work. I have since used the West System products to strengthen and rehab my dinghy. I really like those products. They come with very good instructions, and you can call their technical guys and get personal advice if you have a question.

[BOAT]

At this rate



.

Hey masterman! What is that LOWRANCE gadget you have on the back of the boat in this picture? What does that thing do?

(P.S. - save that rudder - hang it over your fireplace and tell the story about the great white shark you conquered that chased you in the ocean!)

[NiceAft]

BOAT said

save that rudder - hang it over your fireplace and tell the story about the great white shark you conquered that chased you in the ocean!

Good one

Ray

[Bilgemaster]

At this rate



.

Hey masterman! What is that LOWRANCE gadget you have on the back of the boat in this picture? What does that thing do?

(P.S. - save that rudder - hang it over your fireplace and tell the story about the great white shark you conquered that chased you in the ocean!)

Boat:

Sorry for the delay in answering your question. I thought I had weeks ago, but my device's connection can be flakey sometimes. That gizmo on the aft rail is a Lowrance LGC-4000 GPS antenna to go with my decade-old handmedown LMS 525-C DF GPS/sonar unit that the previous owner was kind enough to pass along to me. He'd got it from his kid, who's some kind of competitive fisherman down in Florida, and so needs the latest and greatest gear and had upgraded. It's still more than good enough for the likes of me though, so I finally got around to installing it last month. Being an older unit it needs a separate antenna...most current ones just having the GPS built in. Works great though! Now I've got charts, depth, speed, digital compass...everything I need to keep the BoatUS towing folks off my speed dial.

That's a superb idea for the chewed up rudder, and if I HAD a mantlepiece to hang it over, I might be tempted to go that way...even though it would honestly only serve to remind me of what a hamfisted incompetent I (hopefully) once was at the helm. I seem to have gotten a bit better, having since managed to launch and load the old girl a couple of times singlehandedly without maiming her again. Still, I believe I'll patch up that prop-rashed rudder and stow her on board as a spare just in case...maybe under the rear berth in the bilge.

Just as an epilogue, a few evenings after chewing her up, I swung by the ramp after fiddling around with the boat in the storage lot, as I do in case someone coming in wants to toss a line, and what did I find but a big tripod-shaped clump of branches in the grass nearby that had clearly been dragged up out of the water and just out of the way. I wouldn't be too surprised to learn it was the culprit in lurching my boat to port off her trailer at the last minute. Hmmmm....Maybe I should go back and take a leak on it.