Slips Leaving the Dock

Wind coming into the slip channel and your boat is stern-to

This is best handled by steering out of the slip and then immediately downwind. Back out of the slip channel and well into the main channel before engaging forward.

Wind blowing into the slip channel and your boat is bow-to

For stern and outboard drives, simply back out of the slip into the slip channel and then into the main channel. You may need a bow line to the windward dock to prevent the bow from blowing downwind against the adjacent boat as you engage reverse.

Alternatively, for an inboard with prop walk or in very high winds, allow the stern to blow downwind as you exit the slip. You may need a bow line to the windward dock as the boat comes out of the slip to prevent the boat from being pushed against the adjacent boat. It is imperative, however, that the bow person be instructed when to release the bow line and there are no knots in the bowline to become caught in the dock cleat.

Wind blowing out of the slip channel and your boat is bow-to

Back out into the wind using propwalk, then engage forward.

Here is an animation a sailing student asked us to do in a high-wind situation. He needed to reverse out without his boat hitting a downwind boat next to him.

Wind blowing out of the slip channel and your boat is stern-to

This is the simplest of scenarios. Simply drive the boat out to the main channel.

The wind blows across the docks and your boat is stern-to

Again, simply drive the boat out to the main channel. If the slipway is narrow, go slow, wait until the stern is clear then apply a burst of reverse throttle to use prop walk. Or for stern and outboards, apply reverse with the helm over (to port in this case) to quickly turn the boat and slow its progression towards the opposite docks. For a really narrow channel, you can use a dockline to a midships cleat to assist in turning the boat.

The wind blows across the dock and your boat is bow-to

For stern or outboard drives, simply reverse the boat out of the slip, into the slip channel, and then into the main channel. If the wind is light you may elect to turn the boat in the slip channel and come out in forward gear.

For inboard drives, use prop walk or for stern and outboard drives use the below.

Other wind/current configurations are solved using variations of the above techniques.

A note about current: Water is 800 times denser than air so a 1/2 knot to even 1 knot current can push your boat around very inconveniently. Being an expert with docking in current needs experience. But also being knowledgeable about how the boat gets pushed with current and how to use spring lines to take advantage of the forces and moments as shown in the previous module is extremely valuable.