"Rod McInnis" wrote in message ...
"Rob" wrote in message
...

I Have had boats up to 22 feet for a long time, but end of August I bought
a
32 footer, with twin inboard outboard engines. WOW it sure a lot tougher
than I expected.

Rod, three years ago I went from a single IO to a 30 foot twin IO and
had a devil of a time. My brother, who got a 33 twin inboard at the
same time, quickly learned to dock his boat easily and I was still not
doing well. I was very frustrated.

THEN! I replaced all the shift/throttle cables (Merc IOs) and my
shifting and throttling got substantially easier. No shifting delays,
no engine surges, no loss of concentration. It seemed minor enough,
but now I can spin that boat around (almost 120) no sweat, and back
into the slip, oh, at least every other time. And between times I have
enough control to avoid hitting things. If your shifting is sticky,
try it, you may like it.

(Also, as others have said, make sure your I/Os are pointed straight
ahead when you use differential shifting. When my IOs are at an angle
they don't spin the boat at all.

WOW Thanks very very much for all your input!! This is great.

For those who asked my boat does not have counter rotating drives. And I do
have to make a 90' port turn to get into my boat house. The wind and current
generally come from my stern, until I turn and then there on my port side.
It is a covered boat house so there is post and beams right at the entrance.

I guess practice is where its at...
I have been docking mainly from the lower station,cause it just seems more
comfortable. Any opinion on that?

Thanks again for taking the time to help.
Rob.

"Bob" wrote in message
m...
"Rod McInnis" wrote in message
...
"Rob" wrote in message
...

I Have had boats up to 22 feet for a long time, but end of August I
bought
a
32 footer, with twin inboard outboard engines. WOW it sure a lot
tougher
than I expected.

Rod, three years ago I went from a single IO to a 30 foot twin IO and
had a devil of a time. My brother, who got a 33 twin inboard at the
same time, quickly learned to dock his boat easily and I was still not
doing well. I was very frustrated.

THEN! I replaced all the shift/throttle cables (Merc IOs) and my
shifting and throttling got substantially easier. No shifting delays,
no engine surges, no loss of concentration. It seemed minor enough,
but now I can spin that boat around (almost 120) no sweat, and back
into the slip, oh, at least every other time. And between times I have
enough control to avoid hitting things. If your shifting is sticky,
try it, you may like it.

(Also, as others have said, make sure your I/Os are pointed straight
ahead when you use differential shifting. When my IOs are at an angle
they don't spin the boat at all.

Okay, I'll chime in on this one, IMO get to know your
clutch's/throttle's first,
I've seen more people get flustered?iword) and confuse the two, running
into docks, boats, lock walls, etc. Throw some jugs over the side, and
play if you want, but I'll bet there's a few guys in the marina that can
give you a few pointers, Not in there Direction of Course. UD

"Rob" wrote in message
...
WOW Thanks very very much for all your input!! This is great.

For those who asked my boat does not have counter rotating drives. And I
do
have to make a 90' port turn to get into my boat house. The wind and
current
generally come from my stern, until I turn and then there on my port side.
It is a covered boat house so there is post and beams right at the
entrance.

I guess practice is where its at...
I have been docking mainly from the lower station,cause it just seems more
comfortable. Any opinion on that?


My inclination would be to use the upper station, at least in good weather.
This is based on the presumption that the upper station would afford better
visibility of the entire boat as it relates to the structure you're
attempting to dock to.

Nigel Featherston writes

Follow Wally's suggestions, and visit the marina during the week when the
wind and current will be at a minimum and practice docking.

Or even less scary, try approaching a buoy out in open water. Or
practice MOB retrieval by throwing a weighted fender over the side.

--
Trevor Dennis
Remove s-p-a-m to email

Hi again Rob,
You should practice from both stations. After all, you drive from both
stations.

Become as familiar with your boat's handling characteristics as
possible. The more skill you acquire, the less chance of scratching up
your beauty. Don't limit practice to fair weather. After you get skilled
at good weather docking, try high wind and strong current docking.
Docking at night is also "interesting!"

Always use minimum prop turns and slowest possible speeds.

A Lesson From The School Of Hard Knocks: I once had a NEW shift cable
break during docking, and hit pretty hard. Damaged the dock and scuffed
the boat. I couldn't reverse to slow. Which is why I say always use
minimums.

Since you have 2 stations, be sure to frequently inspect the binnacles,
throttle and shift cables for wear or stiffness. Lubricate with APPROVED
lubricants as necessary, but don't over lubricate. Wipe excess from
exposed areas to prevent attracting dirt. Replace cables if the outer
skin is chafed, or the operating ends are worn, or the cable won't run
smoothly.

Capt. Frank

Rob wrote:
WOW Thanks very very much for all your input!! This is great.

For those who asked my boat does not have counter rotating drives. And I do
have to make a 90' port turn to get into my boat house. The wind and current
generally come from my stern, until I turn and then there on my port side.
It is a covered boat house so there is post and beams right at the entrance.

I guess practice is where its at...
I have been docking mainly from the lower station,cause it just seems more
comfortable. Any opinion on that?

Thanks again for taking the time to help.
Rob.

"Bob" wrote in message
m...

"Rod McInnis" wrote in message

...

"Rob" wrote in message
...


I Have had boats up to 22 feet for a long time, but end of August I

bought

a

32 footer, with twin inboard outboard engines. WOW it sure a lot

tougher

than I expected.

Rod, three years ago I went from a single IO to a 30 foot twin IO and
had a devil of a time. My brother, who got a 33 twin inboard at the
same time, quickly learned to dock his boat easily and I was still not
doing well. I was very frustrated.

THEN! I replaced all the shift/throttle cables (Merc IOs) and my
shifting and throttling got substantially easier. No shifting delays,
no engine surges, no loss of concentration. It seemed minor enough,
but now I can spin that boat around (almost 120) no sweat, and back
into the slip, oh, at least every other time. And between times I have
enough control to avoid hitting things. If your shifting is sticky,
try it, you may like it.

(Also, as others have said, make sure your I/Os are pointed straight
ahead when you use differential shifting. When my IOs are at an angle
they don't spin the boat at all.

You could also contact your local U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. I am sure
someone would be happy to give you some pointers, or even come abroad
for a short time for an instructional.

Capt. Frank

UglyDan®©™ wrote:

Okay, I'll chime in on this one, IMO get to know your
clutch's/throttle's first,
I've seen more people get flustered?iword) and confuse the two, running
into docks, boats, lock walls, etc. Throw some jugs over the side, and
play if you want, but I'll bet there's a few guys in the marina that can
give you a few pointers, Not in there Direction of Course. UD

G I have very little time on I/O's, so I'm not positive how important
prop rotation is to their overall handling , when maneuvering.
However, if you are not using any helm, just engines, then it should be
of considerable importance, and "counter-rotating" doesn't tell you what
you need to know, if they handle anything like straight inboards.
The difference between inboard turning and outboard turning, is like
night and day.

otn

WaIIy wrote:
On Fri, 17 Oct 2003 01:11:27 GMT, otnmbrd wrote:


First off, it wasn't stated whether you have inboard, outboard, or same
way turning props.


He said he had twin I/O's on a 32 ft boat.
Most likely counter-rotating.

Pay attention.

"Nigel Featherston" wrote in message news:_dwjb.782403$YN5.773993@sccrnsc01...
I would recommend that you never use people as a bumper. It is much easier
to repair a scratch than a broken bone.

No kidding. One of the scariest incidents I have recently seen was a
friend of mine getting his right arm caught between a roller on a the
dock and a 40' aft cab criuser. He was on the dock "helping" another
friend of ours dock the 40 footer. I was at the other end of the dock
and could not figure out why he was pushing the boat off the roller -
the roller was doing exactly what it was supposed to do. His arm got
caught and it was like he getting sucked through a clothes wringer.

Amazingly, and luckily, he suffered on a slight scrap on the arm.

People get fingers and hand pinched or broken trying to fend off a
dock. Don't worry about scuffing rub rails - thats what they are for.
If you want a human to fend off, uses a boat hook or something
similar. But even then you should be careful.

I normally tell guests on my boat to just sit and watch when docking.
My wife and I have a good system. I sometimes find myself telling
well-intended people and even marina employees on the dock not to
"help" either if it looks like they are not in a good spot.

Fenders out and lines prepared early. Take your time and think ahead
of your boat.

For those who asked my boat does not have counter rotating drives.

In that case, I would expect that the boat would have a "favored" turning
direction, that is, it will turn a lot sharper one way than the other,
especially at dead slow speeds. Figure out which direction that is and use
it to your advantage.

And I do
have to make a 90' port turn to get into my boat house. The wind and
current
generally come from my stern, until I turn and then there on my port side.

Any reason you can't approach from the other side so that the wind and
current is on your bow? If you are bucking the wind and current, you can do
everything with just forward and neutral. If the wind and current are
pushing you then you may need reverse to keep your speed in check. Having
an engine die in that situation can lead to disaster.

It is a covered boat house so there is post and beams right at the
entrance.

Wrap the post with a piece of old carpet an rub rail height. This will
give you a little padding for when you bump it.


I guess practice is where its at...
I have been docking mainly from the lower station,cause it just seems more
comfortable. Any opinion on that?

Drive where you have the best visibility and are the most comfortable.
You should also factor in which station allows you to communicate with your
crew the best.

Rod