Backing in: Good write up….

Boatox

Sept 24, 2020

What about the tide in your story.  Some marinas have the slips laid out so the tide will pull or push the boat… but some have the slips so the boat will move sideways in the tide. I used to have a slip in such a marina.

Of course the tide is not a consistent motion so you have to determine what degree or speed it is running at also when backing into the slip. We did try the bow first approach but actually saw another boater having problems handling their boat and actually came up stopping on our outboard props that were out of the salt water. Had we not seen that we did not even think of that situation. Imagine just jumping in your boat and leaving the slip only to find out one of your prop blades are bent… The boat was not like you left it.  

So backing in was the best insurance for not getting your props bent.  But there is one solution to all this… bigger wallet. Yes they make boats with bow and stern thrusters.. it is actually a beautiful sight watching a boat slide into the slip or any dock when the space is exactly the size of the boat.  Saw a large sailboat arrive at a marina. They rafted to another boat and the captain climbed over and walked to the dock looking for a place to tie up. He saw one area which was slightly smaller than his boat so he untied two boats and shifted their position slightly to enlarge the opening enough. He then got back on his boat and moved up to the dock opening and did the thruster approach and just slid in. NICE.
 
Cheers

Erich Streckenbach, aboard Silver Caddy, an alumni boat with Cadiallac luxury, on the Douglas Channel in Kitimat BC

PORTS GB 2020Note to the publisher of PORTS

Jill, we live in Irvington VA off the Rappahannock River on the western shore of the lower Chesapeake Bay area. Two years ago, we brought a boat back from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin via Lake Michigan, the North Channel, Georgian Bay, and the Trent-Severn Waterway. We discovered and LOVED your Ports cruising guides. They were our constant companions as we happily traversed through Canada.

We are about to head south on the ICW toward Charleston, though will not go quite that far, and I decided to go online to get one of your guides for the trip….there is none! I’m so disappointed that you’re limited to Canada, but our loss is their gain!

What terrific publications your Ports guides are! I’d give a lot to have one for our trip south here in the US! Thanks for your excellent work-

– Lynn Bugg Pritchard, Richmond, VA

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