Power Boating: Beginner Guide
As you are approaching your destination get a member of your crew to prepare the ship for docking. One member of your party should be instructed properly in docking procedures, both for their own safety and the safeness of your ship. A member of the crew flapping about without knowing what to do is more of a hindrance than a help. Ensure they're prepared, so this situation doesn't appear. They deserve to be instructed in which lines to use, the easy way to fasten them properly and know where fenders should be positioned.
Put out all fenders. The quantity of fenders you have is dependent upon the dimensions of your ship. Our ship has 4 fenders on each side. At the front we have 2 ball fenders. All fenders on both sides are put out on our approach to our mooring. Have ship hooks prepared in case required. If it is a hard mooring often you'll need this to get a hold of the pier rings. As you are approaching your mooring, slow down, you do not want to come in too swiftly.
Remember that when mooring you need to ensure that you moor reasonably close to any other ship in order not to take up more space than mandatory, but also ensure you are far enough away so you do not bump into it.Check that you have got the right number of mooring ropes prepared. When you're sufficiently close to pick which side of the ship you're going to tie to the dock attach an astern and cruel rope to the cleats on that side in preparation. You need to moor with your bow facing upstream. When close to the dock attach the back line to the dock either with assistance from somebody on the dock, with the help of a ship hook or if it is safe to do that then with a member of your crew boarding and helping. When the line is soundly tied back on to the ship cleat, the pull of the line and the existing will help to bring in the humorless. With an inboard engine though the rudder will bring in the cruel. The humorless line can then be secured.
If you're sufficiently fortunate to have bow and stern thrusters as we do on our ship, then pulling into your mooring is reasonably straightforward. Approach your mooring slowly and get your boat lined up ready to drag into the space. Bow and humorless thrusters move your ship sideways and if an affiliate of your crew holds onto the back rope and steps off the ship as you get close enough and is safe to do it he can fasten off the aft, as you keep control over the ship. The cruel rope can then be attached to the mooring ring or cleat. Once the ship is held in position you can switch of the engine and then attach the correct spring ropes from the central spring cleat.
Your astern and humorless ropes should go round, or ideally thru, the pier cleat and then double back to your ship and brought twice around your cleat, wound in a figure of 8 around it and finished with a turning lock. Confirm none of your ropes are too tight. Your spring lines should stop your ship from going forwards or backwards. If it is a tidal mooring you can only use long springs to make allowance for the increase and fall of the ship.
Lastly, check fenders to be sure they're high or low enough so your ship won't bump against the pier, so causing damage. Adjust them as necessary.