www.iFourWinns.com

Bill good points to use thank you. I ended up buying a wheel for he end of our dock and going to install it tomorrow night, this way I can back the stern up against it (if need to) and just roll in, or hope to. Getting the jitters thinking about docking, but i have read pages and pages of info and your help is very good. I appreciate your time in helping me out. I did post another thread about docking the 348, would like to hear your input on this as I million things are running through my head. 4 more days and I bring home the baby.

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2002 348 Vista

Oh, so you're on floating docks, I take it? Ours are fixed docks, with pilings at the bow and amidships. So we've got a safe space to bump along into our slip.

I've had to use floating docks when overnighting (up in Baltimore) and recall the potential problems trying to get into a slip without scraping the hull. For that I had the admiral wielding a large fender on a line to keep me from gouging the stern quarter as I wrestled the boat into the slip. I left two other fenders hanging down from the midships and bow cleats. Just long enough to have the bottom tip of the fenders barely above the water. It was a bit more trouble that usual due to gusting winds that afternoon.

If I have one complaint about the 348 it's the lack of a decent place to hang a cleat off the stern quarter. That decking above the engine compartment vents is not really a full part of the hull. It's just a cap over the vent area. As a result there's no good place in it to get a secure enough mount for a decent cleat. I toyed with the idea of using those fender hanger clips. But never did since we don't use floating docks all that often.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Bill its funny you say that. I just went to west marine last night and bought 8 Taylor fenders (8" x 20") and am going to run some 1/2" line through them and screw them on the side of the dock using pad eyes and place the fenders horizontally. The port side is going to be against the dock, so tonight a buddy of mine are going to place 8 of these things spaced apart about a foot or two to make sure the boat doesn't rub against the dock at all even though i will have the three fenders off the boat. I figure it will make it easier and add a little more protection.
There are a few guys at the dock that have done this and it seems to work great for them. With the added protection as well as the corner roller i should be in good shape. Maybe a little too extreme, but until I am more comfortable, I am going to use it.

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2002 348 Vista

Take some of the phrases mentioned "bump along into our slip", "problems trying to get into a slip without scraping the hull", "gouging the stern quarter while I wrestled the boat into the slip" with about 2 dozen grains of salt. Although a colorful explanation of docking possibilities, it is not as tough as it has been made to sound. Your captain will give you some pointers on how to back in, it's really pretty easy. I have never felt the need to wrestle with a boat, even in windy conditions or current. Plan ahead, and approach accordingly. Practice, Practice, Practice, and most of all , don't be intimidated by the experience.

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Does sound like a bit much, but if it keeps you away from the repair shop then it's money well spent. I've put rubber P-channel shaped edging along the edge of our finger pier and that's helped avoid any scratches from it.

It's indeed not as tough as it sounds. Once you get used to the boat it becomes fairly routine.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Capt Morgan- Thanks for the comments, I am taking it with a grain of salt. I think i overthink things too much and I know that once I am used to the boat, things will be fine. I have owned 5 boats in the past the most recent a 27' and moving up to a 35' is a big step for me as well as the twin engines. I am sure it will be fine as I know a couple boaters that have moved from a 22' to a 32 and havent had any bad experiences docking, so I just want to be prepared.

Bill- It might be a bit much, in fact it is! lol I would rather spend a few hundred dollars doing this in the beginning it might pay off in the long run, but i see it as better safe than sorry. I think that is the extent I will be protecting the dock from the boat, I am sure once I get the hang of it, i will be taking some of those things off. Well maybe.

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2002 348 Vista

And that's all it is, colorful. For some docking can be a nerve-wracking experience. Glad you're finding a lot of confidence with yours.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Welcome to the New England 3X8 FW Vista club!

I am in the merrimack river, Newburyport MA. The Coast guard says is one the most dangerous pieces of water on East Coast. The river can sometimes flow at 10knots and when it hits ocean things can get real nasty. I grew up in newport, been operating boats all my life but this river has made a much better captain of me the last two years.

I find my 348 to handle things just fine. Few pointers. Forget your rudders, they are small and ineffective. leave rudder at neutral and just use your engines for docking.

Also place trim tabs in Bow up position. If you dont when going in reverse, or any current from that direction will catch and push you in ways you dont want.

Bill is very correct about lack of good location for stern fender. We often tie off to canvas pole.

Everyone at our marina that values their boat lines their dock with fenders. Cheap way to protect an expensive investment. And if you ever make it up to the merrimack you will see why. (come at slack tide and it's a kitten.)

Complaints: I had trouble with the digital throttles from day one. Starboard side kept getting "reset" to a very dangerous defalt condition. just clicking the throttle caused it to go very hard. Caused us some railing/gelcoat damage. Decided to remove and replace with straight calbed controls. Love it. Sold the digital stuff for agood sum on ebay to some guy in NZ.

We go to boston often and just went thru locks to Charles for fireworks, went great. Learn how to maneuver your boat with both engines and it will be your freind.

Went thru cape cod canal last year, didnt seem like much compared to Merrimack although coming back we hit blinding fog mid way and a guy steaming down wrong side in a 50' viking. Scary.

Congrats. And you will enjoy this board as it addresses some of the various quirks and workarounds you will likely run itno such as the shower sump

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2006 348 Vista
"Cruisin Home"
Hampton NH

Thanks Seahorse! I have mostly boated in the Higham harbor and the Boston Harbor, havent made it up to Newburryport or even down the cape area. Didnt really have a good boat for that, but now since I have the 348, I am sure the trips are endless. We look forward to finding other like boaters and look forward to hopefully another 3 months of boating weather! Thanks for the advice on the trim tabs, didnt think of that, good point!

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2002 348 Vista

To add to Bill's tip on dock lines.

I have 2 sets of lines. Ones that always stay on the dock and the ones on the boat. The ones on the dock never get uncleated but one out of seven lines, so the boat is always tied up in the same spot at the slip. No adjusting the lines every time I come back.

My self, I like keeping the looped end on my boat cleats, BUT. What came to mind is that, if you buy 3 stranded line, you can make up your own lines with loops at each end. I make up my own lines, its cheaper (unless there on sale) and there made up as I want them.

What I hate the most is, boaters coming into their slip, so you run over to help them and you don’t mind AT all. They throw you a bow & stern line. NO midship line. If you have good dock hands/other boaters, they can take that midship line, do a half or full loop on the first cleat and suck the boat right into the dock. With the line being half or full looped on the cleat, the dock hand can pay out or take in line as needed, but not work too hard to hold onto the line. More so on a 32 footer!

I have the same set up. I used eye screws, spaced out with the fenders in between them. My piont is, DON'T mount then on the top of the finger and let the fenders hang down. I have seen them pop up & onto the finger. Mount them to the side of the finger, no chance of them pop up.

Paul that is what I am going to use is the eye screws. I wanted to use eye pads as they would work better but West Marine, Home Depot and all the hardware stores seem to only have a few of them and not stainless steel. i could order them online, but decided to use the eye screws. I plan on mounting them to the side using two eye hoks for each fender and tie them off seperatley. I thought about using one long 30' rope, but I dont think I would get a good enough stretch through all the fenders, so I am doing them individually. Doing this after work tonight. My marina doesnt like anything drilled into the side of the dock, but talking with the lady she said if we dont see you, we cant do anything about it. So I am going to go about 6:00 tonight and it shouldnt take me too long to do. I will give you an update. Thanks for the heads up!

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2002 348 Vista

Delete.... why do I even bother......

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

I use an I-screw to attach all my dock fenders as do a lot of others in the Merrimack. You can buy them in galvanized. not too expensive.

As the other poster said you don't want the fender to roll up over dock.

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2006 348 Vista
"Cruisin Home"
Hampton NH

I hear ya, but a lot of the time the person on shore is an idiot. Unless you know 'em it's probably safe to assume they're going to disregard instructions (or make up something of their own) and make your docking worse. Especially at a restaurant dock. There are, of course, always people that know how handle lines, they just seem to be few and far between. That's why I like using the bow line and giving them the loop (made into a lasso loop). That way it's one of my people on board that can properly pay out the necessary amount of line. All the person on shore need to do is get that line draped around the piling. No screwing around. I've had way too many cases of someone tying a line off too tight or not at all. Better to take thinking out the equation for them.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista