www.iFourWinns.com

Down here in N. TX between May and July we will have 20+ winds almost everyday. They just started to calm down a little. The funny thing is on the first day without wind and the water was glass, it took my 2 times to get in my slip. When we have 20+ winds, I nail it everytime time. I'm usually over compensating for the wind and not used to docking on calm days.

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2001 328 Vista

Previous Boats:
2004 Sea Ray 220 Select

Yes, your right, for give me, put a screwdrive in my hands and I can do almost anything. Put a pen or keyboard & I have a very hard time with it!! I am not sure that this would work for you, but this is what one of the other boaters at my club does. After it is cleated, by moving forward, this will pull you right into the dock. Your midship cleat, maybe in a bad spot for you. I don't know your boat, for me it would work on my V258.

Any questions on this, please just ask.

Okay, since Bill has actually done this and he's right about the amidship cleat being right off of the curve in the windshield, I think I will go to the bow cleat.

If I am hearing you correctly, once the bow cleat is on, I can do the tank motion (port forward, starboard reverse) slowly and this should slide me in gingerly.

If it works, Party Cove will have a new location!

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2000 Four Winns - 298 Vista

You can alway add a cleat. I have four stern cleats, sounds crazy, by true. The 2 stock cleats are so low, there no good for fenders so I add 2 just after the water & waste deck fittings.

How did you get backing plates up inside behind them?

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Yes, if you're docking along the port side then you'd attach a line to the port bow cleat and the dock. Then pivot the boat using port in forward and starboard in reverse. This would normally spin the boat to starboard. But since the port bow is tied down, it can't go anywhere. This will cause the stern to move to port. It will move backward some too, so move carefully. Don't let yourself get stressed out and apply too much power. Go easy, it'll work out.

Always be gentle about how much force you put on the cleats. Properly installed ones (with backing plates) will be able to withstand a lot of tension, but don't get crazy. This is also why I like to use the loose end of the line on the boat. If something goes wrong you can loosen the line there instead of relying on someone ashore to get it right. If you had the loop down there on the cleat you'd be stuck.

Way too much tension on a cleat can turn into a disaster in a hurry. If the tension on the line becomes too great it can cause a cleat to break loose and become a flying projectile. People have been *killed* that way. This typically is more of a problem when people try to tow a boat or pull one loose when run aground.

This is why it's VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT to ALWAYS install cleats with serious backing materials behind them. You don't want someone to mistakenly assume a cleat is secure when it's in fact just held in with some screws. A poorly installed cleat could pop out under what would normally be a reasonable amount of tension. But it doesn't take much (especially when combined with the springy nature of nylon lines) to turn it into a deadly projectile.

This is why those fender hanger clips don't look like cleats. They don't want anyone to be misled into thinking a simple hang clip is safe for attaching a mooring line.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

That was not too hard to do. On the post side, I removed the battery switch, I left the wires connected and pulled it out about 8". Just so I could get my arm in there. On the starboard side, I removed the padded panel. There were holes under it, I think for options that I did not have. In April, I add a radar arch from Atlantic Towers. At that time, I remover the cooler well/holder to get in there.

This link has a pic of the arch, just go down 4 or 5 postings: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7377

What I want to point out can be sort of seen in this picture:
http://img.villagephotos.com/imageview.aspx?i=27212932

(nice pix of the boat, btw)

The top part of the stern gunwale is just a cap. See the seam just forward of your bimini pole? That is the forward edge of the engine room vent cover/deck. It's not a part of the hull itself. Well, not in the same manner as the main hull. So attaching anything to that cap is a lot less likely to be as secure as something in the hull itself.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

You could be right, but that cap if you will, is over 1 inch thick and seams very soild. The hull, were I mounted the arch is very thin, I had to add 1/4" plywood to stop the hull from bending when the boat hits a wave. I mainly use the cleats for the fenders and rafting.

from Lakebum

I can't tell you how much that single bit of advise has helped me out. I've only had this beast since April of this year. In the beginning, I had a heck of a time learning how to back that thing into our slip. I would simply get out there early and practice. Gave my neighbors quite a show. Got lots of tips from everyone. I really paid attention to the guys with larger yachts. The wind changes your tactics, so you have to aim for other people's slips and let the wind take you to yours. Lakebum is absolutely correct, come to a complete stop, then spin the boat. It will change everything when you come to a complete stop.

I find it funny how everyone in your Marina pulls in forward while everyone at my Marina backs into their slips. It is too hard to board the vessel from the side with all of our crap we tote. I really enjoy the ability to literally walk onto the boat from the stern!

I single hand mine every weekend. Nobody helps me put her back into the slip stern first. I do it all myself. I usually don't hit anything either. If i do, it is a gentle rub. I'm in no rush at all. I simply take my time. I have to pull a complete 180 to get into my slip. The faster i try to perform the maneuver, the more the boat skids and slides out of control. Once you get the boat stopped, it is easier to spin and back in the boat without skidding and slipping sideways. Once I get it halfway into the slip, i cut the engines off. The boat is barely moving, so I can jump on the sun pad area, grab my pole hook and fish up the bow lines that are sitting on the dock. Once the bow is tied off, i jump on the dock and tie up the stern. done.

Practice makes perfect. Slow down, stop the boat.

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2007 Four Winns Vista 358

My slip is 16'x40' so I do have a little more forgiveness than most. It's definitely a learning process. I also go out sometimes by myself or if my wife jumps on our sea doo, come back by myself. I attached some hooks onto the roof support poles that I hook the bow lines onto before I leave the slip. They are about 7' high on the pole so that I can just reach over the bow and grab the line. Works great, I'll try to get some pictures this weekend.

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Lakebum
2006 378 Vista
Nashville, TN
Current
04 Hustler Cheetah
06 Seadoo sportster 150
Past
06 378 vista
328 vista
240 horizon
21' glastron
20' celebrity

To chime in what others have said: Learn how to manipulate your boat with just your two throttles. DO NOT TOUCH YOUR STEERING WHEEL!

We are in one the strongest rivers on the east coast (Merrimack river) and you cannot dock if you try to use steering (newcomers, like I once was, often try this and tragically fail, I personally did $1000 worth of damage). In fact we must leave our rudder in neutral and bring trim tabs up. Yet no matter what the tide, wind etc. everyone (well almost everyone) can back into their slips with just throttles.

You will learn how to stop, spin, slant, etc. Biggest thing is to learn how to counteract your movment each time (like spinning in one direction and then countering the spin to stop). Once you master this, and I dont think it takes very long (newcomers at our marina get trained in a few weeks), you will dock anywhere in all conditions.

All you gotta do is "LET GO OF THE STEERING WHEEL" drive it more like a tank or bulldozer.

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2006 348 Vista
"Cruisin Home"
Hampton NH

This won't work very well if you have current and/or winds involved. The time it takes to 'stop' the boat doesn't change the fact that wind and water currents keep exerting their effects on it. What happens then is you get pushed past a point of reasonable control over the situation.

When it's gusting a bit in our fairway there's no room for error (it's only a hair wider than my boat is long). If I were to fully stop the boat before spinning I'd end up pushed by the wind onto someone else's bow anchor. Instead I tend to motor to just past the slip, pull it into reverse and steer using the throttles to both back up the boat and turn it.

How far I am from the opening of my slip depends on how much wind is present. If I'm getting a lot of wind off the bow I start by backing/turning when my stern is on the far side of the slip past mine. This way the wind hitting the bow pushing me back actually helps reversing/turning. If the wind is off my stern I start the pivot when the stern is just slightly before my own slip. This is less distance than the bow as the wind hitting the transom has less effect on the maneuvering. By the time the bow side of the hull (freeboard) starts getting pushed I'm already working into my slip.

My slip is just slightly more than 14' wide, with fixed docks (not floating). I have about a foot to spare on each side. Thankfully I have pilings on both sides at the bow and amidships. I don't have to contend with using fenders between myself and other boats.

There's no "one, true way" to dock a boat. Just a lot of techniques that can be applied based on the conditions at the time. Things that work under one set of conditions may be terribly useless under others. The key is getting familiar enough with your boat to know how to adjust to the conditions present.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Or you can buy an IPS equipped boat like we did! Took all the guess work out of it! LOL

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2008 378 Vista
"Not 2 SHABI"
IPS 500 Volvo-Penta D6

Previously
'06 318 Vista
'97 258 Vista
'98 195 Sundowner
'87 180 Horizon

I am sure it would. This is only good for a 2 engine boat.