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Random Quote: There are no bad boats, just some better than others...
I have a 23' center-console with a single outboard. As one would guess, docking in wind and current is often a challenge. Everyone says that docking with twins is much easier, and understandably so.
Somewhere on this forum, I remember someone mentioning that they used their trolling tabs for docking. I currently have Lenco tabs, but not trolling tabs. I think the trolling tabs would fit the same mounting holes as the regular Lenco's.
At this time, I have no intentions of trading boats, so twin outboards are out for now. I likely will not change the tabs anytime soon. However, I am curious how well the trolling tabs work for docking. Anybody use them for this? Do they have enough power to dock a deep-v boat weighing approximately 4500 lbs loaded in current and wind? How well do they reverse? Can they be run off of the two regular batteries without adding more batteries? (The trolling feature would be used for docking only, so it shouldn't be too much strain on batteries.) Is the use of outboard power still recommended in conjunction with the tabs, or could the tabs handle docking alone?
If I decide to keep my boat for the long term, the Lenco's will likely eventually need replacing. I realize that the trolling tabs are considerably more expensive, but might be worth it for better docking abilities. Heck, we all like to trick our boats out to suit our individual tastes and needs.
Any experiences and opinions would be appreciated.
Drifter,
I have lenco trollin tabs on my 24' maxum scr. I only use the tabs to dock. I even use them to back into slips when we go to stay over night. Also I have a tight space to put the boat on the trailer so I use them to drive the boat onto the trailer.
I have to tell you I use them all of the time, when I want to get into skinny water, docking, when I raft up to another boat I use them to ease in.
My boat weighs around 5500 pounds, and sits high off of the water so there is a lot of wind surface, if not for the these tabs I would have a lot of trouble docking in a high wind.
A tight slip and a boat with a lot of sail forced me to learn how to dock. The trick is to make good use of spring lines and learn how to use the wind to help you.
Although every docking situation is different, teh principles are the same. Here's my setup:
Going up the river, I take a left so A dock is on my port side and B dock is on my starboard side. My slip is on B dock, and when I back in, the finger is on my port side.
I take the left between A dock and B dock, and just as I approach my slip on my starboard side, I go in reverse, with hard right rudder, back in, and tie off to the finger on my port side.
Now when it's windy, even if I'm perfectly straight when I start backing in, the stiff crosswind start to blow my bow away from the finger and towards a nice Grady White. No amount of forward and reverse will help, and my entire boat starts drifting from the finger. In this case, I have to chagne my approach.
When approaching my slip, I have the boat idling, only putting it in gear every few seconds to maintain headway. I have a tailwind at this point. Imagine a line across the channel from my slip to the slip directly across form me on A dock. I don't let my bow cross this line. Just before getting to my finger, I spin the wheel hard left and give it a little goose and then back into neutral again. This starts a slow spin. Now hard to starboard with a little goose in reverse. This continues my spin and slows my forward progress. I never let my bow cross that imaginary line described above, so anyone watching might think I'm aiming for the wrong slip. I continue my turn until I've gone about 130 degrees. Now I start to back the stern into my slip, and the bow wants to bang into the finger, since I'm not even close to straight. But since I have that crosswind that was trying to blow me into the Grady, I just wait until the wind straightens me out enough to back in a little further. As the wind keeps pushing my bow, it's straightening me out. The more it straightens me out, the further I go back. You don't want to too long as once it's completely straight it will start to get worse.
As soon as I'm backed in, I can hop off and secure the 2 lines. I have a long bow line withteh bitter end in the cockpit, and a stern line tied to the stern cleat on the opposite (starboard) side of the boat. I make these 2 lines fast first, and then make everything pretty.
To clarify, I haven't had significant docking problems. But my marina always has current, and docking alone can be challenging at times (especially with the addition of wind). The marina has a relatively small amount of maneuvering space. Just looking for an easier way, a better mousetrap.
I've never owned a boat with twins, but often hear about how much easier docking can be with twins. I remembered someone mentioning using their trolling tabs, and just thought I would pose the question for possible future consideration of the tabs.
IMO taking your time, not getting flustered, and going very slowly is the best practice. Learn how your boat responds to wind gusts and current and let them work for you instead of against you. Good luck......
Trolling Tabs for docking?
