Docking without Dockhands.

[mastreb]

I've never even heard of a marina providing linesmen. My routine procedure is to get a feel for the current, whether it will drift me towards or away from the dock, and adjust my procedure. If toward the dock, then no issues, if away, then I get dockside and immediately grab a cleat with the boathook, stablize against the dock, and then hop off dockline in hand.

When I first docked the boat, it was a comedy of errors that resulted in us docking in our neighbors slip and line handling the boat into ours, but the bottom line is that when you're only doing three knots, you won't do much damage to anything even if you do bump it.

I generally go in rudders down and about 1/4 daggerboard. Too much daggerboard and the current really grabs you, which causes crabbing in the tidal docks where I go in San Diego.

[dlandersson]

Something similar - I've got a cleat on the port side about 1/2 way between fore and aft. I toss a dock line around a pier support pole and secure the boat until my fore and aft lines can be put in place.

I've been using marinas exclusively in SFB since 2008 and have never seen or requested a dock-hand.

I attach the dockline to the tip of my boat-hook, using a rubber band. Then I motor slowly into the slip and get the line around the back cleat on the dock and then pull the back of the boat to the dock. My bow-line is let back to the back-stanchion, I or the admiral get of the back, take the bow-line and pull the bow in position.

Easy as pie

Obelix

[ronacarme]

Our marina provides no linesmen. I often singlehand during the week when nearby slip owners are absent.
Ala mastreb, I go in with rudders down and CB line about 3 inches out.
Our dock is not floating and is higher than the cockpit gunnel
Permanently tied to the dock. at about the mid point of the dock, is a 6 foot length of dockline.
Once in the slip with motor in neutral, I reach for and pick up the free end portion of that line, and wrap it once around the adjacent midship jib winch and cleat it with the boat snug against a fender on the adjacent mid-dock piling. The boat is thus fixed to the dock. The bow and stern dockline pairs can then be cleated as time permits. Reverse the sequence to leave the slip.
Ron

[dlandersson]

This is a better version of what I do - I am going to shamelessly steal your technique.

Our marina provides no linesmen. I often singlehand during the week when nearby slip owners are absent.
Ala mastreb, I go in with rudders down and CB line about 3 inches out.
Our dock is not floating and is higher than the cockpit gunnel
Permanently tied to the dock. at about the mid point of the dock, is a 6 foot length of dockline.
Once in the slip with motor in neutral, I reach for and pick up the free end portion of that line, and wrap it once around the adjacent midship jib winch and cleat it with the boat snug against a fender on the adjacent mid-dock piling. The boat is thus fixed to the dock. The bow and stern dockline pairs can then be cleated as time permits. Reverse the sequence to leave the slip.
Ron

[The-strikes]

I single hand all the time with no problem. The X under power is a motor boat, you just need to get used to the different frame of reference (sitting aft instead of midway starboard as you would in a stinkpot) and the high freeboard/no draft/wind factor. If I'm docking on the Starboard, I come in at an angle, turn to the port to get mostly parallel to the dock, then turn put the boat in reverse as I turn hard to starboard, which sucks the back in to the dock and stops the forward motion. Then I hop out and tie up....sometimes a little faster if there is a big wind. I have rudders and CB up.

[ALX357]

Just a suggestion that worked for me. ..... Turn the boat around before you get in close, and drive in reverse to the dock. From the cockpit, you can jump onto the dock finger of the slip, and have enough time and space to pull the boat in under control. If you prefer to stay in the boat until it is all the way in, use a boat hook or paddle to fend off from the dock at the end. CB down just a little, and one rudder down is sufficient, even at very slow speed.
The boat is much easier to steer and faster to respond when in reverse, you stand in front of the pedestal, facing the motor, you can see the rudders' angle without turning around, and steering is instinctive and predictable, with instant response and better control. Makes it easy to leave as well, just motor away with no need back out.

[dlandersson]

Probably why they do it that way in Europe.

Just a suggestion that worked for me. ..... Turn the boat around before you get in close, and drive in reverse to the dock. From the cockpit, you can jump onto the dock finger of the slip, and have enough time and space to pull the boat in under control. If you prefer to stay in the boat until it is all the way in, use a boat hook or paddle to fend off from the dock at the end. CB down just a little, and one rudder down is sufficient, even at very slow speed.
The boat is much easier to steer and faster to respond when in reverse, you stand in front of the pedestal, facing the motor, you can see the rudders' angle without turning around, and steering is instinctive and predictable, with instant response and better control. Makes it easy to leave as well, just motor away with no need back out.

[mastreb]

Just a suggestion that worked for me. ..... Turn the boat around before you get in close, and drive in reverse to the dock. From the cockpit, you can jump onto the dock finger of the slip, and have enough time and space to pull the boat in under control. If you prefer to stay in the boat until it is all the way in, use a boat hook or paddle to fend off from the dock at the end. CB down just a little, and one rudder down is sufficient, even at very slow speed.
The boat is much easier to steer and faster to respond when in reverse, you stand in front of the pedestal, facing the motor, you can see the rudders' angle without turning around, and steering is instinctive and predictable, with instant response and better control. Makes it easy to leave as well, just motor away with no need back out.

I reverse out this way as well, although you do have to contend with the fact that the current will have the bow of the ship up to 20 degrees off as you go. Just keep the outboard pointed where you want to be, rather than "straight", and everything will be fine.