Leaving a dock on a windy day can be challenging, if not intimidating, particularly if the wind is holding you on the dock. But there are ways to get off cleanly and under control.
Docking on my single-screw Grand Banks 36 (without a bow thruster) was not always fun. But I did make good use of some tips from the pros, which you can use whether you have a single or twin-screw boat.
If the wind is holding you on the dock, take a spring line aft from the bow and loop it around a dock cleat toward the middle of the boat. Double it back to the bow so you can release it from the boat.
Then put the boat in forward gear, turning the bow into the dock. Make sure you have extra fenders on the bow for this maneuver. As you go forward, the spring line will act as a lever, moving the stern out from the dock. Keep going forward until the stern is clear enough so you can back out safely. Then pull the spring line back on the boat, put the boat in reverse and you’ll be good to go. The neat thing about this is that there is almost no boat movement forward or aft so this will work even if you have other boats on the dock hemming you in.
Here are other great tips on a video from Motor Boat & Yachting that will help. One basic point is to drive the boat positively, to keep it under control. Don’t dawdle. And remember that the bow will fall off the wind as soon as you clear the dock (if you’re going bow first), which will move your stern into the dock unless you compensate. Take a look here:
