Browsing: basic boat handling

Cruising Life
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How To Raft Up to Another Boat – Safely, Securely and With Nary a Scratch. See the Video

Nothing’s more fun than a mid-summer raft-up with friends. In the best of circumstances, a raft-up can be a floating picnic, a way to get together with old and new friends who all share your love of boating. Birds of a feather…In the worst of circumstances, well, you don’t want to go there. Here’s a great video from Motor Boat & Yachting about how to pull off a raft-up so you get all the enjoyment without any scrapes and bumps along the way. As with most of cruising, the key is preparation. If you’re rafting up to just one boat,…

Cruising Life
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How to Leave a Dock on a Windy Day: Keep Positive Control and Don’t Dawdle!

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…

Cruising Life
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How To Dock a Twin-Shaft Cruising Boat. Great Video

Here’s one of best on-the-water demonstrations of docking and around-the-docks maneuvering I’ve seen for a twin inboard shaft boat with a bow thruster. It seems a bit laid-back at first, but stay tuned.  The video is an excellent introduction if you’re new to boating, or a good reminder if you’re an old salt. Take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yQZSgUy2hQ