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Using
Pivot Points (19-3) by
Dusty Miller
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 Sometimes
when a large commercial ship is maneuvering in tight
confines with a strong wind, the captain will usually
back his vessel up against a large pylon and pivot his
ship around that point. This maneuver is highly effective
and results in a successful landing. While your boat
may not be 80-plus feet or loaded with 100 tons of cargo,
the same technique can be applied when you're in the
tight confines of a marina.
The first thing to do is look at the water around your
boat and check the direction of the wind. Don't rely
on the marine report - it only tells you about the wind
in open water. Along the shore, in bays or marinas,
the wind is usually completely different. But in all
likelihood, it will be gusty.
The natural thing to do is wait for the wind to pass
momentarily. However, you're better off starting when
the wind is at its strongest, since there's always an
interval of time between the moment you engage your
engines and the time the boat starts to turn. For example,
if you start your move at the height of the gust, your
vessel will be moving during the lull. If you start
in the lull, the wind will probably pick up making it
difficult to control your vessel.
Let's say you want to back into a slip that opens to
the west, there's a wind blowing from the south and
your approach is from the north, into the wind. Since
you need to back into the slip, you may have to turn
180 degrees in the channel of the marina. I find it's
much easier to back into the wind at low speeds than
it is to go forward. If you head in nose first, the
wind will immediately catch the bow and you'll have
to maneuver quickly to compensate for the direction
the wind is forcing you. While the stern is not pointed,
there's a little more time to react when your vessel
falls off the wind. OK, let's warp into the slip like
one of those expert captains.
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(Read full article in the magazine.) (Page
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