Learn To Sail A Schooner No.3

Docking And Undocking Using A Spring

About SchoonerSail’s Learning To Sail A Schooner Articles

John, Trinovante’s skipper started writing these articles after some Trinovante Crew asked for more information on the fundamentals of schooner handling. These articles are not imagined theory. John has written about specific situations that have arisen. This is a standard manoeuver we are doing it all the time.

Seafaring is an ongoing learning process and John cautions against set piece manoeuvers. You need a plan but it needs to be flexible because things don’t always go according to plan.

Sail Training involves learning how to safely handle ropes, tying basic knots and using winches, among other things. The crew need these skills is to be able to carry out manoeuvres under sail or power.

Full in-depth knowledge of exactly what is going on is not essential, so dip into these Learning To Sail articles only if you want to.

Print Learn To Sail A Schooner No.3

Docking And Undocking Using A Spring

Image 1

Lines 1, the bow line and line 4, the stern line, hold the boat into the quay. Line 3 is the head spring and 2 is the back spring. The head spring stops the boat from going ahead and the back spring stops it going back.

Together they prevent Trinovante from surging ahead and astern in the berth. Individually they are invaluable in close quarters manoeuvring.

Learn To Sail A Schooner, Docking And Undocking Using A Spring image No.2

Image 2

All the lines have been taken in except the head spring No 3.

In slow ahead with starboard rudder applied the ship is in a stable position held into the quay by the tension on the head spring and the prop wash deflected from the rudder.

Now only one line is left for the crew to cast off

Learn To Sail A Schooner, Docking And Undocking Using A Spring image No.3

Image 3

The engine is then taken out of gear and the crew ease some slack in the head spring so that it may be cast off from ashore. We can also use a slip line if there is no handy passerby.

The line is then hauled in by the crew.

The ship will now blow sideways away from the quay with the bows tending to fall off the wind first.

This can be corrected if necessary with a short burst of ahead with full port rudder.

Learn To Sail A Schooner, Docking And Undocking Using A Spring image No.4

Image 4

We return to the same berth but with vessels moored either side. We can get close enough to pass a head spring ashore.

With starboard rudder and steady power applied the ship will be bowsed in to the quay. The spring is surged as necessary to exactly position the vessel in the berth. This line will be heavily loaded and in the charge of an experienced crew member.