Trip from San Francisco to British Columbia & Bull Rails

[John Langford]

You haven't really lived this problem until you try tying to the customs dock at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. It's enough to turn a single hander to hard drink. BTW on Vancouver Island we call a midship line a breast line. Don't ask me why.

[Stu Jackson]

John was a great help via email as we came up the coast and prepared us for Canadian waters.  Thanks again, John.

I'm still waiting for the "trick" to get a midships line from the boat to the dock with a bull rail.

I DID find my grapnel hook this afternoon.  It needs a more substantial shackle than the one that it came with.  We have a very good marine store at Maple Bay Marina.  I'm working on thinking out the line(s) required.   I may do a Nauti-Duck arrangement.  See this:

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5445.msg33766.html#msg33766

[KWKloeber]

You haven't really lived this problem until you try tying to the customs dock at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. It's enough to turn a single hander to hard drink. BTW on Vancouver Island we call a midship line a breast line. Don't ask me why.

I'm not debating what people call what in which locations, but nautically speaking, a breast line, or breast rope, is run from a cleat directly (squarely, opposed to how a spring is run) to the mooring post, and can be at the bow cleat, stern cleat or midship cleat.   visually, if your dock cleats were spaced exactly the same as your bow and stern cleats, you would in effect have two breast lines.

[Stu Jackson]

It's very simple:

All Canadians are Mel Brooks fans:

It's good to be King! 

[KWKloeber]

Stu

you can also bend up or weld a pc of rebar into a shape that will fit over the rail, with a loop on the end for a line or shackle.  I think I'd make a couple for each a 4x4 and 6x6.

k

[Craig Illman]

Stu - You've probably seen these.....

https://captnmike.com/2012/08/06/how-to-tie-your-boat-to-a-bull-rail-part-1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neEVkss3ZlI

and Single Handed docking video (but with no visible wind or current and when is that ever the situation?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKu9s2MC-cw

I thought I've seen where someone sold a square-ish hook like Ken proposed, but I can't find it.

I think the worst risk is picking up splinters in your docklines from these.

Craig

[KWKloeber]

hmmmmm... I think I'd beta a boat pole with clips on it that would hold a hook and the line, that you could pop off the line as soon as the hook is over the rail. 

I feel a market developing here.............. 

kk

[Craig Illman]

Ok Ken, you're single-handing, grabbed the bull rail with the custom boat hook, now what? Duct tape the boat hook to a stanchion in a figure eight? 

[KWKloeber]

Ok Ken, you're single-handing, grabbed the bull rail with the custom boat hook, now what? Duct tape the boat hook to a stanchion in a figure eight? 

gotta read my text. not just the pics. 
Line pops off the pole (then bend it onto a midship cleat.)

If I were using a pole like pictured, it would be just to hang on long enough to step off with the midship line in hand, or to drop a square hook (and line) onto the rail.  It might be diffy getting a square hook on the rail by tossing it --- not sure it would 'set.")

But now that you mention it...... an articulated sliding fitting on the pole with a mating clamp on the toe rail, and...........  nah..... too expensive to fabricate...   

k

[Stu Jackson]

Stu - You've probably seen these.....

https://captnmike.com/2012/08/06/how-to-tie-your-boat-to-a-bull-rail-part-1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neEVkss3ZlI

and Single Handed docking video (but with no visible wind or current and when is that ever the situation?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKu9s2MC-cw

Craig,

Thanks, I've seen some.

The inconsistencies in the videos is truly appalling.

The last one makes me gag.  Not because she's a woman, but because of all the extra work involved.  First she puts the lines OVER the rails, then she comes back and puts them under.  Why not just do it right to begin with?  As a singlehander, I always wanted to do as little work as possible.

The first link makes sense, put them UNDER so you can get them doubled back to the boat and easily freed.

The Douglass hitch does it completely differently, with the lines first coming over the rail.

However, folks, NONE of them, NONE, address the real issue of docking singlehanded with wind and/or current.  Like cleats allow you to do.

There appears to be no safe, sure, easy method.

Yet.

I'll go out and practice some and get back to ya.  I doubt if I'll be able to reinvent the wheel, either. 

Some of you might have noticed that I modified the title of the thread, too.   

[waterdog]

Congratulations Stu and welcome to Canada!   If you bump into Salish Dragon, come alongside.  I'll have five cleats for you to tie off on with no bull rails.  25ig Rocna and 200 feet of 3/8 chain should keep us on the bottom. 

Epic trip well done. 

[Jon W]

Hi Stu, waterdogs post reminded me to ask about your ground tackle. How much chain do you have and what size?

[Stu Jackson]

...your ground tackle. How much chain do you have and what size?

1/4", 50 feet, no windlass, 5/8" 200 ft. of rode replaced our old 1/2" on "Day 1 1/2" of the trip.  I will most likely add length of chain with new chain, most likely larger chain (5/16"), and may well need longer rode.  I might also need a heavier Rocna.

I'm doing my research and homework as we speak.   

[Paulus]

Hi Stu, read your blog.  Sounds as if you had a great trip.   You got to know your crew, and your "mistress".  Enjoyed reading about your trip.
Take care, Paul

[Stu Jackson]

I've updated the photos up to rounding "The Corner" at Cape Flattery and into Neah Bay.