Launching Off a Dock in Medium to Heavy Air

Letitflow

Letitflow

New Member
I'll make this all questions: (About launching from a dock in medium to heavy breeze):

1- Sail raised, try to point into wind and dive on from the dock in a spazz move?
2- Sail not raised, separate goose neck tie down and main halyard raised after boarding?
3- Sail raised, loose hauled to luff in the wind, tie to dock somehow (like a cleat mounted under the footwell lip? Step on, grab tiller and quick release line to dock while sheeting in, and blast away? Like James Bond only more spastic?
4- Sail not raised (see #2 above) but paddle feverishly away (remember it's medium to heavy air) from the dock and raise sail in a panic while tiller spazzes out?

It's a long story but I HAVE to launch from a dock. Any ideas? I did a search but didn't see much. Any VIDEO out there of dock launches of a sunfish when it's blowing a bit? Or quite a bit?

If no ideas are available I'd appreciate some sarcasm.

All help appreciated. ⛵️
 
Ok will do. The water at the end of dock is 10-12 ft. When you get 50 ft away from dock it's 16-18 ft.
 
1 is the way to go. Only takes a bit of practice. People have all sorts of odd alternative ideas, but 1 is the way legitimate sailors do it all over the world. No need for weird Alternative rigging, etc. just learn good seamanship and it will serve you for life.
 
beldar boathead said:
1 is the way to go. Only takes a bit of practice. People have all sorts of odd alternative ideas, but 1 is the way legitimate sailors do it all over the world. No need for weird Alternative rigging, etc. just learn good seamanship and it will serve you for life.
Click to expand...

Good points. Just trying not to beat up the fish. Or me. Bourbon before Advil after is how I typically launch. My back is never happy with a spastic launch though. Lol
 
If the wind is trying to blow you onto the shore you need to be able to push out far enough to get the daggerboard down and establish a tack. This might mean you have to go wading to push out far enough.
Obviously this is the one that gives people the most trouble. You have to push, hop on plus establish control of rudder and sail rapidly.

It might help to tie the rudder straight with the mainsheet and bridle. (using a knot that pulls out with a quick yank) That can give you an extra couple of seconds to get situated after hopping in.

If its blowing you straight out from shore you don't have to drop the daggerboard in order to get away from shore... You're going out without much effort at all.

While its not really necessary to be rigged for raising the sail from the cockpit, it might help a little.

I'll never understand the fear of raising and lowering sail when the boat is not on the shore... People have been doing it for millennia.
I consider it part of basic boat handling to know how to do it. I like timing dropping the sail and pulling the daggerboard to drift in the last couple of feet and gently bump the dock as I loop a line around a dock cleat.
 
fhhuber said:
If the wind is trying to blow you onto the shore you need to be able to push out far enough to get the daggerboard down and establish a tack. This might mean you have to go wading to push out far enough.
Obviously this is the one that gives people the most trouble. You have to push, hop on plus establish control of rudder and sail rapidly.

It might help to tie the rudder straight with the mainsheet and bridle. (using a knot that pulls out with a quick yank) That can give you an extra couple of seconds to get situated after hopping in.

If its blowing you straight out from shore you don't have to drop the daggerboard in order to get away from shore... You're going out without much effort at all.

While its not really necessary to be rigged for raising the sail from the cockpit, it might help a little.

I'll never understand the fear of raising and lowering sail when the boat is not on the shore... People have been doing it for millennia.
I consider it part of basic boat handling to know how to do it. I like timing dropping the sail and pulling the daggerboard to drift in the last couple of feet and gently bump the dock as I loop a line around a dock cleat.
Click to expand...

Well said. I'm an aging catamaran guy that just never used a dock and the heavy breeze where my dock is creates a challenge. It's doable though. Just trying to give the options a closer look. As for coming back to the dock I will be dropping the sail for sure with a view toward paddling the last few feet until I get my groove. I have high winds at times but luckily no current to deal with.
 
Letitflow said:
Ok will do. The water at the end of dock is 10-12 ft. When you get 50 ft away from dock it's 16-18 ft.
Click to expand...
I'm also an aging catamaran sailor. :)

Catamarans can accelerate like a slingshot, so I can understand your hesitancy with a less efficient rig. I'd try the "mushroom anchor launch" first, if you are between boathouses, shoreline weeds, or other docks. You can always retrieve the anchor and anchor line later, as you gain confidence.

My own launches are into a reliably-consistent wind with only one other dock to (not) hit. :confused:
 
You just captured the essence of my first sailing experience last weekend! lol Good timing! I just about took out the neighbors pier on the 1st launch, and had the wife push me a little further out on the second. I'm thinking I need to tow this thing out with the toon until I am not a threat to the local society for the immediate future. :)
 
1- Sail raised, try to point into wind and dive on from the dock in a spazz move?

That worked for me, in a spazztastic way!

Landing at a dock in the same wind was, as a friend of mine say, 'dynamic'.
 
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