Hunter 31, Owner'S Manual, Page: 21 / 138

SAFE BOATING TIPS
PAGE
14
DOCKING
Docking your boat should be handled
carefully to avoid potential damage. Un-
der normal wind and water conditions,
the following considerations should be
made:
1. Whenever possible, your approach
should be made against the prevailing
wind and current to assist in stopping
the boat. Where these conditions are
contrary, the strongest should be used
to determine approach.
2. Approaching the dock: dock lines
should be at ready, loose gear stowed
and decks cleared. Determine the direc-
tion of the wind and current and when
you decide which side of the boat will be
against the dock, rig dock lines and fenders on the appropriate side. One
dock line should be attached to the bow
cleat, another to the stern cleat opposite
the side that will lie against the dock.
NOTE: If the boat is to lie against a pil-
ing, rig a fender board across two or
more pilings.
3. Tying up: attach bow and stern lines
to dock, hauling boat in with fenders
against dock. Rig crossing spring lines
to limit motion forward and aft. Be sure
to allow some slack in all lines to com-
pensate for tidal activity if present.
Never use bow rail, stern rail, or stan-
chions to secure a vessel, even for brief
periods. For other types of moorings, or
for abnormal wind or water conditions,
consult an approved boating guide.
ANCHORING
Your Hunter comes with an on deck an-
chor well and a Danforth type anchor as
standard equipment. The anchor is se-
lected to suit the size and weight of your
boat under normal anchoring conditions,
and is most effective in muddy or sandy
bottoms.
When anchoring, pay particular attention
to the scope of your anchor rode (the re-
lationship between of the water and the
length of the rode). A good rule of thumb
is to allow a scope of about 7:1 (a rode
seven times as long as the vertical dis-
tance from the bow to the bottom). A
helpful aid is to mark the rode every 20
feet or so with knots or other types of
indicators. Before dropping anchor,
make sure the bitter end is secured to
the cleat in the anchor well. Also, be
sure to consider wind direction, currents, mean low tide depths and other local
conditions when anchoring, as well as
positions of any boats already anchored
nearby.
To weigh anchor, motor or sail (under
main only) forward slowly. When at a
point directly above the anchor, a quick
tug should free it from the bottom. Take
care not to damage the topsides when
hauling.
Anchoring in unusual water/ and or
weather conditions will require additional
precautions. Consult an approved guide
for suggestions