NW Explorations
AQUILA OPERATING MANUAL
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3B: Maneuvering Suggestions
3B1: Docking & Undocking
Usually it’s easier to dock bow in. Have your
mate at the side rail opening, ready to step off
and secure the stern line, against which you
can pull to swing the bow in toward the dock.
By having your mate ready to disembark when
close to the dock, he/she will not have to jump
to the dock, risking a turned ankle or falling
overboard. It is the skipper’s job to put the boat
next to the dock so the mate needn’t jump, but
merely step off!
Approaching a dock, have
fenders out as required and have the bow line already rigged, passed through its
hawse pipe, and draped back on the side of the boat between the stanchions so it can be reached from the
dock. Never put a line from a cleat over a rail: the boat’s weight will bend or break the rail if it pulls against the
line! When the mate’s ashore, the line can be easily reached!
If dock clearance permits, spring the boat forward so that it pulls forward on the stern line. This will bring the
stern close to the dock. Let the bow line out enough so that the boat can rest against the stern and midships
fenders.
3B2: Maneuvering in a Harbor
With its twin screws, you’ll do best if you center the rudder and steer with the engines only! The props are
so large that the boat will respond well except in high winds just with use of the propellers in forward and/
or reverse. Take your time, and keep the boat running “dead slow” so that you can plan each approach. You
shouldn’t need to use the throttles at all.
Filling the Fuel Tanks
With the large fuel tanks, you can fuel the boat pretty fast using a standard hose and nozzle (like those on auto
gas
pumps). Fuel each tank, taking the hose around the fore-or-aft deck to reach the outside fill pipe (don’t
drag the hose over the decks or teak rails: have someone help you handle it). Fill both the tanks completely
but do not spill fuel! You can control the flow rate by sound, as the fill pipes make the characteristic “getting to
the top of the bottle” pitch change when the fill pipes begin to f
ill when the tanks themselves are full. (The tank
vents will gurgle before the tanks are full, so when the vents begin gurgling, slow down until you hear the fill
pipes’ pitch change.)
You can tell fuel levels in two ways: By the sight gauges in the engine room on each tank (accurate); and by
the gauges on the electronics panel above the galley cabinets and windshield to left of the lower helm.