SEAS Catalina 30 Operating Guidelines
8/10/2021
Page 20 of 28
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Additional crew members can assist as the skipper desires.
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All crew members should be instructed to give verbal feedback when they
have completed the task.
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The sequence of events is:
1. Take the starboard midships fender aboard. This removes a potential
obstacle.
2. After verbal confirmation that everyone is ready, and a visual check for
boat traffic, the helmsperson casts off the stern line (drop the line onto the
floating dock).
3. Instruct the bow person to cast off the bow lines, and to uncleat but hold
onto the spring line.
4. Engage reverse at idle throttle speed to get the boat moving backwards.
The person holding the line around the piling walks forward as appropriate
to stay near the piling, paying out the line as necessary but holding it tight
to keep the boat as close to the piling as possible.
5. The bow person uses the spring line to control, as much as possible, the
swing of the bow. Once this is no longer effective or the bow has passed
the dock cleat, drop the line onto the dock. Try to drop it in a way that will
make it easier to pick up on return.
6. The person with the warp line will release one end and pull the line
onboard once it has served its purpose.
7. Use a combination of turning the wheel and switching from reverse to
neutral to maintain speed and desired direction (putting it in neutral
eliminates prop walk and makes turning the stern to starboard more
effective). Do not use excessive throttle!
8. Once the bow person announces that the boat is completely out of the
slip, maneuver as necessary to proceed out of the creek.
Returning to the slip
at Brown’s Point Marina
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Evaluate the wind and current situation. Will the boat be pushed starboard or port
when it is broadside to the creek? This will determine whether you will approach
the slip high (from further starboard) or low (from further port).
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Prepare the crew
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One person will be on the starboard side with the boat hook, to retrieve
the spring line. This person must be prepared (and agile enough) to get off
the boat onto the finger pier if necessary, to retrieve the spring line if the
boat hook didn’t work, and later on to get the bow lines.
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One person will be on each side, near the bow, prepared to fend off
whichever piling the boat comes up against first. As the boat continues
into the slip they will walk back to stay at the piling.
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Prepare the boat
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Fenders down
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Boat hook on the foredeck
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Approach the slip far enough out into the channel that you can make a controlled
turn towards the slip, keeping in mind your evaluation of which way the boat will
