At the end of a long pier at SUNY Maritime College in New York are two clusters of piles used to protect the Empire State IV training vessel. The pier was adjacent to the swift tidal currents of the East River, and before each day’s practice, I would make a point of sailing in a figure eight around the pilings. This simple exercise improved my boathandling skills in close quarters.
It doesn’t matter whether I’m someplace like that, daysailing through a mooring field, closing in near a marina, or lining up on a crowded starting line for a race. The goal is to navigate safely in close quarters while enjoying the sights.
I enjoy waving to mariners on other boats and to people on the dock. Everyone waves back. People are friendly on the water. But you need to be careful: The most important factor in this type of sailing is to control your boat’s speed. If the boat is stopped, there is no maneuverability.
There are three important factors when handling a boat: rudder position, sail trim and weight balance. Make sure your sheets are ready for trimming. Have the lines in hand, not cleated. Check that the sheets are coiled neatly so that they can be eased or trimmed at a moment’s notice.
The helmsman should constantly communicate the next maneuver to the crew. Crews do not like surprises, like a sudden jibe where the boom flies across the deck or a fast turn that puts everyone off balance.
Don’t be shy with the crew. Ask everyone to stay low so that there is adequate visibility for the person at the helm. Avoid loud chatter, which will allow everyone to concentrate on assigned duties. Turn the rudder slowly so that the boat keeps momentum. This is important when approaching a dock or a mooring buoy.
I find that a boat is easier to steer when there is a slight leeward heel. The position of the crew’s weight is important.
Keep a lookout for other boats or objects. When hailing a warning to the rest of the crew in the cockpit, be sure to turn toward them so that you will be heard. Establishing eye contact helps communications.
Things can go horribly wrong in close quarters. I watched a horrifying video recently of a small cruising boat struggling to stay clear of a pier extending out into the Pacific Ocean. The helmsman kept heading up to avoid hitting the pier. The action put the boat in irons with no steerage at all. Eventually, the boat smashed into the pier and broke its mast.
The solution for this unfortunate sailor should have been to head down, trim the sails and accelerate. Just 2 or 3 knots of speed would have made the difference, allowing the boat to tack out of harm’s way.
If the boat is slow, head down to gain speed. Your speed will increase in just one boatlength. A sailboat will accelerate quickly when you bear off if you ease the sails out. Avoid overtrimming the sails. If you head up, trim the sails in as you turn toward the wind. The trimming action on the mainsail will help the boat turn up, allowing you to use less rudder. A fast turn forces the rudder to drag and slow the boat.
If another boat is sailing toward you or in close proximity, give a hail so that they hear you. If you must make a maneuver, then make a deliberate course change of at least 15 degrees so that the other crew will see your action. The important thing is to avoid any chance of a collision. Keeping the VHF radio tuned to Channel 16 is also a good practice.
Continuously take mental bearings with your surroundings. Observe the object you are heading for, and use that line of sight with a distant object. The change in bearing between the near and far objects will help you be sure that you are sailing the correct course.
Understanding the direction the wind is coming from is essential in close quarters. Use every available source. My favorite wind indicator is the masthead fly. I glance at the top of the mast frequently to see the direction of the wind.
You can also observe the masthead wind indicators of other boats in the harbor, as well as flags onshore and pennants flying from shrouds or from the mastheads of other boats. Best of all, you can see the sail trim and course that other boats are steering in the vicinity—even if the enclosed waters make it hard to see wind ripples on the water.
Be careful not to sail too fast. Your hull will make waves, which annoys sailors at dockside or anchor. I find it best to pass to leeward of moored or anchored boats to avoid fouling the anchor line. This technique also ensures that your mast will not get entangled with another rig. Try to maneuver in open waters. Most boats can make a comfortable turn in one to two boatlengths. In particularly tight quarters, it is acceptable to have the engine running in case you need it.
You can practice maneuvers using a single buoy as a reference point. Tack and jibe around the buoy to get a feeling about the distance it takes to bear off or luff up. Experiment with fast and slow turns to get a better feel for your boat. This is what helped me with the two piling clusters off the Maritime College pier.
A word of caution: Don’t be a showoff. I recall a 12-Metre skipper who was inspired to entertain a wedding party taking pictures on a floating dock. The skipper misjudged the speed of the boat as he was attempting to land. He hit the dock at about 4 knots. Luckily, no one went into the water, but the bride and groom looked horrified.
Too many of us have done similar things. When I was about 17 years old and skippering a speedy E Scow, I decided to show off by flying into the harbor at about 20 knots. At the last second, I rounded the boat hard into the wind. The boat came to a stop, and the sailors watching my antics erupted in applause. The only person not clapping was the boat’s owner. His comment a few minutes later was, “Son, that wasn’t cool.”
