Docking Your Boat On The River? Tips and Tricks For Smooth Docking

Boating up and down the river enjoying one of the greatest assets Mother Nature has to offer is without a doubt one of the greatest ways to spend a summer day, unless you happen to be or be around someone that does not understand how the rivers current can affect docking a boat.

While boating up and down the river the current sometimes goes unnoticed until you are at idle speed or you are not under power and are just floating along in open water. River current speed varies but at normal pool on the Muskingum River here in Southern Ohio it generally flows between 1 and 2 mph (.8 to 1.8 knots). Of course this flow rate changes with the level of the river.

The rivers current also shows it power when docking your boat and if you don't show it the respect it deserves it will turn what should have been a simple docking maneuver into a docking disaster. Here are a few tips and tricks to follow to insure a safe and uneventful docking experience.

1. If you are not familiar with the dock and water conditions at the dock make an up river pass at idle speed a safe distance off the dock, pay close attention to the water conditions, any noticeable snags or protruding rock formations, the condition of the dock; are there cleats on the dock? Is the vacant space big enough for your boat?
2. Now that you have familiarized yourself with the conditions you will need to prepare your boat accordingly. Put out your boat fenders, get your dock lines ready, attach a line to the port side cleat closest to the bow and attach another line to the port side cleat closest to the stern.
3. Inform your crew of your intentions and what you want each of them to do and when. (tip; have everyone stay seated while you are approaching the dock and maneuvering your boat into position.)
4. Always approach the boat dock heading up river into the current, most of the time you only have one chance to put your boat into place smoothly without incident so take it slow but be assertive. Approach the boat dock at a 45 deg. angle while heading the bow of your boat at a spot on the dock that would represent about two thirds of your intended dock space, when the bow of your boat is approximately 10 feet off the dock change your angle to 30 deg. and power down, at this angle the current will push your bow towards the dock and slow your forward momentum, when your bow is approximately 3 feet off the dock quickly spin the helm full port (counterclockwise) and bump the engine into reverse, this will bring the stern to the dock, stop your forward momentum and make your boat parallel with the dock.
5. At the point that the boats settles in parallel to the dock, step onto the dock and secure the bow with the dock line you previously attached to the forward port cleat. (tip; always secure the bow first, if the bow is allowed to drift out the current will quickly force the boat out away from the dock and push it down river.)
6. Once you have secured the bow line secure the stern line, make sure you leave enough slack in the lines to allow the boat to ride out the wakes of passing boats, add additional fenders if needed and depending on the boat and the conditions you may need to add spring lines to help keep the boat parallel with the dock, and to keep it from moving forward in windy conditions.

When the time comes to leave the boat dock and go back to boating there are a few things you will need to be aware of to insure an uneventful exit from the dock.

1. Start the boat a few minutes before you are ready to leave, bring the engine up to operating temperature, you don't want a cold stall while attempting to exit your dock space. 
2. Designate one of your passengers as the docking hand and have the others take a seat and remain seated until you are out away from the boat dock.
3. It is important to remove the dock lines in the correct sequence; first remove any spring lines you may have used, next remove the stern line, once everyone is seated and the captain gives the word the dock hand should remove the bow line and quickly push the bow of the boat out away from the dock, then walk quickly to the stern and board the boat making sure the stern clears the dock, at this point the river current will have caught the bow of the boat and will have started to pulled it out and down river, once the dock hand is safely aboard engage the drive into forward gear and gently power out of your dock space, if all went well you should be exiting your dock space at about the same angle that you approached it coming in.
4. Once you have cleared the dock area and are in open river remove any remaining fenders and dock lines and enjoy your boating day on the river. 

Always make sure your dock lines and fenders are in good condition, when the time comes to replace and or upgrade your docking equipment or for any of your boating supplies please visit our friends at West Marine.

Boat often and Boat safe.

As always your questions and comments are encouraged and appreciated.

Muskingum River Boating Update; May 28, 2013

The month of May or should we call it "Maybe" has brought us another interesting week of weather. Boating on the river is always interesting in May, Maybe it will be nice? Maybe it wont? Frost bite? Sun burn?

We all were hoping that mother nature would dish up 3 good boating days for the Memorial Day weekend, we have had worse, and we certainly have had better, Saturday was a little cool to start, but developed into a decent afternoon, nice enough to tempt the youngsters into the water, but cool enough that they headed straight to the beach fire when they came out of the water, (wonder if they thanked gram-pa for the fire).

Sunday was a much nicer boating day, the sun brought out boats of all kinds, we had pontoon boats, jet boats, fast boats, slow boats, cruisers, jet ski, all enjoying the day boating on the river. in the Philo pool the sand bars were the popular choice for stopping and mingling with fellow boaters and swimming for the kids. Once the volley ball net was up the games were on.

                                                   The sand bar on Sunday afternoon.

                                              The quieter side of a day enjoying the river.

Monday; Memorial Day was not quite as boater friendly as Sunday with rain in the morning, this gave the boaters that needed a little extra recovery time a nice break without missing out on prime boating conditions. Late afternoon early evening it cleared up and was great for a sunset river cruise to closeout the holiday weekend.

All said and done it was a pretty good start to the boating season, the river is at normal pool and running clean, the locks are all open from Lock # 10 (Zanesville) to Lock # 2 (Devola). The 30 day forecast is for Summer like temperatures, so get out there and do some river boating and enjoy yourself boating on the Muskingum River.

Checkout the great deals that our friends at West Marine have, whether your looking for boating products or items to enhance your boating experience West Marine is a great choice.

Boat often and Boat safe.

As always your questions and comments are encouraged and appreciated.

Muskingum River Boating Update; May 17, 2013

Well, it looks to be a pretty nice weekend for boating, maybe a stray shower or two but that is to be expected this time of year here in Southeastern Ohio. Can't imagine that the possibility of a shower would hold back a river boater.

The River is looking better every day, it is running exceptionally clean for this time of year. The water level has been on a study decline all this week. Below are the gauge readings for Zanesville, McConnelsville, and Marietta as of 4:00 pm today 5/17/13.

• Zanesville Lock = 10.08 ft. ( not 100% accurate as the gauge needs replaced)
• McConnelesville Lock = 3.58 ft.
• Marietta (Mouth of the Muskingum) = 16.08

These readings are just a couple of feet above "Normal Pool" if there is such a thing. the forecast is for the mighty Muskingum to continue to drop, another 8 - 10" next week.

So boaters get those boats in the water and do some boating. The "Sand Bars" just below the Philo Lock are looking good, other than they need some boats beached on them, the volley ball net needs some attention, normal start of the boating season stuff. The locks are open and the channel markers are out, below is a photo of the markers at the lower end of the sand bars.

The only thing missing in this photo are boats with boaters aboard enjoying the river. If your boat is not ready this weekend would be a great time to take care of that. Work on the boat Saturday, play on the boat Sunday? Maybe take a boat trip through one of the locks and get your lock pass for the season if you haven't already done so. Sounds like a good plan if you can put that grass mowing and those other chores that will still be there after the boating. Hope to see you all on the river soon.

Boat often, Boat safe.

As always your questions and comments are encouraged and appreciated.

Understanding River Navigation Markers

Boating on the River is a wonderful way to spent your leisure time enjoying one of natures most beautiful offerings. To insure you have a safe enjoyable time you will need to know and understand a few things about navigating a river. Most navigable rivers are either federal or state controlled waterways, typically rivers that support commercial traffic will be federal waterways, both are navigated in the same manner.

The river channel will be marked with navigation markers, these come in several different forms depending on the situation, there are floating buoys, fixed markers mounted on posts, pilings, bridge piers in the water, and fixed markers mounted on land, sometimes on a post, tower or natural rock or tree. There are two basic colors of channel markers, red and green. These markers are sometimes lighted with flashing lights that are the same color as the marker, if the marker is not lighted it will be highly reflective as to be easily found at night.

Generally speaking you will only find markers when there is a hazard, generally shallow water, or rocks just below the waters surface. Both of these conditions can end your boating day and cause very significant damage to your boat and or outdrive.

Below are a few basic terms you will need to know to properly navigate the river.

• Bow = the front of your boat.
• Stern = the rear of your boat.
• Starboard = the right side of your boat while facing the bow.
• Port = the left side of your boat while facing the bow.
• Red Markers have a corresponding shape = triangle (pointed up)
• Green Markers have a corresponding shape = rectangle
• Descending Bank = the banks of the river while traveling down stream 

If you are new to boating on the river the channel markers can be a little confusing. There is a old maritime phrase "Red Right Return" that will help you remember which side of the marker you need to be on. This phrase means that you keep the red to your right when returning from sea, or to translate that to an inland river setting you would keep the red marker on your right (starboard) side when traveling upstream. Simply reverse this rule for downstream travel keeping the red marker to your left (port) side.

If you encounter a set of markers; meaning a red and a green simply boat between the two markers as close to the center of the marked channel as possible. If the marked channel is narrow and another boat is approaching from the other direction, both boats should slow to a no-wake speed while in the marked channel to keep from swamping each other.

If you encounter a string of markers of the same color draw an imaginary line from marker to marker and treat that as you would a line on the highway, and stay a safe distance off the line.

If the markers are on shore you would again draw a imaginary line between markers and follow the route, like connecting the dots.

There also are danger markers that you need to watch for, these are near dams, around designated swimming areas, around marines, these markers are white in color with orange stripes and different shapes depending on what the danger is. Generally speaking you need to steer clear of the marked area or proceed at idle speed (no-wake)

That is the basics of using the markers to help you navigate the river, I hope this helps you have a safe boating experience. Boat safe and Boat often.

Please don't hesitate to post your questions or comments

Itching to go Boating? A Lake May Be Your Best Choice.

Most of the rivers across the country are running at elevated levels, especially the rivers in the Midwest as most of those are at or approaching action levels and are way to dangerous to be boating on. Conversely the lakes are a much safer choose at this time for your first boating trip. The water is going to be cool but you can have an enjoyable boating experience without getting in the water.

Pack a nice assortment of snacks and your favorite beverages, take a grill with you and some burgers and dogs. While boating around the lake keep your eye open for a nice cove where you can beach your boat and setup a little camp, and grill out your dinner. Maybe do little fishing or just chill out. This is also a good time to checkout your boat, you know the little things, has the battery been charging, the boat isn't taking on an water, make a list of all the things that you thought you had on board but now you have discovered you forgot. But mostly enjoy your first boating trip.

Although the Muskingum River her in Southeastern Oho is only about 3 feet above normal and running pretty clean, one should exercise great caution if you are thinking of venturing out on a boat trip. that extra 3 feet of water may be just enough to cover some very nasty snags that may have appeared over the winter, the extra water may also be covering a sand or gravel bar. If you are not familiar with the river and the normal location of the shallow areas you should proceed with extreme caution. The good news is the State set the channel markers today, that is always helpful and a good indicator that the boating season is upon us, and the locks are open.

I am going to build a nice camp fire and enjoy the river from the patio with a few friends and tell old boating stories.

Remember never fight Old Man River; he has never lost a fight.

Boat safe!

Boat Docks Need Love Too! Boat Dock Checklist.

One of the most important items to an avid river boater is a boat dock, a place that one can leave their boat and feel confident that it is safe and secure.

With the boating season quickly approaching or maybe for some is already here, we need to check out that boat dock. Below is a check list; check these items and correct as needed to insure that your boat dock will serve you well throughout the boating season. This checklist is for docks that are currently out of the water, I will address "docks in the water" in a separate post.

1. Turn the dock over so the flotation side is up, check all of your flotation devices for damage. Here in my neck of the woods most river folks us plastic 55 gallon barrels, check for cracks and holes, of course replace any that are not water tight or are questionable.
2. Check the banding or whatever method you have of holding your flotation devices in place, you want to be sure they will last the season.
3. Inspect the frame work of your dock, make sure there are no missing braces, bolts, angles, or broken, framing members.
4. Turn the docks over and inspect the top side decking for loose or damaged decking.
5. Make sure your mooring cleats are secure, or if you use resident dock lines check them for rot and or abrasion. If you are using poly lines be aware that dry rot from the sun is the most common cause for line failure, poly lines should be replaced every year if used as resident dock line.

Now that the docks are ready don't forget to checkout your dock anchoring system; are your cables in good shape? Is your anchor point solid? Is your walk ramp and stairs sound and solid?

Ok, so your docking system is ready for boating season! Great! Now the next question is; is the river ready for the docks? Here in southern Ohio you can pretty much bank that we will get some high water sometime in May. Not to say that should keep you from launching your docks but if the river is not fit for boating then there is no need to subject your docks to the abuse that high water can bring.

If your river or lake is not ready for boating then this would be a good time to maybe add that set of stanchions to your dock that you have been wanting? Stanchions work great to protect your boat from wake damage while docked, and are relatively easy and inexpensive to build.

Hope this helps you get ready for the boating season, because once the rivers and lakes get nice we all know that the only thing we will have time for is Boating.

Your questions and or comments are encouraged and appreciated.

Boating Season is almost here, time to get your boat ready for some river fun.

Spring has sprung and summer quickly approaches, the time has come to drag your vessel out of storage, pull off the shrink wrap or tarp that has been covering your boat all winter and start cleaning her up.

First things first, open everything up and make sure you don't have any uninvited critters aboard. Check every compartment, and while you are checking for critters or the damage they left behind also keep an eye open for mold and or mildew, you will need to address any mold or mildew issues right away as the longer it sets the harder it is to clean. Pay special attention to the vinyl and  the canvas as they are easily stained by mold. Don't panic if you have mold, there are some really good products available for mold removal.

Now is the best time to repair any hull damage that you may have, paint that bottom with anti-fouling paint, or give that bottom a good 3 or 4 coats of your favorite marine wax, whichever you prefer. Now lets take a look at the top side, remove any oxidation that may be present and give the top side a good 3 or 4 coats of your favorite marine wax with UV protection, we are hopping it sees a lot of sun over the next several months.

Now that she looks great, lets dive into the mechanical side. If you didn't change the engine oil and drive lube last fall then you need to do that now. Grease the gimbal bearing, steering components, and outdrive pivot points with a high quality marine grease. Check all the fluids and top them off as needed. Inspect the propeller, make sure it is not damaged, a curled or bent blade will throw the prop out of balance and will cause shaft seals and bearing damage, a damaged prop will also effect the boats performance.

 It is a good practice to start the engine up and make sure the outdrive shifts properly and the water pump is pulling in and circulating water. There are two easy methods of supplying water to the intake pump, either use a set of muffs hooked to a garden hose, or back the boat down a ramp just far enough to submerge the intake on the outdrive.

No matter what type of vessel you are preparing, runabout, bass boat, pontoon, speed boat, cruiser, the same principals apply for preparing your vessel for the boating season.