Bimini Tops

[TrstNadie]

Do these tops make the boat harder to control, or is it just that I am THAT bad? There is always some wind on Lake Ontario, and I have a lot of trouble parking my boat at my slip.

[TyeeTanic]

Open or closed??

Closed makes no difference. I'd imagine if there was alot of wind and it was open, it would push the boat a bit.

[TrstNadie]

Open or closed??

Closed makes no difference. I'd imagine if there was alot of wind and it was open, it would push the boat a bit.

Open of course.

I have to make a left turn in to where my slip is...and now there is a boat on my right. Usually I end coming in to far to the right so I am worried of hitting the other boat. It seems even in 5mph wind this happens. I tried finding instructional HOW TO videos for parking a boat in a slip to see if I was doing something incorrectly but I am thinking now the open binimi top is making twice as hard for me

[TyeeTanic]

With wind, it will definitely make it harder. What about current? Is there a current pushing you?

There's some good instructions on you tube - just search for videos on "how to dock a boat".

Are you docking on your own or with help?

If you have help, then you could pass your dock and turn around so you then come in with the momentum towards your dock, not away from it.

What I do is coast in with my nose pointing at the middle of the dock, with someone ready to walk off the nose. I then lightly touch the reverse a few inches from the dock and the boat essentially stops dead making it easy for my helper to get off. The only trick with this technique is your back will be a foot or so away from the dock, so the helper must basically pull the front nose to keep the bow from hitting the top of the dock and then quickly pull the back in so you can get off and take over this rope. Then you tie the back end down, while the helper ties the from end down.

If you are on your own you can still do this, but you have to come in a lot closer to the dock and hit reverse (lightly!) before you reach the top of the dock. You have to have the ropes ready in your hand, before you enter the dock, make sure the back rope is outside the bimini frame and the front rope is over the front window. Both ropes should be in your left hand. As you reverse to stop the momentum, quickly put in neutral and cut off the engine. Then walk off the boat by the front passanger seat and control it with the ropes off the dock. Do a temp hook up on your middle dock anchor and then tie the back up, after that go back and tie the front properly.

It takes 3 or so tries and then you will master it.

[TrstNadie]

I took some time to show off my artistic ability in this diagram below. What happens is when I make a left in to my spot I end up at the spot to the right where the other boat is noted. That spot used to be empty but now there is a boat there so I am worried about hitting him. I used to have an old Invader with no top, and it turned on a dime. I haven't had a chance to get out there yet and take off the binimi top on my bayliner trophy, to see if it makes a difference.

In the meantime thanks for the tips, I will def check out youtube!

[TyeeTanic]

Yes, your image is exactly what I imagined.

You should also remember a bigger boat has more momentum. So it will drift a lot more in the direction of travel than your other boat, which probably only needed a tap of the engine to change directions on.

So really your two options are to go passed the dock, turn around and move in with your momentum towards your dock.

Or go wide and point the nose at the middle of your dock, hit reverse when you are a few inches away to stop it dead, kill the engine and jump off with both ropes in your hand. Make sure you have everything ready, and don't panic when you do this manouver, as things can go wrong quickly.