Safe at Sea: Docking made easy
I’m going to start this column with a bit of a “birdwalk.”
In our household, we buy a new car, take meticulous care of it, and then drive it for years. (I repeat: years.) So this past summer, we bought a new car. When I called our insurance agent to update the policy, the agent became excited for me, commenting, “Wow! Are you going to see a difference!” So right.
And the most dramatic difference is in the ability for the car not only to signal a drift toward road lane lines, but to correct the direction of the car, to slow down when I approach a car in front of me too closely, even to stop. Yes, I drove about 10 miles with my hands hovering over the wheel and my foot less than an inch from the brake, but never had to use them.
What does any of this have to do with boating? I continue to be impressed by the role improved electronics (to the point of AI, or Artificial Intelligence) is taking on boats. For example, recently I have come across article after article that presents the newest wireless remote systems.
Speaking for myself, docking (both in and out of the dock) is by far the most challenging aspect of taking the boat out on the water. Sure enough, when I went on a search for electronic docking system, I came across several.
The newest wireless control systems allow the captain to control the boat from any location on board: the helm, bow, stern, et cetera. With a range that exceeds any typical boat/yacht, today’s systems allow the user to operate most/all of the following from any location on board: thrusters (bow and stern); throttle; main engines; and even the horn and windlass. An even better feature: they are now waterproof.
While these docking systems have been on the market for a few years, they have been perfected to the point of easy use and affordability.
Of course, I immediately looked for a YouTube video of an electronic docking system in action. There are several, naturally. They are well worth a few minutes of your time. Most are a “lanyard-style” component (approximately the size of a larger cell phone), utilize a “joystick” format and operate from a very small receiver. And most can be customized with the functions specific to you boat, such as number and size of engine(s), and proportional throttle control for every function of the joystick. The good news: when you buy a new boat, the receiver can be transferred easily to your new vessel.
Check them out online.
Which brings me to my closing piece about docking. I am a great fan of BoatTEST.com. I simply enjoy it as I dream of owning one of the latest, most gorgeous boats on the market. (It’s easier than going to Fort Lauderdale or Miami boat shows.)
There is a feature on the site called “Technician Tuesday,” and recently the feature was entitled, “How to Dock Any Outboard Boat.” This is — by far — the best docking video I’ve ever seen. I highly recommend it to everyone. Regardless of the wind, current or tide, this video has docking covered.
While you search for remote control systems for your boat, take a “birdwalk” and watch it!
Pat Schmidt is a member of America’s Boating Club of Sanibel-Captiva. For more about the chapter and its courses, visit www.sancapboating.club or contact Commander@SanibelCaptivaSPS.org or 239-985-9472.