Returning to a typical marina slip with a dead engine is likely in every sailing career. I keep a permanent bumper, or pad, in the slip to ram if necessary.
A hull can take quite a hard blow without injury. My ram pad is one of those old flat fenders, but heavy carpet would do. Roller fenders applied from the deck by the crew are less effective. We want the boat to hit about one third back from the stem and stop dead, not roll.
My slip has a windward approach but is about 8 boats into a restricted lagoon. Plan A is to see if there's an open dock-end so I don't have to enter the lagoon. There usually isn't. I then enter the lagoon under jib alone, luffing a little, and ram the pad. I'd rather have too much headway than not enough. I've done it twice without incident or damage: once due to engine failure, once for practice. I now think practicing is a dumb idea, and thinking it through is all that's required.
Other techniques and thoughts?
A hull can take quite a hard blow without injury. My ram pad is one of those old flat fenders, but heavy carpet would do. Roller fenders applied from the deck by the crew are less effective. We want the boat to hit about one third back from the stem and stop dead, not roll.
My slip has a windward approach but is about 8 boats into a restricted lagoon. Plan A is to see if there's an open dock-end so I don't have to enter the lagoon. There usually isn't. I then enter the lagoon under jib alone, luffing a little, and ram the pad. I'd rather have too much headway than not enough. I've done it twice without incident or damage: once due to engine failure, once for practice. I now think practicing is a dumb idea, and thinking it through is all that's required.
Other techniques and thoughts?