One of the hardest things for whatever reason, even for relatively experienced cruisers, is to LEAVE the dock, even just for a week’s shakedown cruise. It’s comfortable here in the marina, we have friends, there’s a great happy hour at the deck bar, we don’t have to worry about the boat dragging, weather changing unexpectedly, about what to do with all the trash, about getting a hot shower with great water pressure. We could even choose to go to the pool for the afternoon, up to happy hour or have dinner on the deck overlooking the marina. On the other hand, it’s our experience that we never really experience the cruising life until leaving the dock.
Yesterday we planned on leaving as soon as the tide would let us out of the marina. But then the strong northerly component wind kept blowing all the water out of the marina insuring there was not enough water for us to leave. So we stayed here, took a nice long walk, chatted with friends, relaxed and did nothing after the boat chores getting the boat prepared to leave…
So … Maybe tomorrow? If there’s no new posts on this website for a bit … it’s because we’ve gone sailing & haven’t yet figured out how to do posts via Sailmail or Winlink e-mail. Sorry, priorities are to go sailing! 🙂
We find we usually forget something we should have done before leaving the dock so we developed a checklist. Of course, last year we ignored our checklist and didn’t check our reefing lines and, of course, needed them the first time. If you’d like to develop your own Leave the Dock Checklist, here’s a copy of ours to get you started.
Download the free Checklist to Leave the Dock here.
Keep in mind, this is not all the preparation leading up to leaving, not even a bit. This is specifically the checklist for the day before leaving the dock and just before leaving.
Highlights …
Make sure the boat is prepared … all the instruments, radios, charts, safety equipment working and ready, diesel ready, alternator functioning, transmission & oil levels checked, strainer checked, solar panels and wind generator putting in amps
Make sure everything is stowed … jerry cans, dinghy, kayaks, below, hatches & portholes closed, portable generator
Make sure everything you’ll need to sail and anchor is ready … windlass working, anchor secured for sailing, binoculars, winch handles, paper charts, log, VHF, cockpit VHF mike, reef lines prepared, GPS working
Make sure anything you’ll need at anchor is ready … gasoline for dinghy, solar showers filled, water tanks filled,
Prepare to leave dock … AC electricity off at master breaker, power cord off & secured, all necessary DC power turned on at electrical board, lines prepared for easy exit get rid of all the last minute trash
Have a great time & enjoy your adventure, where ever it may take you!
Did I forget something? Leave a comment and remind me. THX! Jan
another item for your list: check and close all thru-hulls
[…] Checklist for Leaving the Dock – Commuter Cruiser – Checklist To Leave Boat in Water Pre-Overnight Maintenance Checklist Checklist to Leave the Boat for the Holidays Checklist To Leave Boat For Hurricane Season […]
[…] “Checklist for Leaving the Dock” […]
I guess you did not forget anything, all is prepared and organized, awesome! I am also looking forward to having this kind of adventure with my loved ones! Thanks for sharing these cool tips and experiences with us!
My dad bought a new boat and he wants to have a good boat dock for it. According to this, it’s ideal to have a checklist before leaving the boat dock. Moreover, it’s also recommended to hire professional contractors when dealing with boat docks.
One thing I really liked about this article was the advice to make sure you have everything before you head off from the dock. I found it especially helpful that you mentioned making sure radios, charts, and safety equipment are in good order and working. I think a lot of emergencies could be avoided if people did a good review of their inventory before pushing off from the dock.