This operation seems unsafe. You fasten the line to a dock cleat while the engine is in forward and you lean over the railing. If you miss the cleat the boat will go on forward, and you are not in control. This is what I suggest, prepare a spring line beforehand, fasten one end of the line to the aft cleat. Then lead the loop of the line "double line" around the winch (180 degrees), then outside of the railing, and back to the cockpit. When you arrive at the dock, stop the boat by reversing the engine. When the boat has stopped, put the engine in neutral. Using a boathook, get the loop of the line around a dock cleat, both ends going around the winch, take up the slack and fasten the loose end of the line to the aft cleat of the boat. Then put the engine in slow ahead. Now the boat is under control and you didn´t have to leave the cockpit to achieve this. You can now leave the cockpit in order to fasten the other lines.

Brother, leaning over the lifelines while the boat is in gear and trying to catch the cleat is extremely hazardous, if you fall, you get smashed between the dock and your boat runs over you while your most likely tangled up in that line.

Great job with the courage to go solo and the editing... no wasted time for the viewer! This was informative and showed a step in the progression of a competent skipper to singlehanded confidence. Well done and thanks for putting this out there.

Better stoping or slowing with the engine rather than the boat cleat doing all the work. It will eventually damage your fingers or the boat. Ime roughly at the same learning stage , 27 ft boat and a 30ft finger pontoon means always an anxious return lol

Understanding Springs are a great asset, Suggestion: if intending to pull a line through a cleat after leaving .... Use a line that does NOT have a loop at the end. If that loop caught on the cleat or dock corner etc, with the boat in reverse your bow would swing violently to port faster than you can say "Crash".

As others have said, use engine reverse to stop the boat, not the spring line. If you had missed the first cleat (like at the gas dock) you would have crashed your bow into the main dock. Here is a tip: Use a length of rubber hose (e.g. garden hose) threaded onto a large bowline loop. The hose keeps the loop open so you can drop it over the dock cleat with a boat hook. The hose will fold when the pressure of the engine is on the spring line. Run the line back to the deck, around the winch, and back to the wheel area so you can control the length. If you are coming into a known slip (e.g. your home slip) then you'll already know the length of line + loop that you'll need. Mark it with a whipping or some tape (which is a temp solution). After everything is secure you can remove the hose and tidy up the lines.

I am just starting to go solo. My strategy so far is to prepare all lines, forward, mid cleat and stern on both sides. This season there was always some one to take my line or help me cast off. I go as slow as possible. I might touch the neighbor boat but with zero speed and fenders at the correct height, there is no damage.

Yup, this is the method I use. Learned it about ten years ago. I basically stop the boat as I loop the cleat then put it back into forward

Spring line is a standard docking method. Best used very slow speed, slower than idle using clutch in clutch out. More current more wind may require more or less depending on how you approach use them to your advantage . Carefully look at conditions and slow approach is the key .

Thanks for posting. There have been some important comments. Use the engine not a line or cleat. They are not designed for shock load, such as you showed. The short dock line is not going to give enough stretch. Every boat handles differently and conditions vary. When I single on my boat I typically use the midship cleat when it’s super short, the stern and now cannot swing too far. I remove bow and stern, run the midship back to boat cleat. Once onboard I undo the line and flick off. I slowly back or drive out. Before getting fuel I call ahead if they can have some catch a line. Leave the line draped over lifeline so they can grab it.

More fenders! Hell: ANY fenders!! 😝

Duncan Wells has some videos in his Stress Free Sailing videos demonstrating this. He calls it a stern bridle.

did not realize that the center spring line is called "Moitessier tie". that said, it works well. however since you are running the engine.. why not use it to remove energy from your boat? leaving the fuel dock seemed very precarious. maybe instead while on spring, use the engine to push the stern more in and let the bow swing port.. then engine out when it gets to about 45deg.

i like the way under power the mid spring line acts as a hinge keeping the bow in

I use a pre-tied bowline loop for my home berth on the end of my stern spring line set perfectly to keep me off the dock. I run it back from the bow cleat, then through a loop just forward of where your winch is to get that angle. I like the extra elasticity on the long spring line if I come in a bit too hot. Easier on the bow cleat and the stern dock cleat. Also note that you can use the helm to adjust the angle of the boat to the dock. When I put it in forward, I usually need to steer hard away from the dock to get my stern in. This will change depending on where you put the loop, but also depending on the wind. You need to play around. The pre-tied loop doesn’t always work when tying to other docks, so I keep another line for that.

I also use this line-on-the-winch method to remove the dock lines for getting underway. I run it from my stern cleat, around the dock cleat then to the winch. The engine in fwd/at idle. I also use it to keep the bow from turing to stbd when backing when the wind is blowing on the port bow. (My boat's prop walk pushes the stern to port/bow to stardboard when backing). I haul in the winch, and when winch is parallel with dock cleat, release the stern cleat and pull the line inboard. I can actually "pull" the boat out of the slip with engine in neutral this way.

These are simply midship springs.

I did it with a boat neighbor a couple weeks ago and it's a neat and handy docking tool. My question is will it work docking to port as well as to starboard or does the prop direction play a role as well?

Hmmm, no wind no perceived current. Making a mountain out of a mole hill....

Snagging the cleat is easy on a boat with low freeboard. Not easy on one with the freeboard typical on a 35 footer.

yeah no, to fast, still in gear while securing the line on the cleat, didn’t spring off at the fuel station to get a good angle. Start getting more control of your boat under engine.

Pretty much a mid ship cleat idea but not at that speed. Moitessier had many ideas not all good.

Just dock reverse

Why come into the dock so fast? You are going in wayyyy too fast. Should stop the boat with the engine, drop on moitessier, then put in gear.

Your engine sounds rough...knocky/thumpy.... is it a single cylinder? Check engine mounts.

Ok, it's an aft spring tied off on the boat and some French man has stuck his name on it? Gotta love the audacity. And what did you call the line from the front of the boat to the dock? A bowline is a type of loop tied in the end of a line. A bow line goes forward from the bow of the boat to stop the boat from drifting backwards.

Spring line is a standard docking method. Best used very slow speed, slower than idle using clutch in clutch out. More current more wind may require more or less depending on how you approach, use them to your advantage . Carefully look at conditions and slow approach is the key .