Docking Tips Needed

[JThomasLambert]

Hiya. My wife and I just bought an '08 Challenger 180. She's been a power-boater all her life (outboards) and after our first experience with this one, she's very discouraged. On the water, we love it. It's getting in and out of the slip that's killing it for us.

Does anyone have any tips or tricks for us? Is reverse supposed to be a roll-of-the-dice for steering? The guys at the marina said that docking is more of a controlled crash than anything else for jetboats--is that accurate?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Maciej]

I'm a complete newb at this but I'll relate my initial experiences with our 96 Challenger. I've had no previous boat experience so some of our docking was somewhat crash-like, more so for my wife than me. However, I spent a lot of time waiting for kids to get on tubes, or get prepared on skiis so I got fairly intimate with just idling in neutral, reverse and forward just off the dock. Nice way to figure out how the boat behaves to steering input. I found reverse to be useful although requiring more throttle than forward to get significant movement. In neutral the boat would turn if you turned the steering wheel but essentially stayed in place. I would get close to the dock and then idle it in, occasionally throwing it in reverse to slow things down. Some were harder than others simply because of choppy water. We also usually had someone hop off the front (while trying to get as close and parallel to the dock as I could) and then I could use the steering in neutral to bring the back around to the dock. I'd say we only had a couple of hard landings, involving my wife or son driving, some were a little less controlled, but not hard, and then we had some nice ones. Would have been easier if we also docked on the side where the slight tide would push us toward the dock, rather than away.

Hope that helps, I was a bit worried about my lack of experience boating but I think with some more practice it should be fine. Just relating my newbie experiences, not instruction in any way

Maciej

Hiya. My wife and I just bought an '08 Challenger 180. She's been a power-boater all her life (outboards) and after our first experience with this one, she's very discouraged. On the water, we love it. It's getting in and out of the slip that's killing it for us.

Does anyone have any tips or tricks for us? Is reverse supposed to be a roll-of-the-dice for steering? The guys at the marina said that docking is more of a controlled crash than anything else for jetboats--is that accurate?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[robin savell lloyd]

The stearing does take some getting use to but once you get it down you may like it beter than a boat with a propeller. Reverse stearing is backwards than that of a car or a boat that has a propeller. One way I have found to be easier to back up is that when you turn the wheel remember that the direction that you turn the wheel is the direction the front of the boat is going to go. By remember this you will know that the back is going to go in the opposite direction. These boats turn on a dime so somtimes I will just back straight up then put it in forward and turn the wheel. You do not have to worry about the boat moving forward as a boat that has a propeller the seadoo will sit in one place and make a complete circle if you wanted to.:cheers:

 

[seadoosnipe]

Docking........

A jet boat is 10 times easier to dock than a propeller boat, because there is no gear to actually throw out by going to neutral first.

As described by the other post in this thread, the steering in a jet boat is kinda backwards from a standard outboard. Once you get use to it, you'll love it.

I've learned to come into the dock, kinda nose first, then do a complete peroett (M/S) before gently easing into the dock.........Yeah, it's showing off. That's only because these things are so easy to maneuver.

Try this. While in the middle of a channel or creek, where you can keep your eye on a non moving object, slow the throttle, then, make a slight turn to the right. With the wheel still to the right, use the shifter to slowly bring into neutral then into revers, without turning the wheel. Then 1/4 turn in reverse, start going back into forward.
The boat will spin in a circle, without moving the steering wheel. An outboard, when backing down, you'll have to throw the steering all the way into one direction while backing, then throw the steering the other way when shifting to forward. The jet boat is set up totally different in backing, so dont' get this confused. Before you know it, you'll be showing the gentle signs of easing up to the dock without so much as a bump.

Practice it...........I love doing it. It shows total control over the engine and boats capacity to maneuver in tight areas...........good luck!

BTW, my wife just got her vessel endorsement to here license, so my boat is no longer just MINE!...........I'll have to share........:rofl:

 

[scooper77515]

I haven't experimented as much as Seadoosnipe has described, and next time I am on the water, I want do do just that.

But in the few weeks I have owned this boat, I have learned to do a weird "shimmy" where I pull up to the dock either straight on, at an angle, or along side it, when I get close, like within 20 yards, I use reverse to pull the tail end parallel to the dock, then using reverse and forward, I keep the boat parallel and sorta sideways crab walk to the dock. The boat actually stays where it is in line with the dock but actually comes at the dock sideways.

Kinda like if I could pull up to within 8 feet of a curb with my car, then all 4 wheels could turn straight toward the curb and I could drive the car sideways to the curb the last 8 feet.

So far, this and stopping the boat (at slow speeds) are the only things i have been able to use reverse for, and after hearing that it is more functional, I need to just go out and mess around with it to see what else I can do with it.

 

[seadoosnipe]

Walking the dog?.......

They used to call that walking the dog.......

Because the jet reverser bucket on these boats is opposite from an outboard motor, it's easy to learn to maneuver. What your describing, was one of the first things I learned to do.

My boat is a head turner at the marina, especially on Saturdays when they have a live band out there, but doing these things is for one thing for me.........."Showing off!"..........:rofl:

I must be truthfull here too. I was raised in outboard motor driven boats, so when I got the CHallenger, I did hit the pier a couple times, trying to get use to the steering........so, my learing didnt' come without some trail and error. Thanks for that nice rubber bumber on my hull..............:rofl:

 

[JThomasLambert]

Thanks folks

I really appreciate the feedback. Had a bit of a chance to play today and I think you're right--it's just something different that takes a bit of practice. Like Scooper mentioned, I'm getting a bit of the "shimmy" (dog-walk) going on coming into the dock and have had two great docks in a row (yeah, sounds small but believe me, after the first two attempts...er, crunches, two good ones was really what I needed to build some confidence).

I also took it out to the middle of the waterway and did some reversing practice. MUCH needed for sure. As mentioned, a little more throttle seems to be necessary and yeah, the opposite steering thing is going to take some time. Once the boat is moving though (and as long as I remembered to opposite steer), it really seems to reverse quite well.

At any rate, I'm definitely going to need a lot more practice but great to hear your tips. I kind of wish the throttle was more like an I/O with a single lever for forward/neutral/reverse because it seems that it would be easier but I'm sure there's a reason for that (please let me know--one hand would save a lot of stress!).

Cheers and thanks again folks,
J.

 

[xrider]

I had some trouble docking too, my brother in law has put a nice scratch in back of the boat.

but yeah its completly different that prop boats. it will take me some time to dock it right but last time I was out there I used neutral and reverse to correct it and it seemed to work. next time im gonna practice just docking.

 

[yardawg]

Newbie learning quickly

I just got my Challenger 180 too. I'm nervous docking, but I'm getting use to it. I like the pull up nose first, then spin it and ease up to the dock. It's really easy. I've been driving prop boats for almost 30 years, and I figured this out on day one.

The worst is backing out of the slip. If you're even slightly off center with the steering wheel, you'll hit the dock. I'll just pushed myself out until I get use to it.

Its really nice when you have a swimmer and you pull up to them, spin the boat on a dime and present the ladder right there for them. I was "showing off" right away.

 

[imnothot02]

this subject is like taking a viper and parking that, then saying that my 379 doesn't park the same...

 

[unclejay]

Pole

A long, collapsible docking hook is the only way to go. I use no throttle at all, just fwd-neutral-reverse, to ease up to the dock, then cut the engines about 8 feet out and as it coasts in, snag the dock with the pole. Works every time. Saves crashing into anything. You also need big fender-bumpers.