(Originally demonstrated to me by the crew of Carinya, Grant and Astaar Breining.)
This technique will allow you to back into a narrow slip with no lines previously attached, with cross winds and/or current, and with a fairway barely wider than the length of your boat, using only one fearless line handler aboard your boat and without breaking a sweat. Read on... Keep in mind that this is a LOT easier to do than it is to describe -- especially using ascii "art"!!
Have your crew prepare a Spring Line which is as long as the slip plus 10 feet or so. It needs to have a fixed loop or a slip-loop in the end that will be placed over the piling. (It doesn't need to be a "heavy" line, even for a 20-ton Krogen a 1/2" nylon line is fine.) Flake this line down at the stern of the boat so it can run free without tangling. We use a figure eight configuration. For the Slip Configuration and Approach Direction below, place this flaked line on the deck at the starboard stern. If you have hawse pipes by the stern cleats as the Krogen does, run the looped end through the hawse pipe. (Since the Krogen 42 has a hawse pipe/cleat on the side at the quarter, this is the hawse pipe/cleat we use.) Also prepare two bow lines (the longer the better, especially if the slip is longer than the boat) and two stern lines and flake them down by their respective hawses pipe/cleats.
Before you start, go up to the flybridge helm and drive from there. Visibility aft is MUCH better than from the Pilot House. Also, use the upper deck as a "proxy" for the lower part of the boat and stern. It's DIRECTLY over the boat below, so if you "drive" the upper deck and position it corectly in the slip, the rest of the boat will be fine too! Now, let's proceed...
Note the piling labeled "A". It's the outer piling in the Target Slip farthest from you as you approach. For this particular slip configuration, this is where the "real" action is going to take place. Slip Configuration:
Narrow Fairway
Direction of
Approach ------>
o o o o <- Outer Pilings
A
o o o o <- Inner Pilings
l--------------------------------
l Dock
l--------------------------------
^
Target
Slip
Step 1. Slowly bring her into the fairway close to the outer slip pilings.
-----------\
~~x Boat >
-----------/
o o o o <- Outer Pilings
A
o o o o <- Inner Pilings
l--------------------------------
l Dock
l--------------------------------
^
Target
Slip
Step 2. Now, as you near your Target Slip, bring her starboard stern as close as possible to Piling "A" and stop the boat. You may need to kick her bow out just a bit to avoid other boats in their slips, but the key is getting your crew close enough to Piling "A" to reach it with the Spring Line loop. There are several methods of using boat hooks to get some extra "reach." Of course, the lasso method (the cowboy technique or underhanded "u-toss") is also a possibility...
-----------\
x Boat >
-----------/
o o o o <- Outer Pilings
A
o o o o <- Inner Pilings
l--------------------------------
l Dock
l--------------------------------
^
Target
Slip
Step 3. Have your crew place the loop of the Spring Line over Piling "A" and standby to tie it off at the starboard stern (or quarter) cleat.
Back up slowly 6 feet or so, stop, and have your crew tie the Spring Line off. (The optimum distance required will be determined by the width of the slip, but 6 feet is sufficient -- more is better if you have the room.) Now back SLOWLY, and the boat will begin to rotate into alignment with the slip. Don't fret about a few squeaks -- that's what the rub rail is for. The entire process can take 30 seconds or more, depending on the strength and direction of the wind and current -- sometimes they will help, sometimes not. Use your bowthruster to assist the turn if you like, but it's not necessary -- just speeds the process up a little. Carefully watch the port stern side to make sure it clears the other Outer Piling as you make the turn. If it doesn't clear, stop backing, go forward slightly, and have your crew shorten the Spring Line and re-tie it. Then resume backing SLOWLY.
-----------\
x Boat >~
_----------/ ~
o o o o <- Outer Pilings
A
o o o o <- Inner Pilings
l--------------------------------
l Dock
l--------------------------------
^
Target
Slip
Here's what you'll look like part way through the turn. You'll only need to miss the piling with the port quarter by inches. Since you're moving so slowly, there's no need for panic at any point (unless you've left the barbeque attached to - and hanging outboard from - the port cockpit stanchion -- 'nuff said!).
_
/ \~~
/ /~~
/ /~~
/ /
o o x /o o <- Outer Pilings
A
o o o o <- Inner Pilings
l--------------------------------
l Dock
l--------------------------------
^
Target
Slip
Step 4. When the boat is perfectly aligned with the slip, have your crew release the Spring Line and let it run free. You now begin backing into the slip (using the backing technique described in the following section or whatever you feel comfortable with to control the direction of the boat).
:
/ \
| |
| |
o o| |o o <- Outer Pilings
| |!<- Spring Line
x
o o o o <- Inner Pilings
l--------------------------------
l Dock
l--------------------------------
^
Target
Slip
Step 5. While you are backing, this would be a good time for your crew to place the loops of the bow lines onto the 2 Outer Pilings -- this is especially important if the slip is longer than your boat -- you may not be able to reach them easily later. Don't tie them off quite yet,though. When you are all the way into the slip, stop, and have your crew tie off the Spring Line to prevent the boat from hitting the dock. It should now be obvious why the Spring Line needed to be so long! (If the wind is blowing (or the current running) from your stern, you may need to keep "bumping" reverse to keep the Spring Line tight so you won't be pushed away from the dock while the stern lines are rigged. Your crew should then rig a stern line to the windward (or up current) Inner Piling and then you or your crew should tie off bow line attached to the windward (or up current) Outer Piling. You are now secure temporarily. Congratulations! You've done it! The remaining dock lines lines can be rigged at your "leisure."
o o o o <- Outer Pilings
/ \ !
| |!
| |!<- Spring Line
| |!
| |!
o o x o o <- Inner Pilings
l--------------------------------
l Dock with cheering admirers
l--------------------------------
^
Target
Slip
Step 6. Bow to the awestruck observers and cheering admirers on the dock! Go get a cold one -- you both deserve it -- remember your crew did ALL the hard part!