Greek anchoring, bows in.

TonyMS

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Well, here's a different way of doing things...

We have a light catamaran with plumb bows and transom-hung rudders. We usually anchor off. But if we do go on the wall, we hang shaped fenders on the bows, drop the bower anchor a suitable distance off, and go bows-in until we can gently nudge the quay. Then we take lines from each bow to rings opposite the other, and from the sterns straight to the quay. We attach a bridle from the sterns to the anchor chain and winch well off the quay. Then motor in hard to ensure the anchor is biting and the chain stretched.

Bit of a hassle, but it works.
 

Chris_Robb

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Agreed. Plus I've been in some hairy little ports when a katabatic blows up in the late evening (just as it's gone dark). Knowing that my biggest bow anchor is well set removes an awful lot of worry. I've seen too many bow-to boats on little kedge anchors astern break free in these kinds of (not uncommon) conditions. And...the last thing you want when you need to start your engine to stop the bow thumping into a concrete quay is a slack anchor line in the water astern of you.
Another reason for not anchoring stern too is that the kedge line rode is often stretchy, and the last thing to want is a gust stretching the rode and your bows attacking the Greek concrete.

Not knowing the size of your boat it is sometimes difficult to advise, but one feature I would not be without is a remote anchor control in the cockpit. This enables SWMBO to drop the hook, and let out sufficient chain for the anchor to start taking. As you go astern, and the anchor chain tightens, the helm starts paying out which enables you to drudge on your anchor and chain - it then become possible to reverse in a long keel boat even. As you are dridging in you do small stops and as soon as you feel resistance you let more chain go, this way you ensure that you know the anchor is set. Do not stop, as this means getting yourself straight again with propwalk. If you want to go more to windward (in a beam wind) you let out chain faster or reduce speed, which allows the bows to fall off - and when on track, slow down your chain. To go to leeward, just increase throttle and you tend to then swing against the anchor - but not by much. What ever you do, don't stop or you will have to start all over again.
WHEN USING A REMOTE, PLEASE ENSURE THE CREW STEPS AWAY FROM THE WINCH as I know to my cost!

When leaving - please please please, don't leave the anchor below the water out of sight, as that is called going gardening as you will collect anchor chains by the dozen. Especially important in strong onshore winds.

If you have a CQR anchor - please anchor somewhere else:D
 

Chris_Robb

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Agina's fun on the weekend, a mixture of Athens Man and charter boat anchoring back 4/5 deep on top of you, shame as it's a nice town.
It was an Arrogant German who caused major problems for us- the neighbouring boats - all german, laughed like drains when I asked the guy if his father was in the Waffen SS!
 

Clancy Moped

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It was an Arrogant German who caused major problems for us- the neighbouring boats - all german, laughed like drains when I asked the guy if his father was in the Waffen SS!
The Hydrofoils take no prisoners at the entrance, it was my first attempt at this style of mooring, it went quite well, but I don't mind admitting I was crapping myself before hand and during,
 

[163233]

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Simi used to be the place for entertainment! One has to drop in 20 meters, time and time again we would watch boats (mainly charter) motor the anchor out and go astern at 4 knots and wonder why the anchor wasn't holding. In most cases it was still dangling!
I've been on a few charter boats in Greece where the total rode was only 30m.
 

RupertW

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The Hydrofoils take no prisoners at the entrance, it was my first attempt at this style of mooring, it went quite well, but I don't mind admitting I was crapping myself before hand and during,

I first did it twenty years ago and it’s still the only really tense part of most trips. But usually the tension lasts just a few minutes from spotting the space to neatly slotting into it and resting the stern fenders against the quay. But sometimes...
 

reefknot

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35 years ago everyone went bows to! (well 95 %). But that was with smaller boats and with a rope and chain rode which was easily hauled in by hand. Still is possible and has some advantages even with larger boats.
I wassailing the med 35 years ago and very very few boats moored bows to.
 

dgadee

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I wassailing the med 35 years ago and very very few boats moored bows to.

You know more than me but didnt boats have less stern friendly sterns? My 1990s Dehler's rudder is very far back and getting off the stern would be as awkward as at the bows.
 

reefknot

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There are always some boats that need to go bows to. The main advantage is to stop thieves running up the gang plank and snatching anything they see on the chart/ saloon table. I t used to happen quite a lot on Croati and Turkey.
 

NormanB

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Well going bows to the quay is perfectly fine as long as you have a smaller yacht with lowish freeboard at the bow and preferably a platform over the bow roller that you can stand on. But of course you also need a decent kedge anchor and a decent amount of rode. Some harbours have a lazy line (or slime line) which avoids the need to deploy the kedge. Done it many times with zero problems apart from the grunt work of retrieving the kedge on departure especially when buried in gloopy mud.? I have done it in a larger yacht where depth at the key was an issue (Corfu Yacht Club) but getting ashore even with a plank was exceedingly dodgy - would not do it again.
 

dgadee

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Well going bows to the quay is perfectly fine as long as you have a smaller yacht with lowish freeboard at the bow and preferably a platform over the bow roller that you can stand on. But of course you also need a decent kedge anchor and a decent amount of rode. Some harbours have a lazy line (or slime line) which avoids the need to deploy the kedge. Done it many times with zero problems apart from the grunt work of retrieving the kedge on departure especially when buried in gloopy mud.? I have done it in a larger yacht where depth at the key was an issue (Corfu Yacht Club) but getting ashore even with a plank was exceedingly dodgy - would not do it again.

Now, this was what my original post requested! How do you set things up? You have told me not to do it, but the boat is not suitable for stern mooring.

In W Med lots go bows in. Few in East. But I want to join the few. Reasons: rudder, privacy, wrong stern design.
 

NormanB

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Now, this was what my original post requested! How do you set things up? You have told me not to do it, but the boat is not suitable for stern mooring.

In W Med lots go bows in. Few in East. But I want to join the few. Reasons: rudder, privacy, wrong stern design.

Well to be accurate I never told you what to do or what not to do, I was just recounting my experience.

Setting up for bows to:

1. You need to know exactly how much kedge rode you have.
2. Set up two bow lines (for securing to the jetty).
3. Fenders both sides.
4. Kedge ready for drop.
5. Dummy run to the jetty noting depth of water around 4 boat lengths out fro jetty.
6. Line up perpendicular to berth and make the approach at slow ahead (if wind conditions allow).
7. Drop the kedge around 4 boat lengths from jetty. (Further if you have the rode)
8. Pay out the ride as required as you run in.
9. At half a boat length from jetty secure the ride and put engine to neutral.
10. If you stop short you can either:
a. Slow ahead and get the windward line ashore as a slip and secure to cleat.
b. Pay out a wee bit more rode and resecure.
c. You can combine a&b as required.
11.Secure both bowlines.
12. Final tighten on kedge rode.

Of course lazy lines make much of the above redundant- drive in lines ashore (slack),pick up lazy line and haul and secure. Adjust as necessary.

The difficult bit is getting on and off the boat- and the factors are freeboard at the bow and the height of the jetty.

Once you are all back onboard for the night you may wish to consider relaxing the lines ashore and use the kedge rode (or lazy line) to haul you further from the jetty as a precautionary move.
 

dgadee

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Well to be accurate I never told you what to do or what not to do, I was just recounting my experience.

Setting up for bows to:

1. You need to know exactly how much kedge rode you have.
2. Set up two bow lines (for securing to the jetty).
3. Fenders both sides.
4. Kedge ready for drop.
5. Dummy run to the jetty noting depth of water around 4 boat lengths out fro jetty.
6. Line up perpendicular to berth and make the approach at slow ahead (if wind conditions allow).
7. Drop the kedge around 4 boat lengths from jetty. (Further if you have the rode)
8. Pay out the ride as required as you run in.
9. At half a boat length from jetty secure the ride and put engine to neutral.
10. If you stop short you can either:
a. Slow ahead and get the windward line ashore as a slip and secure to cleat.
b. Pay out a wee bit more rode and resecure.
c. You can combine a&b as required.
11.Secure both bowlines.
12. Final tighten on kedge rode.

Of course lazy lines make much of the above redundant- drive in lines ashore (slack),pick up lazy line and haul and secure. Adjust as necessary.

The difficult bit is getting on and off the boat- and the factors are freeboard at the bow and the height of the jetty.

Once you are all back onboard for the night you may wish to consider relaxing the lines ashore and use the kedge rode (or lazy line) to haul you further from the jetty as a precautionary move.

You was collective. How much chain, how much rope is feasible?
 

dgadee

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Oh, and I have two Fortress achors. Selling Fx-16 and keeping smaller Fx-11 as kedge. Would fx-16 be ok for mooring? Presume mostly mud off town quays?
 

NormanB

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You was collective. How much chain, how much rope is feasible?
Well that depends on the depth of water in the harbour of course but for most they will be less than 10 metres, so 40 metres as a minimum and it you have the space 50 metres. Normally for a kedge it is mainly rope and just a few metres of chain (5-10 metres).
 

NormanB

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Oh, and I have two Fortress achors. Selling Fx-16 and keeping smaller Fx-11 as kedge. Would fx-16 be ok for mooring? Presume mostly mud off town quays?
No direct experience of those anchors, most Town quays are commonly mud, but not all so consult the pilot guide (Heikell good for Greece).
 

Chris_Robb

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Oh, and I have two Fortress achors. Selling Fx-16 and keeping smaller Fx-11 as kedge. Would fx-16 be ok for mooring? Presume mostly mud off town quays?
Don't sell to larger one if you are serious about going goes too. Just don't have stretchy rode otherwise your bows will be nibbled to pieces.
I would not advise bows too on 38 foot and over.....
 
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