A question of seamanship

[doris]

Am I having a bit of a Saga moment, they happen often these days, but I can't understand this months question.

As far as I am concerned turning into the berth downwind and going forward, should be a doddle as the bows will drop off instantly and with a boat that has any sensible astern it should be able stop with a bit of space. Keeping Doris head to wind whilst backing in down wind would be a nightmare. Yes it would be lovely once tucked up but backing in??????can't quite see it.

Comments.

 

[fireball]

Any current?

 

[doris]

Any current?

No

 

[lw395]

I haven't seen the question, but most boats I have moored under power, I would prefer to put into a small space going forwards.
OTOH if you back in, it's easy to abort and come out forwards for another try having gauged everything in what you will later say was a dummy run.
Sometimes the issue is wanting to be stbd side to, if that's the side where the throttle is.
Probably comes down to knowing the individual boat, how it will turn in that breeze.

 

[flaming]

I think the point was that going in backwards gives you an easier way of aborting if you don't fancy it.
As a side bonus, the stopping power will be greatly improved as you'll be using forwards to slow the boat down. You'll also be able to use the propwash over the rudder to direct the stern if necessary.

I've used that approach in strong condtions, it's not as difficult as they make out, it just requires confidence and commitment. Go in half hearted and you will lose the bow....

 

[Salty John]

The problem is there is a Force 8 blowing, out of the marina. The point made is that with a strong crew and full fendering it's possible for a skilled skipper to attempt the manouvre - in reverse gear so that at any point he can abort and run out of the marina forwards.
It requires confidence and knowledge and the risk to get into a sheltered berth rather than stay on the outside berth is too great without this confidence and knowledge.
I can see the point - you could easily end up pinned against the boats in the first few berths.

 

[SeamanStaines]

I have to carry out a similar manoeuvre every time I come into my marina berth. I have a catamaran but I can’t see why this won’t work on any boat. If you proceed ahead into the marina the gale blowing will more than stop forward progress at tick over. All you have to do is to motor in until you are abeam the gap between the pontoons of boats and then adjust your power until you are stationery, balancing power against the wind.

Then steer very slightly to starboard and 'ferry glide' sideways using the wind to move you across until you are opposite your berth. You will have good steerage as you do this and be in complete control, although it will take some time.

As soon as you are in front of the berth, stop the 'ferry glide' by straightening the helm and back into your berth by reducing power.

Perfect control the whole time and you will get a round of applause!

It’s easier for me with twin engines, and a bow thruster would of course help but even without it will be much easier and safer than just ‘going for it!’

Any manoeuvre that requires high speed and limits the ability to control your vessel is always asking for trouble. You don’t need much space between the lines of boats, just position a crew member on the bow to make sure you are not getting too close.

 

[bedouin]

No - I really don't see it either On my boat, as with many, the stern seeks the wind, so I find it very difficult to turn the bows through the wind when going slowly astern. Also while the boat will still respond to the tiller when creeping forwards, it requires more speed astern to achieve the same level of control. All that means is that I don't have the same level of control over the boat going backwards as I would going forwards in the same circumstances.

The only conditions in which I could/would berth/moor stern first would be into a fairly strong wind - the extreme case being picking up a buoy in >F6 where I find the stern first approach much easier.

Also, I tend to find reversing out of a berth is sometimes easier than going out forwards. When I apply rudder by boat tends to pivot about a point about 1/3rd of the way from the bows - in other words the stern swings twice as fast as the bows, so when reversing out of a berth I can get the tiller over harder and faster than when going forwards.

 

[lw395]

I have to carry out a similar manoeuvre every time I come into my marina berth. I have a catamaran but I can’t see why this won’t work on any boat. If you proceed ahead into the marina the gale blowing will more than stop forward progress at tick over. All you have to do is to motor in until you are abeam the gap between the pontoons of boats and then adjust your power until you are stationery, balancing power against the wind.

Then steer very slightly to starboard and 'ferry glide' sideways using the wind to move you across until you are opposite your berth. You will have good steerage as you do this and be in complete control, although it will take some time.

As soon as you are in front of the berth, stop the 'ferry glide' by straightening the helm and back into your berth by reducing power.

Perfect control the whole time and you will get a round of applause!

It’s easier for me with twin engines, and a bow thruster would of course help but even without it will be much easier and safer than just ‘going for it!’

Any manoeuvre that requires high speed and limits the ability to control your vessel is always asking for trouble. You don’t need much space between the lines of boats, just position a crew member on the bow to make sure you are not getting too close.

Don't try this in monohull without a bow thruster! Very few are stable head to wind and stopped, the bow blows around.

Like Bedouin you need to adapt techniques that work for your boat.

 

[Danny Jo]

I have to carry out a similar manoeuvre every time I come into my marina berth. I have a catamaran but I can’t see why this won’t work on any boat. If you proceed ahead into the marina the gale blowing will more than stop forward progress at tick over. All you have to do is to motor in until you are abeam the gap between the pontoons of boats and then adjust your power until you are stationery, balancing power against the wind.
. . . .
It’s easier for me with twin engines, and a bow thruster would of course help but even without it will be much easier and safer than just ‘going for it!’

I sympathise with the original poster. "Adjusting power until you are stationary", head to wind, amounts to loss of control in a conventional monohull, because there is no steerage way (no water running past the rudder) and no way of preventing the inevitable accelerating turn of the bow away from the wind. A twin engine catamaran comes into its own in these conditions.

 

[Sans Bateau]

The added problem you have going into a berth with a strong wind to astearn is the windage on the spray hood and just the expanse of the stearn/cockpit area. I speak with experience here, the damage to my stem is being repaired as we speak.

Berthing stearn too in a strong wind is something that I have had to get used to in the Med, I haven't had to contend with dropping an anchor and then motoring back but just motoring back between two boats already berthed, so if you get it wrong its not only your boat at risk.

The key is, or what seems to work best, is get the boat moving in reverse well before the berth and before you turn into your slot, you have to be very positive in what you do and not lose nerve. Practicing in open water might help if you feel you need to. The boat will stop very well when forward gear is engaged with a good strong blast of power.