a Yachtmaster question....

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Been a couple of weeks since I posted one of these..... so here's a scenario for you to ponder....

After a great autumn sail to just outside Ipswich, a good way up the Orwell river, and a fabulous night on board with several friends enjoying a bottle or two of wine, some good food, and a great nights sleep, you arise to a flooding tide, and a gentle 5 kts of wind.

Its time to slip.... so you go to start the engine..... it fails completely to even turn over properly, and a quick check reveals that you left the battery switch in position 'both'. With the heating, lights and fridge from last night, the batteries are dead, so its going to be sailing alone.

The weather is fabulous, and there is no reason in the forecast to not sail, so its decided to sail off the mooring.

Last night you'd grabbed a fore and aft mooring, setting the boat easily with bow and stern lines holding her nicely on the two buoys... over the course of the evening, another boat appeared on the next buoys in the trot using the buoy on your bow for his stern line, and another boat appeared on the buoys in front of that. When a fourth boat arrived he rafted on the starboard side of the middle of the 3 boats, as he knew them well.

Having to sail off, you pay a bit more attention to the wind and tide, and find that you have 1 knot of tide directly up your transom, and a light 5 kts of wind blowing at 45 degrees onto your port bow....

Whats your strategy for departure?

 

[michael_w]

This is cheating.....

Beg a battery from the guy next door. Start up your engine and recharge your batteries, whilst you scoff your brekkie. Return battery with a bottle of Mount Gay as payment.

Or, cast off with gay abandon sail home and t-bone your neighbour in your home marina, as you've forgotten all your sail handling skills.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

It would be one option......... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Casting off with gay abandon might be your first problem though.......

 

[RichV]

How long until the tide changes?

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Several hours..... its only just started flooding, but won't get much above 1 knot as its a pretty wide and tame river....

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Looks like most people's strategy is to sit and think about it............ for quite a long while..... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[phanakapan]

Well they've not had breakfast yet

 

[RichV]

OK, here goes.

Hoist main and tightly sheet so that the stern will want to go to starboard. Pay out stern line a long long way with plenty of fenders on starboard side so I nestle against the boat in front. Set the genny, slip the lines and off we go.

 

[BrendanS]

Restart the party, make lots of noise, and generally be antisocial. The other yachts will rapidly leave, providing plenty of room to sail off.

 

[fluffc]

Turn the boat on warps, so end up facing into tide. Gradually hoist genoa to counteract tide and when ready hoist some more to make headway and ferryglide out of mooring spot?

Although not sure about turning on warps with a long keel boat, but if the distance between bouys is at least 2 boat lengths then you could shorten up to the up tide one, giving plenty of 'swinging room' without hitting the boat downtide when you do the manouvre...

 

[bedouin]

Use the starting handle to start the engine...

 

[Malcb]

Pull ou the 'Power pack' that I was advised to have on my deisel maintenance course, jump start the batteries and start the engine. Run them for at least an hour, together with the powerpack rechargeing from the ciggie socket; AND WHATS YOU PROBLEM? Enjoy

 

[CliveG]

Using ropes, turn the boat to face the tide.
Make all lines ready to slip.
Set the foresail on starboard tack and get it drawing.
Slip the stern line.
Once you are sure that you have way on over the tide slip the stern line.
And off you go without and drama. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

As far as getting into your new berth in Shotley with out an engine on a Sunday afternoon - you are on your own.

In reality I would beg a jump start from some one (If the portable jump start/tyre pump/light thingy we carry did not do the trick)

I might still try the above for the fun of it assuming the hangover was not to bad /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Guest]

Haul in the stern line, put a line through the buoy and take it to the bow. Cast off the stern line and let the tide spin her round so she's facing bow into the tide, attached by her bows. Then hoist sail and sail off at your leisure up-tide with no danger of hitting anything.

 

[Guest]

Blast - you'n Fluff type faster than me!

 

[CliveG]

I might have beaten Fluff if I hadn't had to check the spelling and make smart alec remarks about MC's mooring arrangements.

 

[Guest]

Yeah well my excuse was I tried to type something clever about boat lengths downstream, then crossed it all out started again and muffed it.

Carpe diem!

 

[upthesolent]

[ QUOTE ]
a quick check reveals that you left the battery switch in position 'both'.

[/ QUOTE ]

Find the bloke who got most drunk last night, give him a good slap and blame him for it.

 

[Guest]

[ QUOTE ]
Find the bloke who got most drunk last night, give him a good slap and blame him for it.

[/ QUOTE ]
That would be the skipper then /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Full Marks to all those who suggested turning the boat..... I think Fluffc got there first!

IMHO, trying to sail off in that wind without reversing the boat, with even just 1kt of tide would almost guarantee a coming together with the boats in front of you...

By turning the boat you can gradually bring the power on, until you are certain there is enough breeze to stem and overcome the tide, and thus make a safe exit..... and also avoid finding there isn't enough wind, avoiding a calamitous departure, which would probably end up with you having to anchor somewhere anyway to avoid being swept up in to the centre of Ipswich!