Advice for first time single-handed please!

Prepare ropes and fenders in open channel away from other craft and not in marina.
Stern in
Stern cleat to side to pontoon cleat
Engage forward gear which will pull bow in.
Step off secure bow.
(Or all as above but also Radio Marina and ask for some help)
 
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I gave up reading Bios a long time ago - well before you probably even heard of YBW / IPC forums /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif... why ? Because of the rubbish that many have in them. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif



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Hmm - you registered 13/09/2008. Now lets see, when did I secondly join, yes a 2nd time after the new look forum was introduced in errrrrrrrrrrr when was it? Oh yes 25/06/2001.

Yet again you don't read! Of course there are other options but Phil has stated that he has prevailing wind on the stern as rule into a conventional berth. So all your so called observations are irrelevant to the question he asked.

His berth is his berth - prevailing wind normally blowing him out of the berth,no tide to speak of - so apart from being aware of the wind strength when coming out of his berth so as to avoid being blown onto the boats opposite him (assuming there are of course and that has not been made clear) he should have no problems. I would tend to let the wind blow the boat out of the berth and then when clear of the pontoon apply the power.

Too many people don't let the boat tell them what it wants to do, knowing that will then allow you to work the boat rather than try and tell it to do something it doesn't want to do. this then results in having to apply power when it's not needed and overcook things.

/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Oh I and I give up reading a lot of posts..............

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why ? Because of the rubbish that many have in them. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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In fact the register date you see against my Id is the later return date. I was here as one of the originals on FIRST forums many moons ago- late 1990's. I was also part of the FIRST group that was re-instated by Kim when Forums were reset after the hacking incidents in 2000 ... I have had various ID's and this one is definitely not the first.

As to my answers - he will not only have to negotiate his home berth - but most likely visitors berths elsewhere - so its handy to have suggestions for all eventualities.

Oh - sorry ... he only goes out from home berth and back to that one only - never anywhere else ??

In fact only 'boob' I made was forgetting this is Mobo forum ... I mistakenly drifted into general boating mode ... Oh Dear !

I smartly touch my forelock as I exit .... carefully walking backwards head bowed ... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
There are boats opposite but there's plenty of clearance room. The boat next to us moved a little while ago which has in fact made it a little trickier to get back in as I used to lean out of the window and 'fend off' the neighbour.
Thanks for all the very useful info. now will you and Refueler please play nicely!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
How to single hand.

1, put kettle on and after tea/coffee/drink is made sit on the aft deck, or back of boat or outside bit and look to see whats moving
now I do not mean the Sunseeker along the pontoons bow bobbing, or the lady topless sun bathing ,
I mean the tide, do not fall off boat while doing this, yes that would tell you which way and how strong but not recommended . try and judge how strong this is and what it is doing to your boat, which lines are taking a strain if non seem to be, then your lucky,

Now find out where the wind is coming from, and see what it is doing to your boat, Flags, wind generators are good for this, if the wind generators are, wizing round fast, put kettle on again and find a good book to read. If not,
Do pre start checks, and stow everything but what you will need to hand for trip, make sure you have clear access to the ropes, as you will fall over everything when single handing its sods law, so give yourself a bit of a heads start,
remember to go to loo before you go, all that tea will want out just as you are going out otherwise.

Start engine/s, take few deep breaths and grin wildly .
Slowly get lines ready to cast off, I find on the smaller boats you can take off the bow line and walk to stern holding her in . I run the bow line over the rail and along the side deck , then tie off at the stern. then you are ready to carefully step back on board, remember the tripping thing.

undo the stern , and walk grinning wildly again, very important the grinning as it relaxes you and makes everyone think you know what you are doing. To you helm and slowly take her off the berth, Once clear of marina and in a bit of water where you can drift , take in fenders etc.


NOW GO ENJOY THE NEXT BIT.


Coming in , many tip above but take it slow, remember the grinning bit, once along side, if you can step off back with stern line in one hand and take the bow line with you too, do make sure they are in the right hands ie, as you face the boat hand nearest the stern has the stern line etc. secure stern roughly and then with some slake on the bow line flick it onto the pontoon, you will normally manage to catch a cleat now giving you control of the bow, then walk forward and secure line.

Now with biggest grin yet put kettle on and phone the misses to tell her you back safe.
 
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In fact the register date you see against my Id is the later return date. I was here as one of the originals on FIRST forums many moons ago- late 1990's.

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Isn't assumption a wonderful thing!

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I gave up reading Bios a long time ago - well before you probably even heard of YBW / IPC forums ... why ? Because of the rubbish that many have in them.

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Still with mine, what you see is what you get. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif And as it happens, so was the OP's /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif So there was no need to make assumptions which result in an incorrect assesment!

As I gently motor off into the sunset /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
I like what you say Solitaire, you certainly have the marina berthing process in hand. You clearly have had a lot of experience in this field, and I would suggest anyone with limited understanding of this process to re-read what you have just said (not the bit about refueler!).

In fact book in for a lesson or two (that is what you do isn't it?)

Even after a couple years, people can still find this process daunting, I see it every day. When there are crowds of other boaters about is always worse.

You Brits are fortunate enough to have pros to make life easier, book yourself a one on one session.
 
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