Alongside pontoon berthing

[C08]

I have recently taken an alongside pontoon berth and I am wondering if where I have been placed is a good spot and whether to request a move to another berth as and when one comes available. The pontoon is new with only half the berths occupied but all have been allocated now so the place is notioanally full. My concern is that the boat in front of me ( not there yet) is a 10m cat and my cat is 9m overall. The beam of the cat in front means that I will need to approach the pontoon at a steeper angle than if it were a monohull in front. A consequence of the steeper angle of approach perhaps 75 degrees to the pontoon is that due to my relatively wide beam my starboard rear quarter will get close to the boat behind. It obviously depends on the spacing between the boats whether I have difficulty or not but it is a concern as I only have a single outboard so berthing can occasionaly be a challenge.
I am probably worrying uneccesarily but I am not sure putting cats together is a good idea? I will know better when all the boats are in their berths and set up.
I am not aware how marinas set out their berths and if there is a standard spacing between boats and whether it depends on the size of boats and whether power or sail and normally prevailing tidal flow and weather situation?
I would be pleased to hear any thoughts on my possible problem as I am sure many others have been down this road before.

 

[Graham376]

Your problem is not much different to a monohull having to berth behind or in front of a catamaran. Tidal flow along the pontoon makes it easier to ferry glide into the berth.

 

[stranded]

“I am not sure putting cats together is a good idea”

It seems like a very good idea from a monohullists perspective!

 

[Daydream believer]

Cat owner- Sorry but it is your own fault

But on a more serious note with only a 30 ft cat can you rotate the outboard fairly sharply? If so put one bow in at 45 degrees. Then put the out board hard over & use it like a stern thruster. Pushing the stern in with the bow anchored to the pontoon. Adjusting the bow line as necessary so that the bow slides along the pontoon (along a fender of course) & the stern gradually swings to the pontoon.
Obviously other factors- tide, wind & wallies shouting pointless instructions, all have to be considered.

 

[Bouba]

Cat owner- Sorry but it is your own fault

But on a more serious note with only a 30 ft cat can you rotate the outboard fairly sharply? If so put one bow in at 45 degrees. Then put the out board hard over & use it like a stern thruster. Pushing the stern in with the bow anchored to the pontoon. Adjusting the bow line as necessary so that the bow slides along the pontoon (along a fender of course) & the stern gradually swings to the pontoon.
Obviously other factors- tide, wind & wallies shouting pointless instructions, all have to be considered.

The river where I berth is wide enough for two way flow of boat traffic...but it’s increasingly becoming a cat haven....with cats it’s now a oneway river....ie in whatever the direction the cat feels like going...there is no regard for the rest of the river traffic

 

[Irish Rover]

The river where I berth is wide enough for two way flow of boat traffic...but it’s increasingly becoming a cat haven....with cats it’s now a oneway river....ie in whatever the direction the cat feels like going...there is no regard for the rest of the river traffic

Meow

 

[Bouba]

Meow

Nothing personal…I’m a dog person

 

[Irish Rover]

Nothing personal…I’m a dog person

Woof, woof.

 

[Daydream believer]

Nothing personal…I’m a dog person

Am I right in saying that you do not actually own a dog?
Did you not say that your wife does

 

[Bouba]

Am I right in saying that you do not actually own a dog?
Did you not say that your wife does

Yes....you correctly quoted me...it’s the wife’s dog.
And for the record... I love cats and cats love me....just not the floaty kind

 

[Daydream believer]

Yes....you correctly quoted me...it’s the wife’s dog.
And for the record... I love cats and cats love me....just not the floaty kind

So you are big pussy really. Lovely

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Our last berth was just like that. In between 2 ultra wide beam cats. We have outboard steering. Our main difficulty was when the wind was blowing us off. There was often insufficient tide to ferryglide anyway. My advice is to throw dignity to the wind. Put your bow or stern onto the pontoon, take lines ashore and either motor against them or put a bow or stern line in a winch and wind her in.

 

[Stemar]

We have a 29' cat. We do have the unfair advantage of twin engines but, even so, things sometimes get awkward, I usually find it easier to go in astern, get a line on then motor ahead to bring the bow in. Yes, you'll be close to the boat behind, but at least you can see exactly how close from the helm.