Beerthing in Greece with a small bouy to a mooring

[Krimart]

The most common berthing method in Greece is stern or bow-to the quay, with support of you own anchor. There are however, a few ports such as Finikas on Siros where there is a mooring line tied to a small bouy (accoring to Rod Heikell's "Greek waters Pilot").

Does anybody has experience on such mooring with a bouy? Does this mean you have to pick up the bouy first and attach a long line to this before motoring to the quay? Any hints on how to do this for stern-to bething in a good manner with a small family crew in a strong Meltemi? As far as I understand, there is no line from the bouy to the quay?

My yacht is quite stable going astern, but I need some speed. If I to have to stop to pick up a bouy and then start moving again, this seems to be a source for trouble.

BTW: In the last edition of GW Pilot, Rod writes that the Boys was removed in Finikas in the 2006 season. Anybody knows the situation for this season in this port?

 

[kingfisher]

Usually the buoy is connected to the shore with a thin line. On the quay wall will be an iron ring, it is usually attached there.

Motor backwards towards the wall, plan your course in such a way that you end up perpendicular (sp?) to the wall. About 2m from the wall, some old man on shore will lift the rope. SWMBO will pick it up with a boat hook and walk forward, finally fishing out the main rope. This will be attached to the bow cleat.

At the same time you throw a stern rope to the old man, or wait untill SWMBO is attched, motor backwards, step off and attch rope.

Tips;
Use a fat rear fender
Put SWMBO in bikini on the swim platform with boat hook. This usually solicits more activity with the locals than some fat bloke in speedos.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Finikas in Syros no longer has buoys off the quay (2007), though the blocks remain under water. There was no evidence of lines from the blocks to the quayside, either.

As indicated above, where moorings are laid, the most common system is to run a light line to the shore connecting with the heavy mooring warp.

Some harbours set up such mooring systems in the past, but have failed to maintain them. You will then encounter a heavy chain running parallel to the quayside, about 40m off. Moral - when dropping your own anchor in such places (Ios, Rhodes, Finikas), drop it as far from the shore as possible!

 

[Krimart]

I am used to the mooring setup is a thin line from the quay, out to a heavier rope that leads to a heavy mooring/ mooring chain - without any bouy. Does this mean that the bouy system is just the same set-up but where the bouy acts as a float to get more damping?

About moorings removed: As allways in Greece, infrastructure for yachts has not very high priority.
I regard this as part of the culture and the charm. Of course not so charming when your anchor is stuck in an old mooring and the lokal diver are starting the negotiations....

 

[jimbaerselman]

In the past, in Finikas, the buoy was the only attachment to the bottom rope - there was no line ashore. But this is a very rare arrangement in Greece.

Where you see buoys in harbours in Greece, almost always they are privately laid moorings, and the buoy is attached roughly where the owner's stern will be when he is bows to the harbour wall. So it's just a convenient pickup for the line, which he can reach from the stern.

The floating rope is also a useful deterrent to stop yachts going stern to in his patch!