Berthing disasters we have witnessed

[Seaway Channel]

I find the best ones are caused by accepting offers of help from someone on the shore. I was once coming into my berth singlehanded on a 38ft sailing boat. A helper came down the finger almost the length of the boat and took my bow line, as he did so his phone rang so he tied my line tight to the cleat at the end of the finger and walked off, leaving me unable to go in or come out with a crosswind blowing taking me down on the boats downwind of me…

 

[Chiara’s slave]

We only accept shoreside help when theres nothing left to lose.

 

[Kelpie]

I find the best ones are caused by accepting offers of help from someone on the shore. I was once coming into my berth singlehanded on a 38ft sailing boat. A helper came down the finger almost the length of the boat and took my bow line, as he did so his phone rang so he tied my line tight to the cleat at the end of the finger and walked off, leaving me unable to go in or come out with a crosswind blowing taking me down on the boats downwind of me…

Unless they know better, people will pull lines tight and then tie them to the nearest cleat.

 

[johnalison]

Unless they know better, people will pull lines tight and then tie them to the nearest cleat.

Or, even more creatively, hold on to the line and try to stop the boat from being blown off by the F6 wind. I like the phone trick though. Someone with a sense of humour.

 

[cagey]

The worst I saw was also probably a very unlucky one , I was standing on Falmouth Marina fuelling pontoon waiting for water taxi, anyone who knows Penryn river will know it is deceptively strong particularly at half tide ebb. Husband and wife came down from Penryn, pretty less than 30ft wooden yacht, all kitted out for coming alongside, was watching because I enjoy watching manoeuvres as you can learn things. Helm and crew looked relaxed and in control, lines in hand, helm turns to head into tide but I don’t think he appreciated how strong tide was near pontoon and starts his approach to pontoon, don’t know what happened next, loss of power, panic, but tide caught him and threw him against yachts in their slots, less than 4 metres and 20 seconds, he didn’t hit hard but his backstay was caught by moored yachts anchor, the tide turned him downstream with force and speed and ripped backstay out of transom, mast came down and he started to drift with tide onto concrete pilings. The response from everyone nearby was amazing all attracted by the noise and the boat was brought alongside, amazingly no one was hurt but they didn’t look too well. I was less than 6 metres from this but because of the design of marina meant I was at least 250 metres away from helping. Astonishing how quickly it went from happy to disaster.
K

 

[Wansworth]

From quite capability to chaos….watching a very nice sort of small mfv enter the marina area crew husband and wife all ready,Iturned away to do what I was doing and all of a sudden the air was rented by shouting and crunching,somehow a basic coming along side manuever with out any tide run turned in to a pontoon bashing with bows bashing the pontoon ,husband gesticulating and wife just frozen………

 

[oldmanofthehills]

The worst I saw was also probably a very unlucky one , I was standing on Falmouth Marina fuelling pontoon waiting for water taxi, anyone who knows Penryn river will know it is deceptively strong particularly at half tide ebb. Husband and wife came down from Penryn, pretty less than 30ft wooden yacht, all kitted out for coming alongside, was watching because I enjoy watching manoeuvres as you can learn things. Helm and crew looked relaxed and in control, lines in hand, helm turns to head into tide but I don’t think he appreciated how strong tide was near pontoon and starts his approach to pontoon, don’t know what happened next, loss of power, panic, but tide caught him and threw him against yachts in their slots, less than 4 metres and 20 seconds, he didn’t hit hard but his backstay was caught by moored yachts anchor, the tide turned him downstream with force and speed and ripped backstay out of transom, mast came down and he started to drift with tide onto concrete pilings. The response from everyone nearby was amazing all attracted by the noise and the boat was brought alongside, amazingly no one was hurt but they didn’t look too well. I was less than 6 metres from this but because of the design of marina meant I was at least 250 metres away from helping. Astonishing how quickly it went from happy to disaster.
K

there but for the grace of god we all sail

 

[johnalison]

Other forms of berth can be entertaining too. In the Baltic, bows-to and a stern buoy is quite common and generally easy to manage, especially with. ‘Swedish Hook’ on the stern line. In the small basin of Barhoft the pontoon is low, near the water but generally straightforward, especially if there are neighbours to nudge against. I spent many happy minutes watching a Danish boat arrive with husband and wife crew. The boat was a fairly slim 35-footer and nothing unusual but their arrangement was for the wife to pick up the buoy with a boat hook while the skipper helmed. The first attempt failed, as did the second and third, by which time the skipper must have decided that more power was needed, which was unfortunate since the wife had actually managed to hook the buoy. I was hoping that she would end up in the water but in the end it was only the boathook that was lost.

 

[mjcoon]

Other forms of berth can be entertaining too. In the Baltic, bows-to and a stern buoy is quite common and generally easy to manage, especially with. ‘Swedish Hook’ on the stern line. In the small basin of Barhoft the pontoon is low, near the water but generally straightforward, especially if there are neighbours to nudge against. I spent many happy minutes watching a Danish boat arrive with husband and wife crew. The boat was a fairly slim 35-footer and nothing unusual but their arrangement was for the wife to pick up the buoy with a boat hook while the skipper helmed. The first attempt failed, as did the second and third, by which time the skipper must have decided that more power was needed, which was unfortunate since the wife had actually managed to hook the buoy. I was hoping that she would end up in the water but in the end it was only the boathook that was lost.

How ungallant of you!

 

[johnalison]

How ungallant of you!

She was fairly substantial and I'm sure she would have floated.

 

[mjcoon]

She was fairly substantial and I'm sure she would have floated.

Ah, built-in Mae West?

 

[WoodyP]

Why is it that most pontoons have exposed bits of hard sharp steel to break your cock up.

 

[Irish Rover]

Why is it that most pontoons have exposed bits of hard sharp steel to break your cock up.

That sounds painful, ouch. God forbid what it does to the female boaters.

 

[Wansworth]

Ah, built-in Mae West?

Hoping for a wet t shirt momment

 

[johnalison]

Why is it that most pontoons have exposed bits of hard sharp steel to break your cock up.

That is pretty generally true, though there are some honourable exceptions. My own finger ends with a wooden corner, which is not ideal. I fitted a substantial corner fender many years ago and within a year someone had managed to destroy it while we were away, which must have taken some effort, and cost me the price of a replacement.

 

[KeithMD]

Why is it that most pontoons have exposed bits of hard sharp steel to break your cock up.

To trip you over as you stagger back (in the dark of night) from the marina pub/bar.

 

[westhinder]

Rather than wait around in the marina for something entertaining to happen, you could spend a couple of interesting hours watching the comings and goings in a busy lock on a windy afternoon. Guaranteed to be both entertaining and instructive. Most locks in the Netherlands will do nicely.

 

[LittleSister]

. . . you could spend a couple of interesting hours watching the comings and goings in a busy lock on a windy afternoon. Guaranteed to be both entertaining and instructive. Most locks in the Netherlands will do nicely.

Many years ago we were visiting the Netherlands in a friend's rather over-built Ferro boat, which had been weighed at 15 tons (and that was before it was laden with much paraphernalia plus about half a dozen crew and their kit). She was a long keeler, and didn't start, stop or turn at all quickly, nor steer in reverse. She carried her way for along distance! Great at sea, but very nerve wracking for close quarters manoeuvring.

We had successfully passed through a number of locks, but eventually came too one where there was a greater build up of traffic waiting to get in. The boats ahead of us proceeded into the lock, and we proceeded forward steadily behind them, but slowly enough to ensure that they were in place and tied up before we 'arrived', so we could slide straight into place behind them and didn't have to start and stop which would probably end up with us in a bit of a pickle. The small open speedboat behind was revving its engine to show the skipper's frustration with our stately progress forward, and at the last minute took advantage of a gap opening up to the side of us, shot round and in front of us, ignoring our frantic waving and calling for them not to do so. There was no way we could stop in the shortened distance now remaining, and we gritted our teeth waiting for the flimsy speedboat to go 'pop' and sink as it was crushed between our unstoppable force and the now immovable object which was the previous sailing yacht now secured ahead of us. The looks on their faces suggested they now realised the error of their ways and what was about to transpire!

Fortunately for them, the 'pop' never quite came - they got bumped, but somehow a more glancing blow than we were expecting, as their boat was wedged into the not quite big enough space left by the tapering ends of ours and the three other large boats 'now involved'. There was no apparent damage to anyone apart from a few minor scuff marks (though if the speedboat were mine I'd be looking carefully for cracks when it was next out of the water). I suspect the speedboat skipper might subsequently have thought twice about which queue jumping opportunities he might avail himself of!

 

[mattonthesea]

Rather than wait around in the marina for something entertaining to happen, you could spend a couple of interesting hours watching the comings and goings in a busy lock on a windy afternoon. Guaranteed to be both entertaining and instructive. Most locks in the Netherlands will do nicely.

I try to forget my first time! Dark, and they'd hidden the bollards in alcoves

 

[oldgit]

Just finished polishing out the results of my most recent interesting "arrival "
On the up side, the gouges in the gel coat are becoming less deep as time goes on.