Berthing Downtide

[SlowBoat2]

I’ve just moved into a river marina berth with river flowing though berth. This months ST talks about avoiding berthing downtide and waiting till change of tide situation – maybe berthing uptide in a temporary berth. What do you guys do in practice. Normally there is just me and wife and whenever we overnight in river marina I confess that I do the following:

Downtide berth in ANY tidal situation whatever berth we are allocated (you can’t hang around in Hamble, and I have never heard Hamble marinas give uptide berths only!!)
Bow fender on
Get wife to get off as near as possible to end of pontoon and stick lasoo on end pontoon cleat (other end of short warp is on boats midships cleat)
Hard into reverse (if parking downtide – amount of reverse varies with state of tide/my nerve! – forget stern kick!)
Stick pushed over as necessary to keep bow off pontoon
Wife then takes bow warp from guardrail
I sort out stern warp
Hope for the best
Yell at wife when it all goes wrong (only joking!)

ps as you can see, I am not a yachtmaster!!

pps I don’t have the b***s to reverse in

Constructive and helpful comments please.


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[Talbot]

If the tide is really strong then your best bet is a variant of reversing in, i.e. hed into pontoon in normal manner as if going in bows first . start going astern very early until making stern way at the same rate as the tide is running, and adjust boats position by minute amounts of rudder to get boat lined up , then reduce revs astern until berthed alongside - no drama, no fuss, and no expensive crunches - but only really feasible if boat behaves itself astern, and you practice it beforehand on an outside berth to make sure you are happy about steering astern.

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[Benbow]

>I don’t have the b***s to reverse in<

You need fewer b***s to go in stern first, but that's not reversing in. Stem the tide, you now have total control and can move sideways with no forward or aft movement. Now back off the throttle a hair's breadth, you are now creeping backwards with respect to the pontoon but still moving forward with respect to the water. Still under perfect control. When the pontoon arrives step ashore with the lines.

The stronger the tide the easier it is. Practice in a strong tide with lots of space, you will be surprised at how easy it is.


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[SlowBoat2]

Thanks Mark

Sounds good to me and am going to try it as you suggest. Now why didn't I think of that. Thanks for such a quick response. Looks like I'm not the only one who is supposed to be decorating (or something!) today.
Cheers
Slow

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[boatless]

Talbot is quite right, and the same is true for reversing in, if the tide is a knot or more and there isn't too much crosswind. Drive down the fairway between pontoons slowly in fwd. Slow down and head up into tide with your gap behind you. Slow down even more and you'll still be going fwd thru water, but backwards over the ground. And slowly but surely you'll be back in your berth. I prefer parking backwards, having sailed in the Med for a long time. Much easier to step onto a modern boat with bathing platform/step if it's next to the pontoon.

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by boatless on 10/04/2004 12:59 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[boatless]

Bah humbug. Beaten by Benbow. Why aren't we out sailing? Sailed over to Cowes for a couple of beers yesterday, lovely day.

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.

 

[SlowBoat2]

Thanks Benbow,

I assume must have wind against tide or no significant cross wind?

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[Benbow]

No. wind is usually negligable compared to tide. Unless tide is weak and you are driving a gin palace with huge windage or wind is > f5 ish.

Now i am off to tinker with my boat ! (Still out of the water because I will be away for the next few weeks and would rather delay launching than worry about it)

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[Talbot]

Bad back stopped play /forums/images/icons/crazy.gif

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[Birdseye]

No probs reversing in, but its one of the unexpected characteristics of a cat that reversing up tide, or just stemming the tide and ferry gliding is quite easy. As long as you realise, that is. I've had the odd embarrassing moment, usually at the start of the season, when I try to berth not realising I am going downtide.

On the other hand, berthing uptide when the pontoon is across the tide is a definite no no.

<hr width=100% size=1>this post is a personal opinion, and you should not base your actions on it.

 

[Fill]

Benbow is spot on: but having tried this in E Cowes (2-3 hours before low water is good-or bad depending how you see it) you can find vastly different stream rates very few feet apart as you move from the river sideways to the pontoons.

Good luck and lots of fenders!

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