Berthing Single Handed

Thepipdoc

Thepipdoc

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I have a 27 foot twin engined Sea Ray, and tomorrow I need to move her on my own from a swinging mooring to a pontoon berth , on my own!
Leaving and arriving back at the swinging mooring isn't a problem, but I'm slightly concerned about coming alongside the pontoon.
I'm only going to move from the swinging mooring if the wind is as it's forecasted - 6mph, so hopefully wind shouldn't be an issue and I might be fortunate enough to have someone take the bow line from me, but there's no guarantees.
I should perhaps add that I'm normally with my wife and together we would carry out this manoeuvre without a problem but this is the first time I've moved the boat by myself.

I'd appreciate your thoughts about how I should make this a successful move.
 
Don't touch the wheel. Use engine controls only. I don't have a twin myself, but every time I get the chance I practice with one in the dock at Dinorwic. Very tight, but using engine controls only, you can spin on a sixpence and maintain position when windy.

Practice out at your mooring for a bit, manoeuvring alongside your buoy, or another boat without using the wheel.

Oh yes, make sure you have water for the dry mouth.
 
Right, being a Searay of 27 feet i am guessing the boat has sterndives rather than shafts? It is possible you also have counter rotating dual propellors on each leg? If this is the case, then please ignor the 'dont touch the wheel instuction'. The Major is correct to a point for shaft drive boats (though even here the sphere of influence when turning in a spot ca be greatly increased by correct use of the rudders), but it this misconception that leads people to beleive sterndrives are hard to handle - they arent if you use the wheel and vector the thrust.

Assuming you have benign wind conditions single handing is easy and its all about the set up. Approach the pontoon into what wind or tide there is if possible, even if this means turning arouns to do so. Before going anywere, make sure your fenders are on and at the right height, and make sure your lines are ready. Run your forward line from the cleat to the middle of the boat and attach to the rail with a simple hitch. Now attach the stern line and leave neatly coiled and accessible, but not on the swim platform where it might fall in and foul the props.

Now your approach. Come towards the pontoon with the bow at a slight angle, mybe 20 degrees to the pontoon. Go in SLOWLY nudging the boat in and out of gear on alternate engines. As you appraoch the pontoon, take the boat out of gear as your momentum will be enough and as the edge of the pontoon disappears from view under the bow, turn the wheel hard to the pontoon and engage reverse on the engine furthest away from the pontoon. Keep the power on long enough to get the stern of the boat moving toward the pontoon. Now, both engines to neutral, walk to the back of the boat, pick up your stern line and step onton the pontoon which has now come gently along side. Make the line fast, walk down the pontoon, take the line off the rail where you secured it earlier, make it fast and hey presto, you are tied up.
 
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Good tip from MajorCatastrophe
Leave the wheel midships

I presume you are entering a Marina?
Well, same applies really if you are berthing alongside in a river or harbour.

On 'finals' or entering a Marina all you need is 'just in gear'.
Tiss good to slow down to a dead stop if possible before setting up for the Final Pontoon!

Keep one hand on the wheel in readyness and use tother to pop the throttles just in and out of gear. No more!

Only use the wheel when using the two engines together
Then remember the adage 'Steer then Gear'.

If you do use the two engines and throttles and go back to the throttles only gig
Remember to put the wheel midships first.

Slow as poss, loads of fenders.
If it looks a bit skew wiff
Abort and try again.
Don't try and rescue the plot if it does go a bit pear shaped.

Try and get a 'plan' fixed in your head first.
If there is no one about to catch some string
I know its a bit difficult on a sports boat
But try and get a wharp on the central cleat of your boat
Or whever is most convenient for you to just calmly walk on to the pontoon after you have calmly and expertly stepped of the vessel
Centre cleat is best.

Make a wharp into two bundles
One in one hand and one in tother
Stick yer foot on one end
Make sure tother is on a cleat!
And lob the bundles past the cleat or summat on the pontoon
Then your are in!

Just take your time you will be fine:)
 
Funnily enough that largely works with a sailing cat as well, but as when you get very close you steer away from the dock (big rudders) and reverse on the outer engine. Nerve wracking if you don't have plenty of room fore and aft.
 
I know what you are saying Jezz but I,ve noticed with people who relatively new to outdrives and twins in general that once they start twirling the wheel confusion sometimes sets in.
I am presuming Thepipdoc is fairly new to boating
Could be wrong:o

It is a job to theorise and give good info for boat handling.
By way of the Forum etc
Simps when passing on info practically!

However
Thepipdoc
Take as much of this info on here as you can

Sounds like a load of stress
Taint though
And its right good when it all comes together!:D
 
id say it would be dependant on the winds on the day, i recently had a similar situation with high winds side on and had 5/6 attempts at bringing her in before i got it right, theres no shame in having as many attempts as needed until you are comfortable ..... well thats my thoughts and im sticking to them ;)
 
Kwakkers, I know but the whole reason sooooo many people think outdrives are hard is because this 'dont touch the wheel' thing is applied carte-blanche to everything. I agree with the shafts (as I said, to a ppoint), but with OD, especially if they have counter rotating props, it is vastly easier to vector the thrust.

The problem with dual props is they are woeully inefficient in reverse (think, rudders on a shaft boat. By leaving the wheel central, he will get along side but he will have to use boat loads of power on the outside engine to do it with dual props, and by turning the wheel hard to the pontoon is very very easy.

Its where 'steer before gear' came from. I agree if you are using opposing engines, ie one forward one reverse the dont bugger about with the wheel, but again with sterndives and dual props this is not the best way to tur on the spot. wheel hard one way outer engine forward, out of gear, wheel hard the other way, opposite engine reverse is much quicker, cleaner and tighter...
 
Dead right Funky
Doesn't matter how many times it takes
The wind is a big factor
Ideally we would all like to berth into the wind
But how many times does that happen?:rolleyes:

Checking out which way and what the wind will do to you is all part of preparing to berth
Easy said I know!

How many times
Just when you think you are in, the bleedin gust comes from nowhere and makes yer look a pillock:D

Remember though.
And just try this sometime
The wind will catch your bow and send the boat where you don't want it to go!
However sometimes the wind will help

Go out in a breeze one day and pick a place with plenty of room to float about a bit

Switch off and watch what happens
You will find she sits almost broadside to the wind
Depending of course what vessel etc
But mobos in general will sit sideways too

If you know how your boat will react in those swinds it helps to figure out what to do in the Matina or pontoon berthing
 
Ay Jez
Once right close to the pontoon its ok for a newbie to lock and squirt!!!

From My observations its the bit were peeps are about to make that final turn or 'line up' then start whizzing the wheel hither and thither and burts of throttle
You know the score:eek:

It's a bit like the pattin yer head and doin circles on yer tummy whilst balancing a pole on yer nose till yer get used to it!


I think this would be good for Thepipdoc.

1 try and plan ahead
2 slow as poss
3 Fenders where needed (part of 1 inc wharps ready)
4 Just in and out of gear
5 Use the wheel as little as possible and gently
6 Award with several lubricants after a job well done!!:)

What der reckon to that?

'A job well done'

Yep
As they say in the Aviation World

'Any landing is a Good Landing'
:D
 
Kawasaki said:
Dead right Funky
Doesn't matter how many times it takes
The wind is a big factor
Ideally we would all like to berth into the wind
But how many times does that happen?:rolleyes:

Checking out which way and what the wind will do to you is all part of preparing to berth
Easy said I know!

How many times
Just when you think you are in, the bleedin gust comes from nowhere and makes yer look a pillock:D

Remember though.
And just try this sometime
The wind will catch your bow and send the boat where you don't want it to go!
However sometimes the wind will help
Click to expand...

I made a total hash of three atempts and the other two were nearly there but the wind got me; thankfully the smaller boat next to me wasnt in on the day or it would have been a pancake! if there is an empty pontoon with plenty of space it might be worth having a few pratice runs, i know i have done that in the past...

good luck with the birthing Thepipdoc im sure all will be fine,

ps: the water is a good idea...i only had sangria....probably why it took me so many attempts ;)



anth
 
I wish people wouldn't keep saying "don't touch the wheel" in reference to berthing boats with stern drives - it doesn't work.

It doesn't work, because the props are slung out behind the back of the boat, so with both drives dead ahead, you're trying to turn around a point that is behind the transom. Add in the "not much grip in reverse" because of the exhaust bubbles, a longer boat (say 40ft), a bit of a breeze, and you will keep Fibreglass Man in clover for months.

What does work is twiddling the helm before you put it in gear to direct the thrust in whatever direction it needs to go.

"Don't touch the wheel" works with shaftdrives because the props are underneath the boat, they grip better in reverse, small rudders don't do much at very low speeds, and even less in reverse, so not much point twiddling them anyway.
 
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actually leave it on the swinging mooring..im lost with the advice

you could just power it straight on to the nearest beach prehaps?? ;)
 
Thepipdoc said:
I have a 27 foot twin engined Sea Ray, and tomorrow I need to move her on my own from a swinging mooring to a pontoon berth , on my own!
Leaving and arriving back at the swinging mooring isn't a problem, but I'm slightly concerned about coming alongside the pontoon.
I'm only going to move from the swinging mooring if the wind is as it's forecasted - 6mph, so hopefully wind shouldn't be an issue and I might be fortunate enough to have someone take the bow line from me, but there's no guarantees.
I should perhaps add that I'm normally with my wife and together we would carry out this manoeuvre without a problem but this is the first time I've moved the boat by myself.

I'd appreciate your thoughts about how I should make this a successful move.
Click to expand...

How did you get insurance if you dont know how to park a boat?
 
Hmm, I don,t ever remember any Insurance Co asking Me

I could be wrong going back to about 84 when I got My first boat
Something about experience etc maybe?
Been with the same peeps for about 15 years now.
I think they just renew!

Deffo nothing ever about Parking!
 
I'm with Jez on this one and have been single handing for years.
All done very very very slowly

AND TURN THE WHEEL.

It dont work on stern drives to leave the wheel centred. but dont start whizzing from one side to the other....

Of course the other option is to wait till the wind is blowing you onto the pontoon and gently drift onto the fendered side with the wind pinning you to the pontoon......simples....<sic>
 
I don't think the OP was asking how to manouvre to the berth, he says he's done that before, seems more interested in how to get the lines on. So, put fenders on both sides before leaving the swinging mooring, and rig a mooring warp from a mid cleat, or if you're not sure which side you'll be berthing then stick one on both mid cleats. Pull alonside the pontoon and loop the pre-rigged rope over a suitably located pontoon cleat, then tie back to your mid cleat with little slack. The boat is now pinned to the pontoon, and you can do bow, stern and spring lines at your leisure. Alternatively call the marina and ask them to send someone to take your line, that's what they're there for after all.
 
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