Berthing stern to

[oGaryo]

Hi, hope you can give me a little guidance on berthing a mid 20ft sportcruiser with single sterndrive, back end in first. Our boat doesn't have thrusters.

To date, I've only berthed bows to and have got it fairly well sorted adjusting the angle of attack depending on wind and tide, whipping the bow round parallel to the pontoon once in the space and then hitting reverse with opposite lock once she's up against the pontoon using a spring if wind or tide is particularly nasty pushing us away from the mooring. All done at slow speed so we can perform a 'controlled crash' if we get it wrong (lots of fenders and boat hooks involved)... a bit quicker mind if wind and tide again are an issue.

considering reduced response to steering and any other factors, is the technique the same going in to the berth stern to and is it markedly harder or easier in my type of boat.

hope you can help.

cheers Gary

p.s. we also occasionally throw a line off a mid cleat to gain control but can I ask that this advice isn't given, as it's cheating lols seriously though, I prefer not to do it if I can help it.

 

[Seahope]

Gary,

My home berth has a concrete wall behind the boat with a pub just in front so there is usually an audience. I don't know how your boat behaves when you try to go backwards but mine is only predicable when going back completely straight using both engines. Since I can't approach our berth in a straight line it is always lots of fun berthing when coming home.

I have decided to have a bow thruster fitted as part of the refurb work since when the bow blows off before SWMBO has managed to get a rope on the rear pontoon cleat it will prevent the boat ending up sideways to the wall

I accept that an accomplished professional helmsman (or my son) would be able to berth perfectly without the need of a bow thruster, unfortunately I can't. As far as I'm concerned berthing forwards in is a piece of piss in comparison. Unfortunately, our home berth is a bit too short to allow this as we can't easily get off it and there is always the risk of bumping the front into the wall which would be a more expensive than knocking the swim-platform.

 

[westernman]

Ok, my boat is not a mobo, but has poor handling in reverse and has no bow thruster. Also at 34 tonnes and 52ft pushing off with a boat hook is not going to have any effect.

If there is a cross wind, (seems like always for my home berth), then I wil reverse up to the pile at the end of the berth and put a warp on that. As the bows blow off while reversing into a berth, then I will take up all the slack in that warp attached to a cleat near the bows and then go forwards against it to pull the bows back in line. The stern is easy enough to control with prop wash over the rudder.

Your case of course may be very different - but for me a warp is essential in any wind.

 

[Frontier]

We need to berth stern-in as our pontoon fingers are so short its hard to board at the side and they dont reach the stern.

We also have very narrow fairways, but I find using both engines and keeping the helm central seems to do it. I know you are supposed to use the wheel (well a lot of people have told me so) but I have had near misses whenever I have tried.

I suggest you find a large, easy access, clear berth, at a marina you are visiting and just keep having trial runs. After a few goes you will feel a bit better about it.

Of course when you get to your home berth it will be windy, the stream will be running the wrong way, and most boats will have people sitting in their cockpits with drinks in hand, just waiting for the show!

D

 

[ricky_s]

Leave it until there is no wind or stream at all then keep doing it over and over again. Not much can go wrong in this situation.

 

[PaulGooch]

<snip>

p.s. we also occasionally throw a line off a mid cleat to gain control but can I ask that this advice isn't given, as it's cheating lols seriously though, I prefer not to do it if I can help it.

Don't use a midships cleat, use the stern cleat. One turn around the pontoon cleat and engage into forward, wheel dead ahead, when things get a bit out of shape. The line will pull the boat tight to and parallel with the finger. Back into reverse and have the person on the line keep pulling the slack in. Repeat at necessary.

Using lines for close quarters handing isn't cheating, it's part of the boat handling, IMO.

 

[whisper]

Hi, hope you can give me a little guidance on berthing a mid 20ft sportcruiser with single sterndrive, back end in first. Our boat doesn't have thrusters.

To date, I've only berthed bows to and have got it fairly well sorted adjusting the angle of attack depending on wind and tide, whipping the bow round parallel to the pontoon once in the space and then hitting reverse with opposite lock once she's up against the pontoon using a spring if wind or tide is particularly nasty pushing us away from the mooring. All done at slow speed so we can perform a 'controlled crash' if we get it wrong (lots of fenders and boat hooks involved)... a bit quicker mind if wind and tide again are an issue.

considering reduced response to steering and any other factors, is the technique the same going in to the berth stern to and is it markedly harder or easier in my type of boat.

hope you can help.


cheers Gary

p.s. we also occasionally throw a line off a mid cleat to gain control but can I ask that this advice isn't given, as it's cheating lols seriously though, I prefer not to do it if I can help it.

Hi Gary,
I find berthing on a finger pontoon, with our single outdrive set-up, is a lot more difficult than going in forwards. The only exception is if I'm backing into a strong wind as the natural "weather cocking" of the boat will allow you to drive backwards at slow speeds easier than forwards.
We've got a bow thruster and it gets regularly used when berthing in reverse whilst being hardly ever used when going in forwards.
PS Don't knock the use of a midship cleat, it's an excellent helpmate. I regularly use one, especially when I'm on my own. If it helps you berth safely then it's the thing to do.
Regards,
John

 

[duncan]

100% agree with John (Whisper), and would add the parallel of reversing into a strong current as well as a wind.

however every boat will have difference nuances, and the pitch/bite of the drive can be an issue because you will need to engage drive longer in reverse to get the boat actually moving (as opposed to stopping) because of the hull shape.

generally you loose control of the bow - so you have to e very sure that that's not going to lead to a problem 10 secs later!

in benign conditions it's no great shakes, and when you live on the thing and don't have to think twice about where the drives pointing and what's going to happen next it all seems a lot easier (just like reversing large yachts all the way around marinas in reverse....)

finally, beware pontoon chains in strange berths; there are places where your (and my) props will meet the chains before the stern meets the pontoon - this is not good news

 

[rubberduck]

This is always going to be tricky in your boat, practice when the conditions are good, go in forwards the rest of the time. Eventually you will get the hang of it.

 

[oGaryo]

thanks all.. going in forward isn't a problem these days using sprnigs etc as said when needed.. it's simply a case of coming across berths that are shorter than the boat on the odd occasion... sounds like I ned t avoid those berths in anything but ideal weather conditions.

thanks again

 

[gjgm]

Its def. harder in reverse on a single. I suggest you try things out in some no wind,no current, open water, and then with wind, no current. The learning curve is to understand what the boat will and wont do. I've had a boat that simply would not turn through the wind in reverse.. well, it would after about 1/2 mile !
So, now you'll know what you can and cant do.. bcz there isnt much purpose in trying to get the boat to do something in a confined space that it wont do!
Other big thing to remember- and use- is the wind on the bow.Use that, dont fight it- ie when moving in, have the boat/bow at an angle so that with wind will push the bow into place, so you get a free ride as it were. You dont want to have to fight the bow movement on top of everything else. If you position the boat in the right place to start with you can almost forget about the bow, knowing it will take care of itself.
In a similar vein, as you probably know, dont let the wind grab the bow unintentionally, and if its getting tricky, try to correct by driving the bow into the wind to get control back, and start again.
And sometimes, it just goes wrong

 

[timgriffin]

Imagine you are talking about a cross wind into a berth.


You need to use the wind as the brake so start off down wind reverse and have the bows pushing into the wind.
Aim stern about half way into said berth keeping the bows moving into the wind .
Easier to show than explain but does work very nicely .
Tim

 

[imac8]

Hi, hope you can give me a little guidance on berthing a mid 20ft sportcruiser with single sterndrive, back end in first. Our boat doesn't have thrusters.

To date, I've only berthed bows to and have got it fairly well sorted adjusting the angle of attack depending on wind and tide, whipping the bow round parallel to the pontoon once in the space and then hitting reverse with opposite lock once she's up against the pontoon using a spring if wind or tide is particularly nasty pushing us away from the mooring. All done at slow speed so we can perform a 'controlled crash' if we get it wrong (lots of fenders and boat hooks involved)... a bit quicker mind if wind and tide again are an issue.

considering reduced response to steering and any other factors, is the technique the same going in to the berth stern to and is it markedly harder or easier in my type of boat.

hope you can help.

cheers Gary

p.s. we also occasionally throw a line off a mid cleat to gain control but can I ask that this advice isn't given, as it's cheating lols seriously though, I prefer not to do it if I can help it.

I'll offer a slightly different response to everyone else and ask whether you've considered engaging the help of a professional to assist you?

I own a 25ft single engine vessel as well and went through the motions you have but I ended up getting forum member Solitaire / David @ 5 Star Marine on a days tuition to teach me boat handling in close quarter situations and berthing stern to. We covered alot more during the day as well and as a result my wife and I feel so much more confident. David is also a great laugh.

ps. We no longer use the line of the mid ships to berth.

 

[MapisM]

is the technique the same going in to the berth stern to and is it markedly harder or easier in my type of boat.

You've got an Alpha outdrive IIRC, right?
Because if so, one thing you should remember is that for any given steering wheel rotation, the boat actually steers more to port than to stbd. And such effect is even more evident in reverse.

Anyhow yep, mooring stern to with a single outdrive is indeed tricky.
Three things are crucial: practice, practice, practice.

 

[BGS]

Stern to berthing.

In my early days boating one of the best instructors I ever had used to make me reverse in and out of marinas and tight spots for hours. He would start in the open water and gradually get me to reverse into the marina, then finally into the mooring. You very quickly get the feel for driving the boat backwards and controlling the stern. you will ding getting into your mooring much easier after this routine.

Even now, if it has been a while since I have been to my boat, I have a little practice going around the marina backward. It sets me up for the season and fine tunes my skills for med mooring.

Give it a go. It really will help.

Cheers.

 

[oGaryo]

yep, it's an Alpha 1 gen two stern drive thanks again for the advice.. I'll do just that I reckon and get some practice in on my home berth. not too sure about the professional tuition on this one, I should be able to crack it if I practice or at least, be able to make a judgement when something is doable and whn I should be phoning up the berth master to ask for a longer pontoon to moor up against.

 

[MapisM]

yep, it's an Alpha 1 gen two stern drive

Ok, actually the specific model doesn't matter that much. I was only asking because what I said didn't apply to counterrotating props.
Anyway, I agree with your approach, fwiw: I'm sure you'll crack it without any professional tuition.
Sorry if some pro trainer disagree, I'm not dismissing tuition as such, but as I said this is mostly a matter of practicing and build up some sensibility on the boat reactions, and there aren't magic tricks for that...

 

[timgriffin]

Ok, actually the specific model doesn't matter that much. I was only asking because what I said didn't apply to counterrotating props.
Anyway, I agree with your approach, fwiw: I'm sure you'll crack it without any professional tuition.
Sorry if some pro trainer disagree, I'm not dismissing tuition as such, but as I said this is mostly a matter of practicing and build up some sensibility on the boat reactions, and there aren't magic tricks for that...

Agree with MapisM looking at how other boats similar to yours do it is useful .
And as others have mentioned practice reversing in open water and then around the marina get a feel of how your boat responds to the wind and how you can use the wind as a brake practice practice and have fun.

Training is useful if you want to further your qualifications and feel tested in your knowledge and ability and add to your existing skills tool box. A volunteer is worth 10 pressed men in my book. And there are many excellent boaters out there without a ticket to there name who are quite happy pootling around happy and safe .
Tim