Boarding boat on floating mooring

[srm]

After years of different boats and set ups I have evolved to the following:
* gate in rails (with your ketch put them aft by mizzen shrouds if freeboard is lower):
* a large cylindrical fender securely fastened to toe rail or cleats in horizontal position so fender top is a bit above dinghy gunwhale to keep dinghy off hull and to provide a large step:
* the man rope I mentioned earlier to pull up on and save the stanchions.
* secure dinghy fore and aft before boarding / disembarking.

This set up works well for proper dinghys as the large fender keeps the dinghy off the hull and provides a step up from the bottom of the boat. If you have a deflatable then the side tube may be useable as a step, and putting the fender a bit higher up may make getting up high freeboard easier.

Only problem I have had was when anchored off St Ives and a Trinity House launch kept passing us about 20 ft away at full sea speed. We rolled in the wash and the fender dropped into the dinghy.

 

[fireball]

Originally Posted by fireball
With a sugar scoop stern we bring the tender around and tie it broadside across the stern...

I would be really, really wary of doing this if there was much tide running for fear of flipping the tender (rigid or flubber)

I've never heard of this as a problem, but I suppose it depends on the hull shape. Our Walkerbay 10 (basic - no extras) happily sits X tide on the back of the boat through spring ebbs with nobody in it. And yes - we get strong currents (>3kts) through the moorings.
I can't see the problem with a flubber either - again, we tie our flat bottomed inflatable the same way as it fixes the tender firmly (as much as you can do with an inflatable!)

 

[David_Jersey]

one thing to mention, if boarding with a hook on ladder that the dinghy can bump into / under the ladder - can be a PITA with ladders that are foldable and not clipped into brackets.......always double check before committing.

FWIW I am also on a ketch, and IME the shrouds of either make perfect handholds no need to lever the guard rails - although I have gates can't say they are needed from a dinghy.

Having said that, I like the idea of the man rope (although name sounds a bit dodgy ) especially the duel use when coming alongside.

 

[lw395]

My mooring was quite exposed, often wind over/across tide. I found the only satisfactory place for the tender was on the quarter, moored by a long painter and a stern line if needed. My yacht and tender were the wrong shapes to put the dinghy across the transom.
This requires good fendering secured along one gunwhale of the dinghy.
I never found getting aboard too hard, as I had a strong pushpit to use. But this is the kind of manoeuvre where you really do not want to be brought up short by a crotch strap on your lifejacket!!!
I made a little rope ladder out of a couple of small stiffish cylindrical fenders, being too tight to buy a fender step. Makes life a lot easier and does not matter what hits it. We moved this to the shrouds when waiting for water taxis, you do don't want a rigid ladder being hit by a water taxi, which we used most often outside Yarmouth, where it can be bouncy.

 

[Pete735]

David Jersey has highlighted my fear, a hook on ladder will get knocked off/askew with the tender by the side of the boat in a choppy sea. Thinking about it, should the ladder by necessity be quite short so that the gunwale of the tender is under the bottom of the ladder however much the tender is bouncing?

L'escargot, any chance of a photo of your setup? I understand what you are getting at, but not how it was achieved.

Maybe the idea of the "manrope" and a small rope ladder with stout, cylindrical fenders would be a good idea as a starting point. I might also try and get one of owners of an inflatable to let me experiment with it, just to see what difference it makes.

As always thanks for the input.

 

[impact30]

A short line from the midship area of the dinghy wrapped once around a stanchion base or similar strong point and held there with one hand will stop the gunwhales of the dinghy sinking as you use them to step off. It's almost impossible in any seaway to board safely over the stern although I do it constantly at my mooring. I have manrope to board at the shrouds for occasions when I need to, but I do use the stanchions as well.

 

[Searush]

I have just fitted a permanent telescopic ladder to my port quarter to assist crew & passengers aboard. FWIW, I have always gone aboard solo without baggage then brought the boat to a temporary loading point - quayside/ jetty etc. close to the car. This allows all packing to be done quickly & safely & crew aboard. I then park up the car (if necessary) while stuff is packed below safely by SWMBO. Finally, if tempy berth cannot be kept until we sail, I return to the mooring, fully sorted until ready to sail.

 

[TamarMike]

I deliberately selected a boat without too much freeboard both for boarding family, dogs etc. and for picking up mooring from cockpit. Going out to boat in rigid dinghy just tie alongside quarter and scramble aboard using tiller lashing and mainsheet as handholds.

For boarding crew etc. and when using inflatable (which is lower in water than rigid dinghy), as shown below I use a hook on ladder (lanyard essential) and guardrails dropped (they are secured at stern pulpit by pelican hooks).

 

[Manuel]

I'm looking for ideas to make getting onto the boat easier and safer. Boat is on a swinging mooring on River Cleddau and a combination of wind/current/boat/inexperienced owner can make access a trial. Boat is 32ft with a counter stern and has a conventional hinged s/s boarding ladder fixed at top only.As usual, any thoughts and practical experiences would be appreciated.

We have a much higher freeboard than you have and spend much of the year at anchor. We use a Fender Step and come in alongside. We can get aboard in a near-gale. It is the only safe way, I think.

 

[l'escargot]

...L'escargot, any chance of a photo of your setup? I understand what you are getting at, but not how it was achieved...

Not in the water but shows the positioning:

 

[David_Jersey]

Good looking boat

 

[William_H]

Boarding

TamarMike's photo shows up the real need when boarding which is to have hand holds up high so that you can pull yourself up. He does not appear to have any high hand holds.
My boat is a lot smaller than OP but yes we always board from the side. I don't have guard lines but if you do these should be released to make access easy. When going up over the side the cabin top rails can make an excellent high hand hold as can stay wires. The fender step would be a good addition for a high free board. It could eb as simple as a wooden step attached by 2 ropes to lay between the water and the gunwhale and this could be wrapped in carpet or similar to provide fender. good luck olewill

 

[l'escargot]

Good looking boat

All the best people have them

 

[anniebray]

We have weaver davits on the transom of our Sadler 290 and corresponding ring attachments on our inflatable which work very well. The boat is on a swinging mooring. We bring the dinghy alongside the stern, engage the davits & then we are securely attached which makes boarding , transferring goods & passengers really easy. The dinghy is then secured to the transom, pivoting on the davits, ready for almost instant use whenever required. If sea conditions were rough causing the stern to pitch up considerably that could cause us problems but our mooring in Southampton Water is comparatively sheltered. Our boat does also have a broad transom & easy cockpit access . The inflatable we use is a Wetline 2.3m roundtail. Hope that helps !