bow or stern to?

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zefender

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At my marina, I notice that nearly all sail boats are moored bows to whereas motor boats tend to go stern to. I've been merrily (and somewhat nervously) practising reversing in all season. My boat (a Bav 40) has a transom designed for ease of entry and it seems a shame to climb over the side by going bows to. However, given that the boat is about 8 ft longer than the pontoon, is it safer, in time of strong winds, to moor bows to? I don't have a bow thruster - do you think that's the reason most choose to go bows to? Is bows to just a privacy thing?
 
I haven't thought about privacy. I go in bows first because the boat is easier to control going forward than backwards. Coming out backwards presents less of a problem as there is sufficient space in the channel between the pontoons to swing around.
 
Motor yachts go stern to because it's generally no problem reversing with twin engines. Single engined boats with outdrives are a different matter. Sailing boats can choose, although bow to is easy and ensures privacy.

Mooring stern to (motor or sail) however allows the occupants to sip champagne on the after deck/cockpit in full view of quayside strollers, from whom they are separated by a gangplank (posh term passarelle) which, in social terms, is more like a chasm. All part of the fun.

Oh, and bow thrusters on 40ft boats are for sissies. Ask the skipper of any 80ft Greek caique.
 
Last year I moored stern to, but this year I've been mooring bows to (34 foot Jeanneau sailing cruiser). I really don't know which I prefer, although boarding is very easy stern to. I suspect it is a privacy thing with most people. Funnily enough, I find stern to is an easier manouvre, due to prop wash, which pulls the stern away from my finger when going in bows to, but towards when stern to.
 
Although I don't have a bow thruster, I'm a bit neutral on whether its for sissies or not! But I don't see many 80' caiques in Port Solent either!
 
Most power boats go stern to because they are impossible to get on board - given their high freeboard, when the access to the stern is beyond the finger pontioon.
 
In Tallinn we Med moor, sail bows onto the pontoon, stern to a bow. The Motorboats are the other way around ....

In UK where I keep the other boat, some boats are stern to, some are bows to, but majority sail bows to, motor stern to.

Now I have been thinking that my UK boat is better stern to as I have a lot of transverse thrust to port when going astern, and my finger is port side to the boat. .........

But then looking at other marinas, I find a lot of the modern sailboat sugar scoop, boarding ladder sterns are stern to ... so who knows the real answer ?????
 
I moor my yacht bows in because I have a transom hung rudder that get in the way
 
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