Bow thruster for Beneteau Oceanis 323 Clipper

[ashtead]

Did I point the finger ????

 

[LONG_KEELER]

As mentioned, so many variables to consider. Shorthanded, unfamiliar cruising marina ,
wind strength/direction anomalies , fatigue, boat type etc etc .

Feel sure you will enjoy having this addition.

 

[rogerthebodger]

My mooring is tighter than yours and the only way I could get into my mooring is the steer in straight and stop the use my bow thruster to turn 90 degrees on the spot and reverse into my mooring. My boat is a 50 ft 24 ton steel sloop.

Once I get the stern level with the end of my jetty I put a spring from the boat middle cleat on to the clear at the finger end then reverse until the is tight. I can then get off and a leisure get the bow, stern and springs on before I shut the engine down then put the kettle on.

 

[RogS]

My mooring is tighter than yours and the only way I could get into my mooring is the steer in straight and stop the use my bow thruster to turn 90 degrees on the spot and reverse into my mooring. My boat is a 50 ft 24 ton steel sloop.

Once I get the stern level with the end of my jetty I put a spring from the boat middle cleat on to the clear at the finger end then reverse until the is tight. I can then get off and a leisure get the bow, stern and springs on before I shut the engine down then put the kettle on.

Thanks Roger. The spring from the middle cleat (fairlead in my case) looks like a good option once I’m lined up. I can then take that back to a winch and let it slip under tension as I back up to the rear of the finger. Probably a bit less risky than what I was doing which was going further in before dropping a loop over the rear finger cleat from the stern cleat and engaging slow ahead to hold her in.

 

[pandos]

Deleted. Had not spotted how old the unhelpful post was

 

[C08]

There is some very patronising twaddle being dished out here regarding the use of bowthrusters. Yes practice is essential but there are some sailors who have boats that handle very well with predictable prop walk in astern, useful prop wash over the rudder, moderate windage etc and who demonstrate extreme intolerance of others who have vastly more difficult boats to berth. A little tolerance would be nice.

 

[tonywardle]

So you’re blown off your berth mostly. I’ll offer some thoughts hopefully without the patronising drivel and examples of ones heroic berthing singlehanded (because nobody wants to sail with them..)!

Doesn’t look like from layout of marina going astern will help, the guy that made a nice job of it in a larger boat was being blown on, he’ll have just put the boat close to pontoon and it’ll drift over if misjudged.

Driving in to your berth...I’d be wary of dropping a bow spring on and motoring against it, depending on angle of rope between boat and pontoon cleat/shape of hull it’ll either work or drag your bow violently into the pontoon and stern into boat next to you.

Assuming boat stops well with burst of reverse, come in a little quicker than you would normally, 2-2.5 knots. Fender mostly opposite side of boat, drive toward berth, boat out of gear when boat lined up for entry, turn in quickly no faffing about, get centre line (winch if no midship cleat etc) on as priority, stop boat quickly.

If you’ve got extra crew, someone on bow that can handle a rope to lasso cleat/or step off assuming you’re close enough, which you should be.

Leaving...put boat in reverse tick over, untie lines until only bow and stern are on slips. They need to come off quick so no bits of hosepipe, loops etc as short as possible.

Drop stern line quick, throttle up, 2/3 power to get boat moving, slip bow line. As soon as bow is nearly clear of neighbouring boat put throttle to tick over, helm over, the bow will blow round nicely and go out backwards.

If you keep too much power on the bost won't turn quickly and will just want to go straight.

Even in very light airs be wary of reversing out, stopping boat and attempting to go out forwards, it's doomed to failure.

Keep at it and don't over think it, good luck!

Thanks for the tips here @xyachtdave I will certainly give some of these strategies a go. My thoughts for the motoring against a spring are from the midships fairlead not a bow spring. My 323 doesnt have a midship cleat (unlike my last boat) but it does have a fairlead?? Anyway the thought was to bring the midship spring back to the genny winch - I like the though of have a dedicated warp made up for this.

I'm not so confident to go in so quickly yet.... When we bought the boat it had a big chunk out of the bow, presumably running into the pontoon - we had it repaired out. I do favour the running into a pontoon fender trick as per Patrick Laine (Youtube).

I have a;ways been a gently does it skipper in a marina and it takes some time to shift that - I have seen skippers reversing at 3 knots down an alley way and had to cover my eyes.

I guess I will get some time and practice, its the change from one boat to another. My last was 26ft, bilge keel with low freeboard, a tiller with 13hp. Now I have 33ft, high freeboard and 20hp. Always a case of adjusting....

I do appreciate the time and analysis - and I'll post here how I got on

Regards Tony

 

[tonywardle]

@RogS - apologies for the hijacking of your post - It wasn't meant to be that way. I just face the same scenario that you did

Regards Tony

 

[doug748]

Thanks for the tips here @xyachtdave I will certainly give some of these strategies a go. My thoughts for the motoring against a spring are from the midships fairlead not a bow spring. My 323 doesnt have a midship cleat (unlike my last boat) but it does have a fairlead?? Anyway the thought was to bring the midship spring back to the genny winch - I like the though of have a dedicated warp made up for this.

I'm not so confident to go in so quickly yet.... When we bought the boat it had a big chunk out of the bow, presumably running into the pontoon - we had it repaired out. I do favour the running into a pontoon fender trick as per Patrick Laine (Youtube).

I have a;ways been a gently does it skipper in a marina and it takes some time to shift that - I have seen skippers reversing at 3 knots down an alley way and had to cover my eyes.

I guess I will get some time and practice, its the change from one boat to another. My last was 26ft, bilge keel with low freeboard, a tiller with 13hp. Now I have 33ft, high freeboard and 20hp. Always a case of adjusting....

I do appreciate the time and analysis - and I'll post here how I got on

Regards Tony

I use Liros 8 plait polypropylene safety rope for the coming alongside line, which is usefully bright yellow and has a bit of stretch. If you make it overlength it can be used as a long spring when getting off on other occasions. As it floats, if it ends up in the water, you have a reasonable chance of it avoiding your prop.

The times I have got into stress tend to be when I attempt to get into a berth dead slow. If you stall short of the berth it is next to impossible to get going again without going around or fending off and attracting a crowd. You have got to have way on; the moral is probably: not too fast not too slow

A pal of mine used to singlehand his Beneteau 47 a great deal. He had a pad of fenders at the end of his berth and used to motor into it - so it is a perfectly good tactic. Modern bows are well suited.
I also now use a bow fender, if at all unsure of the conditions, as a bit of useful insurance.

Spend a good bit of time looking at the bow in relation to the your pontoon walkway, when it is 1in off, when it is 1foot away when it is 1 yard away etc. You are often further off than you imagine.
Apologies if I am teaching Grandmother here and Good Luck with it.

.

.

 

[tonywardle]

Well,

lifted in today in a F5...... BUT the wind was in an advantageous direction, directly on the nose for the berth so despite all the wind we berthed without any issues, first time.

Thanks for all the strategies for berthing - will try them out over the summer

KR Tony

 

[Robsant999]

OK, so fitting midship cleats- dead simple. I couldn't get good photos of inside but access is from inside the 2 lockers in the saloon. Up top of the locker just pull the vinyl cloth liner to one side and you can get to the nuts for the cleat. No deck re - enforcement other than a 2" diameter "penny" washer on each of the studs.

I've taken photos of the forefoot and it doesn't look like you would get any type of conventional bowthruster in the hull up front around the water tank area. You'd need a drop down one or side mounted in my opinion.

Hi

Sorry quite an old thread, but I have a 323 as well. What size are those cleat?

many thanks.

 

[greeny]

Sorry Rob, can't help with exact size as I've now sold her on. My best guess would be 8 inches tip to tip of the cleat. If in doubt I would just go for the same size as the fore and aft cleats.

 

[Robsant999]

Sorry Rob, can't help with exact size as I've now sold her on. My best guess would be 8 inches tip to tip of the cleat. If in doubt I would just go for the same size as the fore and aft cleats.

Great thanks!

 

[C08]

The YBW Old Salts Brigade strikes again!

To the OP, just ignore them, it’s up to you if you feel you need a bow thruster. My boat is highly manoeuvrable but I would fit one tomorrow if funds allowed. I bet there’s not one of the above nay-sayers that hasn’t clunked their boat into a pontoon/boat/ harbour wall at sometime. God forbid that someone should fit a useful bit of equipment to their boat! It’s like when auxiliary engines were added to boats. What on Earth was wrong with just warping your boat in and out of the marina?

Spot on-there is so much intolerence about bow thrusters, "you should not need one on a boat under...", "you should get some instruction", "I have sailed for forty years and never felt the need for one".
Berths are very specific with their difficulties and requirements and some boats are just like parking a car and others are much, much more difficult. Some of these people assume that every boat has prop walk and prop wash over the rudder that can be used to great effect and have just never experienced handling boats with neither.

 

[greeny]

Spot on-there is so much intolerence about bow thrusters, "you should not need one on a boat under...", "you should get some instruction", "I have sailed for forty years and never felt the need for one".
Berths are very specific with their difficulties and requirements and some boats are just like parking a car and others are much, much more difficult. Some of these people assume that every boat has prop walk and prop wash over the rudder that can be used to great effect and have just never experienced handling boats with neither.

Thread's a year old or more, just in case you weren't aware.

 

[roaringgirl]

Jonathan/ Concerto/ Sandy and all
Thanks for all your suggestions. I do seem to have opened up a debate that has lots of different views!
The lack of a central cleat on the 323 is an issue and although there is a central fairlead that I can use with lines tied to bow or stern, it does make the cleats there a bit cluttered. See photo. If there are any suggestions for reversing into a marina berth, in a crosswind, where the pontoon finger is a couple of metres shorter than the boat, I would be really grateful. Otherwise, I shall seek out more advice and, yes maybe some training. View attachment 100880

Don't reverse in - go in forwards. Once you have a midships line attached to shore behind the centreline of the boat you can control the boat's position in the slip with propwash off the rudder all day if fuel allows.

 

[greeny]

Thread's a year old or more, just in case you weren't aware.
I'll repost the photos in case any one is really interested.

 

[Gallant Spirit]

Exturn bow thruster on my 15m , believe they are now sidepower very quiet and with motor in the water no overheating problems , used for over 10 years now, some marinas etc are very tight and I do a lot of solo so makes life easier in cross winds when med mooring etc