Bow to - Stern to Mooring in a storm

[Fire99]

Morning folks,

Excuse two threads in two days but this may (or may not) be a relatively simple one..
My boat is currently moored in the marina stern to on the finger due to the bathing platform access to the boat and all the convenience etc and with the storm over the weekend the wind direction was blowing the boat off the pontoon and finger.

However, I'm going to be away from the boat during high winds in the next couple of weeks and the wind will be coming from the bow and diagonally pushing the port side stern towards the corner fo the finger / pontoon. (Hopefully that makes sense). I have diagonally located ropes at the stern to hold her out but obviously ropes stretch and give etc and I don't want the bathing platform hitting the pontoon / finger.
So my rather long winded question is, is the boat better with the stern in and the bow meeting the wind or turning the boat around with the boat bow in to the pontoon with the wind blowing up its bottom (so to speak). These Traders have a lot of windage and the pontoons aren't the best in the world..

Hope you can help with a little wisdom.

Cheers,

Nick

 

[BruceK]

I'd have thought fendering would be more efficient stern to.

 

[Fire99]

I'd have thought fendering would be more efficient stern to.

Interesting one.. Thanks for that..

 

[Greg2]

It isn’t unusual for finger pontoons to be shorter than the boat and in such circumstances I think that with the stern being the heaviest end it is better closest to the main pontoon i.e. stern in as you are moored and as Bruce says, fenders are probably more effective. Wind direction doesn’t influence this in my mind and in any case that is likely to change over time and it isn’t realistic to be constantly turning your boat round in response to forecast.

Our winter mooring regime is to allow some movement of the boat as opposed to lashing it tightly to the pontoon and this tends to reduce / eliminate chafing of lines and fenders rubbing on gel coat. Fore and aft spring lines are set so that maximum movement still keeps the stern of the boat clear of the main pontoon but we fender the bathing platform just in case. Head and stern lines limit outward movement and swinging. We use rubber snubbers on all four primary lines to absorb shocks as the boat moves and then double up with slightly looser lines to limit how far the snubbers on the primary lines can stretch and to cater for the unlikely event that one of them parts. Fenders are set to ensure that the hull cannot come into direct contact with the pontoon at any point. This approach has coped with many winter storms, including several seasons in a coastal marina that could get very lively in a spot of roughers!

 

[Momac]

I have a couple of old fenders permanently tied to the pontoon at the stern. Plus a fender tied to a rail and hanging over the stern of the bathing platform.

 

[Seastoke]

We are stern to and have dock fenders screwed to the main walkway perfect for the job about £50 qwid each

 

[Fire99]

Thanks for the replies.. That all makes a lot of sense. I've kept the boat stern to and brought the stern a little further away from the main pontoon, with springs and diagonal rope a the stern to protect the near side bathing platform corner, plus a fender for good measure. I've rigged some temporary covers on any contact points so should be ok.. And better still, I've asked my 'boat neighbour' who will be onboard whilst I am away, to keep an eye out on her. Always good to have a pair of eyes on hand in my absence..