Called to Yacht Harbour .... boat moving about !

[Refueler]

Get a call and off I go to Yacht Harbour ....

When we returned from trip couple days ago - we changed position of mooring ... from short pontoon (marina failing to maintain and repair - caused chips in gelcoat) to Baltic bow to mooring.

Get to boat - one shore bollard pulled out and hanging on by 1 bolt ... other bow line in water ...

Let go ... motored round harbour and back in to another buoy slot ... doubled lines .... fingers crossed.

Boat lifts tomorrow - so only has to survive the near gale winds for rest of today.

 

[coopec]

I visited my yacht yesterday and I didn't like the way my yacht was moving around. There was little wind but a 2.5m swell outside the marina. All the lobster boats were steady.

I put it down to the two masts catching some wind or possibly the fact that I am nearest the marina wall. Could it be that some swell is entering the marina hitting the far wall, bouncing back and hitting my yacht?

I have no idea what is going on. Is a pen at the center of the marina better than one on the side? What is the conventional wisdom?

 

[ProDave]

When we returned from trip couple days ago - we changed position of mooring ... from short pontoon (marina failing to maintain and repair - caused chips in gelcoat)

Isn't that what fenders are for, so the topsides of your boat never touch the pontoons?

 

[Refueler]

Isn't that what fenders are for, so the topsides of your boat never touch the pontoons?

The pontoon fingers are short ... and have fixed corner fenders on ...

Look at photo ...

The photo here shows reasonable fenders deployed - we actually ended up with 3 at far end of finger ...

The white corner hard fenders fixed to fingers - one next to my boat came adrift and during strong winds - corner got between the fenders ... it really does not take much angle to do that with such short fingers.

With respect PD - when you have used such arrangement - then I am sure you will appreciate how it happens.

Note : Photo shows both my boats ... the 25ft Sunrider and my 38ft Conqubin.

 

[rogerthebodger]

That finger is far too short for your boat no wander it got damaged

My finger is 12 m long for my boat that is 15 meters

 

[Refueler]

I visited my yacht yesterday and I didn't like the way my yacht was moving around. There was little wind but a 2.5m swell outside the marina. All the lobster boats were steady.

I put it down to the two masts catching some wind or possibly the fact that I am nearest the marina wall. Could it be that some swell is entering the marina hitting the far wall, bouncing back and hitting my yacht?

I have no idea what is going on. Is a pen at the center of the marina better than one on the side? What is the conventional wisdom?

Your mention of water hitting wall is more than possible.

When passing in / out of Ventspils Hbr - the breakwaters are set in such a way - the any prevailing swell / waves hit nothernmost breakwater and then return meeting oncoming - creates very rough waters even when weather is light ...

 

[Refueler]

That finger is far too short for your boat no wander it got damaged

My finger is 12 m long for my boat that is 15 meters

The Marina has two mooring setups ....

Baltic Bow to

Finger pontoons

During summer months - you get what is available ....

But anyway ... Baltics are full of moorings like that, usually with no alternative ... here's the yard mooring when I bought the boat ...

Only a few ft more than other ... still short.

It is rare in Baltic to have longer fingers ...

 

[ProDave]

We have been on a finger shorter than the boat this year, but only slightly



That's a 23ft boat on a 20ft finger. Not ideal but best available this year. Next year we are moving to a bigger berth as one has become available.

The thought of a boat twice as long as the finger is frankly ridiculous, the harbour master here would not allow that.

 

[Refueler]

The only way you would get 12m long over here - is by putting against a wall or removing the fingers !!

 

[Refueler]

We have been on a finger shorter than the boat this year, but only slightly

View attachment 164837

That's a 23ft boat on a 20ft finger. Not ideal but best available this year. Next year we are moving to a bigger berth as one has become available.

The thought of a boat twice as long as the finger is frankly ridiculous, the harbour master here would not allow that.

I have had boats in various marinas in UK before moving all to Baltic ... and your 20ft fingers are common ... in fact I know many marinas in UK that only have such ... and large boats have to use walls / alongside facilities.

UK marinas are usually quite compact in terms of pontoons laid in the area allocated - with also number of boats far greater than over here ... those two factors create a degree of 'shelter' . Here - the less compact and less shelter allows weather to impact moorings harder ...

I know someone will reply arguing the point ... but that's life.

 

[Neeves]

Yachts too long for the finger are commonly moored on the 'hammerhead' (is that the name?) on the outside of the walkway and thus using 2 fingers and the width of the walkway. From your picture it is impossible to see what is on the port side of your yacht - except there is certainly no vessel.

 

[dunedin]

But anyway ... Baltics are full of moorings like that, usually with no alternative ... here's the yard mooring when I bought the boat ...

Only a few ft more than other ... still short.

It is rare in Baltic to have longer fingers ...

Yes often short fingers in some places - but that extra few feet on the second photo (where bought from) is absolutely critical - at least went sufficiently past the widest point. Even an extra metre would make a huge difference compared to the first photo which was clearly too short, even by Baltic standards.
Definitely a middle cleat will also help with such short fingers.

 

[Refueler]

Yes often short fingers in some places - but that extra few feet on the second photo (where bought from) is absolutely critical - at least went sufficiently past the widest point. Even an extra metre would make a huge difference compared to the first photo which was clearly too short, even by Baltic standards.
Definitely a middle cleat will also help with such short fingers.

Short in 'some places' ???? Actually MANY places.

The pontoons and fingers used over here are Marintek ... a brand that is standardised in UK ... EU .... the finger lengths are standards .. short - long

Why do you think I started a thread on midships cleats ???

 

[coopec]

We have been on a finger shorter than the boat this year, but only slightly

View attachment 164837

That's a 23ft boat on a 20ft finger. Not ideal but best available this year. Next year we are moving to a bigger berth as one has become available.

The thought of a boat twice as long as the finger is frankly ridiculous, the harbour master here would not allow that.

So far I only have only had experience with two marinas but but both insist the fingers must be longer than the boat. My yacht is a little over 13m so I have to pay for a 15m pen.

 

[Refueler]

So far I only have only had experience with two marinas but but both insist the fingers must be longer than the boat. My yacht is a little over 13m so I have to pay for a 15m pen.

Thats good ... but honestly - that is not the situation up her in the northern hemi !!

 

[dunedin]

Short in 'some places' ???? Actually MANY places.

The pontoons and fingers used over here are Marintek ... a brand that is standardised in UK ... EU .... the finger lengths are standards .. short - long

Why do you think I started a thread on midships cleats ???

The approaches do differ a lot over different places. These short “booms” are used in some places - but as you know many other places (in the Baltic and elsewhere) where any form of finger is an exception. Box berths are the rule in many large areas, stern buoys for others (especially visitors). Occasional walk on finger like are the rule in other places like the UK. Southern Norway tended to have booms on both sides, which allowed the boats to be moored with zero fenders, tide between two fingers. Lots of variety. Further south slime lines or anchors are used. Baltic like bows to, Med was bows to but generally moved to stern to. Only certainty is variety!
But glad you have found a better temporary berth before lift out for the winter,

 

[Refueler]

The gel coat chips are only slight .... basically removed the red paint and tiny bit of white gel .... I have proper marine gel in my workshop ... so not a real problem. Fill - sand back - paint. Seller left a two pack of the paint on board.

Hull is in need of a good polish anyway ... so that will help blend in repairs.

Its funny - I have never liked red boats .... but for some reason - this bright red is actually growing on me !! But I must get rid of that great big TORO wording on stern ... people think its boats name ... its not. Its the Yard name where she was in Sweden : Toro Varde. Boats name is actually Anisette.

 

[johnalison]

That is clearly an impossible mooring. I have found myself on some pretty short ones in the Baltic, but at least my boat was only 34'. Although it's not a habit I like, it might be better to moor stern-to, with the wider end of the boat getting the benefit of the finger. The skinny-finger moorings look alarming but are actually quite easy to use safely, though it is not a good idea to to attempt walk on them, something that someone should have told my crew before he got wet in Sweden.

 

[Refueler]

Some do moor stern to in these ... during this summer ... there have been HR 40's ... Bav 36's .... Bene 35's .... all sorts on those short fingers ... basically because Bow to slots have been full ......

I have idea to discuss with owners about a possible setup for my 38 .... I have a number of spare pontoons at back of my house ...

 

[ProDave]

@Refueler I was not criticising you for the boat / pontoon ratio in your picture. If anything I am criticising the harbour master for thinking it was okay to put a boat twice as long as the pontoon there.

Yes even out boat being longer than the pontoon, the mid ship cleat is essential for any sensible kind of spring.

And I know full well that a larger berth is not always available. Our harbour master was very accommodating when we moved up to a bigger boat this year and gave us the best that was available, even if not perfect, and now another boat is leaving the harbour he is moving us up to a bigger berth. But I really don't think if we turned up with a 38ft boat he would have been able to accommodate us.