Craft movement whilst tied up - A Question?

[Abestea]

A situation we experienced a few years ago lead to a difference in opinion to what was the correct thing to do. I am sure this has happened to everyone else and I am curious to hear how you would react to the situation.

You moor your boat alongside the only pontoon in the harbour. This pontoon is approximately 100 feet in length with a boat (36ft) at one end and you dock your boat (33ft) at the other end to allow fore and aft lines and springs to be set up. Approx 6ft ahead to the end of pontoon and approx 20ft between both boats on the pontoon.

You leave the boat unattended for a short while after being satisfied you have made it secure alongside. Upon returning, you notice that it has been moved forward to be bow parallel with the end of the pontoon and a third boat now resides between your boat and the original on the pontoon. How do you react? Are you ok with someone moving it to allow another boat onto the pontoon or are you annoyed they moved it without your permission?

What would you do in this situation?

 

[Stingo]

They have just as much right to the pontoon as you do. Thus, opening a bottle of whiskey and sharing it with your new boating buddies is the sensible option.

"Life is far too short" springs to mind.

 

[Sandy]

Offer a cup of tea or a dram to anybody on the pontoon.

 

[Momac]

I would have moored close up to the boat already there rather than leaving a 20ft gap .
Even if mooring at the opposite end of the pontoon I certainly wouldn't leave 6 ft between the end my boat and the end of the pontoon. I would moor as close to the end as possible much as the position you describe you found your boat when you returned.

 

[ylop]

The only reason to be genuinely annoyed would be if the boat was damaged. You could be irritated if they didn’t tie it up the same way you had but if you had thought further ahead you’d not have occupied 39+ ft of pontoon to dock your 33ft boat you’d have avoided it. Unless of course you were paying the harbour master for the 59’ you didn’t want anyone else to use!

 

[Graham376]

You moor your boat alongside the only pontoon in the harbour. This pontoon is approximately 100 feet in length with a boat (36ft) at one end and you dock your boat (33ft) at the other end to allow fore and aft lines and springs to be set up. Approx 6ft ahead to the end of pontoon and approx 20ft between both boats on the pontoon..................
What would you do in this situation?

What I would not do is to moor as you describe, selfishly blocking the pontoon for an additional boat. I would moor just a few feet behind the existing boat, leaving room for another behind. Even quite a large boat could use the remaining room by overhanging the end of the pontoon.

 

[steve yates]

I might have berthed a good distance away to make life easy, but i would walk the boat back to leave as much space for others as possible.

 

[penfold]

How long is a piece of string? Is there surge? How far is the end of the pontoon from the dock wall? If there's surge and it's close to the dock wall I might be very angry, if it's flat calm and not near the dock wall I won't sweat it, although I will check all the lines. As others have identified mooring at the far end is a little selfish, it's not a gents' urinal, get up close to the other moored boat to leave the most space for new arrivals.

 

[Skylark]

I’m not sure if it’s selfish, inconsiderate or a lack of awareness but there plenty of similar examples. I’m very much of the view that we must play the cards we’re dealt, no point in letting it get under your skin.

A few weeks ago I had a visitors berth reservation. There’s plenty of room for three alongside vessels. The forward boat had its bow 6-10 ft inside the end. The second boat also had plenty of room at the bow and had its dinghy off the stern. The second boat watched our approach and assessment. I had to ask him to move his dinghy to give me room. I found it hard to believe that he didn’t do it instinctively. I managed to berth alongside but my stern was overhanging.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I might have berthed a good distance away to make life easy, but i would walk the boat back to leave as much space for others as possible.

That’s our strategy, being a rather flighty boat. We don’t do close encounters unless unavoidable, so land somewhere comfortable, lead the boat into position. Into position means considerate parking for later arrivals. Otherwise it's exactly like taking up 2 spaces at Tesco, instead of parking between the lines. Having your mistakes/rudeness corrected by strangers is so embarrassing.

 

[Daydream believer]

. Having your mistakes/rudeness corrected by strangers is so embarrassing.

Embarrassing having a tri in the first place
Although on a long pontoon I suppose one benefit is one can poke a short float( if so designed) in the gap whilst the longer central hull overlaps the other 2 boats outside them. But what one does with the lump now in the fairway is another matter. In such a circumstance a proa might be more sociably acceptable ? ? ?

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Embarrassing having a tri in the first place ? ? ? ?

Actually she normally draws an admiring audience.

 

[neilf39]

Be considerate of others. 3 feet is enough to leave between boats. If you have bow and stern lines and two springs properly set you won't move fore and aft more than a foot. I hate it coming to visitor pontoons where everyone has left up to 15 feet between them and the next boat 5 boats occupy the space of 7 or 8. I see no issue with you being moved. No more chance of damage than being rafted on when not present. Don't be selfish and think of others. What would be your reaction on coming up to that sort of situation that stopped you getting on to the pontoon.

 

[xyachtdave]

Our club pontoon is as the OP describes, it’s certainly frustrating to find 3 boats taking up space for 5 or 6.

The obligatory 15ft gap from the end of pontoon to start, 25ft between vessels and another 15ft gap at the end. That’s 80ft of wasted pontoon.

I either shout ‘Oi (boat name) move your boat up yer idiot!’ at full volume, or I move it myself.

Don’t get me started on cleats with 20ft of excess rope wrapped around them with about 50 locking turns to boot….or the people that unlock the combination padlock at the pontoon gate and leave it open with the code on show all day by the public footpath….grrrrr!

 

[Chiara’s slave]

We don’t have that trouble at least. We are the only cruiser in the club that dares to come to the club pontoon. Strong tide, shallow water, (less than a metre at low water, 2 metres at HWN) and you have to reverse out.

 

[Stemar]

We always tuck in fairly tight but, whenever possible, facing the same way as the boat we're close to, so we aren't in each other's cockpits. It is easier for us to get out of a tight space, being a cat with twin engines, but I would try and give a heavy long keeler a bit more space to escape.

 

[PhillM]

I tend to agree with others about landing in a decent space and then tightening up either by going forward to the end of the pontoon or back to the other boat, either way leaving another landing zone for someone else.

Being a small boat, I am used to leaving her tied up alongside a pontoon and coming back to find I have been moved outside of a larger boat. Its just boating. TBH often being single-handed its quite a nice way to meet new people and be sociable.

 

[ylop]

Otherwise it's exactly like taking up 2 spaces at Tesco, instead of parking between the lines.

it’s not quite. There are no lines on the pontoon and everyone is a different size. To some extent the cleats on the pontoon act like ruts and puddles in a gravel car park - they makes spaces which are very convenient to use even if not optimal for packing density. I’ll be honest how much effort I would put into avoiding hogging two spaces (in Tesco or the pontoon) comes down to lots of factors - am I in a rush, is it pouring with rain, is it busy, am I expecting it to get busier, am I expecting to be a long time, am I on my own or can I stay to move if needed and send someone else to do the main task, how obvious was the spacing, how tight was the turn, etc.

 

[Neeves]

We don’t have that trouble at least. We are the only cruiser in the club that dares to come to the club pontoon. Strong tide, shallow water, (less than a metre at low water, 2 metres at HWN) and you have to reverse out.

If we are visiting we will try to remember - sound perfect to us. . Really cannot understand why more do not use it.

Jonathan

 

[Chiara’s slave]

If we are visiting we will try to remember - sound perfect to us. . Really cannot understand why more do not use it.

Jonathan

TBH it’s easier for most to pick up a club buoy, and get the boatmen to collect you, or use your tender. We use the pontoon to drop off passengers, I wouldn’t hang about there.