Do you aim for the fenders to contact the pontoon as you park?

[Refueler]

The fact that you remember it so well shows how rarely it happens. At our last mooring, we were on the multihull pontoon at The Folly. Between Ra, the odd twin masted thing, one on each hull, and a Dazcat. Both over 7m beam. We has 2m of clearance fore and aft. That’s a long ferryglide in a flighty tri, especially with no tide, as is often the case up there. However, with a good SW wind blowing us on, I could kind of ‘park’ 10m off the pontoon, and with little bursts of throttle an helm, just keep her parallel whilst the wind parked us up, sometimes to an audience of aghast onlookers. All I can say is that it’s a good thing we had a fresh audience when we were trying to leave in the same conditions.
We more usually have to really drive into a mooring, and come to a rather exciting and dramatic stop. Often it’s better to poke the bow or stern in, then winch the other end in. Or raft on the kind people next door, and pull her across to the pontoon by whatever means is possible. We don’t have the luxury of choice about coming alongside that you halfmaran owners have. It’s a cross we bear in exchange for deck space and performance.

I've seen it quite often in UK marinas ...

But the worst I ever saw was in Tallinn ....

Admiral 50 ... there were two of them in Pirita ... across the way from my Saaremaa Race boat ..

They were owned by EU Officials in Tallinn (not Estonians) ... we would watch the Porsches ... Merc's roll up and the resident two crew would help them onboard. Then the fun would start ...

If the boat was helmed by the resident crew - fine ... but often the EU bods would insist on playing Master and Commander !
Crew would be relegated to line handling .. and you could hear those thrusters across the marina .. guys seemed to not have any idea of softly softly .. they would literally slam the thrusters on ... churning up the water ... crew guys just staying quiet .... you can imagine the conversations once Eu bods were gone !!
You could count the marks on the hulls against the number of times EU bods took command.

Its interesting that the two boats appeared just after EU funding of the Trans Baltic Highway started .. a huge investment in a major road improvement stretching from Narva (east Estonia) through to Riga then on to Vilnius and Klaipeda .. Now I am not one to cast suspicions .... but it was talk of the town !!

 

[KREW2]

You're gonna have to make contact at some time I would rather do it sooner. If it is not a finger pontoon and the wind is blowing you off I like to get the bow in slowly at about 30 degrees, a crew member to step off with a bow line and take it back to a pontoon cleat amid ships, put a turn on and with the rudder hard over and the engine on tick over the boat will lie alongside giving you time to attach the stern.
In theory.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

You're gonna have to make contact at some time I would rather do it sooner. If it is not a finger pontoon and the wind is blowing you off I like to get the bow in slowly at about 30 degrees, a crew member to step off with a bow line and take it back to a pontoon cleat amid ships, put a turn on and with the rudder hard over and the engine on tick over the boat will lie alongside giving you time to attach the stern.
In theory.

That, in theory is our SOP. Frequently modified by reality.

 

[Roberto]

Thread reminded me to look again at the Kong Hook ...

Bojenhaken KONG Karabinerhaken 160mm Edelstahl Bootshaken Boje Mooring Hook | eBay

Clicked to buy ...

They make another one which although more expensive is a bit better: the opening is wider, and can be used with a boathook without screwing anything to it, both to put it in place and to take it off. I use it for mooring buoys, sometimes the ring is all covered with rope and it gets too big for small carabineers.

 

[Refueler]

They make another one which although more expensive is a bit better: the opening is wider, and can be used with a boathook without screwing anything to it, both to put it in place and to take it off. I use it for mooring buoys, sometimes the ring is all covered with rope and it gets too big for small carabineers.

View attachment 169393

Understood ... that also is the problem with the Mooring Mate - often you cannot get it to pass through ..

There is one 'hook' that is common out here ... a Skandi thing !

Looks like a Shepherds Crook ... can be had in short or long versions (the pole length) ..... they are used to hook onto buoys when Baltic Moor ... personally I don't like them as there is no closure of the hook - it relies on tension and size of the metal hook part ... but they are very easy to use ...

Nawa Mooring Hook

 

[Roberto]

personally I don't like them as there is no closure of the hook - it relies on tension

+1
the first hook I used was a home made version of an open hook (a bent steel rod), as I made the first maneuvers by myself I experienced very rapidly the boat drifting away after the hook had unexpectedly come loose; those devices really need some keeping them in their hands, or someone taking quickly away all slack in the attached rope to keep it under tension; those with gates give more freedom.

 

[johnalison]

Understood ... that also is the problem with the Mooring Mate - often you cannot get it to pass through ..

There is one 'hook' that is common out here ... a Skandi thing !

Looks like a Shepherds Crook ... can be had in short or long versions (the pole length) ..... they are used to hook onto buoys when Baltic Moor ... personally I don't like them as there is no closure of the hook - it relies on tension and size of the metal hook part ... but they are very easy to use ...

Nawa Mooring Hook

We have a ‘Swedish hook’ that I bought somewhere in the Baltic. It is a bit like your picture but stouter. In practice we have found it very effective and never had a problem with lack of closure once tension has been applied. There was another version sold that had a closable hook with the ‘trigger’ at the handle. Although potentially more secure, it was less easy to deploy than mine since the hook was quite small, so it was a question of making a choice.

 

[Refueler]

+1
the first hook I used was a home made version of an open hook (a bent steel rod), as I made the first maneuvers by myself I experienced very rapidly the boat drifting away after the hook had unexpectedly come loose; those devices really need some keeping them in their hands, or someone taking quickly away all slack in the attached rope to keep it under tension; those with gates give more freedom.

They work well ... don't get me wrong ... usually as you pass the buoy - linesman hooks on - passes line to helmsperson who feeds out slack as boat approaches jetty ... linesman now steps ashore to make the two bow lines ... helmsperson by now has stopped paying out - is making off on the transom cleat. Once three lines in place ... adjustments can be made - such as put bow closer so people with short legs like me can get on / off !!

Then of course - the split pulpit as common out here really shows its worth !!

 

[Refueler]

I can actually see the 'Swedish Hook' being useful in other situations - not just hooking the buoy.

We've all seen the mess many make of cleats on pontoons / jetties ... ignoring the fact cleat is there for more than one boat !
With the hook - probably possible to hook under such mess and still be secure ? For 40 euros ... have 3 !! 2 on the bow .. 1 on the stern.

 

[Martin&Rene]

Right from the beginning I said to my wife that she would be helming our yacht in marinas, as she is small and does not like stepping over gaps . She was really worried about hitting the main walkway with our bow, especially, as the wind would often be blowing us into our finger pontoon berth. So we finally came up with a mooring system that works and it is described here.

Finger Pontoon Mooring

(Send a pm if you want more details)

I have still to get round to trying the idea of dropping the hoop onto the end pontoon cleat with a boathook, which could make it easier. She is now totally proficient at mooring, whilst my few attempts last year were appalling, More practice needed on my part.

I suggest you take your wife out to do lots of practice around some vacant mooring buoys, then some alongside moorings and finally finger pontoons in calm weather, using the system I have described and with lots of fenders down the full length of the yacht.

 

[thinwater]

You can also learn to do it yourself and avoid the problem. My wife is disabled, so this is the most common mode. Staff is nice, but don't bet on it. And as others have said, no jumping. At your home slip, add lots of old fenders so you can just lean against the pilings as needed, using a motor moor.

I don't understand boats with no rub rails. Sure, I can do with out ... but why? Makes no sense.

If the conditions (wind and tide) are such that you cannot get into the slip safely, anchor out. No big deal. Move in the next day if needed.

 

[Alicatt]

Right from the beginning I said to my wife that she would be helming our yacht in marinas, as she is small and does not like stepping over gaps . She was really worried about hitting the main walkway with our bow, especially, as the wind would often be blowing us into our finger pontoon berth. So we finally came up with a mooring system that works and it is described here.

Finger Pontoon Mooring

(Send a pm if you want more details)

I have still to get round to trying the idea of dropping the hoop onto the end pontoon cleat with a boathook, which could make it easier. She is now totally proficient at mooring, whilst my few attempts last year were appalling, More practice needed on my part.

I suggest you take your wife out to do lots of practice around some vacant mooring buoys, then some alongside moorings and finally finger pontoons in calm weather, using the system I have described and with lots of fenders down the full length of the yacht.

It was in Largs my wife and myself did our powerboat 2 at, and that is what they were teaching, dropping a pre-made reinforced loop over the end cleat to help bring the boat into the finger, we had a good breeze blowing to force 5 on the days we were there last September.
Really enjoyed it, and more important so did the wife.

 

[Poignard]

A problem with the catways in French marinas is that you don't know until you arrive within a few feet of it whether you are going to find on the end :

1. a cleat with horns, over which you can easily drop a loop, or lassoo it, or

2. no cleat at all, just a horizontal u-tube bent round the end, through which you can drop a grapnel [if you happen to have one], or

3. a closed cleat [may God rot the man who invented them], that you need a Grab-it type boathook to catch hold of.

Fortunately I have not encountered in France the accursed ring bolts that lie flat on the catway, such as they have in Emsworth Yacht Harbour.

 

[Alicatt]

A problem with the catways in French marinas is that you don't know until you arrive within a few feet of it whether you are going to find on the end :
Fortunately I have not encountered in France the accursed ring bolts that lie flat on the catway, such as they have in Emsworth Yacht Harbour.

That was what we had most of at Wick and Staxigeo harbours, that and the quayside was a few meters above my boat so there was no dropping of anything, a quick midships rope to the nearest ladder and then take the mooring line to the nearest convenient ring

 

[Roberto]

3. a closed cleat [may God rot the man who invented them],

+1, I'd add all the descendants.

I once stepped on Vannes waiting pontoon with the bow and stern mooring lines in my two hands, I hadn't paid attention to the closed ring cleats, wind blowing the boat off the pontoon. Ridiculous, me?

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Having 30 years on a highly tidal trot with prevailing wind blowing us straight up the bank, i find marina pontoons simplicity itself. Leaving our trot was fairly ok with a steady nerve as applying full power got one away before side drift into bank but that wont work for picking up mooring as need to slow. Could take 4 hours to get both stern and bows secure

Now pontoons are simple. If you have fenders both sides it doesnt even matter if you swing. We did come in a bit fast once and dislodge the freshwater hose reel - well that is what marina fee is for

For us in a longkeeler getting out is an issue but never as bad as windswept trot

 

[dunedin]

Fortunately I have not encountered in France the accursed ring bolts that lie flat on the catway, such as they have in Emsworth Yacht Harbour.

Commonly found in the Baltic in my experience - solo could usually grab and thread a rope with the Hook & Moor pole, but also need a plan b.

PS. re Martin&Rene, we are owners of one of the poles at the end of a pontoon finger at Largs which you refer to, with pre-sized rope for mid cleat and stern winch.

 

[johnalison]

I can actually see the 'Swedish Hook' being useful in other situations - not just hooking the buoy.

We've all seen the mess many make of cleats on pontoons / jetties ... ignoring the fact cleat is there for more than one boat !
With the hook - probably possible to hook under such mess and still be secure ? For 40 euros ... have 3 !! 2 on the bow .. 1 on the stern.

I agree that a Swedish hook is not good for picking up a buoy, but it wasn’t designed for that but for mooring to get one.

My feeling is that the EU, when we belonged, missed a trick there. Instead of worrying about crooked bananas or capsizing yachts, they should have insisted on a standardised Eurocleat, so that we would know what to expect. Being a committee design t would have been almost unusable and pleased nobody but at least we would know what to expect. On the other hand, it would have deprived me of many hours of amusement watching visitors to my marina with its famous Titchmarsh hoops.

 

[Refueler]

The Swedish hook - one that looks like a shepherds crook - is designed to hook onto the stern mooring buoy as boat passes it .. and then line is paid out till boat has bow near jetty to make fast bow lines. The line to hook on the buoy should be reasonably taught by then - but extra tension is put on to hold boat from hitting jetty and also to keep hook on the buoy.

Personally I am not so keen on the design as the hook part is open .. I accept that the hook is a lng deep design though to counter any tendency to lose connection.

But it could solve the cleat situation I posted before where inconsiderate's wind on yards of mooring line preventing any other boat using same cleat.
But tension must be always on the line to hold the hook in place.

 

[johnalison]

The Swedish hook - one that looks like a shepherds crook - is designed to hook onto the stern mooring buoy as boat passes it .. and then line is paid out till boat has bow near jetty to make fast bow lines. The line to hook on the buoy should be reasonably taught by then - but extra tension is put on to hold boat from hitting jetty and also to keep hook on the buoy.

Personally I am not so keen on the design as the hook part is open .. I accept that the hook is a lng deep design though to counter any tendency to lose connection.

But it could solve the cleat situation I posted before where inconsiderate's wind on yards of mooring line preventing any other boat using same cleat.
But tension must be always on the line to hold the hook in place.

I’ve not met a situation where my hook could get a hold on a bird’s nest cleat but I suppose it’s possible. I have a reel of anchor tape on my pushpit and the hook works well with it, though some may prefer the type with a closable end. I can’t say that I have had much call for it in home waters though, but it is simple enough to keep tension on, especially in non-tidal waters.