Docking in a marina single-handed

One good tip for a regular berth on a finger pontoon is to make up a line which you can leave attached to a cleat on the finger and which is the right length to be picked up and looped over the boat's centre cleat and keep you out of the wall long enough to allow you to set the rest of your lines.
 
Agreed, if you can get the centre cleat attached to the pontoon, enither the bow or stern can go far..
A rope circle surrounded with a polythene tube makes great "lassoo" which you can drop over the cleat.
It helps if the wind is blowing you onto the pontoon I have been know to request this from the marina if a visitor. Many realising that you are single handed, come down to take your ropes, probably because they dont want any accidents. It costs nothing to ask!
 
I feel for you as I'm going though the same leanring curve with a power boat. But so far slow and steady has got me in without banging anything else. Let's hope that continues.

Funny, but I think it's a Brit thing not to ask marina staff to come and help. For sure if I were to be solo and needed someone to take a line I'd not hesitate to ask and expect them to be there. Even if one had to wait a while, on a windy day it would probably be worth it.
When we go into almost all overseas marinas they have staff on boats and on shore ready and willing to help - except Gibraltar that is.

John
 
If you can't get any help at the pontoon! Go slowly and get a midships line on the centre cleat first and tie up tight. Either you could grab (hook) a pre-prepared line on the cleat or lassoo the cleat. Also have lots of fenders both sides in case you are blown off, dont get the target cleat and have to raft up to the boat next to you - perfectly ok as long as its gentle (yes - it has happened to me!). You can end up with the bow or stern poking about a bit with only the mid line on but you will not go anywhere. You can then lassoo the stern cleat or drive yourself against the pontoon once the line is pulled and tied nice and tight.

When I tried this , I went and practiced, practiced.....and er practiced....

Have fun.
 
When single handing I actually prefer to get a stern rope on first (I back into the berth) then I give her a touch ahead to keep the bow tight onto the pontoon. I leave her in gear while I make the bow fast.
 
Swagman said:
I feel for you as I'm going though the same leanring curve with a power boat. But so far slow and steady has got me in without banging anything else. Let's hope that continues.

Funny, but I think it's a Brit thing not to ask marina staff to come and help. For sure if I were to be solo and needed someone to take a line I'd not hesitate to ask and expect them to be there. Even if one had to wait a while, on a windy day it would probably be worth it.
When we go into almost all overseas marinas they have staff on boats and on shore ready and willing to help - except Gibraltar that is.

John
Click to expand...

Too right - we always come and help if asked, on the basis it is part of the service and we would rather do so than have to deal with any problems. We offer in advance as we best we can, although quite a lot of people decline or prefer not to be asked !
 
If the weather is calm, I just leave bow and stern lines ready on the boat, step off and tie up roughly. I can always adjust the lines later if need be.

If it's a little blowy or I don't know the marina well, I prepare a line from a centre cleat and take it up to the flybridge. I can then lasso a convenient cleat on the pontoon while still at the upper helm, and hold it tight while I come downstairs and onto the pontoon.
 
Having a small single engined boat with nor girly thrusters can make for some interesting single handed manouvres, but i have found that if i have both the bow and stern ropes to hand then if i get the stern near enough in can tie the stern rope off then pull the bow in by hand. Doesnt work everytime and if the stern doesnt go where you want it it may mean going around for a second go but there is no harm on that. Just take it slowly.
 
Thanks, and what about IPS drives?

Thanks to everyone for the replies. Feel free to add more. Always welcome.
Would much rather have 'girly' bow and stern thrusters and so minimise the possibly of whacking £600k worth of yacht into other equally; if not more so, expensive boat(s).

Anyone had any experience with the IPS drives? If so, what do you think?
 
Some advance planning is a real help, as others have indicated. I do a lot of single handing and thinking about where lines need to be before needing them is key. What I tend to do is to fasten back the door between the saloon and cockpit, flake out a line at the stern and set the fenders for the relevant side when I'm in the nearest bit of sheltered but sufficiently open water to allow me a couple of minutes away from the helm to do these tasks.

My cockpit is secure with a waist-high rail all round and so it's quite easy to get the boat in close enough to lassoo a cleat from the stern and then nudge the boat in on the engines.

I did have to have a couple of goes with this procedure once when I was trying to berth at the Folly with 20 knots of wind blowing me off the pontoon because on the first attempt I had moved the stern nicely into position but when I got there I was already 2 metres off and heading away from the pontoon. The thought of missing out on a pint and a pie was sufficient to make sure the second attempt was successful tho'.

Finally, practice and repitition help: the day after I picked up my current boat we were badly in need of fuel - actually we were just about on vapour with 100+ miles to go and the fuel dock in Weymouth was about to close for the day. My manouevre was less than decisive and although we did get onto the dock without mishap, the gnarly old seadog on the pumps turned to me and said kindly, "is it your first time on a boat?" Fecker!!!
 
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