Getting off a leeward berth

D

Dann

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 Mar 2002
Messages
76
Visit site
I noticed in April's YM page 9, in an interview, Stuart Bradley states that one of his most valuable lessons in boat handling is to "get off a leeward quay by fastening a short rope from an outside cleat on the stern to the shore and steering into the quay while motoring forward". He claims it really works and looks impressive! Has anyone else tried this method?
 
That can't be right surely. A line from the bow to a cleat half a boat length back on the pontoon, loads of fenders up front, motor forward and the stern comes out. You then go astern.

Alternatively a line from the stern to a cleat half a boat's length forward on the pontoon and then motor backwards so the front moves out.

It usually works better going forwards because of the boat shape.
 
Not so sure about that, its going to need some good fendering, but motoring forward against a spring to swing the stern out before then motoring off astern can be very effective. I had to extract a boat from a corner, tucked in behind a good few hundred thousand quids worth of super-yacht by doing that. Impressed the skipper, who being disabled, was unable to help and I hope the permanent crew of the super yacht. Impressed myself as well!

Quite a few years ago John Goode wrote a series of articles on boat handling under power for PBO (before he defected to ST) There was some good stuff in there even if some of the photo sequences were faked.
 
I must say at first I thought this might have been an April Fool. However, on thinking it over, the forward motion and helm over would force the stern off and be similar to a forward spring, but held at the stern depending on warp length. What one does after releasing the line is another problem !
 
I stick a couple of fenders up the sharp end, let go everything and shove the stern out with an extending boat hook, then go astern ... six and a half ton long keeler ... works for me.
 
I use the method often it works a treat, the problem with using a spring on the bow is that you can only get the stern off a little way and if like me you have a great deal of propwalk and it's acting against you the boat goes straight back onto the quay. Using a stern line from the side furthest away from the quay and slipping it a little as the bow swings off you can turn the boat and face out at 90% to the quay. QED
 
No of course it's not the same as a bow spring. If you hold the stern on a rope and motoring forward and inwards you will go nowhere and when you release the rope you'll just plough along the pontoon.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I stick a couple of fenders up the sharp end, let go everything and shove the stern out with an extending boat hook,

[/ QUOTE ]

And me.may not look too impressive but it works unless its really blowing a gale.

Back to the original post I think it could work because the line is attatched to the outside cleat furthest from the pontoon driving ahead should cause the bow to move away from the pontoon.

then you could motor away forwards slipping one end of the line as you go.

Im certainly going to try it anyway.Much easier for a single hander than using a spring as the line will be close to the helm in an aft cockpit boat.No good if theres another boat close ahead of you though. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
He must be relying on the flow of water from the propellor across the rudder to steer the boat - it wouldn't work that way on mine where the rudder is not behind the propeller.

However I can see that it would probably work well on a modern boat with a wide stern. The combined effect of the forward force of the propeller, and the reverse force of line would tend to pivot the bows out.
 
Used a similar trick in a tight berth, against a wall, while being blown on.

Rig a longish slipped line from an outside cleat, round a bollard & back to a winch, motor hard forward with the rudder central or slightly steering out, you will pivot around the cleat, when you are near enough right angles to the wall, slip the line & off you go.
 
As stated I use this method all the time without a problem. I think all you guys that doubt the method should try it, to “Bedouin” there is no need to move the rudder and flow over the rudder does not apply, it’s a simple case of geometry. Have a go before condemning the method you may be surprised. I am sure it is not a case it works for me and no others.
 
The outside cleat might work for you but I'd pile my Monitor gear into the peir before the boat turned.

BTW, I use the driving into the bow method, we have loads of propwalk and it has yet to fail even in 30+knots. With practice you can steer the boat out up to 90 degrees if you need to.
 
The OP set steer into the pontoon - that implies that in his method you do have to move the rudder. Now a rudder only works if it has water flowing over it so the only way a rudder can be effective when moored is if the prop is providing a flow of water over the rudder (or there is a tide/current) - that is simple physics. If you have a similar method that does not require moving the rudder then good for you.

As I said I'm sure it will work for some boats - but it certainly wouldn't work for me (at least not if I were moored stbd to). The horizontal separation between the outside stern cleat and the propellor is not sufficient to lever the bows off a leeward berth.
 
I needed to get out of a very tight berth the other week & was able to pull the boat (a 32' Pentland) into a position at right angles to the pontoon. I did this from the pontoon by pulling on the outside stern cleat with everything else cast off. I was then able to give a good hard shove off & jump ove the pushpit, slip her in gear & rapidly get her up to steerage speed.

Worked well for me, might have been different if I had failed to get back aboard tho'!
 
[ QUOTE ]
The OP set steer into the pontoon

[/ QUOTE ]
So the swing pivot point will be the shore cleat/bollard/whatever, not the aft/stbd cleat on the boat.

Putting the engine in forward and steering into the pontoon tries to push the stern off. But it can't go because of the stern line to the outside cleat. The forward thrust will try to pivot the bows off the pontoon and the stern onto the pontoon. The two opposite forces on the stern cancel each other and the end result is the whole shooting match moving off the pontoon arount the shore mooring point.

Not so sure it will work with my long keeler though but next chance I get I'll try it...
 
Yes. You are missing something. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

If the pontoon is on your port side and the wind is blowing from your port side then your port side is to windward, as is the pontoon and you will blow off.

If the wind swings round 180 degrees your starboard side is now your windward side and you will be pinned to the LEEWARD pontoon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top