Getting off a leeward berth

I have just checked with John Goode's book & he discusses the method with springs of getting off a windward pontoon.If the wind is pinning you on it is the windward pontoon .The other side of the pontoon is the leeward side.The pontoon may be to leeward of you but that doesn't make it the leeward pontoon does it.The terminology is straight forward is it not.
Some time ago the kind harbourmaster at Brightlingsea pulled several boats (including me) off the pontoon with his launch as the wind pinning us on was so strong.This is the best method of all.
 
When it's my boat that I'm talking about windward and leeward relate to my boat. Nothing else. ANYTHING upwind is to windward and any thing downwind is to leeward. The fact that the wind is hitting both my windward side and the windward side of the pontoon still makes it a leeward pontoon.

Anyhoo, does it work??? Going to try it ....sounds interesting.
 
Had exactly that last Monday at Mercury, when on an inside pontoon almost under the marina office.

Starbd side to, strong prop walk also to stbd (Sigma 38), very strong wind pushing onto the pontoon.

Used a bow spring, set to middle of finger, motored ahead until stern had moved well to windward, but not touching boat alongside (to port), then let bow go as we motored backward.

Strong wind kept bows weathercocked & prevented propwalk taking stern downwind. Then stern first along the alleyway until out of marina into river.

Had almost similar situation previous week at Bucklers hard, again on an inside berth & got out in a similar manner.

Had visions of possibly being pushed sideways & fendered accordingly. However, worked both times.

Can't quite grasp how held by a stern line, then going forward, would work to get the stern out, whichever way the rudder was pointing. Can someone illuminate me on this method pls. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Stern spring, engine astern, bow spring engine forward. Have sucessfully used both. I think text of original post is incorrect IMHO. So, I can't illuminate you!

Best way is to push swmbo out of leeward berth first then ask her to pull you out (after making a cup of tea of course) :-)
 
It worked very well for me too when I tried it! I used my largest round fender (600 mm diameter) a bit forward from the transom because the compression is quite high and as the boat turns out maybe 30 degrees the corner of the transom seems to get quite close to the pontoon.

Like you I also ran the spring from a winch through the outside fairlead around a cleat on the pontoon and secured the bitter end to the outside stern cleat. This is the end I slipped.

As I slowly increased forward power the boat moved forward under the strain and the fender may roll out at the transom so I winched in the spring to keep the boat in the same position along the pontoon. It can be done quite gradually until the boat is atleast 30 degrees to the pontoon. I kept the tiller straight.

When ready to go I just slipped the line and shot away from the pontoon like a cork out of a bottle. Because the engine is running hard there is a strong prop-wash over the rudder which gave immediate rudder contol even before the boat has gathered way.

The spring rope trailed safely behind clear of the propeller and was gathered in once clear of the pontoon. I did all this single handed but the wind was probably only F 4, but it showed great promise for stronger conditions.

I found it was much better than the methods that require changing gear from forward to astern or vice versa – I always seem to loose much of space I have put between the boat and the pontoon.

I am looking forward to experimenting with this method again.
 
As I slowly increased forward power the boat moved forward under the strain and the fender may roll out at the transom so I winched in the spring to keep the boat in the same position along the pontoon. It can be done quite gradually until the boat is atleast 30 degrees to the pontoon. I kept the tiller straight.

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Will have to try this, but currently having difficulty understanding how a boat will move its bow outward 30 degrees when tethered at the stern. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
"Will have to try this, but currently having difficulty understanding how a boat will move its bow outward 30 degrees when tethered at the stern."

Me too, but as far as I can work out the boat is being held back by the warp and when you apply force to a warp it tries to straighten itself. As the warp is attached to the non-dock side of the boat straightening the warp from dock to fairlead forces the stern along the dock, and thus the bow must pop out. Mustn't it?
 
As the warp is attached to the non-dock side of the boat

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Ah!
missed this bit.

Will have to try it to see if it works, particularly with rudder centred.
 
I think that the turning moment that is available to turn the boat away from the pontoon is proportional to the distance between the stern cleat and the centre-line of the boat: the thrust of the propellor on the centre-line against the pull of the warp at the quarter.

The technique is probably more effective on boats with a wider transom.
 
Interesting to read all the posts in response to my interview in the April edition of YM. I can assure all the doubters that the technique does work and, in my experience, is a much better method of leaving a quay with the wind blowing you on than springing off either way. The reason is that the boat lifts away from the quay and the only attachment rope can be lengthened as the boat turns into the wind and clears obstructions close forward or aft. The prop is already working in the direction you want to go and there's no split second timing involved to avoid being blown back into the berth. My own boat has a long keel but I've used the method successfully on a Najad and a Halberg Rassy 36 which have fin keels and saildrives.

Space was limited in the interview article but I've set out below parts of the reply I've been sending to CA members who contacted me directly.

Preparing for the manouvre, fix a line to the quay doubled back from an outside stern cleat. I attach to the quay as close behind the boat as possible but, thinking about it, that is usually because of space limitations. The physics might imply that it could work better with the rope attached further astern. Prop wash is directed towards the quay by the helm being hard over as if you're driving the boat into the quay in forward gear. It's a weak mechanical advantage, but the boat first moves forward slightly as the rope comes under strain, and then lifts away from the quay and starts to rotate with the centre of rotation apparently being the outside cleat. It may take a few revs to start the motion, but when the hull gains momentum the progress is smooth and you simply stay as you are until the boat is at right angles to the quay or you can carry on and face wherever you want to go. At this stage it is quite usual to have gained an audience, and studied nonchalance with a mug of something in hand completes the effect.

It's a great trick when the wind is blowing you on and there's hardly any room to manouvre. I've never actually tried it in a marina against a pontoon and I think success depends on there being a solid surface for the prop wash to act on. I saw it used by a three masted Dutch charter vessel and he had a F8 up his stern when he wanted to leave the quay and turn round into the wind. He remained attached until the boat was turned into the wind and used very little room.

It's very different from the technique you might be familiar with where you spring off and pirouette around a large fender. I don't have a bow thruster and a few people have come close to calling me a liar when I've told them that after they've seen the performance.

Hope this helps, and glad you found something of interest in the article. Hope it works for you!

Stuart Bradley
 
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