Getting off a pontoon finger berth solo - with wind blowing off

[dunedin]

So we are reasonably well set up for arriving back onto our home berth - with middle rope with loop left on pole on end of pontoon, as well as bow and stern ropes ready to go.

But leaving the berth solo with wind blowing off can be tricky - as under half a metre gap to boat to leeward. Particularly as only engine controls are on the opposite side of the cockpit. By the time released bow rope and come back to the cockpit bow can already be blown off more than 50cm. And still stern ropes to release.
Motoring forward on a middle spring would of course keep the boat pinned in. But can’t get 100% reliability in getting it off the cleat smoothly and instantly as reverse swiftly back out of the gap. If it catches then the results would be very messy.

In my dreams I have explosive triggers to blow the bow and stern ropes simultaneously from the cockpit, but this seems somewhat less practical when wake up in the morning. So what do the jury recommend for a smooth and swift release of ropes in this situation
PS Reminder it is leaving a finger berth with minimal gap to leeward, no crew and engine controls at outside wheel.
PPS. Changing the boat or berth are not good options - the berth is chosen because it gives maximum shelter in gales etc, when unable to visit to check the boat.

 

[Hacker]

You could motor ahead on a stern line to keep the bow pinned. If you rig it from the stern cleat against the finger berth but take the running end to the leeward cleat (which I assume from you description is new to the engine controls) then you could slip whilst maintains throttle control. Obviously need to guard against rope to prop!

 

[siwhi]

 

[[3889]]

That don't help with leeway.

But can’t get 100% reliability in getting it off the cleat smoothly and instantly as reverse swiftly back out of the gap. If it catches then the results would be very messy.

Do you not have a knife? Can't think of many boat manoeuvres with 100% reliability.
Alternatively, hang off a more favourable berth briefly and recover a fixed line.

 

[Jamie Dundee]

BIG ball fenders on the collision side.

 

[FairweatherDave]

Obviously it depends how strongly you are being blown off the pontoon but the bow bridle is supposed to combat leeway.
I appreciate the fears of a long rope snagging the cleat as you reverse away but whenever I have done it has worked smoothly, nice feeling once the line is back aboard though.
Plus 1 for fenders obv.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

...So what do the jury recommend for a smooth and swift release of ropes in this situation
...

Are you stern in or bow in?
And, do you have a bow thruster?

 

[Bluetack42]

Trial & error with my 40 foot AWB led me to the following set up For solo departing. I am always stern in (with a couple of flat fenders on the stern to allow me to ‘rest’ against the central walkway when departing into a headwind) so that I can get on quickly via the sugar scoop. I have a remote control for the bow thruster, once the bow line is off short bursts keep her pinned in whilst walking to the stern, the stern line is set up as a short loop from the boat over the pontoon cleat, this is flipped off & left to dangle until sorted out later, in the 3-4 seconds between flipping off the stern line & getting aboard & going into gear the stern will be blown off perhaps a foot in a strong wind, this helps to angle the boat away from my neighbour as I pick up speed & out into the fairway & a sharp turn to starboard, taking care not to clip next doors stern with mine as I swing round.

To be honest I now prefer to leave solo like this even when I have crew aboard.

My concern about being bows in is the difficulty picking up enough speed quickly & under control to get steerage whilst reversing.

 

[JimC]

I have a made-up line with a loop at one end to cow hitch onto the midships cleat. At the other end is a large loop stiffened with plastic tube which I drop over the cleat near the end of the pontoon on my approach.

When leaving I rig the line and motor against it while I remove the other warps. When I'm ready to go I knock the engine briefly into neutral, lift the stiffened loop off the pontoon cleat with the boathook as the tension comes off the line, and reverse out.

 

[SimonFa]

I had this problem when I was in Weymouth, there's not much space between boats there.

Use a bow fender and ease the boat forward on tick-over, or a bit more power if really windy, on to the catwalk and steer full lock so the bow goes against the finger (ie wheel/tiller away from finger). The boat should sit there happily while you get all the lines in.

When you're ready centre the steering and give her a big thrust astern, depending on which way she prop walks you can leave power on of drop it. They key is speed of action, but then the same with a bow bridle but this way you wont have a trailing line to worry about.

 

[[3889]]

Obviously it depends how strongly you are being blown off the pontoon but the bow bridle is supposed to combat leeway.
I appreciate the fears of a long rope snagging the cleat as you reverse away but whenever I have done it has worked smoothly, nice feeling once the line is back aboard though.
Plus 1 for fenders obv.

How does the bow bridle combat leeway? When under tension it stops the boat moving aft. It does not prevent the stern blowing off as DW acknowledges in the video.
BTW, if bow thrusters are in the mix maybe a small tug might be considered.

 

[[3889]]

Duplicate

 

[Channel Sailor]

Assuming you are berthed bows in.

Put fenders on the leeward side of the yacht. In case something goes wrong, have as part of your plan an option to end up secured to the yacht to leeward.

Look out for a passer by for help to help, if not too windy such that the boat could be held in by a person on the finger pontoon.

Ask marina staff to pop down and help, some marinas will do this. If you really have to depart then maybe more than one could pop down, or even send over the boat yard launch to help.

I have done this a few times. Assuming very little tide for the yacht to have grip on the water. You could get half way out first by using a midships line to walk a small ish yacht, in not too much wind, backwards to secure a midships line to a cleat on the far end of the finger. But you need to know where to attach the midships line where the windage will be equal forward and aft. In my case (when in a partly sheltered berth) the balance point is about where the shrouds are. Use a line type that does not usually snag, bring the tail end of the line back in board through a snatch block on the rail then back to the cockpit secured, ensure the length of the will not foul the propellor line when let go and it drops into the water. Assuming you know how your yacht will behave with a good burst of engine astern, so you can swivel the yacht slightly to suit just before you step on. Go promptly to the cockpit, release the midships line and go astern with initially a brief good burst of engine . If the line fouls up then go back in but along side the leeward yacht, which you had planned for anyway. As you exit go stern into the wind so the yacht weathercocks. I suggest it is not wise to do this with an anchor stowed on the bow roller, as it could scrape down the leeward yacht If you misjudge it. Then go where you need to from there. You could leave the mooring line secured to the pontoon and instead undo it from the yacht. Use a non floating line though. In my case I would pick it up later In the day when I return to my berth.

Again if no other options to stay until the wind changes, if there is not enough room to weathercock the yacht upwind between your berth and another obstacle then how about manually warp (using a cockpit deck winch if needs be) out the aft end of your yacht to that upwind obstacle first. With another press ganged person on the end of your finger pontoon holding a controlling line onto the bow. In my case it a main pontoon clear of yacht’s and with cleats. If your berth is the first one next main pontoon the simply walk/warp the yacht astern to the space behind, then cast off bow first, the yacht weathercocks, then cast off aft.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

just fender up, release your lines and blast straight out with confidence.

 

[pvb]

Copious fenders...

 

[Deleted member 36384]

I have seen this in a F8 at Largs marina. A yacht, steel cruising yacht, entered the berth, finger pontoon to starboard, boat to leeward, stopped, started to blow off before crew could get off, full engine revs astern and he shot out backwards before the boat had even got a foot down wind. He obviously had confidence in how his boat handled, get the beam clear fast, more room with the space the bow makes. No idea of the underwater shape of the hull, but the boat was chunky.

 

[FairweatherDave]

How does the bow bridle combat leeway? When under tension it stops the boat moving aft. It does not prevent the stern blowing off as DW acknowledges in the video.
BTW, if bow thrusters are in the mix maybe a small tug might be considered.

I'm not going to re-watch the video and I claim no expertise. But in the book he suggests this method for light to moderate winds, suitable being blown on or off the pontoon, controlling the position relative to the finger pontoon by adjusting the revs. It is a technique for the single hander. It does require a very long line.

 

[awol]

Get a swinging mooring and stop fecking about with string. Of course you will have to learn to row!

 

[dunedin]

Are you stern in or bow in?
And, do you have a bow thruster?

Bow in, bow thruster. And plenty of fenders both sides, but prefer never to use them (though gently blowing alongside other boat after arriving back is fine).

 

[dunedin]

Get a swinging mooring and stop fecking about with string. Of course you will have to learn to row!

We have the dinghy with outboard on davits, so rowing not necessary (except for purely recreational reasons).
But surely moorings are for folks with long keel boats which can’t reverse ;-)