How do you berth?

[Sailfree]

I have a 43 Jeanneau with 75HP Yanmar and feathering propeller. Once I went over 38-40 with high freeboard I thought a bowthruster an assett as a get out of jail card. I try not to use the bowthruster unless necessary. My aim in berthing is not to damage mine or my neighbours boat and i berth as slowly as reasonable.

With the tide in the Hamble and/or cross winds I sometimes enter a berth faster than I idealy like but with available power astern its no problem.

Now I have berthed using warps to stop the boat to learn that it could be done but I always berth/slip by the rule - ropes inboard then you can use propellor - ropes outboard propellor stopped.

Hence I have never had a prop wrap with my own warps.

The recent thread on types of props indicates that Snoops always uses warps to stop his boat. This has made me question myself as to whether I am berthing a "lazy" way.

Do other have an opinion on what is the "best " way to berth/stop the boat - warps or going astern? Or is this dependent on size of boat as I would imagine a small boat with low freeboard its easy to drop a warp over a pontoon cleat but more difficult on a bigger boat with high freeboard.

How do you berth and what do you consider the best "seamanship"?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I just drive into the rubber bumper at the end of my berth. Stops me quite quickly with a rubbery boing.

 

[prv]

As far as I'm concerned the ideal is to stop the boat, using the engine, inches from the pontoon and not moving relative to it. Then calmly step ashore and make up the lines.

Note "ideal", not necessarily what actually happens. But I certainly can't see any reason to come in with way on and stop the boat using warps - not if mooring under power, anyway.

Pete

 

[Angele]

I assume we are talking finger pontoons here and not a long pontoon or hammerhead.

My preference would normally to bring her alongside under engine. But, in the situation I think you are referring to with a strong tide sweeping you forward onto the walkway ahead (or with a strong breeze blowing me off the finger) and when short of crew then I tend to lassoo the first cleat and use the mooring warp as a spring to hold me against the finger while I step off with bow and stern lines.

Like you, I am on the Hamble, so get a strong tide under me when the ebb is in full flow.

Answer: it all depends. But, whatever I do, I do it slowly.

 

[tom_sail]

On other people's yachts I have always used a wrap from a mid-ship cleat onto the first cleat of the finger berth. Works damn well.

On my boat I don't have mid-ship cleats so I just tie a wrap to the chain plates works ok.

 

[Tranona]

I think, as I tried to explain in the other thread, there is no "right" way. Like you I have a boat that is of a size and windage where it can get out of control very quickly, so plan very carefully in advance.

In my home berth I specifically asked for a berth facing the prevailing wind with finger on starboard side - fortunately no tide. This makes it easy to set up warps hanging off a pole at the end of the pontoon. The turn (to port) is very tight because there is so little room to boats behind so the trick is to get it straight and stopped when the pole is alongside the cockpit so warps can be picked up and hooked onto midships first then fore and aft - all singlehanded if necessary.

However, in other situations I would have no hesitation in coming in faster and using the engine to stop, but getting a warp to the midship cleat is usually a priority. Not always easy, particularly if the cleat is a ring. The number and reliability of crew also has an impact on the technique used. Being usually shorthanded the priority is to get the boat stopped and attached before jumping off.

 

[RupertW]

The 42 footer gets berthed astern to a finger and with strong crosswinds often needs to come in at some speed, with a burst ahead to stop it just before the big stern fenders hit the walkway.

Slowing down by warps would work if going in very slowly in a no wind situation but would rip the mid cleat out at speed. I do surge the warps to stop any remaining movement of the boat.

I do use the propellor when ropes are tied sometimes, either as a ferry moor where the forward or reverse power holds the boat against a quay with a single line, or reversing against a stern line to get the bow pointing out if the wind is blowing onto the quay.

The 24 footer is much easier and can be stopped by a midline warp, which I tend to do when I step off singlehanded but still use a bit of reverse usually to get some way off it.

 

[Wunja]

I have two challenges in mooring in my home berth. Firstly the need to do a very tight U-turn to get into the box, and then once pointing in the right direction, if I use the engine to stop, the enormous prop walk will rapidly point the boat somewhere else.
Getting the speed right is critical so the bow will go through the wind and not be blown off vs not arriving in the box too fast.
So warp around one or preferably both poles as brakes.

I have been the Reginald Molesworthy of mooring!

 

[snowleopard]

Two tips - 'As slow as you can, as fast as you must' i.e. just enough speed to retain control.

And forget the elegant dark blue polyester berthing lines, get some nice hairy polypropylene that floats so almost impossible for it to get near the prop.

 

[Halcyon Yachts]

I have a 43 Jeanneau with 75HP Yanmar and feathering propeller. Once I went over 38-40 with high freeboard I thought a bowthruster an assett as a get out of jail card. I try not to use the bowthruster unless necessary. My aim in berthing is not to damage mine or my neighbours boat and i berth as slowly as reasonable.

With the tide in the Hamble and/or cross winds I sometimes enter a berth faster than I idealy like but with available power astern its no problem.

Now I have berthed using warps to stop the boat to learn that it could be done but I always berth/slip by the rule - ropes inboard then you can use propellor - ropes outboard propellor stopped.

Hence I have never had a prop wrap with my own warps.

The recent thread on types of props indicates that Snoops always uses warps to stop his boat. This has made me question myself as to whether I am berthing a "lazy" way.

Do other have an opinion on what is the "best " way to berth/stop the boat - warps or going astern? Or is this dependent on size of boat as I would imagine a small boat with low freeboard its easy to drop a warp over a pontoon cleat but more difficult on a bigger boat with high freeboard.

How do you berth and what do you consider the best "seamanship"?

I believe that where possible your vessel should be stopped entirely by the engine. I always practice the policy of getting the vessel safely alongside and then securing lines. If you have a strong cross wind or tide then the process of stopping and securing the lines needs to be a bit quicker. Excessive jarring can damage cleats, or even crack and strain the deck. The heavier the vessel the more momentum she will carry - so even more important to stop under power.

If you do prefer to stop using a spring line then the stretchier the rope the better...

Pete

 

[Poignard]

Two tugs and a pilot.

 

[lotusman]

Midship warp as soon as possible used in combination with engine and rudder if necessary to assist control. As mentioned, stretchy warp and also surge round cleat to prevent shock. Driver stays at wheel and engine control until all secure, does not get involved in warp handling. Allways aware of posssibility of warp (or other lines) around prop but no fixed rule about no prop until warps inboard. Avoid assistance from pontoon spectators unless they are a known quantity and can be relied on.

 

[Bav34]

Plan A is always to use the centre cleat and a stretchy spring line.

My job is to get close enough for Mrs Bav to STEP off.

She then attaches that line to the nearest cleat regardless of whether or not the spring will be staying there.

I then lock the wheel over with the minimum revs to hold the boat in position whilst we sort out the next part which normally, on a T pontoon, involves me going forward and giving her the bow line on the opposite side to the finger pontoon.

As I back off the revs she tightens that line to hold the bow off the finger.

In principle the boat now can't go forwards backwards or sideways (engine still in gear) and we just work through a logical progression of 'what ropes next' dependant on wind or tide.

We rarely argue

 

[snooks]

The recent thread on types of props indicates that Snoops always uses warps to stop his boat. This has made me question myself as to whether I am berthing a "lazy" way.

9 times out of 10 I'll stop my boat with warps if possible, and stopping is never done at a great speed unless it's really blowing old boots.

This has grown about since we've owned the boat for a number of reasons.

1. It's a very easy way of berthing with just two people.
2. Pixie's topsides are low down
3. Our engine had cut out a number of times coming into a berth.
4. The Bukh, with it's big heavy fly wheel, wasn't the quickest of engines to rev up and get the power to reverse/stop.
5. Pixie suffers from monster prop walk, (the off set prop adds to the fun) so unless I berth stb side to, any use of reverse throws the stern off to port and away from the pontoon.

Basically this works for me, and if you have a solution that works for you stick to it. What works for me on my boat may be the worst solution for your on your boat.

I always ease the boat end of the warp on a winch so she stops gently and not with a cleat wrenching jolt.

And yes my warps are springy 3 strand

 

[emandvee44]

In short - sometimes with great difficulty and white knuckles.

Our boat has excellent manoeuvring characteristics, due to the 8hp bow thruster and the Brunton's autoprop, which anyone who has one will know bites like a drug dealer's dog.
In our location the prevailing Summer breeze is from the NNW, and gets up to 30 knots on a bad day. (or good day if you are a racer) Therefore, if you go out for a sail in the morning the breeze develops during the day, and you can find yourself returning to the marina with tricky berthing conditions.
It does not help that off the end of the hammerheads there is only a few metres of channel available and then its sudden death.
We have two set piece manoeuvers; we either enter the space between the pontoons bow first, keeping as close as possible to the upwind fingers, and at the end turning to starboard and going astern into the berth. Alternatively, entering the space between the pontoons stern first and proceeding stern first into the berth. Use of the bow thruster is sometimes but not always required. The latter manoever is preferable in a fresh Northerly as part of the manoeuver is against the wind and towards the upwind fingers.
We also have an emergency berthing manoeuvre bow first, if the need arises (it has once, but I prefer not to talk about it).
We never stop the boat with warps, although of course we would have to in the event of an engine failure at the last moment. We have permanent moorings with steel coil springs on the pontoon, all are marked with tape indicating the correct position to cleat them off.

Launching on Monday afternoon so it could be interesting as the Summer winds have already set in.

Cheers and good sailing over Easter.

Michael.

 

[snowleopard]

Approach the pontoon Port side to at an angle. When close, crew drops a loop of bow line over the pontoon cleat and makes the end fast on board. Helm hard a'starboard, starboard engine half astern, port engine slow ahead. Wait for stern to come alongside pontoon, drop loop of stern line over pontoon cleat & make off on board. Stop engines. Step off to secure springs. Simples.

What do you mean you've only got one engine and one rudder? Cheapskate.

 

[tinkicker0]

I just drift in slow enough with engine stopped until bow naturally stops 6" from pontoon, then wind gently nudges me into the finger fenders.

Or maybe I'm fibbing

 

[sailorman]

Approach the pontoon Port side to at an angle. When close, crew drops a loop of bow line over the pontoon cleat and makes the end fast on board. Helm hard a'starboard, starboard engine half astern, port engine slow ahead. Wait for stern to come alongside pontoon, drop loop of stern line over pontoon cleat & make off on board. Stop engines. Step off to secure springs. Simples.

What do you mean you've only got one engine and one rudder? Cheapskate.

And your single handed method IS

 

[johnalison]

As someone has said, the only thing that matters is not to damage your boat or anyone else's, especially the latter. Whatever method is used, it is essential to have an escape plan, even more so when there is an awkward wind.

My home berth is fairly generous but with a sharp turn needed to line up when rounding the end of the finger. I have a fender on the corner of the finger and lines ashore to pick up. This is needed because the shore attachments are rings rather than cleats.

A cross-wind from the north can make getting the boat near enough to the finger to pick up a line next to impossible, and my excuse is that my saildrive and limited steering lock make it difficult to throw the stern across as I could easily do in my other boats. My escape plan in this situation is either to let my boat drift alongside my neighbour, or if his berth is vacant, to drift over to his finger. It is then quite simple to haul my boat across to its berth, using the sheet winch if necessary. It is necessary to make an early decision in these conditions so that the bow isn't blown downwind and damage caused or sustained.

 

[Hoolie]

Midship warp as soon as possible used in combination with engine and rudder if necessary to assist control. As mentioned, stretchy warp and also surge round cleat to prevent shock. Driver stays at wheel and engine control until all secure, does not get involved in warp handling. Allways aware of posssibility of warp (or other lines) around prop but no fixed rule about no prop until warps inboard. Avoid assistance from pontoon spectators unless they are a known quantity and can be relied on.

100% - especially avoiding assistance from spectators as it ALWAYS goes wrong if they're involved