How much space would you expect fore and aft

JoeQ

JoeQ

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Location
Glasgow
www.use.me.uk
In a town marina with one long pontoon running the full length of the harbour wall and boats moored alongside stem to stern, how much clear space would you expect the marina to allow between boats?

It's ok in ideal conditions but with an inexperienced crew or single handed at night with a good wind blowing how much space fore and aft would you expect to safely tie up.

20 metre loa 6 metre beam, how many metres clearance would you expect?

I don't want to start a bragging war, what I'm trying to establish is would you be happy if the marina had squeezed in another boat leaving you with only a metre fore and aft?
 
JoeQ said:
In a town marina with one long pontoon running the full length of the harbour wall and boats moored alongside stem to stern, how much clear space would you expect the marina to allow between boats?

It's ok in ideal conditions but with an inexperienced crew or single handed at night with a good wind blowing how much space fore and aft would you expect to safely tie up.

20 metre loa 6 metre beam, how many metres clearance would you expect?

I don't want to start a bragging war, what I'm trying to establish is would you be happy if the marina had squeezed in another boat leaving you with only a metre fore and aft?
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Is it a 24 hour staffed marina where they will help you if requested?
 
You don't say what country, but my own experience - Atlantic coast of France - almost nothing, maybe a metre. This is more driven by people's desire to take up little space and let everyone get a berth as in France pretty much anything is unsupervised. I have put the boat in a space nothing more than the size of the boat by going in sideways many times. On a 20m boat I suspect you will be booking ahead which may give you a bit more space but I would not hold your breath.

Jeremy
 
What I should have asked was Are the marina taking the piss?

I'm in the UK and pay for my berth but it's being increasingly squeezed so much that I'm going to need feeler guages soon!
 
JoeQ said:
In a town marina with one long pontoon running the full length of the harbour wall and boats moored alongside stem to stern, how much clear space would you expect the marina to allow between boats?

It's ok in ideal conditions but with an inexperienced crew or single handed at night with a good wind blowing how much space fore and aft would you expect to safely tie up.

20 metre loa 6 metre beam, how many metres clearance would you expect?

I don't want to start a bragging war, what I'm trying to establish is would you be happy if the marina had squeezed in another boat leaving you with only a metre fore and aft?
Click to expand...

One metre fore and one metre aft is not reasonable.
I would complain in writing to harbour master or berth master etc. Mention about the danger of swell and berthing in windy conditions etc.
I would also write to your berth holders association, if you have one and log a complaint.
Also write to your insurance company and state that there is an accident waiting to happen.
However, by doing so you could invalidate your own insurance by saying that your mooring is not adequate or fit for purpose!
Then, write a letter to your insurance company and hand it to the harbour master instead.
Create a precedent by talking to the boats fore and aft and between you move boats around and tell the harbour master how it is going to be, not what he tells you it’s going to be.

Sounds as if the harbour authority, council or marina? Are squeezing more boats in to raise more fees? Rather than being nice and creating more moorings for local people?

In my experience, some marina managers and harbour masters are not boaty people. They might be a ‘Captain’ this or that from time in merchant navy but can sometimes lack empathy for leisure boat owners. Some can be bullies and others are scared of others such as fishermen. (don't shout at me if you are a fisherman!) I’m generalizing obviously as ours is nice and very sympathetic.
Good luck
Nick Vass
 
I was faced with the same problem in my last boatyard.

Turned up at the boat to find it moved further up the pontoon with andydent2000 boat about 3 feet from me, and our friends 3 feet the other end, just stupid in all of our views, we complained but nothing happened. One weekend another berth holder and forum member who had moved from shamrock quay for a cheaper berth had returned to his mooring behind andy, the tide was running hard which meant his gap was even less, by this time he had tried to moor up, crushing his new dinghy against andy davits it wrecked it.

The next time I spoke to the marina owner I'd told her it was a big mistake trying to squeeze too many boats in the given length, she said she had to gain maximum space so that's how it was. Next month two boats left, then me after the theft of my prop, so now there is enough space to fit a 100ft plus boat which of course means a big loss in revenue, seems operators just don't listen till its too late on there pocket.
 
JoeQ said:
In a town marina with one long pontoon running the full length of the harbour wall and boats moored alongside stem to stern, how much clear space would you expect the marina to allow between boats?

It's ok in ideal conditions but with an inexperienced crew or single handed at night with a good wind blowing how much space fore and aft would you expect to safely tie up.

20 metre loa 6 metre beam, how many metres clearance would you expect?

I don't want to start a bragging war, what I'm trying to establish is would you be happy if the marina had squeezed in another boat leaving you with only a metre fore and aft?
Click to expand...


Joe - You should give them a Glaswegian kiss for being so accommodating :rolleyes:
 
volvopaul said:
I was faced with the same problem in my last boatyard.

Turned up at the boat to find it moved further up the pontoon with andydent2000 boat about 3 feet from me, and our friends 3 feet the other end, just stupid in all of our views, we complained but nothing happened. One weekend another berth holder and forum member who had moved from shamrock quay for a cheaper berth had returned to his mooring behind andy, the tide was running hard which meant his gap was even less, by this time he had tried to moor up, crushing his new dinghy against andy davits it wrecked it.

The next time I spoke to the marina owner I'd told her it was a big mistake trying to squeeze too many boats in the given length, she said she had to gain maximum space so that's how it was. Next month two boats left, then me after the theft of my prop, so now there is enough space to fit a 100ft plus boat which of course means a big loss in revenue, seems operators just don't listen till its too late on there pocket.
Click to expand...

I own the boat mentioned that had the dinghy problem.I thought I was being clever by moving to somewhere cheaper but what with the bridge restrictions the very strong currents and the space problems mooring there became a nightmare I was dreading trying to moor up,hence my retreat back to Shamrock,nothing was worth that.The only thing I can say to the lady running that mooring is 75% of something is better than 100% of nothing.
 
volvopaul said:
I was faced with the same problem in my last boatyard.

Turned up at the boat to find it moved further up the pontoon with andydent2000 boat about 3 feet from me, and our friends 3 feet the other end, just stupid in all of our views, we complained but nothing happened. One weekend another berth holder and forum member who had moved from shamrock quay for a cheaper berth had returned to his mooring behind andy, the tide was running hard which meant his gap was even less, by this time he had tried to moor up, crushing his new dinghy against andy davits it wrecked it.

The next time I spoke to the marina owner I'd told her it was a big mistake trying to squeeze too many boats in the given length, she said she had to gain maximum space so that's how it was. Next month two boats left, then me after the theft of my prop, so now there is enough space to fit a 100ft plus boat which of course means a big loss in revenue, seems operators just don't listen till its too late on there pocket.
Click to expand...

I've seen something similar happen in a well know marina in Ireland where we once kept our last boat. Hubris and greed is all it is! Too often people who are not capable of making decisions are let make such decisions and the outcome is similar. The demise or failing of a business etc etc.
 
i asked for a help with them month ago but nobody helped me and didnt even bothered me to inform or reply to my message .. its really ass ****ing a disgusting moment .....
 
mad_boater said:
I own the boat mentioned that had the dinghy problem.I thought I was being clever by moving to somewhere cheaper but what with the bridge restrictions the very strong currents and the space problems mooring there became a nightmare I was dreading trying to moor up,hence my retreat back to Shamrock,nothing was worth that.The only thing I can say to the lady running that mooring is 75% of something is better than 100% of nothing.
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I find them the easiest place to moor, even in the strongest current. Give me 1m no problem. Never had any problems with the bridge either, and only once had to wait for spring low to pass when returning. The reason is that we have an outdrive so can pull sideways, like a stern thruster. And, we are lower. In summary, I think they are ideal for our type of boat - low and outdrive.

The only problem with my 1m is that I cannot lower the dinghy to fit the engine etc.

Other observation - they tend to stay full regardless, possibly as they are cheaper.

Not deliberately trying to boost them - I will be leaving for other reasons - but maybe horses for courses.
 
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A Quiet Prethruster Heaven AKA Silent Night.

LionsDen said:
Yes thats ok bearing in mind most boats have bow and stern side thrusters nowadays :rolleyes:
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Arrghh.....

Most of the boats in the club,shall we say like their owners,are of a certain vintage and thrusters were a long way off in the dim and distant future when boaters decided that mooring a boat using skill alone was old fashioned and therefore dull. :)
Vast majority of our steam powered boat owners dream about having a bowthruster. :)
 
oldgit said:
Arrghh.....

Most of the boats in the club,shall we say like their owners,are of a certain vintage and thrusters were a long way off in the dim and distant future when boaters decided that mooring a boat using skill alone was old fashioned and therefore dull. :)
Vast majority of our steam powered boat owners dream about having a bowthruster. :)
Click to expand...

Bow and stern thrusters are so yesterday. These days, we have joystick control of our main drives. We can even park our boats in one location by hooking it onto the sky.
 
I don't know what the average size of vessel is in the OP's marina, but I'd say that with a 20m long boat he'd be a rather valuable customer - one they'd not wish to drive away.
 
In my club (not currently berthed there due to this reason), its 3 ft each , ie total of 6 foot but thats a tidal (fluctuates with flood water being tidal ish) river with no floating pontoons.

1 m between boats should be fine, secret is to leave a dock line on a high hook at the bow, its the springer.

Crew or yourself gets it from the bow with with a boat hook, the stern well out.

once the springer is on you know you cant hit the boat in front and just power into your space easy, even single handed.


I suggest you speak with the HM and

1) buy an extra 1m for your dinghy overhang (push it out for the measurement )

2) make sure your neighbour hasnt lied about his overall length.

3) get the berthing master to mark your pontoon and where your neighbours boat should end .

Alongside berthing is loads of hassle and the reason we moved, loved the club, great crowd but violent berthing carp all the time.
 
mad_boater said:
I own the boat mentioned that had the dinghy problem.I thought I was being clever by moving to somewhere cheaper but what with the bridge restrictions the very strong currents and the space problems mooring there became a nightmare I was dreading trying to moor up,hence my retreat back to Shamrock,nothing was worth that.The only thing I can say to the lady running that mooring is 75% of something is better than 100% of nothing.
Click to expand...

Hi I couldn't remember your name on here, hope shamrock is ok for you, we're not there now either.
 
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