how to do fore/aft mooring

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oldvarnish

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I haven't much experience of this, so advice please bearing in mind I want to do this SINGLEHANDED.

I am coming into a Med style marina where you go stern to a pontoon and your bow is held by a mooring (not your anchor). There is probably another boat either side of you, but now always.

What would you rig, and how would you proceed assuming there is no outside help? And you're on your own.
 
Never tried it single-handed, but I'm inclined to agree with Ken. I'd leave the engine in tickover ahead to keep off the quay until I had the lazy line fast. Bear in mind that if there are staff on the quay they may insist on hoisting the lines up for you to take even though you don't want them yet; I don't know how clued up they are for singlehanders.

Bit of experimenting to do if there's a wind to blow the bow down parallel to the quay and no downwind neighbour to lie against. Perhaps get the lazyline on to windward quickly over something midships-ish, to hold the bow up a bit - you're not going to have time to take it forward properly or you'll just lose the stern instead. If you have a wide stern and the wind's not too severe, a bit more forward throttle against the stern lines might pivot the bow up.

Pete
 
I had to do it once near Split. It produce nearly 20 minuets entertainment for the marina staff, while they where taking a cigarette break
 
Couple of tips:

Try bow to and use a nice big round fender rigged from the pulpit to protect the stem.

( Bow to means no messing about with a passarele- which is a pain in the ar£e boarding plank- and no one pervs in yer cockpit and saloon)

Drop a lassoo line over the bollard on the dock, secure and pop the engine into tick over astern. This holds the boat steady and off the dock. You will be inbetween other boats so you wont go anywhere.

Pick up the lazy (slime) line with a boathook and being careful to avoid prop, lift it up and walk to the stern and secure it.

Job done. I get to do this with crew tenty times or more a week and done it plenty single handed too...it works!
 
prv said:
......... I'd leave the engine in tickover ahead to keep off the quay until I had the lazy line fast.........
Click to expand...

WHOOAAA NELLIE>>> BAD IDEA above> I tie stern to in my berth. Your suggestion might snag the prop on the "lazy lines". Seen it too often...

I do it as follows. (CAUTION: Opinion ...) :-)

Lots of fenders. Reverse into your berth, as you slip in, place engine in neutral. Secure a temporary line "midship" to either port or starboard boat... wind direction dependent. Loosely fasten the upwind stern line, then run the lazy line to your forward fairlead/cleat. Fasten downwind stern line and adjust both then remove your "midship" line. SEEMPLES..

I reduced the snagging risk by zip tying foot long bits of chain (10 foot Spacing) to my "lazy line". Keeps the line on the sea floor but is a bit PITA to bring forward. Your choice... GL
 
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capnsensible said:
Couple of tips:

Try bow to and use a nice big round fender rigged from the pulpit to protect the stem.

( Bow to means no messing about with a passarele- which is a pain in the ar£e boarding plank- and no one pervs in yer cockpit and saloon)

Drop a lassoo line over the bollard on the dock, secure and pop the engine into tick over astern. This holds the boat steady and off the dock. You will be inbetween other boats so you wont go anywhere.

Pick up the lazy (slime) line with a boathook and being careful to avoid prop, lift it up and walk to the stern and secure it.

Job done. I get to do this with crew tenty times or more a week and done it plenty single handed too...it works!
Click to expand...

Above works well also but you are the only boat in the marina to be bow to...:eek: :D:D
 
Twister_Ken said:
Go in astern, put on stern lines, pick up lazy line from quay, walk it forward, pull it in, make it fast on bow.
Click to expand...

I disagree slightly with this as it means you have somehow got to get ashore to make up your stern lines.Whilst this is going on there could be all sorts of mayhem.

Pick up the lazy line asp and attach it to the landward cleat (this means it is effectively a temporary bow or stern line), then walk forward the lazy (slime) line to the seaward end of the boat and pull in on the ground chain (or whatever is on the marina bottom). You are then secured fore and aft.

Make up the landward lines at leisure.

Worked for me every time.
 
chinita said:
I disagree slightly with this as it means you have somehow got to get ashore to make up your stern lines.Whilst this is going on there could be all sorts of mayhem.

Pick up the lazy line asp and attach it to the landward cleat (this means it is effectively a temporary bow or stern line), then walk forward the lazy (slime) line to the seaward end of the boat and pull in on the ground chain (or whatever is on the marina bottom). You are then secured fore and aft.

Make up the landward lines at leisure.

Worked for me every time.
Click to expand...

I agree with chinita - if there's no shore assistance and you are not in a boat-width slot with boats either side the bow can be blowing all over the place whilst you are sorting out a stern line.

Even two handed I've occasionally used chinita's method and tied on the lazy line at the stern before running forward with it. If you have a horizontal fender across the stern (quite common I notice) you can even tie up tight against the quay. The lazy lines are usually pretty strong and will easily stop the boat blowing off or side-slipping as you run forward.

Richard
 
Chinita - Yes, as long as the lazy line is up to the job. But often they're thin stuff, just there to haul up the pukka line from the mooring block or chain. And they can be covered in harbour gunk you really don't want on the boat.

I have the luxury of doing this in a marina where the stern lines are permanently rigged, and they are crossed over when put on (stbd line to port cleat, etc) which is supposed to stop the boat swinging.
 
med style mooring

this is a normal practice for all marinas in greece

my boat steer terrible, when moving astern or maybe i make the things wrong,
but this is the only problem i face :(

if your boat is ok with this, there are no problems for doing this alone!

how i do this :
- usually the boat will go between 2 (two) boats
- just steer between both boats and stop your boat of about 1 m from the jetty
(just to have a possibilities to go ashore)
- step a shore with a mooring line in hand (one side all fast on a cleat, pass the line
trough the ring and make fast other end back on the boat - temporary secure the stern
- put the engine ahead at minimum RPM and the boat will stay as long as you like
in this position!
- at your convenient time, pick up the mooring line and secure the bow
- after secure the stern

very rear, you will be completely alone, without assistance from other boats !
 
Didn't mention this.....generally in Spanish Med marinas, it is normal to go alongside a 'reception' berth. You then go into the office to book your overnight, or longer, berth.

This allows for people of all nations to communicate with relative ease and for them to offer you assisstance. Most marinas have 24 hour staff (Marineros) to assisst in your docking and the majority that I have seen are generally good.

Maybe the pontoons at this end of the Med are higher, but it does make bow to relatively easy.

Hope this helps!!!
 
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