How to raft up single handed?

[Oscarpop]

So in order to extend my weekend, I am going to try and take the boat out on my own and raft up alongside my friend. It is 40ft and weighs a fair bit.

I have rafted many times before but never on my own. My plan is to get all my lines ready to throw. lead the bow line aft so that both bow and stern are close to the helm.
put out a shed load of fenders, then at the point where I am alongside and the fenders are touching, move forward, pick up the bow line and pass it/throw it over, then move back and hand over the stern line. This will give me time to adjust the steering/throttle if i need to.

Once I have these passed over, I can then sort out springs etc.

Thoughts? Additions?

 

[capnsensible]

A centre line makes it simple like small single handed ferriy drivers use. Bow and stern lines placed then at leisure.

 

[Billows]

Would this work?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=iS9p7OuVPeY

 

[maby]

Definitely go for the centre line first - once you have that attached and moderately tight, the freedom of your boat to move relative to the other one is strictly limited. if you go for either bow, or stern first, you run a strong risk of ending up at right angles to the other boat and wondering how to pull yourself back.

 

[lustyd]

Don't throw the lines, you'll be using the engine so if you miss you can either steer or get the rope back. This will lead to prop wrap.
As said, go slowly and use a centre line.

 

[Poignard]

Assuming there is someone on the other boat to take the lines, what I would do is to lead the bow line outside all to the fattest part of the boat, and also a spring from aft. Put out enough fenders, fat ones forward and aft, and thin ones amidships.

Come slowly alongside stemming the tide and ferry gliding if it's strong. The person on the other boat picks up your your bow line and spring and attaches them to a forward cleat/sampson post on his boat.

Engine in neutral and tension the spring. Attach remaining lines and adjust so that the spreaders on the two boats will not foul each other when the boats roll.

If you are rafting on a buoy run your own line to it. If on a pontoon put out shore lines.

 

[Chrissie]

Centre line first, with fenders out, once the centre line is on the boat, and the boat under control so it can only bounce against the fore or aft fenders, like a pivot point, whilst you wander along and tie the other lines.

I am almost always single handed and use the central line to stop and hold my boat in every mooring situation, its great!

 

[Kukri]

I agree with Parsifal - it's what I do with my own nine ton displacement boat. I don't like the short midships warp idea because the boat that you are rafting up to will be lying head to wind and/or tide, so there is a 50/50 chance that your bows will blow off.

That being so, it's often best best to start off bow to bow, pass the warp, walk aft, pass the stern warp, go forward again and ease out the bow warp until you are parallel.

This is easier to do with a heavy boat, because she will sit and do nothing for quite a long time whilst you get yourself sorted out.

You still need to be sure the masts are not in line, even singlehanded!

 

[Fergus]

But not all boats have a centre cleat..

 

[capnsensible]

But not all boats have a centre cleat..

Use a winch and a genoa car til secured. Used it loads, no prob.

 

[Fergus]

I meant on the boat you're rafting onto

 

[LadyInBed]

But not all boats have a centre cleat..

Use a winch and a genoa car til secured. Used it loads, no prob.

It would be quite difficult and a bit of a cheek asking the boat that you are coming up along side to remove his jib sheet so you could use his genoa car as a cleat

 

[Tomahawk]

Plan first...

Things I think about when I do it by myself


Where is the wind?
Where is the tide?
Do you have the wind behind you as you come alongside to push you onto the berth or will it blow you off?
Are you rafting onto a swinging mooring or a pontoon?
Can you put the nose into the pontoon and hold her on the motor against a wind blowing you off the pontoon?


Most important ... If I have any doubts I pull away and go round again .... Better to take three goes at coming to a stop alongside than risk her dragging me into the water with a rope in my hand... or worse letting go!!!!!

 

[Searush]

FWIW, I do this all the time with no-one on the boat I raft against & I have no centre cleats.

As said, head to wind/ tide (whichever has more effect), have fenders out early, bring bow & stern lines to centre of boat (outside of everything!) & coil carefully. Go alongside slowly & carefully, into neutral, walk forward & pick up both warps & step aboard holding both coils, leave stern one handy & fasten off bow. The boat will lie back on this while you walk aft pick up stern line & make off. Stop engine & set up springs & adjust fenders. Have a cup of tea & feel smug . . .

 

[Simondjuk]

As already suggested, I'd use a line on your midships cleat hitched to the guardwires ready for your friend to pick up and make off to his midships cleat.

Once it's on, you're safe. If it goes wrong before it's on, you're at the helm ready to perform a go-around.

 

[Kukri]

As already suggested, I'd use a line on your midships cleat hitched to the guardwires ready for your friend to pick up and make off to his midships cleat.

Once it's on, you're safe. If it goes wrong before it's on, you're at the helm ready to perform a go-around.

Sorry, but I beg to differ - you are not "safe" with a midships line on when you are rafting up to another boat at anchor or on a mooring.

Nine times out of ten you will get away with it and on the tenth there will be an expensive smash.

This is a very different situation to coming alongside a marina finger pier, because there may be a strong tide running or a strong wind and the boat that you are coming alongside will be lying to the resultant vector of the wind and tide.

If you secure with a midships line, there is a very good chance that your bow will move away from the other boat's bow, and with a big enough boat and enough wind and tide you may not be able to bring it in by passing a bow line and hauling on it.

Your stern will contact the other boat and a very heavy load will come on the midships line - enough to do damage to one boat or to both.

Seen it happen!

I agree with Searush's advice- get the bow line on, first.

 

[Bobobolinsky]

A centre line makes it simple like small single handed ferriy drivers use. Bow and stern lines placed then at leisure.

First answer is definitely correct, very Sensible

 

[Kukri]

Well, we have two schools of thought, here.

We cannot both be right.

The shape and type of boat probably comes into it.

 

[MrCramp]

If you try and use a centre cleat when there is any tide running or in windy conditions then you are likely to come to grief. The force of the bows being moved away will cause the stern to swing in and could well be powerfull enough to tear a mid-cleat out of a boat.

If there is no tide or wind then you can use a mid cleat.

 

[prv]

Well, we have two schools of thought, here.

We cannot both be right.

The shape and type of boat probably comes into it.

That, and perhaps your assumption that this is rafting up to a buoy whereas others (certainly me, anyway) assume this is rafting up on a pontoon.

The OP didn't say, so I guess it could be either, but I've never seen anyone rafting on buoys in the Solent whereas rafting alongside is required in Yarmouth and Lymington at least, maybe others.

Pete