How to raft up single handed?

[Simondjuk]

If the aft fenders will be pushed through either boat's topsides or the cleats ripped out of their decks prior to the rafting boat causing the rafted boat to gently swing to a new attitude, I'd suggest that one or both boats are of utterly feeble construction.

 

[Kukri]

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

I was actually assuming rafting alongside a boat at anchor! Good point!

Having an old gaffer with a massive windlass, associated with massive ground tackle, and big bitts and quarter posts, I very often find myself the starting point, so to speak, of a raft...

The case I saw of a midships warp leading to a very pear shaped situation involved two Sunseeker type powerboats in a strong ebb and a fresh breeze - they have a lot of windage.

 

[Kukri]

If the aft fenders will be pushed through either boat's topsides or the cleats ripped out of their decks prior to the rafting boat causing the rafted boat to gently swing to a new attitude, I'd suggest that one or both boats are of utterly feeble construction.

Not necessarily. It may be amatter of size and weight.

 

[lw395]

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 it 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.

In my view, it will be obvious on approach whether there is a strong wind or tide running.
If there is, you need to work with it, and use the appropriate lines. One line will position the boat against a force such as wind or tide.
A centre line comes into its own when there is no great determining wind or tide and the yacht may want to move in any direction. Or wind and tide are trying to take it opposite ways.

If we must generalise, securing amidships then promptly taking the bowline onto the other boat normally works for me.
Aim to arrive with all three lines available at Bmax or near the shrouds. Sometimes what you prepared as a sternline will get used more as a spring initially.
Makes sure other ropes are quickly available to make a decent job of the mooring without having to undo any temporary lines used to hold the boat initially.

 

[[70521]]

Is your pall single handed?

If not, get one of their crew to get on your boat and go around - you won't do single handed then.

 

[Searush]

Jeez, just what is the issue with singlehanding???

Think it thro, sort fenders & warps early & just do it. If it doesn't work out, work out why & do it differently next time.

How would you get the crew to act? Can you do it in time in that way yourself? If not, figure out a way you can achieve the same aim on your own. it isn't rocket science. What will the wind & tide do to your boat when dead in the water ready to tie up? What will happen to the other boat once you fasten that first warp? Simple questions & the answers should be fairly obvious with just a little thought.

 

[maby]

Jeez, just what is the issue with singlehanding???

Think it thro, sort fenders & warps early & just do it. If it doesn't work out, work out why & do it differently next time.

How would you get the crew to act? Can you do it in time in that way yourself? If not, figure out a way you can achieve the same aim on your own. it isn't rocket science. What will the wind & tide do to your boat when dead in the water ready to tie up? What will happen to the other boat once you fasten that first warp? Simple questions & the answers should be fairly obvious with just a little thought.

I suspect that you are forgetting how nerve wracking it was the first time you did it!

If I come into the lock and bog it badly, my wife is at hand with a rope and boat hook to rescue the situation. OK - it's pretty rare these days that I do "badly bog it", but it is still reassuring to know that she's there to help dig me out!

 

[Angele]

I suspect that you are forgetting how nerve wracking it was the first time you did it!

If I come into the lock and bog it badly, my wife is at hand with a rope and boat hook to rescue the situation. OK - it's pretty rare these days that I do "badly bog it", but it is still reassuring to know that she's there to help dig me out!

... and harder still if you are doing it in something more than 32ft. I think the OP said 40.

 

[Magaz97]

Well, we have two schools of thought, here.

We cannot both be right.

The shape and type of boat probably comes into it.

I would think both could be correct, depending upon the tide and wind. There is no exclusively correct way to do this.

 

[Simondjuk]

Not necessarily. It may be amatter of size and weight.

Which will be largely self-regulating by the feasibility of safely singlehanding the boat in the first instance, at least within the realms of reason applicable to this discussion.

A midships line works excellently when putting a large boat alongside a fixed pontoon which has a tide running at an angle to it, and in such circumstance there is no opportunity for the entire assembly to swing to accommodate the whims of the tide on the boat. This means that the forces must be accommodated as is, where is.

When rafting to freely swinging boat, the newly formed pair if boats will swing to accommodate the effects of the tide, so arguably there is less load on fenders and cleats since there is no solidly fixed fulcrum around which to generate large loadings.

I fail to see what leads you to the opinion that the loads will be much greater in the latter scenario than the former. The opposite seems true to me since the issue involves leverage, which requires a fulcrum, and a freely floating boat provides a poor one.


Of course, the lines and fenders must be applied appropriately in all cases. A slack midships line is as good as useless when you cannot motor against it. If it's kept short and the boats are suitably fendered, any angle allowed to form between the two boats will be minimal.

 

[savageseadog]

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

So do I

 

[Kukri]

The OP specified a heavyish, 40ft, boat. I was indeed assuming that the issue relates to rafting up to another boat at anchor or on a buoy.

I think for the sake of argument we can assume that a pontoon is moored or otherwise held at both ends, and won't move when a boat comes alongside it, whilst a moored or anchored boat is held by the bow and is otherwise free to swing. She will lie heading into the vector of the wind and tide forces acting on her.

Now we come alongside, for the sake of argument, on the starboard side, with another boat of, for the sake of argument, the same size.

We secure amidships. The anchored boat will take a sheer to starboard as soon as load comes on the midships rope, and as she does so the tide will start acting on the port bow of the boat that has just joined, forcing that boat's bow further away. That boat will set back on the warp and her bow will move out to starboard.As it does so the loads on the starboard side of the bow will increase. Given time and enough current wind and weight, she will either part the warp or rip a cleat out.

 

[Simondjuk]

So the rafting boat won't swing the raftee such that they lie in reasonable harmomy slightly off the tide?

 

[Kukri]

Yes they'll swing but the degree of harmony depends entirely on the size of the boat(s) and the strength of the tide.

(I like the terms "rafter" and "raftee" PBO should get an article out of this lot!)

 

[jimi]

I'd put a line on my midships cleat and secure to the aft cleat of the raftee, leaving the engine on trickle ahead and the wheel hard over to keep the stern in and sort out the rest at my leisure.

Suspect its horses for courses , taking into account how agile the singlehander is as well

 

[Oscarpop]

Thank you all for your very interesting answers.

I guess there are still different schools of thought.

My question relates to rafting up next to a boat on a buoy.

The boat has huge amounts of windage and I do not think that I would attempt this singlehanded for the first time in anything but calm conditions.

I still think that in a relatively calm situation the mid cleat is possibly easier for me ( assuming my friends boat has a mid cleat).

After that I intend to return to the cockpit let the current take the bow and then pass the stern line over.

Finally a little blast of bow thruster and bring the bow in then handing the (aft led) bow line over.

 

[Angele]

.....Finally a little blast of bow thruster and .....

Well, if you've got one of them, sounds like it should be easy.

 

[Simondjuk]

Yes they'll swing but the degree of harmony depends entirely on the size of the boat(s) and the strength of the tide.

(I like the terms "rafter" and "raftee" PBO should get an article out of this lot!)

The relative size of the boats, which we are agreeing to assume will be in proportion. Relative proportions, relative harmony.

The boats should lie reasonably happily for a few moments, slightly off the tide. As, and indeed if, the rafter begins to sheer off the tide in relation to the raftee, she will nudge the after portion of the raftee away up tide in preference to ripping out a sensibly robust cleat, thus harmony is maintained. The fulcrum, that being the most active fender aft of the midships line, shifts more easily the hardware.... one would hope.

 

[onesea]

Well, we have two schools of thought, here.

We cannot both be right.

The shape and type of boat probably comes into it.

Actually as always horses for courses....

Not necessarily. It may be amatter of size and weight.

Having driven round a 35 foot 14 ton boat for a whilst that is defiantly true...
Every boat manoeuvres differently.

I would think both could be correct, depending upon the tide and wind. There is no exclusively correct way to do this.

Yup as long you do not damage anything you did it correct

I'd put a line on my midships cleat and secure to the aft cleat of the raftee, leaving the engine on trickle ahead and the wheel hard over to keep the stern in and sort out the rest at my leisure.

Suspect its horses for courses , taking into account how agile the singlehander is as well

Must admit its one I would do if mooring to a pontoon but not one I would do mooring to a raft of boats. Either on a buoy or pontoon, on a buoy you will start chasing in circles, on a pontoon/ quay you will test how well the other boats are moored

OK now my 2 pence worth, lots off fenders (you can use less once you are confident).

2 headlines and 2 stern lines ready.

Approach put your selfalong side slghtly bows in neutral boat stopped..

If current / wind from ahead (probably will be if its on a buoy), step onboard with 1 stern line 1 head line.

If he has midships cleat make 1 stern line fast with a quick 0X if some one is standing by they will naturally take the headline and make that fast.

If no cleat amidships take both forward make stern rope fast then use headline to make boat parralllel as your boat falls aft.

The boat should sit on these 2 lines whilst you go and use 2nd headline as spring and 2nd stern line to keep boats parallel. Drop Chain or rope through mooring buoy to take just a drop of weight.

I like this technique as if it all goes wrong, and you do not get headline on if you have forward stern line/ spring on and loose the bow. you have plenty time to react get back on board and have 2nd go

Also before making first "proper" approach make a dummy rum to check what mooring equipment he has you can use. Also take the opportunity to call "Hello Golden Sunrise, Mike are you there" (help is always good ).

It can also work with wind and tide from astern, or as Jimi says tie 1 forward rope as a spring and one stern line then "steam" on them till headlines secured...

Ready for flaming...

 

[Kukri]

Ready for flaming...

Nah, nothing to disagree with!