steve_cronin
N/A
... not to mention anxiety creating in one offering his new boat for charter.
Last two weeks spent in the Greek islands showed off one howlingly obvious inadequacy in the skills of otherwise excellent tidal waters seamen.
That is the almost complete lack of any idea when it comes to mooring up bows to or stern to as is the norm in the Med.
If you are chartering or even sailing your own boat in the Med this year then I would suggest that a few moments spent studying the art of mooring at right angles to the quay would be time well spent.
Even marinas are going to be set for this type of mooring but usually have laid lines to mooring blocks for the outward end of the boat and these have a pick-up line attached either to a buoy or to one of the quay side mooring points. Some particularly in Italy are now installing the American "Mooring Slip" with it's two outer mooring poles. Older quays in small harbours will require you to rely upon your own anchor and a windlass is essential on any boat over about 34ft.
First thing to do is assess wether it is best to go bows-to or stern-to. This will depend upon the depth at the quay - as you don't want to ground your rudder on the often present rock piling and ballasting in Med harbours - the orientation of existing boats - as you want to lie easily and not tangle spreaders - and the ease of manoeuvring as once you tether one end of your boat you are committed to carry on.
Wether you use your own anchor or an existing pick-up line determines the technique best followed. (Do not try to use an anchor in a buoyed marina as it will cause mayhem and it is probably prohibited anyway.)
If there is a line then you are best backing in stern (fender protected) first, securing the stern lines and then hooking up the pick-up line and have a crewman run it along the side deck to the bow where you pull up the heavy line and secure it to the cleat.
It there is only a buoy then you will need to pass a running line through this as you pass - on bigger boats this may require the use of the dinghy or backing the boat up to the buoy initially and doing it from the sugar scoop/bathing platform. A "Star Hook" or "Swift-tie" may be invaluable here but not provided on a charter boat.
If you need to use your anchor then the bower is always best as it can be more easily run out and recovered than the often inadequate kedge arrangements provided by charter operators. However if everyone else is bows-in then the depth at the quay is almost certainly inadequate and it means using the kedge. Some try to run the bower cable along the side but this is likely to cause all sorts of difficulty and probably a great deal of damage too.
When using the anchor the technique is different. Here you drop the hook FIRST but you will need to take great care in positioning it with regard to wind and existing crafts' tackle already down. If there is a wind blowing parallel to the quay then they will have set upwind or been carried downwind on the run in. Therefore you will need to take account of this. Try to picture from the visible rodes of your neighbours just where their hooks are and drop your between them. You may not always get this right but it saves embarrassment in the morning if you do. You will need to drop the hook about 4 boat lengths out and in deep harbours (like Simi in the Dodecanese) this can mean a lot of cable being run out.
Incidentally if you do foul your neighbour then he will probably pull your cable up to the surface and suspend it in a sling from his bow whilst he drops his hook back below it to free it. Be prepared to pull in a bit of cable after he has finished just in case he has dragged you a bit.
Hope the above is of help and my apologies to the experienced who will have found it "Grandma & eggish"
Steve Cronin
Last two weeks spent in the Greek islands showed off one howlingly obvious inadequacy in the skills of otherwise excellent tidal waters seamen.
That is the almost complete lack of any idea when it comes to mooring up bows to or stern to as is the norm in the Med.
If you are chartering or even sailing your own boat in the Med this year then I would suggest that a few moments spent studying the art of mooring at right angles to the quay would be time well spent.
Even marinas are going to be set for this type of mooring but usually have laid lines to mooring blocks for the outward end of the boat and these have a pick-up line attached either to a buoy or to one of the quay side mooring points. Some particularly in Italy are now installing the American "Mooring Slip" with it's two outer mooring poles. Older quays in small harbours will require you to rely upon your own anchor and a windlass is essential on any boat over about 34ft.
First thing to do is assess wether it is best to go bows-to or stern-to. This will depend upon the depth at the quay - as you don't want to ground your rudder on the often present rock piling and ballasting in Med harbours - the orientation of existing boats - as you want to lie easily and not tangle spreaders - and the ease of manoeuvring as once you tether one end of your boat you are committed to carry on.
Wether you use your own anchor or an existing pick-up line determines the technique best followed. (Do not try to use an anchor in a buoyed marina as it will cause mayhem and it is probably prohibited anyway.)
If there is a line then you are best backing in stern (fender protected) first, securing the stern lines and then hooking up the pick-up line and have a crewman run it along the side deck to the bow where you pull up the heavy line and secure it to the cleat.
It there is only a buoy then you will need to pass a running line through this as you pass - on bigger boats this may require the use of the dinghy or backing the boat up to the buoy initially and doing it from the sugar scoop/bathing platform. A "Star Hook" or "Swift-tie" may be invaluable here but not provided on a charter boat.
If you need to use your anchor then the bower is always best as it can be more easily run out and recovered than the often inadequate kedge arrangements provided by charter operators. However if everyone else is bows-in then the depth at the quay is almost certainly inadequate and it means using the kedge. Some try to run the bower cable along the side but this is likely to cause all sorts of difficulty and probably a great deal of damage too.
When using the anchor the technique is different. Here you drop the hook FIRST but you will need to take great care in positioning it with regard to wind and existing crafts' tackle already down. If there is a wind blowing parallel to the quay then they will have set upwind or been carried downwind on the run in. Therefore you will need to take account of this. Try to picture from the visible rodes of your neighbours just where their hooks are and drop your between them. You may not always get this right but it saves embarrassment in the morning if you do. You will need to drop the hook about 4 boat lengths out and in deep harbours (like Simi in the Dodecanese) this can mean a lot of cable being run out.
Incidentally if you do foul your neighbour then he will probably pull your cable up to the surface and suspend it in a sling from his bow whilst he drops his hook back below it to free it. Be prepared to pull in a bit of cable after he has finished just in case he has dragged you a bit.
Hope the above is of help and my apologies to the experienced who will have found it "Grandma & eggish"
Steve Cronin
