I've got the trots

[AluciaOfDart]

Bonus level has been achieved and I have my permanent mooring in Dartmouth! The thing is, I need to understand it better. So let me describe it and the bit I need to get to grips with.

Boat

Alucia's 6 tonnes or thereabouts of Mitchell 31, with stub bilge keels. She has a metre freeboard, two fore cleats and fairleads and a samson post. Bow roller is already filled with anchor. Aft she has two stout mooring posts on each corner of the transom, and she has a midships cleat each side. She is tall, with mast and radio aerial above the cabin.

Trot

The trot has a ground chain of 18 metres fixed to the bottom fixtures/rings of two non swivelling buoys on stout risers. Through the buoy passes a solid steel rod, and the top is a non swivelling ring. Between the two buoys, at surface level, is a trot rope which is 17+ metres long. That trot rope must not be removed, It is a condition of the mooring that it is present at all times.

Alignment

The trot is misaligned with the ebb and flow of the river. The prevailing westerly winds blow across it, too. In other words everything on the trot is at best diagonal for air and water flow.

Spacing

I estimate there is half a boat's length more than Alucia's LOA between my string of trots and the next. Manoeuvring room is at a premium. I know I can drift down at 90º to the trot lines under control because I have, but it's tight.

Current

I estimate a 2 knot current at peak tidal flow, perhaps more

Mooring direction

If I look at the other boats, not one is moored facing downriver, but our river is tidal. So they must either all have come in on an ebb tide, or been prodigious seamen to moor with the flow on the flood. I doubt many of them are that skilled. Obviously facing bow on to the maximum likely current is a good idea, but not at the expense of seamanship, surely?

Tackle

On each of the buoys I have two lines. A metre of chain is shackled to the buoy and buoyant line reaches past the midpoint of the trot. The lines are long enough to meet with enough spare to make fore lines fast to aft lines when Alucia is not on the trot

So what's the advice I need?

Assume I am the only boat on this trot, though it is intended for two, and assume I am on the windward side of the trot line, being pressed past the mid point by the wind and the tide. I need to let my bow and stern lines go but make them fast to each other, and clear them and the trot rope, a rope that is slack, not buoyant, and thus in very close proximity to rudder, prop, and to the potential for going between my stub bilge keels and the main keel.

I can do it, but I'm not sure I can do it as well as some of you can, and I'd like to benefit from your expertise, please.

I'd also like your thoughts on picking the mooring up in the most effective manner. I am almost always single handed to moor and unmoor. I do have a bow thruster, but I don't want to rely on it. I can see the use of it, but the minute I rely on it will be the minute it chooses to raise two fingers to me and giggle.

If there is another boat on the trot I can do it all with ease. Without one there It is less straightforward. Losing the trot rope would be ideal, but isn't allowed

 

[superheat6k]

Generally I think I understand your situation. I would try to emulate a springing off manoeuvre, but using the thruster. Attach the bow and stem lines together with a strop, and hold these to the mid ships panama cleat.

Use the thruster to push the bow into the mooring, with fenders if another boat is alongside the other side of the trot line. This will spring the stern out to the wind, and I would then motor astern to the wind which is the natural way the boat wants to go astern, letting go the panama as you go. The wind will be keeping the trot and mooring lines to leeward, so a clean departure should be good, as long as no other obstacles are in your way before you can turn and motor ahead once clear.

 

[AluciaOfDart]

Generally I think I understand your situation. I would try to emulate a springing off manoeuvre, but using the thruster. Attach the bow and stem lines together with a strop, and hold these to the mid ships panama cleat.

Use the thruster to push the bow into the mooring, with fenders if another boat is alongside the other side of the trot line. This will spring the stern out to the wind, and I would then motor astern to the wind which is the natural way the boat wants to go astern, letting go the panama as you go. The wind will be keeping the trot and mooring lines to leeward, so a clean departure should be good, as long as no other obstacles are in your way before you can turn and motor ahead once clear.

That makes a lot of sense. I think making sternway off the mooring is wisest. The egg whisk at the blunt end needs to be clear of the string. It probably makes sense to haul as far 'bow-wards' as she will go before starting the manoeuvre, too.

However my thruster has a feature that is fine for short use and useless for longer use. There is some sort of timer, or perhaps voltage drop sensor, in the circuit which means that, just as a I'm committed to using it, it peters out and stops. It's not a fault. It restarts at once, but runs for a shorter and shorter period.

If there's another boat beside me the whole evolution becomes simple. I spring off them and go out astern. Would that one would arrive soon. Our moorings are so scarce and so queued for I wonder where they are.

"Panama Cleat" is a new term for me. Google hasn't been a great deal of help. Does it refer to a style of cleat or the position of the cleat?

 

[longjohnsilver]

That makes a lot of sense. I think making sternway off the mooring is wisest. The egg whisk at the blunt end needs to be clear of the string. It probably makes sense to haul as far 'bow-wards' as she will go before starting the manoeuvre, too.

However my thruster has a feature that is fine for short use and useless for longer use. There is some sort of timer, or perhaps voltage drop sensor, in the circuit which means that, just as a I'm committed to using it, it peters out and stops. It's not a fault. It restarts at once, but runs for a shorter and shorter period.

If there's another boat beside me the whole evolution becomes simple. I spring off them and go out astern. Would that one would arrive soon. Our moorings are so scarce and so queued for I wonder where they are.

"Panama Cleat" is a new term for me. Google hasn't been a great deal of help. Does it refer to a style of cleat or the position of the cleat?

I think I saw you on the river last w/e, fine looking boat. We also are on a trot just off Darthaven. I normally choose to face downriver into the prevailing wind to protect our covers.

All our cleats are through Panama fairleads. They are essentially a closed hole through which your line comes in and is then attached to the cleat. Take a look as you pass Eos and you'll see what I mean.

The trots are not particularly easy to get back on to, especially if you have the tide and wind with you.. I always make a point of going against the wind when picking it up to avoid any chance of being pinned on to the lazy line, or worse, going over it and potentially getting it wrapped around my stern gear.

Enjoy the Dart, there's nowhere better IMHO. We love it there.

 

[prv]

"Panama Cleat" is a new term for me.

"Panama" just means that the fairlead has a closed top. The reason being that in the locks of the Panama Canal they handle lines from above the ships, and with an open-topped fairlead the line would come out.

This is what I would normally think of as "a panama":

Not really encountered the term widely used on leisure boats.

Pete

 

[AluciaOfDart]

I think I saw you on the river last w/e, fine looking boat. We also are on a trot just off Darthaven. I normally choose to face downriver into the prevailing wind to protect our covers.

All our cleats are through Panama fairleads. They are essentially a closed hole through which your line comes in and is then attached to the cleat. Take a look as you pass Eos and you'll see what I mean.

The trots are not particularly easy to get back on to, especially if you have the tide and wind with you.. I always make a point of going against the wind when picking it up to avoid any chance of being pinned on to the lazy line, or worse, going over it and potentially getting it wrapped around my stern gear.

Enjoy the Dart, there's nowhere better IMHO. We love it there.

I've dropped you aboard with the harbour taxi. I like Eos a lot, been past her often I'm up on KE in the Kingswear trots.

Now I understand the Panama concept, thanks. My cleats are simple exposed ones, but the principle holds good.

While I'm alone on the trot I will take your advice and head into wind, or perhaps tide, depending on the day which one Alucia is preferred by. She's more tide rode than wind rode in normal conditions. The bilge keels give her a decent grip on the water. That's just a matter of a wise dummy run alongside and far enough away from the trot and not being tempted to take hold. I come from the "Give yourself enough sea room to go round and do it again if needs be" school. I also know what I don't know and ask folk.