Long Pontoons

[johnalison]

In Helgoland the mooring spaces are marked, with, as far as I recall, a pontoon for 8+m boats and one for 10+. You moor between the marks and that’s it.

 

[PetiteFleur]

I've also found this most annoying. Pontoons with only 2 boats with enough space between them for 2 more boats. I have moved boats in the past to allow more boats to moor. Crew never on board - why are people so inconsiderate?

 

[Chiara’s slave]

In Helgoland the mooring spaces are marked, with, as far as I recall, a pontoon for 8+m boats and one for 10+. You moor between the marks and that’s it.

Our pontoon is similarly marked, and numbered, on the private mooring side. The public side is a hilarious free for all. Sometimes they’re packed in like carbon in a diamond, other times it’s more like the horse head nebula. A diffuse cloud of boats seemingly abandoned at random intervals. The berthing master does his best at busy times, but, as cruising boats vary in length between 20 and 50ft (not enough water for anything bigger) it's a tough job for which he has my respect. He at least makes sure they don’t waste the first 20ft of pontoon at each end. On busy weekends they’re rafted 3 deep, it’s great to watch them untangle themselves on Sunday, hangovers and all.

 

[sigma38dave]

Pontoons with only 2 boats with enough space between them for 2 more boats. Crew never on board - why are people so inconsiderate?

There is a slight possibility someone has left recently and it now looks like they’ve used a lot of space but I doubt that based on my observations.

To answer your question, anxiety over boat handling skills maybe?

When I berthed in a marina locally, when you left the lock they asked if you were coming back that day so they could allocate your space to a visitor for the night. A chap a couple of boats down proudly told me he always told them he’d back shortly even if he knew he wouldn’t be back for a few days...apparently to be certain nobody would be in his berth on his return.

I’d bet he stops in the middle of the 80 ft space too!

 

[doug748]

Our club pontoon was extended by about 25 metres.

You'd think you could now fit another 2 x 10 metre boats on it instead of the usual 3 boats maximum.

Nope, there's still only room for 3 boats, first boat leaves a 20 ft gap from end of pontoon, tantalising too short a space for most these days, same at the other end and then someone in the middle with 25 ft spare on both ends.

I pulled in the other day about 8ft away from another boat, there was much whinging from the other boat in zero knots of wind about getting off the pontoon.

Sounds about right. ?
If near the end of the pontoon I always bring the boat back the end, or even with the stern beyond it. It's easier for me to get away and creates space for everyone else.

There's a bloke higher up the thread who says he likes to park his car across two bays, with that sort of mentality on the water I am afraid we are all stuffed.

.

 

[johnalison]

A similar situation arises in locks, when boats are unwilling to move ahead to make space. You don’t get away with this for very long in Dutch locks without getting shouted at, usually over the loudspeaker. It is something that seems to occur occasionally at Ipswich, where the pontoon is easy to approach. It is simple enough to land safely and walk the boat along to minimise the space taken.

 

[sigma38dave]

There's a bloke higher up the thread who says he likes to park his car across two bays, with that sort of mentality on the water I am afraid we are all stuffed.

I did once arrive in Ramsgate near dusk, got halfway into a vacant visitors berth and found someone had a rope tied across it.

Saving a space for his mate who was coming the next day apparently.

Perfectly reasonable behaviour!

[/QUOTE]

 

[Mudisox]

Sometimes, the placing and arrangement of cleats on the pontoons dictate where to moor the boat.

 

[Never Grumble]

I did once arrive in Ramsgate near dusk, got halfway into a vacant visitors berth and found someone had a rope tied across it.

Hopefully a sharp knife sorted that.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Sounds about right. ?
If near the end of the pontoon I always bring the boat back the end, or even with the stern beyond it. It's easier for me to get away and creates space for everyone else.

There's a bloke higher up the thread who says he likes to park his car across two bays, with that sort of mentality on the water I am afraid we are all stuffed.

.

Don’t try the hanging your stern off the end of the visitor pontoon at The Folly please. We are 25ft wide and have to fit out through those gaps, in wind and tide, to leave and arrive at our mooring. Otherwise I commend you.

 

[Stemar]

On busy weekends they’re rafted 3 deep, it’s great to watch them untangle themselves on Sunday, hangovers and all.

Don’t try the hanging your stern off the end of the visitor pontoon at The Folly please.

I thought that sounded like the Folly! When we had our 24 footer, we'd always look for a place on the inside, just to keep out of the way of the big boys, especially those who'd celebrated less wisely than well the night before. There have been times when I thought the berthing master should be given a breathalyser kit and powers of arrest!

Now we have a 4m beam cat, I guess we're stuck on the outside.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I thought that sounded like the Folly! When we had our 24 footer, we'd always look for a place on the inside, just to keep out of the way of the big boys, especially those who'd celebrated less wisely than well the night before. There have been times when I thought the berthing master should be given a breathalyser kit and powers of arrest!

Now we have a 4m beam cat, I guess we're stuck on the outside.

The inside is now all resident moorings, unless we tell folly Dave we are away. We have a 7m+ beam, and fit on the inside as long as nobody's blocked the way through. Do say hello if we are in, on your next visit. You’ll see the line of multis on the inside there, including us, a very nice Dazcat, a Dragonfly 800 and a rather peculiar thing with a double mast arrangement.

 

[The Q]

Conversely, especially in pandemics, leaving as much space between as possible makes sense. Only when no room go close.

On the other hand at St Benet's Abbey on the Broads last Autumn I did convince a typical mobo that they should move up a bit so an engineless wherry could park there...View attachment 136060

I'm surprised you didn't find a line of motor boats each spaced just close enough so you can't moor between and a fisherman from the boats sat in the gap...

 

[mjcoon]

I'm surprised you didn't find a line of motor boats each spaced just close enough so you can't moor between and a fisherman from the boats sat in the gap...

That does sound familiar! Even on the short pontoons supposedly set aside for yachts (like us) needing to raise or lower their mast for the adjacent bridge... (Excepting the one which needed no land access for its intended purpose, so was deep in the guano from the ducks that found refuge there!)

 

[clyst]

Small boats in middle of long pontoons is common and annoying on the Towndock pontoon in Torquay .