Loosing Confidence

Converging

Converging

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Losing Confidence

I recently aquired a sealine 330 statesman as my very first boat.

Despite having two days of formal training, I am finding berthing it a total nightmare. So much so its begining to terrify me to take the boat out.

I am absolutely fine getting it out of the berth and sailing her but the adrenaline and fear kick in big time as I return to the berth.

I am likening this to learning to drive, I remember that was pretty daunting.

I do not fear for my boat but I really do care for the owners of the boats around were I berth.

Is this a usual reaction and will I get over it!!!!!:eek:
 
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Sounds like you need more training just on berthing, there may be some more techniques that will help you. Also, it's much easier if your crew knows exactly what they're doing, so involve your wife/partner/crew in the training.
 
This was cut and pasted from somewhere, can't remember where but I liked it enough to keep a copy.

My analogy was backing your high value car into a parking space at Sainsbury's on marbles with a helping of an oil slick, the car park, is on a 1in3 hill and the spaces are diagonally across the gradient, to add a bit of extra fun someone has bolted a sharp anchor like instrument to your bonnet. To the left is a Bugatti, opposite is a Lamborghini, to the right is a Ferrari, the owners of these cars are all advanced drivers, they are either sat in their cars or polishing them as they love and cherish their car above anything else. The kids are jumping all over the back seat, the dog has obscured you rear vision and you cannot see the end of the bonnet, now reverse into the space please.

The simply answer is to get some training. A couple of days pontoon bashing with an instructor will make a massive difference. Don't go for a course. Just buy 2 days of his time and spend it all on close quarters manoeuvring. Another help, although quite a costly one, would be to fit a bow thruster.
 
Don't give up yet - if other people can do it so can you. Maybe your training wasn't very good. Why not employ an instructor to come and train you, on your boat, at your marina?

(You're not berthed near me are you? :eek:)
 
Find an empty berth away from other boats, and spend an afternoon going in and out, in and out. Eventually it'll become second nature, just like parking a car.
 
Converging said:
I recently aquired a sealine 330 statesman as my very first boat.

Despite having two days of formal training, I am finding berthing it a total nightmare. So much so its begining to terrify me to take the boat out.

I am absolutely fine getting it out of the berth and sailing her but the adrenaline and fear kick in big time as I return to the berth.

I am likening this to learning to drive, I remember that was pretty daunting.

I do not fear for my boat but I really do care for the owners of the boats around were I berth.

Is this a usual reaction and will I get over it!!!!!:eek:
Click to expand...

Find somewhere with no boats nearby, visitors berth, pier or jetty and practice. If others can do it so can you.

I
 
Converging said:
I recently aquired a sealine 330 statesman as my very first boat.

Despite having two days of formal training, I am finding berthing it a total nightmare. So much so its begining to terrify me to take the boat out.

I am absolutely fine getting it out of the berth and sailing her but the adrenaline and fear kick in big time as I return to the berth.

I am likening this to learning to drive, I remember that was pretty daunting.

I do not fear for my boat but I really do care for the owners of the boats around were I berth.

Is this a usual reaction and will I get over it!!!!!:eek:
Click to expand...
Some people are never able to berth a baot without damage but there are other options open before you abandon the hobby

Change marinas, buy/lease a hammer head or choose a marina with limited access lock/cil , always return when the lock is closed, leave the marina staff the keys for them to berth it, job sorted :)
Women's brains are much better at berthing, they find multitasking much easier, you could send your wife on a coarse , it makes better sense leaving you free to jump off and tie up.
 
Invest in more 'own boat' tuition with the emphasis on berthing and close quarters manouvering. A few more big fenders can boost the cinfidence too! In a steep learning curve at the start so don't be afraid of asking for tips off your neighbours either. They are likely to have been berthing next to you for ages so will be well aware of the influences acting upon you with regard to the prevailing wind and tide conditions.
Persist with it, take your time ,do it all very slowly and talk through with your crew what the routine is going to be first so that you're all sure what you're doing.
 
Converging said:
I recently aquired a sealine 330 statesman as my very first boat.

Despite having two days of formal training, I am finding berthing it a total nightmare. So much so its begining to terrify me to take the boat out.

I am absolutely fine getting it out of the berth and sailing her but the adrenaline and fear kick in big time as I return to the berth.

I am likening this to learning to drive, I remember that was pretty daunting.

I do not fear for my boat but I really do care for the owners of the boats around were I berth.

Is this a usual reaction and will I get over it!!!!!:eek:
Click to expand...

Yes it is usual unless you are bought up with boats. I wasn't and found it hard. Agree with the suggestions that other posters have made. I expect you did a Powerboat level 2 course or similar. What you need is a day's intensive training on berthing, with your crew. Very much worth it for the confidence it gives you. Boats costs a huge amount of money so its worth paying for a quick hands on session to get the most out of your investment
 
Converging said:
I recently aquired a sealine 330 statesman as my very first boat.

Despite having two days of formal training, I am finding berthing it a total nightmare. So much so its begining to terrify me to take the boat out.

I am absolutely fine getting it out of the berth and sailing her but the adrenaline and fear kick in big time as I return to the berth.

I am likening this to learning to drive, I remember that was pretty daunting.

I do not fear for my boat but I really do care for the owners of the boats around were I berth.

Is this a usual reaction and will I get over it!!!!!:eek:
Click to expand...


One other thing to bear in mind (depending on your mooring) is that the water flow and wind conditions may be different each time you berth - You need to practise in different conditions otherwise the first time you try to berth when conditions are different, you will be wondering why you can no longer get it perfect.
My last berth was at finger pontoon 90 degrees to a 2 to 5 knot flow, and was a nightmare until I found a technique that worked for me, but more often than not I still had to back off on my first attempt and try again once I had a better idea of how the boat was going to react.
But did I have a big grin on my face when it came off perfectly on the first attempt :-)

With plenty of fenders to protect your (and your neighbours) boat, it will not matter if you touch at slow speed.
 
The ease of berthing will very much depend upon where you berth.... Sounds a bit simple i know but if you are in a tight spot with wind and tide effects you will have a tougher job than the bloke who moors his 330 on a 15/18m pontoon inside a lock in a marina with wide fairways and shelter.

i also think having loads of fenders each side assists too and as Nick H says having a deck crew who is on the ball helps loads too.

Frankly as you have had some lessons i would do as others suggest and try some manoeuvres where you have a bit of room on a calm day with slack tide. Two days with an instructor 'doing' mooring would drive me nuts..........

Just like to add that I only use one engine at a time - no throttle just kick in/out of gear and helm amidships too. Less to think about see ;-)
 
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Daka has an excellent point. While a master of the universe (non banking division) will be able to berth anywhere, there will be some berths that simply due to their position in gusts,streams,angles etc make it difficult for mere mortals. It might be worth asking the marina about other berth options.
That might take some of the panic out for you, but in the end you need to build your experience and your confidence. I would suggest that you need to understand what will happen to the boat with no input from you, what happens to the boat in response to your input, and what happens to the boat in the above combinations. If you are not sure of these , then of course you cant correct when you dont understand what is happening to start with !!
Its pretty tough concentrating on the berthing, under instruction. Whether you can really do that for a day, I doubt.A few hours might suffice.
Whatever, though, do not give up ! A bit of training, a bit of understanding, and a bit of reading the lie of the berth, and the conditions, and you ll be as cool as the proverbial sea cucumber in no time !
 
I would agree with others here that there is no substitute for some training on your own boat. We were new to boating and did a couple of days with an instructor, up and down, up and down, practice astern, practice turning 180, practice mooring and so on. Even after that and now after seven years of boating its still easy to mess up the mooring. If you dont get more own boat training then try to practice mid week when there are not so many people around so less pressure from gawpers. As said by others find a nice big mooring to start on. Look carefully at the wind and any current and use it to your advantage so you are not always fighting it. If you do have to fight it a little be aware where its coming from and how its going to affect you and be prepared. If it goes a bit astray dont worry about pulling out and starting over. If its windy and I mess up I usually go back to the end of the fairway to re-group, re-compose and start all over. In my view its good to be a little apprehensive, it keeps you alert. I used to fly and always reckoned that being a bit concerned was a good thing. Unlike a syndicate partner (full cat instructor) who crashed the glider because he didnt do the pre flight checks thoroughly.
 
Don't loose heart, unfortunately a 330 Statesman would tax even the most experienced of helmsman if there is any wind or tide. It has a lot of top hamper in a very short hull so is easily blown about, the COG is at the back and the centre of rotation near the stern also, so with a light bow its going to be tricky at low speed especialy in reverse. The outdrives are very close together so you will have to use the wheel a lot to get any turning effect, if your trying to reverse into a finger pontoon with any kind of crosswind or tide, it will need skillful handling.
As others have said get an instructor on board for a day, but don't expect to get it right everytime:)
 
There is no easy answer. Its just practice as others have said.

We where new to the game when we bought ours 18 months ago. Our berth is in a tight spot, in a wind tunnel opposite a busy bar and restaraunt with plenty of gawpers to watch any mistakes!!

With plenty of practice we have (this will jinx it i know) managed to master the art of mooring in our berth with the aid of the wind. It doesnt half scare the diners on the balcony of the chinese though, when they get the front end of a cruiser close to their dinner!!!
 
Converging said:
I recently aquired a sealine 330 statesman as my very first boat.

Despite having two days of formal training, I am finding berthing it a total nightmare. So much so its begining to terrify me to take the boat out.

I am absolutely fine getting it out of the berth and sailing her but the adrenaline and fear kick in big time as I return to the berth.

I am likening this to learning to drive, I remember that was pretty daunting.

I do not fear for my boat but I really do care for the owners of the boats around were I berth.

Is this a usual reaction and will I get over it!!!!!:eek:
Click to expand...


You are not alone!

I found outdrives a nightmare when I first started with them, no problems at all on shafts but outdrives...........make some money and sell tickets for the show!:D

Get some training from a good outfit with outdrive experience.
If you have any trouble finding one call or pm me and I will try and help out with someone near where you are berthed.

Others have said that ladies do this sort of thing with ease and they are right.
There is a chap in Poole whose wife always berthed his Sunseeker 'cos he normally made a total pigs ear of it.

When you have the training do be sure that he whole family is involved - its a team effort and if you all know what is going to happen it saves the loss of temper, the raised voices and then you will find the apres boating generally goes smoother as well.

Keep faith and pay someone to help you, the reward will be the expense will be rewarded ten times over in enjoyment.

Mike.
 
I'm sorry to say this but, if you want an easy boat to moor, you've bought the wrong boat. I've had plenty of boats including a 305 Statesman, which is the forerunner of the 330, and I would say without a shadow of a doubt, I found the 305 more difficult to handle at marina speeds than any boat I've had before or since. The problem is that the 305/310/330 is a flybridge boat with sterndrives. There is a lot of hull and superstructure out of the water which is easily blown about and not a lot of the hull in the water to hold it. The boat would be easier to handle if it had shaftdrives but since it has sterndrives, you have virtually no control over the bow in a side wind.
As has already been said, practice will certainly make it easier so find an empty bit of marina and practice until you understand how the boat reacts in different circumstances. Employ an instructor for a couple more days. As a general rule anyway, when you are berthing, try to time your arrival and departure for slack water and calm conditions. Put out loads of fenders and brief your crew about fending off when instructed; the more crew you have, the more confident you will feel if you get it out of shape. Has the boat got a bow thruster? If not, consider fitting one but make sure it's more than powerful enough for the size of boat. A bowthruster which can't move the bow in moderate or strong winds, ie when you need it the most, is about as useful as a chocolate teapot. Lastly, console yourself with the fact that once you can handle this boat, you can handle anything:)
 
I found twin sterndrives easier to manoeuvre in the marina than my current boat, which has a single shaft drive. We were also in a marina with 4 to 5 knots of tide at times, we've now moved to a marina behind a lock and i find that i miss the assistance of the once dreaded tidal flow. One thing i found that was sometimes useful with the outdrives was using one in forward and the other astern, but keeping the helm dead ahead. Could almost turn a 10m cruiser on the spot.

I found adapting to my current boat more difficult and frustrating than learning to berth with my first boat. There were, and still are, times when it will not do what i'd like it too. I've now accepted the fact that it flat refuses to steer astern, apart from prop steer. Once you understand how the boat will react to your input and the input of the wind/tide, you soon get the hang of it and everything just falls into place. Practice, practice, practice.
 
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