manoevring into finger pontoon berth

[brownings1]

I have a berth which is on the downstream side of a finger pontoon placed at 45 degrees to the bank in a river marina. The width available between the two pontoons is only about 23 feet. With my 27ft boat being just over 9ft 6ins overall width with fenders and the other 31ft boat, on the upstream side of his pontoon, being about 12ft wide inc fenders, there isn't much room for error. My boat is single engine, left hand prop and has no bow thruster. The stream runs quite strong (from my port side) and there is often an adverse cross wind so my problem is that I get swept downstream towards the aft port quarter of the other boat as I make the final approach. Any recommendations as to how best to approach and enter the narrow gap available without hitting either my port bow on the end of my pontoon or my starboard bow quarter on the port aft quarter of the other boat. When in final position I end up with my bow only about 8 ft from the bank so not much room for a fast approach, even if I dared to do so. Its OK on a calm day with little stream but that doesn't happen very often. I do have a willing crew ready to jump onto the pontoon as soon as I get close enough.

Any suggestions or advice appreciated.

PS No. I can't get another berth on the upstream side of a pontoon!

 

[RobWales]

Fenders fenders fenders and more fenders on your boat and buffers as many as poss on your berth should help a little.!

 

[Alrob]

what about a pick up warp attached to a vertical pole (attached to pontoon) which one of your crew could pick up from the bow. Ive seen this technique used quite well

 

[Poignard]

Why not put sufficient fenders out and deliberately and carefully lay alongside your neighbour. Temporily secure to his boat while you run a couple of lines to your finger and then pull yourself the short distance across. Your neighbour will appreciate this far more than you bumping him. If he doesn't like it, then he is no seaman and you would be better moving to another berth

 

[Richard10002]

[ QUOTE ]
Why not put sufficient fenders out and deliberately and carefully lay alongside your neighbour.

[/ QUOTE ]

Seconded. If you know your neighbour isnt going out, you could even put some of your own fenders at the vulnerable points of his boat or, with agreement, ask him to arrange his fenders in a protective way, or even buy him a couple or 3, as long as he agrees to put them in the appropriate spots.

You might find that after removing the worry of hitting his boat, you find a way of getting in without touching him.

"Plan for the worst, hope for the best"

Cheers

 

[aquaholic]

Dead right when it comes to fenders, standard practice for me to roll in on the fenders when getting in as I am nearly always single handed,
too many people think fenders are for looking at! i.e being highly polished and wrapped in nice fender sox...not that i have anything against fender sox....I think

 

[SnaxMuppet]

[ QUOTE ]
Why not put sufficient fenders out and deliberately and carefully lay alongside your neighbour.

[/ QUOTE ]

This seems to work for me. Fenders, fenders and more fenders AND, if possible, a crew with a spare fender to shove between your boat and the other boat should contact look likely where there isn't a fender (don't forget to tell then not to fend off with their hands or to get their hands trapped). Those who have seen "My new baby" post will see that I am a great believer in fenders... some would say an invester because I have so many /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Anyway, I work on the basis that sometimes fighting the current/wind ain't going to work so if there is any risk that I might end up touching the other boat then why not plan on using the wind/tide/current instead of fighting it and let it touch but do it in a way that I know will not damage either boat. It is controlled, safe, planned and much less stressful because you have planned to allow it to touch safely... no surprises.

 

[Oen]

Sorry, I disagree about berthing alongside the other boat as a matter of routine. Yes, it's OK on odd occasions, but not every time.

Is the 31ft boat twin screw? If so, swap places with him if you can, but the crux of the matter is that your berth is simply not suitable for your boat. It sounds to me as if this is another marina designed and laid out by people who know the square root of diddly squat about boats...

 

[SnaxMuppet]

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry, I disagree about berthing alongside the other boat as a mater of routine. Yes, it's OK on odd occasions, but not every time.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree.

I wouldn't do it all the time and if I gave that impression I apologise. I have actually only done it a few times because I have only needed to do it a few times. If I found that it was something that I needed to do more than very rarely then I would question the berth's suitability or my suitability to handle the boat!

Even if fendered to the hilt whenever boats touch there is always a risk of damage, even if it is small, and so best to be avoided if at all possible. But if touching is inevitable or even very likely then it can be better if it is accepted and planned for in a way that will minimise the risk of damage... that is all.

As a technique that very occasionally needs to be used, it works quite well and can prevent scary and expensive situations developing.

 

[PeterI]

I had an awkward entry to a finger pontoon and, after a few approaches that are best forgotten, bought a pole which extended up to deck level. I then draped two warps over it; one led to a centre cleat on the pontoon and the other to a stern cleat. If you nudge the bows up to the pole a willing crew grabs the ropes with a boat hook and can then use both to adjust your position. If you happen to have two crew each grabs a rope, preferably different colours, and they pull you gently in.
Very bad idea to let them jump off until all secure.

 

[Alrob]

yeh!! thats what I said

/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[CaptainMike1970]

We had a marina finger pontoon with a very fat yacht adjacent that made getting alongside tricky, after a few heart stopping moments and the odd gel coat exchange we tried this:-
1) Fix fenders to end of finger to minimise damage if all goes wrong
2) Fender both sides of our boat (with big fenders) again to minimise damage if all goes wrong
3) To come straight in bows first, parellel to the finger.
4) Have fixed length line spliced up as follows - Rope will run from boats mid-cleat to cleat at end of pontoon and of a length so that boat will sit in middle of pontoon. You need a massive loop at the pontoon end, this massive loop is threaded through some pvc water pipe so the loop stays open.
5) Appraoch pontoon at slow speed with the big loop on the end of the boat hook.
6) Have crew stood amidships with rope on end of boat hook outstretched and as you pass the cleat at the end of your pontoon drop the big loop over it and then spin the wheel away from the pontoon.
7) As the slack gets taken up the bows get pulled into the pontoon which is countered by the rudder/outdrive forcing the stern hard into the pontoon. You come to a nice controlled stop if you are not going too fast.
8) Leave in the boat in gear (ahead) at tickover and it will sit there safe as houses all day long (well atleast long engough for you to get fore and aft lines made fast.

Has worked for me on my own and with SWMBO with no mis-haps and given us confidence to move up to single outdrive 32footer (although now have bowthruster should all go wrong!)

I can't take credit for the idea, it was in the back of MBM some years ago.

 

[aquaholic]

If you roll along the finger berth on your own fenders as I do then it shouldnt be a problem however if whilst doing this you are still making contact with your neighbour then time to moan about your berth I think.

 

[powerskipper]

Re: manoeuvring into finger pontoon berth

One way .
run a line from the bow to the stern,
approach the finger so crew can step off the stern,
as the crew steps off with the bow and stern line,
hook the bow line over the end cleat on the pontoon,
this controls the bow,
use the engine to slowly bring her astern,
the crew still has the stern line so can control the distance away provided you use minimal power when backing,
once 2/3 in step off and help the crew to put boat into the position you want her.

 

[gibbowolfie]

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry, I disagree about berthing alongside the other boat as a matter of routine. Yes, it's OK on odd occasions, but not every time.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's better than hitting them! I do it all the time WHEN the wind is blowing towards them. It's the P in Planning....

 

[Poignard]

[ QUOTE ]
It's better than hitting them!

[/ QUOTE ]

Seconded! It's no different to rafting up, except you're only there a short time. I wish the Frenchman who took a chunk out of my hull in Plouer marina a few years ago had put fenders out and laid alongside deliberately instead of spoiling both our days.

 

[brownings1]

Thanks to all for the helpful suggestions. Much appreciated. Prior to actually entering the slot I am trying a system of - approaching upriver and going past the pontoon by a about a boat and a half length, coming to a halt against the stream, turning bow 45 degrees to starboard, then letting the stream continue to turn the boat to just upstream of being parallel to the pontoon (using a bit of port rudder and forward thrust if necessary to prevent going too far round) then, when she seems to be lined up right about 5 metres from the pontoon end, rudder to centre and slow forward into slot before she drifts too far. Not easy but quite gentle, and then, as people say, if she drifts down on to the other boat's fenders so be it.

 

[fisherman]

I'm sure I'm sticking my neck out here, but I have to do this sort of stuff getting in with a heavy swell in the harbour entrance.
If possible I would leave a coiled warp on the finger end. Breasting the stream, with the finger end to starboard, crew picks up warp with boathook, brings it round the bow and through the portside fairlead, to a mark on the warp. Allow the boat to drop astern, motor gently to stbd, until the boat is 'hanging' on the warp, which has been marked to line the boat up with the berth, prop shoving the stern up against the stream. The warp is now a spring to be veered away as you motor gently alongside, keeping you tight to the finger.