Marina berth splitter

[john m]

Does anyone have a link to where I can buy a berth splitter I don't know what they are called its a long metal bar with a float on the end and it stops you blowing on to the boat opposite does anyone have a photo of a DIY job

 

[knuterikt]

Does anyone have a link to where I can buy a berth splitter I don't know what they are called its a long metal bar with a float on the end and it stops you blowing on to the boat opposite does anyone have a photo of a DIY job

One of these? It's called Finger pontoon in English I think.
DIY don't have any info on that, but the are normally made of square tube's and hinged at the dock (main pontoon). All I have seen around here is galvanized (hot dipped)

 

[Babylon]

One of these? It's called Finger pontoon in English I think.
DIY don't have any info on that, but the are normally made of square tube's and hinged at the dock (main pontoon). All I have seen around here is galvanized (hot dipped)

It appears that each alternate finger is marginally wider than their properly anorexic neighbours: do these have cleats and are they designed to be walked on? The extra bracing at the junction of the main pontoon would reduce twisting. Else how do you get off your boat?

On a general note, I'd worry about the physical constriction of a 'barrier' pontoon: in a tidal or windy situation, I'd rather have the extra space to turn wide when entering or leaving, alternatively to warp my way out off the adjacent boat or finger.

 

[johnalison]

These fingers are common in the Baltic and generally work very well, so long as you don't try to step on them. In Leba they have alternate finger pontoons and these skinny jobs, which seems sensible. The only problem is that they invariably have unforgiving metal surfaces, so good fendering is needed.

 

[jbweston]

Some Swedish harbours have alternate thin but walkable fingers and booms, some have just booms both sides. And of course some don't have booms at all.

Booms are fine when you get used to them but you definitely can't get them to bear your weight. Mooring technique is to put fenders out on both sides and then slot in between the booms like a slice of toast in a toast rack, stopping the bow a foot from the walkable main pontoon (or fixed dock where tidal range is near zero). You then put someone ashore over the bow with bow lines and attach springs (and possibly sternlines, depending on boat length) to eyes on the booms by reaching down from the boat.

All that isn't too much of a problem if you have crew or someone on shore to take lines. It's common practice in Sweden to pop ashore to take the lines of a boat that's about to become a neighbour. This is very helpful indeed when you are coming into a boom berth singlehanded although you can do everything alone if conditions are OK.

The booms look a bit strange to British eyes but they do hold the boat laterally and so if things go wrong you can't get 'across the berth' like in a Brit marina. Against that, you do have a greater risk of crunching the fixed dock or pontoon with the bow if you don't apply the brakes in time - and applying them too soon leaves your crew helpless about three feet from the dock hoping for someone to come to take a line.

One trap for the unwary is that the berth might not be wide enough to take the beam of the boat plus the essential fenders. Some berths a have the width marked on them. Attempts to squeeze the boat in to too narrow a space are doomed to embarrassing failure - jammage - because there the booms have no sideways give.

 

[prv]

One trap for the unwary is that the berth might not be wide enough to take the beam of the boat plus the essential fenders. Some berths a have the width marked on them. Attempts to squeeze the boat in to too narrow a space are doomed to embarrassing failure - jammage - because there the booms have no sideways give.

We once went into a box-berth with piles for the stern, which turned out to be too narrow for us. Skipper's solution? Apply MOAR POWER!!1!, bending the piles outwards until we popped through like a bar of soap in the bath. The joys of a substantial brass-bound rubbing strake!

Pete

 

[Seven Spades]

These fingers are common in the Baltic and generally work very well, so long as you don't try to step on them. In Leba they have alternate finger pontoons and these skinny jobs, which seems sensible. The only problem is that they invariably have unforgiving metal surfaces, so good fendering is needed.

Can you explain what they do. If you can't walk on them and they don't have any cleats what is their purpose and how do you secure the boat?

 

[earlybird]

Does anyone have a link to where I can buy a berth splitter I don't know what they are called its a long metal bar with a float on the end and it stops you blowing on to the boat opposite does anyone have a photo of a DIY job

Last time I was in Largs Yacht Haven, I noticed one of these installed between 2 mobos. Can't give a link, but a 'phone call to their office might provide information.
It was purely a separator, not for mooring lines, wouldn't take a lot of load I'd guess.

 

[Twister_Ken]

There are a few in Haslar, used for the X-Boat berths. Crew goes ashore over the bow. Stern lines can be attached at the 'seaward' end, bow lines to the main transverse pontoon. Never looked to see if they rig springs, but I guess so.

 

[Seajet]

Emsworth Marina has similar wooden pontoons - almost as thin but ok to walk on if there's a boat tied the other side, very wobbly if there isn't, in fact it's a case of crawl to and from the end !

Just to add to the fun there are rings, not cleats at the ends so those hoping to lassoe a cleat are in for a surprise, boathooks are worth their weight in gold here.

It's still a lovely spot though.

 

[jbweston]

Can you explain what they do. If you can't walk on them and they don't have any cleats what is their purpose and how do you secure the boat?

Well. I'll explain what I think they are for. That's not the same as saying they are the best solution.

The most popular Baltic alternatives are box berths (dock with two posts of telegraph pole thickness set anywhere from 2 to 10 feet astern on the moored boat on each quarter) and a dock with either (a) lazy lines (one rope for each berth attached at one end to harbour bottom a boat's length or two out, and at other end secured with lots of slack to dock near where your bow ends up so you can pick it up) or (b) dock with nothing where you drop a stern anchor a couple of boat's lengths out. The posts of the box berth, or the lazyline or the stern anchor, are to hold your stern out from the dock and you use two bow lines to the dock to hold you in. Remember here we are dealing with nil or very little tidal range, so the dock is a wooden or concrete pier that is fixed in height. These mooring methods work fine (in the case of UK sailors once you get used to them!) and are common.

The booms have one advantage for the boat and another for the harbour. For the boat, they stop you brushing, ranging, banging or colliding with neighbouring boats as you come in, or leave the berth, or if the wind gets up overnight. They are like the old fashioned cardboard dividers in a wine crate - just to stop touching. For the harbour authority, they ration the space you can take up (a bit like the white line space markings in a car park) so that people don't take up a berth and a half just to make sure there is adequate separation from their neighbours. You can't do that with box berths, and you need to be quite creative or greedy to take up more than one lazy line, but it's a definite possibility that skippers will use more than a minimum space allocation if they are left to themselves when using a stern anchor.

So the justification is, I think, it saves using stern anchors, it packs boats in close to each other without risk of contact and it's easier for the crew than a box berth.

Actually, when singlehanding I quite like them as it constrains the boat like toast sliding into a toast rack, giving me time to run around with my various lines.

So how do you make fast?

Every boom I've used has at least one steel eye near the outer end and many have another halfway along. So, it's two lines from the bow to the dock (to hold you in and stop the bow moving laterally) and on each boom a stern line and spring(s) to the eye(s). The exact configuration depends on the length of the boom relative to the boat, but basically you must have a spring each side to hold you out from the dock (to act opposite to the bow lines), and if the position is exposed or you're leaving the boat long term, it makes sense to have stern lines and perhaps a second spring to duplicate the effect of the first. But at it's most basic, it's a bow line to the dock, port and starboard to hold you in and a spring port and starboard to hold you out.

Access ashore is over the bow as in most Baltic berths.

I hope that makes sense. If not, let me know and I'll try to produce a diagram.

 

[dunedin]

Last time I was in Largs Yacht Haven, I noticed one of these installed between 2 mobos. Can't give a link, but a 'phone call to their office might provide information.
It was purely a separator, not for mooring lines, wouldn't take a lot of load I'd guess.

K pontoon Largs. Can try to get a photo next weekend if of interest

Looks like just to aid berthing and keep positioned till mooring lines attached to main finger berth on other side. Always thought it looked a good idea to de-stress parking if single handed or not fleet of foot. Unlike bow thruster no moving parts to break down (but only works for home berth)

 

[john m]

I have saw the one at Largs at the weekend I. Going to try and get something made up