TonyR123
Well-Known Member
i have marked both bow and stern lines are marked for me. I tend to get the bow lines up to its marker and then reverse back. no winch needed on the bow or any strength of note to tie the line up.
Med mooring
- Thread starter Mike k
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jrudge
Well-Known Member
Your anchor winch will allow you to disengage the clutch and winch the bow line. I do it 2-3 times a season when on long thick lines. Life saver or the boat goes sideways. The sag in the lines is huge
petem
Well-Known Member
I don't have what I think is called a "warping head", I only have a gypsy. I believe that I could fit a warping head to my existing windlass but it would mean cutting a hole in the anchor locker lid. Or am I missing something?
jrudge
Well-Known Member
Do you not have the ability to undo the middle bolt hence disengaging the clutch?
If not don’t worry but if you have thick long lines ( soller for example ) go a Long way forward so you can use the engines to take out the slack.
If not don’t worry but if you have thick long lines ( soller for example ) go a Long way forward so you can use the engines to take out the slack.
Hurricane
Well-Known Member
Excellent video
Sorry, I don't agree with those suggesting to use the anchor windlass.
IMO, Nick's method is the best way.
The process is really easy if you are returning to a previously occupied berth if you have marked the bow (lazy lines) before you left.
I usually wrap some electrical tape round them before we leave.
Simply (as in the video) loosely attach stern lines and then it is easy to attach the bow line at the previously marked point because it doesn't have any load on it.
Let the boat drift forward.
Then winch, motor (yuk) or manually pull the boat back using the stern lines.
As I say - just like in the video.
The problem comes if you haven't been to a berth before and the lazy lines aren't marked for your boat.
For me, I modify the above approach by doing it in two steps.
Reverse back as before and attach your stern lines .
Now leave them loose - and I mean loose - even let them drop in the water.
Now take the lazy line forward the boat will drift a long way out - let it - in fact people will say "you are too far out" - ignore them.
Attach the lazy lines a long way out - the stern lines should still be loose but attached to the boat.
Lifting even the biggest lazy line rope is easy - there will not be any load on it - just its weight.
Now (with the lazy lines attached) pull back on the stern lines.
The boat should not get anywhere near the quay - people will now say "I told you so!!!" - still ignore them.
Now make an assessment of how far you need to go back.
Then simply let off that amount on the bow lazy lines.
Re-winch back in and you will be in the perfect position.
If you are staying for any length of time, mark the lazy lines so that it is easy next time.
It is all a bit harder if you have an empty space or spaces beside you but the process is the same.
In our case, SWMBO does all the lines whilst I keep the boat in the correct position.
Using the bluetooth headsets, as soon as she has got one of the lazy lines secured to the bow, I leave the helm and help.
But, we NEVER use the anchor windlass - the last thing we want is the anchor to launch itself in the middle of everything.
If you haven't got stern winches, just pull using ropes and cleats (pull against the cleat - don't pull the actual rope) or I have seen engines used to "pull back" (I wouldn't do that myself though).
markc
Well-Known Member
I have pre-spliced stern lines chained to my home berth that are the perfect length, so do I need to use the anchor winch to pull in the bow line. I have set up 3 lines fitted to the bow chain - 2 are a bridle and the 3rd is a winching line (this is what is attached to the lazy lines to shore). We reverse in and pick up the stern lines & slip them over the cleats, then take the lazy line forwards and then use the anchor winch to pull the boat forwards. Whilst the winch takes the strain we can fit the port & stbd line on the bow and when fitted, release the winch line from the winch - this method ensures that both bow lines have an equal force and removes the difficulty of transferring load from a line on the winch to a cleat (particularly difficult with our layout)
pan
Well-Known Member
We always use Hurricane's method.... because we have stern winches, a little more difficult without, in which case I would use the anchor winch, we have a chain stopper so unintentionally 'dropping the anchor' is not an issue. :encouragement:
However if we have a cross wind & 'time is of the essence', we put only one stern line first (same side as the lazy line) and quickly take up the lazy line forward, so we have at least got some control over the bow, using the bow thruster to assist the crew to pull up one of the bow lines. Then sort out the other stern & bow lines in our own time.... often the marineros will try to hand you both stern lines first, ignore them & just get the lazy line once you have one stern line on! All assuming you don't have boats moored next to you..
However if we have a cross wind & 'time is of the essence', we put only one stern line first (same side as the lazy line) and quickly take up the lazy line forward, so we have at least got some control over the bow, using the bow thruster to assist the crew to pull up one of the bow lines. Then sort out the other stern & bow lines in our own time.... often the marineros will try to hand you both stern lines first, ignore them & just get the lazy line once you have one stern line on! All assuming you don't have boats moored next to you..
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Bouba
Well-Known Member
When it’s really a strong beam wind and there is no boat next to you, it’s better to get one stern line on but to the opposite cleat. This crossed line will stop you from being blown over the lazy line (or too far from it, depending on the direction of the beam wind). Then get the lazy line (still prefer to call them slime line) to the bow and secure the rope (or chain). Even if you have a lot of slack, you can now rest and handle the lines at your leisure
MapisM
Well-Known Member
All agreed, but relying on a fast assurance of the bow line (or on the b/t capacity to contrast Xwind) is a bit risky.
There is a trick that allows the crew to secure the first bow line with no hurry at all: it's sufficient to secure well the UPWIND stern line first.
That one and only line is enough to keep the boat in its place as long as you want, also in Xwind, and with no need to use the b/t, just by engaging/disengaging as frequently as required by the wind strength the fwd gear of the DOWNWIND engine.
Tried and tested in 17 years spent with no thruster at all...!
Bouba
Well-Known Member
Just watched the above film clip, in his demonstration with the shopping trolley, I think he took the wrong lazy line. It is my understanding that when faced with a choice of a lazy line either side of you. You take the lazy line nearest to the sea (ie the end of the pontoon).
And just to reiterate what he said, it’s very important not to turn too quickly when leaving. When you get caught in one of your neighbors lines the result is usually to be pinned in the middle of the channel until the capitainerie sends a diver.
One last point, when I release the bow line, I watch it sink, before I drive over it.
And just to reiterate what he said, it’s very important not to turn too quickly when leaving. When you get caught in one of your neighbors lines the result is usually to be pinned in the middle of the channel until the capitainerie sends a diver.
One last point, when I release the bow line, I watch it sink, before I drive over it.
Mariscalcus
New Member
Completely agree. This is the method I always use in Croatia. The problem is, as noted elsewhere, that when coming into an unknown berth, you have no idea what type of slime lines they have - length, weight etc. Sometimes the marina people help by running the line(s) for you but other times you are on your own. Hurricane's method works every time.
The other problem can be leaving. In one marina, it was quite shallow and the running lines attached to the quayside were very short. I was instructed to move off with the slime lines loosely attached on the bow cleats and let them out rather than drop them first as normal. As I moved slowly off, the obvious happened - they caught on the trim tabs. The next time we ignored the marina guy, dropped both slime lines and waited on one stern line while they settled to the bottom then moved off with no issues.
Portofino
Well-Known Member
Sometimes when visiting other marinas if your boats too long either you or the marinaros end up pulling up chain .
This is after pulling up all the thick line .
We carry a purpose made pleated bridle .A kinda 2 M - Y shape with a meaty chain hook on the end .
The hook clips to the chain the other ends ( two of the Y shape ) have loops spliced all ready done .These are popped over the bollards on the bow .
Obviously you don’t want chain on your gelcoat .
Handy as some visitor berths bow line set ups get a bit ravaged and have temp repairs of various dubious quality.
These berths not to be confused with an unoccupied berthholders place .
Etiquette wise if you are in a nice berthholders berth you use your own stern lines , not the ones ( often pre spliced with loops etc ) left behind by the permantly occupier ..that’s bad form imho .
We tend to loop round and run the bitter end back to the boat so we can slip off easy next morning.Don,t like knots .
So as well as getting the fenders out ( we pack them away out of sight every time ) we prepare our own stern lines .
The chain hook bridle stays in a locker for now an the assumption we don,t need it , but nether the less , it’s handy .
If you tour round a lot ?:encouragement:
That Y shaped chain hook thingy is also useful for clipping to buoys .
Sometimes they have a metal hoop .
So I carefully bring the stern bathing platform to the buoy .Crew clip it on and via a longer line - walk it to the bow and pop the spliced loops on the bollards ,via the fairleads and your done .All in one easy pass no fuss .No bow buoy out of sight , no crew fishing on the bow with boat hooks , no raised voices .
Once settled you can of course easily pull up the buoy ring and pass another line through for extra security at night .
At our home berth I feel there’s no need to mark the bow lines as I can see the “growth “ tide mark on them .So know exactly where or how tight they should be .
We have marks on the stern ( yellow whipping ) so crew can set the distance for the Passerelle.
We have a anchor locker winch with a capstan .Its easy to use ,just flip the chain off the gypsy.The chain hangs on its tie cord see pic blue .Anchor stays put, as the blue cord holds it .
After wards just put it back on .This is because the winch is horizontal,so chain disengagement is easy .
Although we rarely use the winch .As the bow is flat I just hold the bow line and walk back with it through a fairlead and then wrap it round a bollard.
View attachment 73996
This is after pulling up all the thick line .
We carry a purpose made pleated bridle .A kinda 2 M - Y shape with a meaty chain hook on the end .
The hook clips to the chain the other ends ( two of the Y shape ) have loops spliced all ready done .These are popped over the bollards on the bow .
Obviously you don’t want chain on your gelcoat .
Handy as some visitor berths bow line set ups get a bit ravaged and have temp repairs of various dubious quality.
These berths not to be confused with an unoccupied berthholders place .
Etiquette wise if you are in a nice berthholders berth you use your own stern lines , not the ones ( often pre spliced with loops etc ) left behind by the permantly occupier ..that’s bad form imho .
We tend to loop round and run the bitter end back to the boat so we can slip off easy next morning.Don,t like knots .
So as well as getting the fenders out ( we pack them away out of sight every time ) we prepare our own stern lines .
The chain hook bridle stays in a locker for now an the assumption we don,t need it , but nether the less , it’s handy .
If you tour round a lot ?:encouragement:
That Y shaped chain hook thingy is also useful for clipping to buoys .
Sometimes they have a metal hoop .
So I carefully bring the stern bathing platform to the buoy .Crew clip it on and via a longer line - walk it to the bow and pop the spliced loops on the bollards ,via the fairleads and your done .All in one easy pass no fuss .No bow buoy out of sight , no crew fishing on the bow with boat hooks , no raised voices .
Once settled you can of course easily pull up the buoy ring and pass another line through for extra security at night .
At our home berth I feel there’s no need to mark the bow lines as I can see the “growth “ tide mark on them .So know exactly where or how tight they should be .
We have marks on the stern ( yellow whipping ) so crew can set the distance for the Passerelle.
We have a anchor locker winch with a capstan .Its easy to use ,just flip the chain off the gypsy.The chain hangs on its tie cord see pic blue .Anchor stays put, as the blue cord holds it .
After wards just put it back on .This is because the winch is horizontal,so chain disengagement is easy .
Although we rarely use the winch .As the bow is flat I just hold the bow line and walk back with it through a fairlead and then wrap it round a bollard.
View attachment 73996
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Hurricane
Well-Known Member
I really like that idea - I will keep it in mind.
SWMBO would have to do that bit so I will explain your point to her.
Only in a strong cross wind though.