Mooring Techniques

[bobnewbury]

Individual exceptions notwithstanding, in general men are superior to women in both strength and reach. On the other hand, insurance statistics demonstrtate that women are the better drivers.

Why is it then that by far the majority of boats crewed by a couple have the illogical arrangement whereby, when mooring, the woman does the running around with rope, picking up mooring buoys etc, whilst the man steers the boat?

Surely it would make far more sense vice versa.

 

[Guest]

Me again! I have heard this point raised before and I'm sure that we'll hear it raised again! I find my 32' GRP planing motor boat a right ****** handfull when mooring when there is any wind about [see my reply to your bowthruster append] and I start to get 'contactions' 10 minutes from the marina when it is blowing up - now my lovely wife is always there for me and never refuses to come out on the boat [she trusts me!] and I couldn't put her through that experience [by her own admission she finds driving stressful] BUT I couldn't sit there and watch her runing around the deck either ....

We use the method of using a spring rope to moor up! The spring is always attached to the amidships cleat and the other end tucked into the cockpit and when we apporach a mooring, mywife hooks the telescopic boathook into the bowline at the free end and stands at the ear of the cockpit and waits ... until I have manoevred [successfully or otherwise] the boat close enough to the bollard on the pontoon that she can slip the loop over and I can then 'gently' put an engine forward to tension the spring and the boat will happily sit there parallel to the pontoon while I run about [well walk actually!] securing the warps and she goes and puts the kettle on or pours me a Calvados! This method has not failed for us and I'm sure it wouldn't fail for anyone else!

 

[dave]

Your soooo right Bob

yes the stronger man should do the running around, .....but,.......it's,.......my,......boat, so don't go giving all the wannabe Ellen Mc's MBE any more silly ideas....

Dave.

 

[Guest]

I forgot to mention the other advantage to using this method. My wife and I always know EXACTLY how we will moor up so I have no cause to start shouting at her when I mess it up - it cannot be her fault only mine! The number of 'gentleman' one hears coming home to moor up and starts swearing at the missus - that's no way to treat a lady chaps!

Plus, this method works wherever you go - well wherever there is something a loop of rope will go over within distance of the boathook which is 99.9% of wherever!

 

[duncan]

Guys tend to hog the helm the whole trip - so they have more practice at it. Note 'other halves' tend not to want to hog the helm although an approprite opportunity once in a while is appreciated!

ps. not too sure about those 'statistics' you refer to.

on a 'claims per non business mile driven' basis for over 25s (taking out the vastly disproportionate number of young males v young females below this)I don't think you will find this supposition supported.

 

[peterb]

Your method works well on the more rectangular power boat, with almost straight sides, but can be more difficult on a sailing boat. It also doesn't work in marinas that have half-hoops rather than bollards or cleats, or on half-length pontoons. But otherwise, yes, it's very effective.

 

[Guest]

I would love to.

But she who must be obeyed absolutely refuses to take the boat up to a mooring or a anchoring spot! Mind you when it comes to hauling the anchor out of the muddy bottom guess who job it is

 

[hlb]

Our patented method. Derived out of the nearness of my wifes head to the ground and the hight of our deck to pontoon.
Oh and also cos driving the boat is beneith her is.
Wife stands at the bow with a big loop in the rope.
I drive boat upto cleat. Wife lasoos cleat.
Drive boat astern and wife lassoos the stern cleat.
Stop engines eat tea.
Since she invented this method all the shouting and rows finnished. ( Well on this subject anyway)
Mind you I have got two engines which helps a bit.

Haydn

 

[Guest]

Bob, I actually agree with you. As an RYA power boat instructor I have found that women,whilst slow to come forward once you put them in the postion of having to do it,make far better job of mooring than the men (most of the time) its a macho thing. All men "know" they can drive and moor a boat and act completely surprised when they miss the pontoon completely or even bump off it. Where as women will approach the problem from a different angle, they dont think they can do it and are just a surprised when they succeed, they seem to be more sympathetic to what the boat is doing.With a little gentle verbal encouragement once they have done it a few times, on the whole will be better than the men.On the plus side, if a man is trying to moor up every guy in the marina will just sit a watch to see if you make a b**ls up of it, where as if wife is on helm the same guys appear from nowhere to help take your lines ashore<s>