Mooring to pontoons

Ian_Edwards

Ian_Edwards

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Hi,
We have new “bigger” boat this year and we’re still getting use to manoeuvring her alongside marina berths, not too much of a problem. But she has much more freeboard than our last boat. It’s no longer possible to “step off” onto the pontoon; it’s definitely a “jump down”! This presents a problem getting the initial mooring lines on, usually a mid ship line to a cleat, to stabilise the situation. We’re both in our mid 60’s and reasonable fit, but after both skidding across pontoons already this year after jumping, there an understandable reluctance to leap.
Does anyone know a “big hook” which will connect to a typical galvanised cleat on a pontoon and take the load of a 40’ yacht until we can get the normal mooring lines on? We have one of these Moorfast systems which will thread a line through an eye on mooring buoy (which works well), but it’s not big enough for a cleat. I’ve looked at the BOSCO 1000, but that doesn’t seem to be big enough for typical pontoon cleat either.
Anyone out there with any experience of a system which works?
 
we have the same problem, with SWMBO having little legs !

one of my boat rules is - no jumping off. One risk is slipping as you say, another is twisted ankles and thirdly the worst case scenario is landing in the drink between boat and pontoon, which could be fatal

we have a number of options, eg

- a 'hook on the side' ladder, so she can climb down
- a temporary spring with a large bowline in the end, which we can drop over a cleat on the end of the pontoon, then motor against it to hold the baot in while we make fast the other lines.
- longer term plan is to have SWMBO at the helm (which needs a box so she can see over the hood), and me doing all the climbing off and rope work.

Good luck!
 
There are systems that work but unfortunately won't cater for the variety of cleats, bitts bollards and posts that you will find. One alternative for a high bow is to have a temporary ladder or platform that can be lowered over the side. Another solution that I often adopt is to reverse in and have crew go ashore from the stern with bow rope in hand. I invariably do this with my cat when single handed.
 
There is a wide mouthed grab hook that fits onto a normal boathook in Force 4's catalogue, I think about £35. This is similar to the ones that have been around for years for picking up buoys/rings but is big enough to hook onto the end 'D' rings on French pontoons. We bought a pair of them in France (for not much over the price of one from Force 4) and find them very useful over there, where there are no cleats on the fingers, although we use them as quick clip ons having stepped ashore because our topsides are not that high. We also use them for grabbing buoy rings from the boathook so they would work like that in your berth probably. Note that these cannot be remotely released like the Bosco thingy.
 
Use a wire loop <-click here with a Bosco for catching cleats and even bollards. You can even make a selection of different length loops.
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Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity
 
Ian,

We have exactly the same situation; we have two methods that work:

1) practice lassoing a pontoon cleat with a midships line, just like many mobos.

2) Fit a fender step at the shrouds, this makes stepping off a doddle, SWMBO has a slightly dodgy hip and finds it perfectly OK. The fender has webbing loops and hooks to give a strong attachment to the gunwhale at a fixed height.

On a good day we reverse in and step off the transom to the pontoon which is even easier.

Along the pontoon from us is a mobo with a blind crew, he picks up a fixed stern warp from a 4 ft vertical pole on the pontoon, that works too.
 
We're about the same vintage and have often used a low tech solution: one person stands amidships holding a line that has one end connected to a centre cleat (or stanchion base or toerail). The line goes out under the guard rails and up to the deck hand, who holds the rest of the line. At a suitable moment the deck hand flicks a loop of line around the pontoon cleat and pulls the free end to hold the boat against the pontoon. The deck hand then waits patiently while the skipper faffs around switching everything off and getting other lines ashore, etc.
 
The step or 'hook on' ladder at the shrouds can be the only way to cope with short bouncy French pontoons, though I gather Cherbourg is fitting cleats to replace those ***** horizontal hoops. Even then the pontoons might be too short to get a spring on?
 
We are the same as you. We solved the problem with a "pontoon hook". I was paid by PBO for the article! You go to B&Q and buy a metre length of perforated galvanised strip- used to be £2. About 30 mm wide and 7mm thick. Cut in two - you have material to make 2! Bend the end round about a 3" radius using large adjustable spanners and a good vice, leaving a straight piece. To this attach at the end a shackle with a mooring line. In the top place a cable tie so that it forms a loop for the end of the boat hook. The extended flat piece keeps the centre of gravity below the hook stopping it fallig off. I covered mine with a cycle tube to prevent possible damage to the topsides.
Place SWMBO amidships with boat hook extended in hand with the hook on the end held on by the mooring rope running up the boathook.
SWMBO puts the hook over a cleat or bar at the end of a French pontoon, removes boathook, and cleats off the end of the mooring line. You are now attached. Motor further forward so boat pulled into side. You can now put step on pontoon, step off and deal with remaining mooring ropes at your leisure.
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Hi,
I found fixing a sliding bowline to the end of my boathook with a couple of turns of pvc insulating tape to work good. Once hooked onto cleat just pull to release boathook. Cheapest option.
 
Why not just throw a looped warp to the cleat? We do this from the bows of our Fleming. All it took was some practice and it's fine. I really can't see why there is any need to jump or step off the boat at all until fitting the springs. Jumping and stepping can result in accidents, which reminds me that two years ago, we watched a yacht come alongside a hammer head in Le Havre, both persons on board humped off with the ends of the ropes (one fwd, one aft) but the boat's bumped against the pontoon and the pull was so great that both ropes were dropped and the yacht gently floated away to the other side of the marina! Why not just stay on board and throw a loop? Simple, no fretting, looks propfessional.
 
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reverse in and have crew go ashore from the stern with bow rope in hand. I invariably do this with my cat when single handed.

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can't you train your cat to jump of and put a few turns on a cleat? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
......and those are the easy French pontoons. On the really difficult ones the ends are flat. about 3 inches deep and clad in black plastic. Impossible to get a loop over if the other side is in use, and too beefy for most carbine type hooks.
 
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Besides most SWMBOs cannot throw anything!!

[/ QUOTE ]My SWMBO has an award on the mantlepiece for throwing the welly boot at a sports event.

Some years ago we were watching a boat come in to a pontoon in Miami. He was at the tiller giving orders. She was on deck with the ropes. He tells Her repeatedly and loudly to jump ashore and make fast. She doesn't think He's getting the boat close enough to the pontoon. He backs the boat out and tries again - repeatedly - getting louder all the time. Eventually She throws the coil of rope down on the deck, walks back to the cockpit, slaps Him round the chops! Silence reigns.
 
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