Mooring to Venice poles

[RupertW]

Just had one of those mooring experiences where our boat wasn't damaged, nobody else's was either, but it was all hassly with lots of to-ing and fro-ing.

So with cross-winds and tides what is the right way to approach mooring Venice style between a wall and two poles?
(With two people on board). I already have thoughts on the next time but I'd appreciate the thoughts of anyone with experience.

 

[capnsensible]

Hiya.

We did this quite a bit in the Caribbean.

Bow line ready.

Stern line, both ends tied on , taken in a loop up to midships. Upwind side.

Motor slowly past post keeping a bit of way on.

Line person (either of us) drops loop over post in passing, nips up to bow and gets bow line ashore.

Helm pulls in slack on stern line and secures it.


Even easier if there are other yachts on one side or other, get middle line onto upwind one or lay on downwind one whilst securing boat.

Hope this helps!

 

[prv]

Never heard it called Venice style - but sounds like the same thing as a Baltic box berth?

When I sailed there with the Army, we'd have a stern line run from each quarter to midships with a big bowline in the end. As we passed between the posts, someone each side would hook the loop over the top, then walk aft to handle the line. Man on the bow to count down the last few feet to the skipper and then step off with the bow lines. Dead easy of course with a fully-crewed boat and a Scandinavian protruding brass-bound rubbing strake so the boat can slide along the pile with impunity . Once we had to squeeze into the one remaining berth which was slightly too small - as we wedged between the posts the skipper gave the engine full revs and we popped through like a bar of soap, bending the posts outwards slightly as we did so

Afraid I can't help much with the short-handed version - but I do know how to do it under sail! Apparently it used to be mandatory to moor at the British Kiel Yacht Club without using the engine, as the manoeuvre had been a rite of passage in their old engineless boats and it took a long time for the committee to relinquish this artificial hurdle once power was available. Our skipper had started his sailing career under this rule, so on one occasion he had us arrive this way just to keep the practice alive.

Pete

 

[jaba]

Hiya.

We did this quite a bit in the Caribbean.

Bow line ready.

Stern line, both ends tied on , taken in a loop up to midships. Upwind side.

Motor slowly past post keeping a bit of way on.

Line person (either of us) drops loop over post in passing, nips up to bow and gets bow line ashore.

Helm pulls in slack on stern line and secures it.


Even easier if there are other yachts on one side or other, get middle line onto upwind one or lay on downwind one whilst securing boat.

Hope this helps!

If you prefer, as we usually do in the lagoon, to moor med way (stern to), I'd do the following: if we are two we simply back thru the 2 poles (paline), and reach the pier. You then tie the upwind stern warp to the pier, and then motor forward (always keeping the line in tension) to the upwind pole. Then you slide to the downwind pole. That said, if you are quick enough, you can also drop the loop to poles, as capnsensible suggests, while entering backwards. it's important you do this without stopping the boat or slowing too much. otherway you loose steerage and everything becomes complicated... That's why i suggest you go directly to the pier, if you are backing.

 

[michael_w]

This mooring arrangement is very common in the USA. One usually ends up leaning against the posts whilst trying to tie up. As my boat hasn't got a rubbing strake, I use a heavy warp of say 35mm diameter, It's rigged so it becomes a temporary rubbing stake and thus saves your topsides! Don't try and use regular fenders, they'll just get tangled/pulled off by the posts.

 

[pmyatt]

Never heard it called Venice style - but sounds like the same thing as a Baltic box berth?

When I sailed there with the Army, we'd have a stern line run from each quarter to midships with a big bowline in the end. As we passed between the posts, someone each side would hook the loop over the top, then walk aft to handle the line. Man on the bow to count down the last few feet to the skipper and then step off with the bow lines. Dead easy of course with a fully-crewed boat and a Scandinavian protruding brass-bound rubbing strake so the boat can slide along the pile with impunity . Once we had to squeeze into the one remaining berth which was slightly too small - as we wedged between the posts the skipper gave the engine full revs and we popped through like a bar of soap, bending the posts outwards slightly as we did so

Afraid I can't help much with the short-handed version - but I do know how to do it under sail! Apparently it used to be mandatory to moor at the British Kiel Yacht Club without using the engine, as the manoeuvre had been a rite of passage in their old engineless boats and it took a long time for the committee to relinquish this artificial hurdle once power was available. Our skipper had started his sailing career under this rule, so on one occasion he had us arrive this way just to keep the practice alive.

Pete

I well remember BKYC and mooring in the box without an engine; from some 40 years memory, it went something like this:

Come alongside the front of the box under sail. Secure to the posts briefly whilst the sails were rough-stowed. Pass bowlines on long lines from both stern quarters (the offside one being outside everything) over each of the posts. Edge the boat forward using the first set of mooring ropes and then pull the stern into the box. Then, two strong crew would walk forward pulling hard on the lines that had originally been at the stern thus getting the boat moving stern-wards towards the quay. The skipper was responsible for steering the boat backwards and judging the distance off the quay. As the posts were passed, a good push was given off them as necessary to accelerate the boat and straighten it up. As the skipper judged the boat in the right position, he would shout for the bow lines (the old stern lines) to be held tight to stop just off the quay. A member of crew would step ashore with the windward stern line and secure it, followed by the leeward stern line. Job done. Ideally you need four crew to do this ! ! ! !

 

[RupertW]

Thanks to all.

Venice is the first place I've encountered this style - interesting that its so common elsewhere.

We will try Jaba s take on it this afternoon as we have to be stern to (as all the other boats are) to get ashore easily. I also live the idea of big old warp as rubbing strake and will try that getting out of the very oblique berth that we are in now - with a massive cross tide.

 

[tcm]

Extra requirement if actually in Venice is to turn the motor off and paddle the boat in with a long oar at the stern, whilst singing...

 

[Steve C Cronin]

Extra requirement if actually in Venice is to turn the motor off and paddle the boat in with a long oar at the stern, whilst singing...

Ah! But the posts have to be red and white spirally painted!

We encountered these on our delivery trip in 2001 when the boat was new and we went down the eastern coast of Italy where they are tubular steel about 8" across with conical tops. Although we had a crew of four, we just motored slowly in with one on the bow and one in the cockpit ready to take a turn around each side alternately but swiftly. The boat stayed put long enough for us to complete this without damage to a brand new boat.

I think the Americans call them "slips".

 

[tcm]

as far as i know any berth in yank-speak is a slip? - but lots have the bluddy poles...