Mooring winches and pontoon cleats - Refresher

[Jamesuk]

Out in Montenegro I recall seeing a 88ft Sunseeker arrive and go stern-to on a pontoon.

They threw the stern lines, they picked up the ground lines. They tied off the ground lines at the bow and then together with the stern lines around the mooring winches they used thrust on the engines to bring the ground lines tight and the stern lines using a strop were transferred from the winch to the cleat.

Is this standard practice to put heavy loads through the cleats on the dock made my Walcom?

Cheers

 

[prv]

Is this standard practice to put heavy loads through the cleats on the dock made my Walcom?

If they're not strong enough I suppose it's better to find out during berthing than in a blow at 3am

Pete

 

[benjenbav]

I think I'd be inclined to fix the stern lines and add tension by winching ahead on the ground lines; first because I could put my stern where I wanted it and second to avoid testing the port's ground tackle by running 3,500 hp against it with the prospect of bouncing off a concrete wall. But each to their own.