Mooring with a tender

[Guest]

I use a long painter and sometimes use a line led from the cockpit over the bow roller and back to the cockpit outboard of all standing rigging and rails etc. On end a large snap hook. I approach from down wind and slightly off the bow and bring up alongside dingy at cockpit level and hook the bouy line between dingy and mooring and snap hook into eye and let yacht fall away down wind whilst heaving in on line. A short boat hook is handy. PB

 

[Guest]

We do this most of the time & the following usually works: Have tender painter slightly longer than maximum freeboard. Lead rope from bow cleat/bollard, over bow roller then outside everything & back to the cockpit. Approach against wind / tide (strongest) Aim to stop with pick-up buoy alongside cockpit. Pass rope from bow through buoy ring, take it back to the bow and use to recover mooring pendant.

 

[Guest]

Assuming you've got a solid tender make sure the corners are protected - just in case for that one time when sailing onto the mooring the sheet doesn't quite free, or a gust hits and you don't loose all the way you had expected - saves your topsides!

I think having a tender or free floating pick up buoy makes the whole thing easier. In most conditions I have a rope ready at the bows, sail up into wind / tide (which ever is strongest - watch the way other boats are lying to their moorings) and just pick up the painter / buoy with the boat hook. I often sail alone, or if crew are available they consist of my 9 and 7 year olds so I always make sure the boat is stopped in the water and step 'calmly' from the cockpit reaching the bow in about 6 paces!

Practice a few times when no one is looking!!

Good luck

 

[Guest]

I've seen numerous guides to picking up a mooring but no-one ever covers the issue that when you return to your mooring your tender is attached to it. Are there any useful hints for this situation eg. how long should the painter on the tender be; should you approach from windward or leeward etc. We are managing OK with two of us on board but sometime in the future I want to singlehand my 22 1/2 foot cutter. So if anyone has any useful tips, I'd love to hear from you.

 

[Guest]

I agree with this one posting ... the others seem a lot for nothing ....

I find that the tender makes it much easier.

I have tried various ways, the line led outside everything back to the cockpit .... come alongside bouy / tender and hook on .... but with crowded moorings the drop back can be a problem. The one I use most is actually to have line and boathook ready at bow, chug up to the mooring head to wind / tide SAME AS TENDER and lay alonside the tender ... smart steps to bow and hook the painter of the tender / pick up bouy. IF I miss then I can normally catch the tenders painter before too late ......

You will find your own way, after various attempts, try it with another in the boat and tell them to stay put unless emergency etc.

Painter length on tender ..... I use about 8ft, as long as the pick up bouy is used for making fast the tender ......

 

[Guest]

I agree with you Solent One but find it is easier in stong winds (20+ knots) and choppy seas to hook on from the cockpit and safer. A rush forward could end in a trip. Almost a black spot for you - a lot for nothing! Good sailing. PB

 

[Guest]

When I did it from the cockpit, I find it hard to heave in the 'drop-back' onto the line used. I started to rig via the anchor windlass, but it took so long to wind it in ! So I returned to the smart steps to the bow again ..... Of course one thing I forgot to mention .... I had two bouys .... one was the riser bouy to maintain the chain + a small bouy on the end of the mooring lines, I always used 3 lines, 1 to the mooring post, 1 to the anchor windlass, 3rd to the mast base. WHY .... having had an Oak Samson post carry away, I make sure my boat is not going to be an insurance statistic. Anyway the pick-up bouy has a large plasic covered wire loop on top, about 6 inches diameter ----easy to 'hook' onto, strong enough to lift the lines.

 

[Guest]

Well thanks for the advice folks. I'm going to revise my mooring setup so that I can pick up from the cockpit as suggested. What I forgot to mention is that I have a 3 foot bowsprit complete with stays that makes matters just a little bit more awkward.

I now figure that if I lengthen my painter so that the tender lies behind my cutter when I arrive at the buoy, I will be in a position to transfer the tender to a stern cleat almost immediately. This will in turn make it easier for me to sort out matters at the bow at my leisure.

Thanks again, your ideas have been very valuable.

 

[Guest]

Starting with leaving the tender behind in the first place, and the design of the mooring.. My mooring line is chain to a loop, with a rope strop then to a buoy. Attaching the tender behind i tie the painter to the loop with a round turn/2 half hitches. on Leaving the mooring I throw the strop into the tender. Then theres no rope to run over and the chain falls directly from the tender bow. Arriving from whatever approach is best you have lots of opportunity to get the strop from anywhere in the tender. the tender buoyancy supports the weight of the chain so you can tie up with the strop alone to start with, then haul it in a later to pull the chain loop on deck to the cleat. Then untie the tender. No risk of runningover the strop or wrapping it round the prop 'cos its safe in the tender. I have sailed single handed like this for 10 years and it works fine for me.

 

[Guest]

Even with floating painter I have found that it gets wrapped around the main mooring chain which is very difficult to untangle whilst hanging over the bow. I use a painter length of only 3-4 foot tied to the pickup bouy, just long enough to haul aboard by boathook