mooring

[powerskipper]

Quick question?
When mooring your boat up alone side say hammerhead , which rope do you put on first.??????

1]. With no bow thruster x 2 engin ?

2] with bow thruster x2?

3] with no bow thruster single engin?

4] with bow thruster single engin?

say with no great tidal flow or wind.

Was thinking about something I read and am now curious to what other do?!

<hr width=100% size=1>Julie

 

[ccscott49]

Depends on which way the wind/tide is blowing/going and which side you wish to moor on. IE. Stb side mooring, wind blowing you off, bow spring first and spring in with stb engine if outward turning prop, and if tide coming from bow direction. It's a very complicated question, easy to ask! Bow thruster makes it easier in all conditions, but still needs a fair amount of thought/planning.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[rich]

Midship spring every time, and there are (NO ROPES) on a boat!

<hr width=100% size=1>rich ) <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.jersey-harbours.com>http://www.jersey-harbours.com</A>

 

[hlb]

I dont know if you know it but youve gone from a newbie to an OLD Guard in a millisecond. Welcome with open heart. Not to sure if your happy with being an old guard. But then I'm not either.
I used to sail dinghys. Well fairly big dinghies come to that. By accident. I was frightened of them!! 25 ft mast 18 ft dinghy AaaarRRrGgg. But anyway. Some one said. Before ever reaching a boat. Look at the wind, the tide and just experience what effect it will have. Be aware. Whilst sipping tea, coffee, addlib. Now, once you know whats happening. You can focass? {I'm a bit pissed] What ever armeary that you have that dont look right either. Against it. Use it, to good efffect. Trouble with most boats these days is There vastly overpowered and no grip on the water. So are fairly uncontrolable in marina situations.

Unless have 50ft boat. Or one engine and plaining boat. Some pillock here will think of the combination that I forgot!! To be briefe. A Norfolk broads cabin cruiser, can be driven forwards or backwards anywhere. A Bayliner. (not getting at them) Or simmilare outdrive planing thingy, Is prity much Uncontrolable. You've asked a big question. Easy answer is bow rope first. Cos you can control the arse end with nearly anything. Second answer is spring from bow. Third answer is Chuck the F*** bow thruster away unless as affore mentioned. Or you will finnish up going in places arse about face!!

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn

 

[MapisM]

I\'m curious too:

what did you read on this subject?
Did anyone write a procedure for each of those 4 cases, maybe?

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Agree with Haydn although not about the bow thruster which can be very useful providing its powerful enough. If you've got 2 engines, the stern is always going to be controllable so I always put the bow line on first unless the pontoon is too short in which case I would put a midships line onto a pontoon cleat and motor forward or astern gently to bring the boat alongside. With a single engine, it depends which way the prop is going to walk. If it is going to walk towards the pontoon in reverse, then I would put a bow line on first, if not then I would put a midships line on first and motor forward
I've seen one US boathandling video advocating putting the sternline on first in order to facilitate the crew getting off the boat from the bathing platform but IMHO thats going to be a problem if wind or tide is blowing off the pontoon
Whatever system you use, I always think it best that the crew 'lassoos' the pontoon cleat from the boat and doubles the line back to the boat rather than jumping onto the pontoon but this takes practice


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Wiggo]

Re: controversial, but

midships first, in all situations? Limits the amount either end can swing around, so allows you time to get bow/stern lines ashore, and adjust up at your leisure. Assumes you do not have suffiecient crew to get bow and stern lines on simultaneously.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.fairlinetarga29.info>Buy my boat!</A>

 

[whisper]

There isn't a crew, or wind, or tide in this scenario apparently. I do quite a lot of single handing (no one willing to come with me /forums/images/icons/frown.gif) and I agree totally with bow spring or midship cleat on a single engine no thruster set up. Hope to have midship cleats fitted this winter to make life easier. I would have thought that with a twin engine and thruster set up you could do it in which ever way took your fancy. With wind and/or tide playing a part then presumably the hull and superstructure characteristics will have a major bearing on which way you choose. Like in many things there is not necessarily a simple right or wrong method. Well there may be a wrong one which is the method I allegedly always choose according to SWMBO.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[tcm]

Eh?

depends which way the wind and tide is running dunnit?

if directly offshore, the fwd. If onshore, any.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[powerskipper]

Re: I\'m curious too:

Some of the posts on this form got me thinking, hence question.
I have sailed dinghy’s off and on over the years, but only been on yachts a couple of times [lack of time only reason]
Yachts bow WARP!!!! [Happy] first, then use engine to put Stern in, ok that works!
Depending on space a spring can be used. Got that!!

But being mostly power experienced, I find that there is a great variety of abilities of people,
Rag and sticks converting to power when sail gets hard work,
Young families or couples.
Most boats seem to run with a helmsman and 1 crew
A lot of the smaller power boats have a very narrow side deck. And with the older generation this takes time to move around safely, and on some boats I have been on boats where the person acting as crew will not go up to the bow if they can help it,.
So we have worked out ways that works for them, this often involves lassoing from the stern or stepping off the back of the boat with both bow and stern line, works great with bow thrusters to steady bow but bow will swing out if the stern line is pulled in .
A lot of power boats are on finger berths and stepping off seems to work,
I think that it is a matter of being flexible and finding or adapting the way that works on your boat with the people you have on your boat that day.

Good crew make the helmsman look good.
Brain in gear now !!!!


<hr width=100% size=1>Julie

 

[powerskipper]

Thanks [I think]
MAKES A CHANGE FROM KIDDS CALLING ME OLD!!!!!!!!!

You are only as old as you feel!!!!

On a bad day 102

On a good day 21

<hr width=100% size=1>Julie

 

[powerskipper]

Ps can still pin son down and he is 6 ftish [ But very ticklish]

<hr width=100% size=1>Julie

 

[TwoStroke]

Re: I\'m curious too:

Tend to come in side on. Both crew jump off back. First one makes sure bow is kept away from pontoon (no cracks), second ties stern in. All in silence.

Although it can take me two attempts to get the side on right in the first place! /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>How much to fill'er up!

 

[hlb]

Re: I\'m curious too:

Ah. Well. Here in lies the problem. To many especially small boats are victims of fashion. So the abilty to walk round side decks diapear in favour of big swish cabin and sun bathing area. The how fast is it brigade have also been pandered to, as have the stylish brigade. Producing a lump of plastic thats not hapy at less than 20 knots and trying to moor it requires half a dozen chimpanzees and a surgeons touch on the throttles.

Then when they've been here and asked which sort of boat to buy, they go away and buy what SHMBO wants, Then come back and ask how to moor it without breaking SWMBO's neck.../forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn

 

[jfm]

In a real case, it depends on wind/tide. If there's no wind/tide then it doesn't matter. Just attach lines at your leisure. In fact you dont need any lines at all really. If on my own, I would actually attach a short line from centre cleat on boat to nearest cleat on pontoon, then boat cant go anywhere. Then have cup of tea. Then attach bow, stern and springs. All IMH and unqualified O

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Guest]

With outdrive(s)...

Lasso a cleat with the stern warp, chug forward at tickover and the boat comes in on its own.
The other way I frequently use is to go in at a steep angle bow first, crew loops a bow warp on cleat then take up the slack at tickover in reverse. Control coming alongside by turning the outdrive towards/away from the dock - still in reverse. (Useful method in strong wind)

Well thats the theory, in actual fact the crew usually misses the cleat from a few inches (my estimate) TEN FEET (hers) and then it all goes pear shape

Geoff

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Observer]

Having read the question - i.e. single-handed, no tide or wind - my answers are:

1. bow line on first then control stern with engines

2. stern line on first then control bow with thuster (usually easier to get line ashore from stern than bow)

3. as 1 above

4. as 2 above

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: I\'m curious too:

Stepping off from the stern with the bow line may work with small boats but with larger ones especially with any kind of wind or tide taking the boat away from the pontoon, the crew on the pontoon may not be able to pull the bow in unless you've got a decent sized bow thruster to help. Also you run the risk that the bow line is dropped into the water and fouls the props

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[powerskipper]

Re: I\'m curious too:

We had a princess 52 and found that with the stern line on , well fenderd at stern , you could put the inside prop in reverse , playing it in and out of gear as needed and the outside prop in forward , a kind of spin but this allowed you to bring the bow in and keep the presure of the stern warp, We found this worked in most wind and tides situations,

<hr width=100% size=1>Julie

 

[hlb]

Re: I\'m curious too:

Very dangerous to tie arse end up first. Out goes wrong. Your knackered. I know theres exceptions but I rareley use them. Bloke did it on me once and nearly caused a hell of a mess.

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn