wombat88
Well-Known Member
This is it! I learnt it from watching the guys who run the vaporetti in Venice. Works a treat. I use a monster carabina clip to make it even easier.
Mooring!
- Thread starter andythefiddler
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This is it! I learnt it from watching the guys who run the vaporetti in Venice. Works a treat. I use a monster carabina clip to make it even easier.
lustyd
Well-Known Member
1000% this. OP mentioned a pontoon which suggests that 1 month or less of the cost of berthing will buy a day of a clever person to show you how. Not only do you get said person, but you have a really good excuse to spend a whole day bashing pontoons and mooring buoys. Having bought a new boat in September I paid for Joe from Nomad for a day in December for myself. Worth every penny to fix the worry that a certain marina gave me by constant change to my berth and too small fairways and berths for the boat. It turned out it wasn't entirely my lack of skill (it was a bit though, obvs!). I again paid for Joe this month for a day to teach SWMBO while I played crew. She then didn't blink when I gave her the helm so I could sort fenders entering Yarmouth with 4 boats coming from 7 directions. Things will go wrong, but less so when you spend the cost of a couple of fenders on a clever person for a day.
pandos
Well-Known Member
as Poignard says ... especially Duncan Wells, "Stress Free Sailing", he has a technique which involves a midship cleat and a winch... I have used this trick since I saw it and it is super easy.
prv
Well-Known Member
An alternative to the prepared line - in a typical marina finger berth I put on one of those stem-hugging fenders and nudge the bow gently into the main pontoon. A bit of forward thrust and rudder hard over will swing the side of the hull into the finger and hold it there while I rig some warps. Obviously I drop back a bit into the final position so that the anchor isn't overhanging the pontoon.
It might not be very "yachty", but that's because it's adapted from the techniques of a professional waterman I used to work with, who was never shy about shoving a well-fendered bit of hull against the wall as a pivot-point. I find it calmer and more certain than trying to snag a cleat with a line on the way in, as I once used to do.
Pete
It might not be very "yachty", but that's because it's adapted from the techniques of a professional waterman I used to work with, who was never shy about shoving a well-fendered bit of hull against the wall as a pivot-point. I find it calmer and more certain than trying to snag a cleat with a line on the way in, as I once used to do.
Pete
jamie N
Well-Known Member
I use a line from midships as a spring. It leads back to the cockpit so I'm able to loop it over the pontoon cleat, I guess that this is the same as the mid-ships cleat?
WIth my Folkboat though, I find it MUCH easier using my Honda 2.3 on the back of the boat, to manoeuvre around the marina and the pontoons, by virtue of it having 360° movement to give directional thrust.
As others have said, practice and confidence come together.
WIth my Folkboat though, I find it MUCH easier using my Honda 2.3 on the back of the boat, to manoeuvre around the marina and the pontoons, by virtue of it having 360° movement to give directional thrust.
As others have said, practice and confidence come together.
ashtead
Well-Known Member
When conditions permit a few weeks away trying to berth on French pontoons immensely increases your experience as often the pontoons are too short, no cleats, narrow pontoons, other locals without fenders,narrow gaps between boats, strong tides and often lack of anyone to help with lines. Ironically if berthing on a finger pontoon going into a narrow berth is simpler as there is no where for boat to drift. Obviously we don’t know boats type etc but an experienced instructor (recommended by someone who has used them importantly) will add confidence hopefully but just be careful who you select to be your tutor. Even if you have berthed for many years even a change of boat presents new issues but as said being prepared and taking it slowly helps plus in a non home port accessing options help. Also if coming alongside a long non finger pontoon think about how to extricate yourself if needed in advance. Practicing backing boat in open water is a great help on a new boat I found to increase confidence.
Spirit (of Glenans)
Well-Known Member
Deleted
Dunx
Well-Known Member
Just another observation is the number of people I see trying to park a boat like a car, in particular, trying to get into a closed berth, I.e trying to turn around the end of a finger to get into the space. It’s far easier to reverse up a fairway past the berth or turn at the other end and come back and drive into the now open berth. As long keel owners turning was our option as the boat wouldn’t go backwards predictably.
Bobc
Well-Known Member
Where is the boat? If it's Solent-ish, I'm happy to come out with you for a day and show you some mooring techniques and have you practice them until you're comfortable with it.
ProDave
Well-Known Member
I have not seen discussion of whether a tide runs through your mooring or not?
No tide in our harbour but how you approach the berth and which rope you pick up first depends on the wind direction.
No tide in our harbour but how you approach the berth and which rope you pick up first depends on the wind direction.
johnalison
Well-Known Member
I’ve been doing this for longer than most people have been sailing and I still don’t always get it right. There is no single method that works for all boats in all conditions, so it is helpful to have a range of options available, with one thing in mind, which is to avoid damage to the boat, and especially to others.
With my saildrive I lack the ability to make sharp final adjustments, meaning that in some winds it is safer to approach with some speed and come to a crash stop. It also means that I have more control by keeping power on in idle when making the last turn.
These are specific to my boat and need confidence to carry out but the main thing is to have in mind a picture of what you are about to do, much as a golfer visualises his stroke. In this way you can also have in mind a picture of what might go wrong and the point at which you need to back off and try again. Sometimes you have to settle for a plan that is safe rather than elegant. Last week I was returning to my berth and the wind was blowing off my finger at 20kn plus. I had a crew who was capable but had never sailed with me before, so, instead of relying on my pick-up lines (on a stick) I didn’t even try to berth but came in until alongside the leeward boat and gently settled against her, after which it was easy to pick up my lines and bring us up to the finger.
With my saildrive I lack the ability to make sharp final adjustments, meaning that in some winds it is safer to approach with some speed and come to a crash stop. It also means that I have more control by keeping power on in idle when making the last turn.
These are specific to my boat and need confidence to carry out but the main thing is to have in mind a picture of what you are about to do, much as a golfer visualises his stroke. In this way you can also have in mind a picture of what might go wrong and the point at which you need to back off and try again. Sometimes you have to settle for a plan that is safe rather than elegant. Last week I was returning to my berth and the wind was blowing off my finger at 20kn plus. I had a crew who was capable but had never sailed with me before, so, instead of relying on my pick-up lines (on a stick) I didn’t even try to berth but came in until alongside the leeward boat and gently settled against her, after which it was easy to pick up my lines and bring us up to the finger.
TiggerToo
Well-Known Member
I tried just this last time (without a fender - we have a steel protection on the stem) and it worked a treat.
All other bits of advice above are very useful (and I usually use them), but the SLOWLY motoring against the main pontoon was fantastic. It definitely was stress free. I checked the pontoon (and the stem) after the manoeuvre and there were no dents to be seen. Did I write SLOWLY? Yes, that is the key. To no stress, and no damage. It definitely will be part of my repertoire, especially when single-handed.
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
That must tell you something about him.
How many do NOT have a couple of long spare lines on board.
capnsensible
Well-Known Member
Spot on. One of the great joys of own boat tuition is getting the least experienced person of a couple on the helm for docking practice.
With couples, it's so often the lady. It's great to see the confidence grow as the mysteries are practiced away. Plus the bloke gets to see what's going on at the sharp end. Clear communication grows with this and makes it easier all round.
Also those that mention middle cleats and slow power against fenders all help the process of understanding stress free mooring. Can't beat practice!
capnsensible
Well-Known Member
It tells me that the guy has learnt something useful from a helpful person and not a sneerer. ??That must tell you something about him.
How many do NOT have a couple of long spare lines on board.
Poignard
Well-Known Member
That is my favourite technique after seeing a Frenchman do it.
It is very useful in France where many marina catways have no cleat on the outer end, or in the middle.
The only occasional problem is the arrival of a well-meaning helper who does his best to keep your bow off the walkway while shouting at you to go astern!
prv
Well-Known Member
The only occasional problem is the arrival of a well-meaning helper who does his best to keep your bow off the walkway while shouting at you to go astern!
Heh. On the rare occasions I get "helpers" who didn't ask if I needed help, I politely tell them "please don't try to stop the boat". They then usually end up standing around looking a bit non-plussed as they realise there isn't actually anything for them to do ?.
Pete
Refueler
Well-Known Member
That must tell you something about him.
How many do NOT have a couple of long spare lines on board.
I have various lines ranging from 3m to 10m long including a heavy long one for towing ....
When halyards replaced ... they provide excellent working lines ...
doug748
Well-Known Member
Here is our very own Sea Devil on the job:
Of course you need the middle cleat in both places - or a plan B.
.
Of course you need the middle cleat in both places - or a plan B.
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capnsensible
Well-Known Member
Can be the wrong type for situations that need stretchy lines. A mix in a long tow works tho.
