One for the old timers

[Joe_Cole]

I'm reading one of Eric Hiscock's books ("Wandering under Sail", written in the 30's). He mentions "Warping buoys" and "Hauling Off buoys". Presumably these were for the days without engines and were used for manouvering/turning/stopping with lines.

Does anybody know how they were used, were the buoys marked on charts, when were they last used, (or are they still used).etc, etc.

No real reason for asking. Just interested.

Joe

 

[hlb]

Dont know much about His cock! But. Whilst they had no engines then. Time and plenty of crew were no problem. Would think most manuvering was done with the dinghy, ferrying ropes from buoy to buoy or to trees or other things around the shore. If you look at any old harbour. Theres winches, bolards and all kinds of methods for dragging boats about. Still used today to some extent for larger ships in confined waters.

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Haydn

 

[Mirelle]

Not so very old....?

There was a warping buoy off Heybridge Basin until quite recently. Indeed I can remember using it, to get an engineless boat out dead to windward, in 1973.

 

[Paulka]

Re: Not so very old....?

Yes, I routinely used one of the two or three buoys near the entrance of the yacht basin at Le Havre in the late 70's.

There still are some (two I think) in the marina of Lausanne - Switzerland.

 

[Guest]

Told this one before ...

In Tallinn - my 1/4 ton boat has no engine and it is moored bows to the quay ... Olympic Yacht Harbour.
So we have bow to the quay with two head ropes. The stern is single long line about 10m to a single large buoy, with another length connecting it to the shore in an endless line.

When we want to go ..... first turn boat around so that one stern line looped to shore and back. Long bow line to buoy. Hoist sails and PULLLLLLLLLL like mad on the bow line after letting stern go. This gets you up to speed to steer ....... off you go !!

When you return . with hook pick up line connecting buoy to shore and hand the boat in, holding on hard to stop her hiiiting the dock. Make fast, grab the bow strops and all finished.

Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !

 

[celandine]

All this nostalgia for the 70's stuff is making me feel old. I have a warping buoy off the end of my slipway and use it regularly. It is the only safe way to make a 180 degree turn in a narrow creek when exiting the travel-hoist in strong on-shore winds. Without it there is a danger that a yacht failing to make the turn to windward, will blow back on to the hoist.

 

[Cornishman]

If you want to see a really big one look out for the Swing Buoy next time you visit Fowey. If no ships were expected to use it for turning the HM would let really big yachts (70 foot or more) use it for mooring so long as we put a kedge astern so that we didn't swing into the channel on the turn of the tide.