Chiara’s slave
Well-Known Member
XOD on a Yarmouth mooring. My cruiser is on a folly pontoon, that really is mostly easy. Though a F6 easterly makes you pause for thought. At least, on a powered cruiser you can do that pause.
Pick up mooring buoy with grab handle
- Thread starter Adrian62
- Start date
Martin_J
Well-Known Member
This seems to have 'drifted off' the original question..
Are these pick up buoys with a built in pole still available? Nobody has come up with a supplier yet.
Are these pick up buoys with a built in pole still available? Nobody has come up with a supplier yet.
capnsensible
Well-Known Member
What type of boat?
Chiara’s slave
Well-Known Member
XOD is the tricky one. I guess it might seem even more difficult after a 2 hour race, but I assure you, most of us miss the pickup once in a while, which sometimes has some frantic activity to rectify the situation, like if you're apporoaching on bare pole. That is necessary in a strong westerly, even just the jib can be too much. If the wind is directly behind you, you'll carry on sailing over the mooring, chafing the topsides, and quite possibly going as far as the next boat on the trot.
Refueler
Well-Known Member
I never said it was ALWAYS easy ... just that you seem to be making an issue out of something that really is not hard to solve.
If I was still Solent based - I would be more than happy to crew for you and see what could be done ... but I'm not ... I just have 3 bridges and commercial port to transit now ...
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Chiara’s slave
Well-Known Member
Sometimes it is easy. Upwind and uptide, no worries. One of the reasons racing gets cancelled is that the moorings are too tricky in the conditions, though. Last night that was a part of the cancellation decision I daresay, strong SW and ebb tide. It is, however, almost always impossible to pick up the buoy from the cockpit. The norm is for the crew to lie on the foredeck, and make a grab as you arrive, drag it in and onto the sampson post double quick.
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Yarmouth ... mmmm don't see a problem - other than make sure to use the channel in !
Folly Pontoon ? Again - what's problem ? I've ferry glided on and off Folly so many times - lost count ... in zero and strong winds. currents etc. In fact when my engine failed - I departed Folly Pontoon from between two rafts each of 3 boats - I was alongside pontoon .. using genny, current and spring lines ... to the surprise of boats fore and aft of me - who I never touched. Sailed her all way down Medina ... even slowed for Chain Ferry under sail ... back to Hayling Yacht Co .... (not looking for medals - just illustrating).
"Know thy Boat"
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Bugger that for a game of soldiers ...... strop line out of stem, quick clip on end .. other end to samson post or winch ... guy fwd clips on ... instead of risking himself pulling muscles etc. - line is then holding boat .. giving you time to finalise.
Its actually why I have a Mooring Aid fitted to one boat hook ..... it threads strop through buoy / ring ... brings end back on board ... that strop is fast to longer line .......... simple matter of pull through and make fast. No need for laying on deck !!
Enough .. I can see I'm wasting time.
Chiara’s slave
Well-Known Member
The folly, as I said, is usually a doddle, though well meaning visitors desperate to take a line off you are a distraction, I'd rather just drive the boat on. The Yarmouth moorings aren't in the harbour, you do realise? They are to the east of the pier, towards Bouldnor bay. We do take the boats into the harbour if it's a NE of any strength, the hull of an XOD is tough, but the bashing about is bad for the rig, potentially.
Chiara’s slave
Well-Known Member
You are wasting your time. The boats have been there since the 1920s, if there was a better way...... and winch? It's clear that you may know your own boat, but you don't know mine.
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Boats are boats matey .... they float on water ...........
I am well aware of Yarmouth Moorings ... well aware of Outer Harbour Cowes moorings .... in fact many years ago - it was not uncommon before the Marinas appeared - for odd 'visitor boats' to use the moorings as 'waiting' before going for the Round Island race ..
Still reckon you are not 'reading' the situation to advantage.
If you want to have a go in far more serious conditions - try the buoys in Langstone entrance channel when tides at full chat ...
Chiara’s slave
Well-Known Member
I’ll trust you on the langstone ones. The Yarmouth buoys are difficult in the wrong conditions (not necessarily what you'd call bad) for a combination of reasons. No engines, layout of boats, no heavy gear on board, they are racers after all, plus the strength of the tide and the complete exposure to anything in the northern half of the compass. Not to mention passing semi planing power boats. I won’t be attempting Langstone moorings in an XOD, though have done so without hassle in a boat with an auxiliary engine. The somewhat unpleasant technique has evolved over nearly 100 years of open keelboat sailing from Yarmouth.
capnsensible
Well-Known Member
Do you ever go solely to practice on and off your mooring without the racing?
I sailed Portsmouth Victorys a bit. Out of Haslar Creek and also in Gibraltar. Used to practice on non race days on and off berths and moorings. The current flow in Gib harbour made this straightforward but Haslar Creek could be sporting.
Can be an enjoyable few hours, especially as you get good at it with plenty of practice.
Chiara’s slave
Well-Known Member
Not to practice mooring, no, never. We go out to check new sails, to tune, and even occasionally just for a sail, though now we have a cruiser, I doubt that will happen. OH now has a heads and tea making, regrettably I've spoiled her.
Chiara’s slave
Well-Known Member
We generally do 40-45 starts per year though, no stranger to the pickup on return.
capnsensible
Well-Known Member
Just wondered that without the pressure of a race looming or a hard race sailed, then pick ups under all sorts of conditions might be worthwhile?
Chiara’s slave
Well-Known Member
In my copious free time, perhaps. But I reckon I've done over 200 pickups by now.
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Not saying "Chiara's slave" is this - so please no offence met.
But I think we can all say we've known owners who use their boats a lot ... but learn so little.
capnsensible - has a good point about just practicing the mooring stuff ............. bit like F1 racing ... its not just the driver and car that makes the whole - the pit stop does as well and needs plenty of practice stops.
Most can throw a rope on a cleat when conditions are good ... but once conditions start to deteriorate - then the truth comes out.
I know and sailed with some that could race a boat exceptionally - but when it came to harbour work ... UGH !!
But I think we can all say we've known owners who use their boats a lot ... but learn so little.
capnsensible - has a good point about just practicing the mooring stuff ............. bit like F1 racing ... its not just the driver and car that makes the whole - the pit stop does as well and needs plenty of practice stops.
Most can throw a rope on a cleat when conditions are good ... but once conditions start to deteriorate - then the truth comes out.
I know and sailed with some that could race a boat exceptionally - but when it came to harbour work ... UGH !!
jamie N
Well-Known Member
As Sandy & Refueler, I've a line with a carabiner at the cockpit, going fwd, through a block at the bow and back to the cockpit. Go alongside the pickup buoy, short boathook to the pickup line, snap the carabiner on and pull the line in to take the pick up buoy to the bow, then sort that out when convenient.
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