Pile Mooring -- Single Handed

[Dockhead]

It is not exactly easy but again it’s not impossible, granted a strong cross wind would make life complicated but it should be possible to quickly get a line around the static pile line onto a mid ships cleat. The alternative is to fit a stern thruster to complement the probable bow thruster that can then be set to hold the boat against the taught pile line using proportional thrust. There are many ways to skin a feline.

That poor, multiply skinned feline!

No stern thruster for me, thanks, but yes -- I'm thinking the very same thing with the static line.

Just like docking on a pontoon or quay, getting the middle tied to something is the key to stability. The bow thruster then can control any error in angle -- provided there are no loose ropes in the water.

A strong side wind changes everything, however, and I won't try this in such conditions for the time being. My first attempt on Saturday will be at the high water stand so there won't be much current. Hope this high pressure holds up.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Fixing the stern line first might be better then you can moter gently against it and if necessary use the bow thruster

 

[SaltIre]

Fixing the stern line first might be better then you can moter gently against it and if necessary use the bow thruster

Fix the stern line, then suck the floating line you've cunningly left attached to the fwd pile into the bow thruster and you're done.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Fix the stern line, then suck the floating line you've cunningly left attached to the fwd pile into the bow thruster and you're done.

No it can be brought on board or clipped to the pile centre line it doesn’t have to be left dangling

 

[Egret]

Is there a case for having an afternoon of lots of practice with a workboat on standby and a couple of people on the deck, just in case, to see what works for you best and what doesn't- with tides in both directions - Also is there room somewhere close to mooring to turn easily - at all states of tide - or is it a case of end for ending the boat on warps to go back out again - can you turn it on warps or is it too heavy?

Are you sure the harbour team wouldn't help you with warps from time to time - until both you and they are confident with you, as it is in their interest - where I am they escort all the visitors in and make sure they are safely moored.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Our local boatyard do the assisting for the Waverley. She needs a timely shove from a 300ph RIB to get onto the end of Yarmouth pier without a bit too much entertainment for bystanders

 

[14K478]

Our local boatyard do the assisting for the Waverley. She needs a timely shove from a 300ph RIB to get onto the end of Yarmouth pier without a bit too much entertainment for bystanders

Tam Grundy does the same for the Waverley in Harwich and Ipswich; she is well known as an absolute swine to park because her paddles are fixed and her rudder is tiny.

 

[Dockhead]

+1
Spent only a few weeks on a big boat (a friend s 61' Swan, those from the 80s, IIRC 35 tons?), bring the boat to the exact spot at the right moment and it allows you some more seconds to maneuver ropes and the like, get it even slightly wrong and one has to do it all again, which might be easy but also not easy/impossible, once it has gathered any momentum the human force is irrelevant. Delivered her from the US to Gibraltar via Horta, had only three occasions to moor but it was immediately self-explanatory

Indeed; all it takes is a little experience to understand it

The best thing about a larger monohull is that it is much less blown around by the wind, and has more momentum. It's much easier to get her to lay up alongside a quay or pontoon with a turn at the last moment, and slide in. Unless you're being strongly blown off, it's then child's play to lasso cleats and get her under control, even single handed.

The other big difference, however, is that human arms cannot meaningfully manipulate such a boat's position. It must all be done at the helm. Took me a while to get used to that, after growing up on my Father's 38 footer. He was not the greatest with harbour maneuvers, and this boat was a long keeler which would reverse only in a spiral. His technique was to get some part of the boat somewhere within grabbing distance of something, and for me to manhandle her in . This technique does not work on my boat!

 

[PeterV]

Now some concrete experience Thank you for that.

One question to you -- you tie either end of the pickup line to the mooring strops/lines of both piles? So the pickup line is roughly the length of your boat? You don't untie it once your tied off, but just leave it on deck?

And do you use two mooring strops/lines per pile, or only one?

In order to avoid running up to the bow, which is pretty far on my boat, I think I will try the temporary line through the bow cleat. I can then get the mooring strop/line hardened up from the cockpit.

Strong cross winds are what I'm really afraid of. I do have a 10hp bow thruster which will help with the bow, but so far I think that above 15 knots or so of cross wind it just won't be possible, or at least, not safe.

Yes, two mooring lines on each pile, eye splices in the ends to fit your cleats and the pick up line lies along your deck when moored up