rafting up.

[gjgm]

Was first onto a bouy the other weekend in Salcome, so even we could manage to get attached!
Anyway, first boat joined us, and we sort of ended up resting mainly about 1/3 of the way down his boat, so I tried letting put more line to the bouy, but we didnt really align.
We went off to the beach, and returned to a total of three more boats on the bouy. Two to one side of us, and now one to the other. H/master had asked the boat to our outer to rope our two sterns together, though I didnt see any other groups on bouys doing the same- and I dont recall ever doing so myself.
So, I guess my question is-how do you get to lie nicely alongside, or will some boat shapes simply not do so? I would say we had a fair length of rope off the bouy by now.

 

[Firefly625]

Was first onto a bouy the other weekend in Salcome, so even we could manage to get attached!
Anyway, first boat joined us, and we sort of ended up resting mainly about 1/3 of the way down his boat, so I tried letting put more line to the bouy, but we didnt really align.
We went off to the beach, and returned to a total of three more boats on the bouy. Two to one side of us, and now one to the other. H/master had asked the boat to our outer to rope our two sterns together, though I didnt see any other groups on bouys doing the same- and I dont recall ever doing so myself.
So, I guess my question is-how do you get to lie nicely alongside, or will some boat shapes simply not do so? I would say we had a fair length of rope off the bouy by now.

never have I rafted up on a buoy without attaching stern warps, but you do need to pick your rafted up party better, sounds like your are all random shapes, serves you right for going to the beach!!(yeah OK, you can't really chose your neighbours, but it would be nice sometimes). Mobo's have square bums where as raggies tapered ones so it is a balancing act and one that I take seriously as when the wind gets up at around midnight tonight being moored up well will give you a far better night sleep... I would basically try and get the boats looking square together and then get the buoy sitting centre to the raft... but does take willingness from others to comply. Good luck with that!

 

[cem]

then try and leave after your trip when you are in the middle of the raft when everyone else has gone off to the pub and their lines are not long enough to go across you to the next boat and you are short handed and trying to get away before the tide etc etc

fun fun fun

(happened to us up the river at wareham a few weeks back, took a bit of juggling to escape)

 

[jrudge]

What load is the buoy supposed to take? I would have thought one boat? Put lots of them on it I would imagine the large lump of concrete on the end of the string would have dragged?

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

H/master had asked the boat to our outer to rope our two sterns together, though I didnt see any other groups on bouys doing the same- and I dont recall ever doing so myself.

I don't like roping stern to stern cleat to stern cleat myself when rafted up. The line is inevitably very short and any swell causes bad snatching. In fact I don't like roping bow cleat to bow cleat either. IMHO all you need is a line from your stern cleat to the other boat's midships cleat and back to your bow cleat and vice versa for the other boat. There is no reason to truss boats up like chickens when rafted up and any connecting lines should be as long as possible to take up any snatching. Obviously you need plenty of fenders

 

[gjgm]

What load is the buoy supposed to take? I would have thought one boat? Put lots of them on it I would imagine the large lump of concrete on the end of the string would have dragged?

No.. 4 is about a normal raft on a bouy in Salcombe, so I guess they know what the bouy will handle.
ok, differing opinions..admit every other time I have been there , all rafted boats simply hang off the bouy, only this time we seemed to be at 30 degrees.

 

[Firefly625]

mmm I would always want long breast ropes and let the springs do the work... indeed breast ropes snatching can become pretty uncomfortable

 

[hlb]

In hundreds of times rafting, I never found it a problem and different types of boats is just an old wives tale, cos raggies like to be together. If they cant raft along side a flat sided boat, how the hell do they manage on a pontoon??

I can understand the reasons for not attaching stern to stern, but in a harbour, I never found it a problem, just moor to next door as you would to a pontoon.

Maybe whats going wrong, is, First you need to moor to the boat already there, then put a line to the buoy. Maybe need the dinghy to do this, or a friendly HM.

 

[gjgm]

In hundreds of times rafting, I never found it a problem and different types of boats is just an old wives tale, cos raggies like to be together. If they cant raft along side a flat sided boat, how the hell do they manage on a pontoon??

I can understand the reasons for not attaching stern to stern, but in a harbour, I never found it a problem, just moor to next door as you would to a pontoon.

Maybe whats going wrong, is, First you need to moor to the boat already there, then put a line to the buoy. Maybe need the dinghy to do this, or a friendly HM.

I think that is good advice, though note I was the first on the bouy, so I was a bit puzzled why it was me who ended up at angles. Maybe my logic is flawed in that thought, though!

 

[stuarta]

If the other boat(s) were sailing yachts then there was probably more of them in the water (deep keels) than there was of you. I guess this may have meant that they sat more comfortably head to tide (or wind at slack water, or perhaps a combination of both) while you moved around more?

 

[gjgm]

Broadly similarly sized mobos...HM usually tries to do that.
Mind you, I did like the radio call
I am a very large cat and want a bouy to myself right off the town.
-Slight pause from HM, this being peak season in the most popular anchorage on the south coast....
Not sure we can manage that...
In fact someone did just vacate a bouy, but I sniggered a bit when some French boat came in late and rafted along side.

 

[stuarta]

I'm a very large cat...

 

[Ferretti 881RPH Dreamer]

I'm a very large cat...

Thats just the outboard purring away...............

 

[hlb]

I think that is good advice, though note I was the first on the bouy, so I was a bit puzzled why it was me who ended up at angles. Maybe my logic is flawed in that thought, though!

Sounds like the other boats moored far to tight to the buoy. Then rafted against you. It wont work. First moor to the other boat in a happy place., then add a rope to the buoy A bit slack, dont start tugging.. Basicly, your all hanging off the first boats rope, but yours are there for safety, or if some one moves.

 

[gjgm]

Sounds like the other boats moored far to tight to the buoy. Then rafted against you. It wont work. First moor to the other boat in a happy place., then add a rope to the buoy A bit slack, dont start tugging.. Basicly, your all hanging off the first boats rope, but yours are there for safety, or if some one moves.

Sounds right. I'll boss them about more next time !

 

[whisper]

Sounds right. I'll boss them about more next time !

Or alternatively you could use your anchor. Whoops, forgot, you don't know how to use one of those do you!! [grin]



Were you down last weekend or earlier?

 

[gjgm]

Or alternatively you could use your anchor. Whoops, forgot, you don't know how to use one of those do you!! [grin]



Were you down last weekend or earlier?

21/22..

Good point about the anchor, but I have usually run aground by the time I think about that.