sailing (withthe rags up) into a marina

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tim_ber

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Have you ever seen it done or done it yourself?

Driving to work, my mind was wandering and I remembered many years ago seeing 2 kids sail a small cruiser into a marina and 'park' up.

I was very impressed and just wondered if others have seen it, done it and how difficult it is / was.

Me, under engine is scarey enough, thanks. I do like swinging moorings.
 
I was following a Dutch boat into Boulogne and was amazed to see them sail right in up to the hammerhead. There was an F4plus blowing but the marina there is quite sheltered - nevertheless a 'tour de force'.

Later I saw somone up the mast and discovered that the main halliard was jambed.
 
Sailed into the old port of La Rochelle through the towers and got a bo**ocking for it once thats as far as it goes for me. I think most English marinas prohibit the practice.
 
Yes - a good while ago. Port Hamble.

Up the river comes one of Robin Aisher's Yeomans, under spinnaker (no main) on a port reach. Heading upstream, they sailed just past the hammerhead at the end of their pontoon, started coming through the wind, dumped the kite, and carried their way to turn downstream and park on their downstream-facing berth. A few minutes later, not to be outdone, Morning Cloud did exactly the same - the boats were moored with a couple of spaces of each other.

Got a smattering of applause.
 
Our 'marina' is not as inaccessible as some so this happens quite often up here.
Last year a friend of mine was having her boat re-engined but carried on sailing quite happily whilst waiting for the parts to arrive. Fortunately she had a berth which could be approached in a straight line without any need for sharp turns. Tricky thing was to keep on steerage way but still be able to stop five tons of boat!

I've only done it myself a few times and usually to an outside berth where there is a run-out option, although not in every case. Generally a matter of having the right conditions and some time to spare.

I was very glad that I'd had a few practises at this when one day I slipped my mooring, intending to head into the marina, to discover that my prop shaft was stuck. Quite nervous knowing I couldn't just turn on the donk to get me out of trouble but fortunately I had already fendered and conditions were such that I could just unroll a bit of headsail, and it went pretty smoothly.

So I think it's an important skill to practise as you don't know when you'll need it for real.
 
petehb said:
Sailed into the old port of La Rochelle through the towers and got a bo**ocking for it once thats as far as it goes for me. I think most English marinas prohibit the practice.
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Not prohibited at Shotley under the published rules. They probably thought no one would try it. I have sailed down the approach channel & onto the outside pontoon once when engine failed, interesting.
 
Have had to do it a few times with busted engines. Obviously, being part of the job, do it quite a bit for practice.

Try it, its easier than it looks, plan ahead, sail with reduced horsepower, reef, roll or whatever. Can always have the engine running out of gear if you need a nudge.

Its very satisfying. My mate, on an Instructor assessment, was invited to sail into a med style berth. Next to my boat! He did good.
 
Only actually done it once and that was under instruction in a sailing school boat sailing into their own mini marina.

I knew someone years ago who used to sail into his berth sometimes in Moody's.

The French do it all the time don't they? At least they used to.
 
For anyone experienced with sailing dinghies, it's much easier than it looks; 'scandalising' or depowereing the main is a trick worth being familiar with for both offshore sailing and close quarters manouvering; either haul the boom up by the topping lift with the kicker/ vang loose to spill wind from the main, or let the mainsheet right out then grab the whole purchase with a handful to 'sheet in', also very handy for 'reach - tack - reach' Man Overboard.

Sailing into a berth is sometimes easier and more instinctive than motoring in !
 
tim_ber said:
Have you ever seen it done or done it yourself?

Driving to work, my mind was wandering and I remembered many years ago seeing 2 kids sail a small cruiser into a marina and 'park' up.

I was very impressed and just wondered if others have seen it, done it and how difficult it is / was.

Me, under engine is scarey enough, thanks. I do like swinging moorings.
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Very common in Antibes (sailing out of marina too) for up to say 45 footers, but helpfully there is a patch of water in the middle (in front of Y quay) where you can raise/drop the sails and you use the engine for the run along the corridor/fairway off which your berth is located. Of course it's usually impractical to do that last bit under sail in the Med because the berths are stern-to, so you'd have to do a bit going astern, which requires you to be very lucky with the wind
 
It used to be part of the Coastal Skipper course run by Ulster Cruising School at Carrickfergus Marina in their 32ft boat - you had to be able to do it and sail out again to pass the course.
Not that difficult really if you plan it properly.
 
We were watching the dragon fleet racing in Denmark, just south of Aarhus, a few years ago. The whole fleet, maybe 20 of them, sailed into the marina, in line, and then into their berths at the far end of the marina. There were a few frantic grabs at the end of pontoons or other boats, when the odd one got it wrong, but most were inch-perfect. It was a very impressive display.
Also in Denmark, this time in the marina north of Aarhus (Egaa), we saw people sailing in and out on quite substantial cruisers.
Perhaps Denmark is different!
 
Yep... was just thinking about wind direction, and can't see one that would make it at all practical or safe to do so for my berth there.... i'd need to be downwind through the lock, and in those circumstances, would have really trouble with the boom hitting the lock or the building!!!!!!!

Saying that, I did see a boat sail through the lock into the Ipswich wet docks.... albeit on free flow... and they did call up for permission to do so first, and then dropped their sails before proceeding into one of the marinas
 
Yup - sailed into and out from East Cowes visitors berths - huge and at the time only had 1 other vessel in - just under main to come in ... going out we went out under full sail and no engine - to the dropped jaws of the students on the next boat ...

I think it's important to practice close quarter skills under sail - you never know when you might just need them!
 
Morgana said:
Yep... was just thinking about wind direction, and can't see one that would make it at all practical or safe to do so for my berth there.... i'd need to be downwind through the lock, and in those circumstances, would have really trouble with the boom hitting the lock or the building!!!!!!!
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Well - sheet the main to the centre line and use the genoa to add speed! ... Jeeze !! ;)
 
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