Single-handed Mooring

phockit

phockit

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 Nov 2006
Messages
97
Location
Dorset
Visit site
We have a 25' sports cruiser with single out-drive and no bow-thruster on a pontoon/finger mooring. To date, I've always had crew on board and moored up by getting a bow line on to the pontoon and then going astern to hold us against the finger while sorting the stern line.

As my normal crew is quite busy looking after our 5 month old daughter /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif it would be useful to take the boat out single-handed to ensure it gets some regular excercise. What I'm not sure on, is how I'd get it back on the mooring......a line from the middle cleat on the boat that I hook on to the cleat on the end of the finger as I go past and then drive against that to hold it against the pontoon ??

I do fender up so I can lay alongside my neighbour if needs be but I'd rather not use that as my normal strategy /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Any other ideas from the extensive forum experiences ??

Thanks

Paul
 
[ QUOTE ]
......a line from the middle cleat on the boat that I hook on to the cleat on the end of the finger as I go past and then drive against that to hold it against the pontoon ??

[/ QUOTE ] Got it in one, I'd say.

Practice on a calm day so you can do everything slowly, and dont be afraid to back right away and start the process over again.

Good luck
 
It depends on exactly where the cleats are positioned on the boat and pontoon.

Using the mid-ships cleat can work well. Just be aware that there can be a fair sized gap between boat and pontoon at this point!

Alternatively, you could arrange the bow line so that you can throw it ashore from the cockpit. Lassoo the stern cleat, then step ashore and pull the bow back in using the bow line that's now on the pontoon. Gentle fender contact with neighbour fully fendered up only loses you a couple of style points /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

dv.
 
TheThe line on the mid cleat is a good start, but unless there is a very strong current of strong wind you souldnt need to bully the boat into the berth. With a bit of practise it is possible to get the boat in the right place so that either you or you crew can simply step off and tie up.

I single hand my current 25ft boat, and have done on the last couple of boats, the biggest being 35ft with twin stern drives but no bow thruster.

Its a question of anticipation and preparation and it will all go smoothly. Assuming you want to reverse into your berth with the finger on the port or starboard side there are a few things you need to take into account. I dont know how much you have done, so forgive me if I am telling you how to suck eggs but with a stern drive boat the most important thing I ever learnt was steer before gear.

In essence, have your steering set correctly, before you use any throttle at all. The other thing to remember is the slower you go, the easier it all is.

So assuming you have no adverse wind or current, the best approach to your berth would be to motor slowly down the fairway between the two main pontoons and disengage the power a berth or two before you get to yours. As the front 1/3 of your boat draws level with your berth (remember you are in neutral at present) apply full lock towards your berth. Engage reverse but only for a brief time, just knock it into gear and then out again. This will stop any forward movement and kick the stern towards your berth. Take a little lock off (half a turn or so) and reapeat with another second or so of reverse gear. This will have set the momentum for the boat and you should now be gently heading for your berth. Now it comes down to feel. You might need a little burtst with some steering lock on, or if you are looking lined up, straighted the wheel and give another slightly longer burst. you will now be almost in the berth and heading in a staright line. Leave the helm with the mid or stern line and stel off onto the finger pontonn and secure the line.

you are now free to do all the other lines etc etc as the boat is secure.
 
I do a lot of my boating on my own and, with my last boat, I made up a strop which was fixed to the relevant cleat on the finger and looped over the boat's midships cleat. On leaving the pontoon I could leave this till last and then drop it onto the dock as I departed, picking it up with a boat hook on the way in and allowing the other warps to be settled at leisure.

Current boat is much better at sitting still so, even single-handed, I tend just to reverse in and wander leisurely across the cockpit to loop the stern line over the cleat on the dock and then run engines as required to keep the bow in.
 
All good advice - I used to hook a strop on the mid cleat too when alone - only thing to make sure is that for'd or aft movement is minimal - when coming in against a beam wind blowing you off... your angle will be steeper and you tend to need more speed to maintain direction... if you still have motion when you go into nuetral to go hook the strop - it can be VERY difficult to stop her - this was the one and only lesson I nearly learned the hard way by whacking the bow on the facing pontoon - just managed to catch it.... Once you have a done it a few times - you'll be fine!!!!

Good luck.
 
On my solo Round Britain tip I only had one time when I had a problem and that was where I had a dead beam wind pushing me off when I was coming alongside a pontoon (not a finger). In that case he only way I found I could get it to work was to back up to the pontoon dead into wind, stop as close as poss to the pontoon and then lassoo a cleat over the back. I tried coming parallel to the pontoon with extra speed but stopping close enough and then having time to lassoo a cleat before the wind pushed me off proved difficult. I found that coming in into wind made the boat much less susceptable to the effects of the wind and gave me enough time to lassoo the cleat.

I am not saying that this is the best way on paper but it worked for me and I was safe and controlled.
 
I do as JRB suggests.

I fender, prepare a midship or bow line and take it back to the stern. Then a stern line.

Approach slow, stop, wheel hard over towards berth before power, short blips in reverse until ready to straighten wheel and reverse. The reason I like this method is that if the stern goes too far round, you can often stop it and bring it back quickly without altering the wheel with a quick forward blip on the same engine.

Straighten wheel, reverse in slow and steady, hop off with bow and stern lines, quick oxo to stern, then pull the bow line and make off to mid or end cleat on pontoon.

Works well every time.

Remember, keep it nice and slow and if in any doubt, pull out and try again!
 
Single-handed Mooring? I know of non other! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif You seem to be well on top of it with those techniques.
 
Thanks for all the good advice everyone (as ever !!). I bullied a mate in to crewing for me today with a thought that we might try the different options......twas way too cold though (by the time we'd got back from an hour hooning around poole bay/harbour /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif ) so we just moored up and went to warm up in the bar instead /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

S28 - having used the stern line to hold the boat going in today, I think you may be right and this will be as easy/better than the mid cleat option for our setup.

Jez - I'll try the stern-to mooring but the fingers on our pontoon flare out where they join the pontoon so we might end up too far away from the pontoon to be able to step aboard. Thanks for the reminder on how to do it, anyway /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Paul
 
The alternative I've seen to your method, is a rope fastened to the pontoon and the end resting usually in a row lock on the end of a plastic pole. So you just reach for the end and tie to boat as you come along side.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I use the mid ships cleat system but to make it easier I have fitted a ss pole to the pontoon cleat about 3feet in height. This enables me to easily drop a prepared loop onto the pontoon cleat.

[/ QUOTE ]

Any chance of a photo?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top