Single Handed onto a Pontoon in Strong Wind

jusw

jusw

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Last weekend was a bit blowy, but unperturbed I ventured out and had two days decent / exciting sailing.

However, I realised that whilst I'm OK approaching a pontoon in light winds, doing the same with a strong wind off the pontoon was a bit harder! After cocking up 3 out of 4 attempts at different times in the weekend I think I should seek some advice.

The one occasion all went well was when single handed (but I did have help with someone receiving the lines who was already on the pontoon)

The other 3 occasions my crew disembarked and basically weren't quick enough or perhaps I should say the skipper wasn't good enough to keep the boat against the pontoon.

Any tips / techniques please??

JuSw
 
Use centre cleat and have a short tail with loop to drop over bollard on pontoon with other end led back to winch. Move slowly in drop loop over bollard and tension / shorten on winch and use rudder / engine to bring boat alongside and hold in position whilst bow and stern lines sorted out. Departure is reverse with the loop being replaced by a slip.
 
It depends on the amount of room of you have. If approaching a lateral pontoon then you could go in bow first, drop a loop over a cleat with a reasonable amount of rope (say half a boat length) and then you could motor in with this as a bow spring until you can drop a stern rope loop over another cleat. Loads of fenders.

Or just come in it a bit of lick, turning side on a the last and drop a mid-cleat rope over a cleat and wind it in on the winch.

Or find a pontoon slot on the other side and move later!
 
I rig a long spring, bow to stern, with a large bite in the middle. I then approach the pontoon and stop with my midships near a dock cleat. Step over smartly and get the spring on. You can get back on board and adjust the spring as necessary, I use the winch if it's blowing hard. The bow and stern lines can follow.

Practise when it's calm. If approaching under engine, it's very important to be familiar with your stopping distance.
 
Think I'd prepare a long bow line (half the boat length, at least) with a large loop in the end. Crew can step onto pontoon from amidships and put loop onto a handy bollard. Put boat into forward gear, steer away from pontoon and it should lie cosily against the pontoon whilst other lines are sorted out.

Same system if single handed but long bow line a bit longer so you can pick it up easily from cockpit.
I've also successfully used the earlier mentioned method of approaching the pontoon at rt.angles, bow first, and dropping a bow line over a cleat and then either using this as a bow spring or else reversing back to lie alongside the pontoon. It's a bit more frantic than the above though, if you are on your own /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

Practice will make perfect ( or something acceptable, anyway ).
 
Use a winch then, or another strong point such as the shroud plates. There should not be a great deal of strain on it if you are sensible. It is just a way of holding station while you set up long term lines.

Motoring gently against a bow spring will do too, if you tie the rudder to hold her against the pontoon.

Always set up the warps & fenders you need early, & have a plan of action - plus an escape plan too! Good luck.
 
Go with Beakey’s suggestion. We use it as a matter of course, even when fully crewed. We had an instructor onboard for a day a few years ago to make us do man overboard drills. (we always say we will but never did practise them) This was one of the tips he showed us as we usually sail shorthanded.

The fact that you don't have a central cleat shouldn't be too much of a problem, as long as you have a "fairlead" of some form around amidships, you can bring the mooring line back/forward somewhere else to make one end fast. I use our primary (we have lost of winches so tail off on another one!)

Just remember, lost of fenders out!

I wouldn't recommend anything where you leave the boat without at least one line made fast. All it needs is a bit of tide and wind and you will never hold her! If in doubt moor somewhere else and move her later, or radio the marina/local water taxi etc. for a helping hand.
 
OK I have a Hunter 23 so much the same sort of boat handling - I tend to do a lot of single handed sailing and I only have an outboard so life is a little more difficult for me as you will have some prop wash to help you.

Like you I do not have a centre cleat and no winches on the cockpit side. I know that I will get shouted down for this but here goes.
I rig a short stern line with a loop in it . Approach the pontoon at an angle and turn parallel to it at the last minute As you pass a cleat drop the loop over the cleat and then put the engine ahead - speed depends on wind strength - and put he helm over. This will keep the nose in for long enough for you to jump off with the bow line in you hand and tie off.

If it all goes wrong only the bow falls away pivoting on the short stern line rather swinging wildly on a long bow line.

Oh and practice, practice ,practice.
 
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Where you are a bow thruster and a stern thruster would be useful!

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Before sharing the following story, I will state that I have a new (to me) boat and I am still getting used to her. That is fact, that is my excuse, and I ain't deviating.

On board, night entry into Bradwell (for those that know, thats a feat worthy of a seperate mention) with my friend who is as good as new to sailing. Plan is she does the bow line and I jump off and do the stern.

Manouevre goes really well, a firm squirt of reverse to kick the stern to port and all is momentarily stationary and all is well. I jump off, rope in hand, and see .........

........... wash in the water.

After the reverse squirt I had knocker her into forward and actually tried to hold onto the toe rail to stop her. So ........

Dont do either the :

1. Grabbing the toe rail thing ie rope round the cleat asap

and

2. Dont jump off the boat with the engine in forward.

There, another thing off my chest /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
With strong wind off the pontoon (long straight pontoon, not finger berth) I find that the bow blows off very quickly as I reduce speed. The radical solution is to reverse up to the pontoon; I can go as slowly as I like and the bow will always point downwind. On reaching the pontoon drop a stern line over a cleat and the boat will hang there pointing downwind while I step ashore with a long bow line and haul the bow up to the pontoon by brute force. On a bigger boat I suppose you could use a winch or windlass to haul the bow in.
 
That's a common one. All your attention is focussed on the quay/ pontoon & warps, so gear lever isn't quite in neutral & everyone is ashore so can't reach the throttle!

Probably happens once or twice a year if I'm honest. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
haa, im not the only one,did same at bradwell last year,jumped of boat managed to get one turn around bollard with not spare to tie off,still in gear O "P#### held on for ten long min till help arived,very red faced,I have a line made fast on forward cleat and run it out side of handrail to the rear and have a boat hook with a snapshackel on, as you pass cleat hook on and keep engine on tickover in gear rudder on full lock to keep stern in,if miss just go around again ,plenty of fenders,
 
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Thanks for this but Treble C doesn't have centre cleats!

JuSw

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OK ... use a chainplate or base of a stay for fixing a near-midships line ... it's purely to be temp while you get bow and stern lines over.

If you do it by having a line from bow - that line has to be long so that engine ahead, rudder turning stern into pontoon makes bow come of pontoon enough to let boat lay alongside. If short - bow will fight it and boat will never lay alongside. Same if stern line.
 
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