Some thoughts from the South of France

benjenbav

benjenbav

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Just back from an action-packed week in our family house in the SoF.

One thought that's been going round in my mind is, exactly how and when do you pick up a ground line if you're the first boat in to an empty dock with a cross-wind blowing?

I watched various boats mooring without gaining any enlightenment. Some monsters backing onto their own anchors in St Tropez - I can work that one out. Some boats reversing between others which were already tied up and then picking up a ground line after fastening their own stern lines. Again, understandable.

What I didn't see was anyone mooring in a situation where you can't use an anchor and you need to pick up a ground line to hold the bows (i.e. there's no other boats next door). Or do you still fasten the stern lines and motor against them whilst sorting out the ground line?

We arrived late at night last Sunday and, opening the windows the next morning, in one of the spare rooms I found this, between the outside of the glass and the shutter.

DSC_0004-1.jpg


Eeek! 10 kg of living death. Thank goodness I was at least half-awake and didn't actually open the window.

A beekeeper is currently awaited to remove the colony to a more congenial home. Meanwhile the window has been sealed.

Finally, of all the boats I saw last week, perhaps my favourite was this Bertram 25:

p1-produits-20.jpg


I struggled not to get my chequebook out.
 
benjenbav said:
exactly how and when do you pick up a ground line if you're the first boat in to an empty dock with a cross-wind blowing?
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Helmsman just holds it there on props and thruster while crew attaches windward sternline then picks up (using boathook) windward groundline and quickly walks it forward. Best imho not to put any fenders out on the windward side to make this task as fast as possible (I mean, eliminates snagging). Hook the lazy line onto midship cleats as you go, in case wind is too strong by the time you get to bow

Tricky without a bowthruster, and a good crew person is very helpful. Attaching windward sternline and motoring forward on leeward engine should work

Cor blimey them there bees is quite a sight (shock). Good idea not to open the window. Or play cricket in that bedroom.
 
Helmsman just holds it there on props and thruster while crew attaches windward sternline then picks up (using boathook) windward groundline and quickly walks it forward. Best imho not to put any fenders out on the windward side to make this task as fast as possible (I mean, eliminates snagging). Hook the lazy line onto midship cleats as you go, in case wind is too strong by the time you get to bow
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Ah, thanks. I had run away with the notion that you picked up the ground line before attaching the stern line and couldn't make sense of how this could be done.

As for the bees, it was quite frightening because - as you know - our girls, being autistic, aren't capable of accepting instructions not to do something like not open a window. Whilst my wife took the girls out to the pool and with the door shut and barricaded behind me I screwed a plate across the fixed and opening parts of the window frame and that was interesting itself, knowing that - if the screwdriver slipped - I would almost certainly die of anaphylactic shock. :eek:
 
I hope you beehived yourself :-)

Med mooring in a cross wind with no other boats either side is the trickiest mooring situation i've faced. I concur Johns method, I find keeping one or both engines in gear puts too much strain on the ropes and cleats, plus with all the turbulence you have a good chance of catching a lazy line in the props.
 
benjenbav said:
Finally, of all the boats I saw last week, perhaps my favourite was this Bertram 25:

p1-produits-20.jpg


I struggled not to get my chequebook out.
Click to expand...

Did you have a chance to find out about the Bertram BJB? eg. year model, engines, etc.

There are not too many of the runabout versions compared to the flybridge models out here (Oz) because of the popularity of the FB as a mini-game boat, and usually large runabout buyers prefer the more sleek appearance of the 'needle nosed' brands.
 
The answer is well described by jfm. The difficult point for me is when backing up to the quay (with noone each side), as you get close you will shut off but need a nudge forward to stop hitting the quay. At this point behind you will be a mass of ropes underwater just waiting to catch in the turning props. You can fender at the back but they can roll up at the last moment.
 
Oh yuk, horrible sight on window

Most bow thrusters fitted as standard to production boats are not powerful enough to hold the bow against a really strong cross wind, especially after a few months Med fouling which causes them to lose a lot of force so IMHO attaching a stern line first is not a good idea unless you're really confident that the bowthruster will hold the boat. Yes you can go ahead on downwind engine but that puts a big strain on your stern line.
Personally, I always prefer to have control over the stern so, in such a mooring situation, I would try to hold station using the engines and thruster until the bow line is attached. Angling the boat into the wind a bit helps and, yes, it does help to have an agile and competent crew person to do handle the bow line. There's nothing worse than having a crew person that takes forever to capture the lazy line with the boathook or worse drops the line going forward. Once the bow line is attached, you can attach the stern lines at your leisure.
Having said this, mooring stern to in a cross wind situation without having a boat one side or another either to lean against or hang off, is every Med boater's nightmare scenario so it's best avoided if at all possible
 
Having said this, mooring stern to in a cross wind situation without having a boat one side or another either to lean against or hang off, is every Med boater's nightmare scenario so it's best avoided if at all possible
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As in, "Capitainerie, capitainerie, this is yacht benjenbav etc...I think I may need to nip outside the harbour and pick up something I forgot. I'm perfectly happy to follow someone else in and moor up next to them when they're all sorted out."
 
benjenbav said:
As in, "Capitainerie, capitainerie, this is yacht benjenbav etc...I think I may need to nip outside the harbour and pick up something I forgot. I'm perfectly happy to follow someone else in and moor up next to them when they're all sorted out."
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He, he I've seen that just recently when 2 Italian mobos arrived simultaneously in my marina. For the first time ever in their lives I guess, each one was inviting the other to go in first.
Most Med marinas are aware of the difficulties in mooring cross wind and you usually find there are 1 or 2 marineros on hand in breezy conditions to give you the lazy lines. Obviously the prospect of a tip keeps them keen
 
Keep it simple

I all the above is good advice. my 10p worth

I usually get two crew stationed on the transom. Loads of fenders down the side. One to be ready with the "roving fender" if i screw it up and the other to get off and take lines ashore and get them made off ASAP. The lazy line is the last thing i worry about as if i have two aft or mid lines ashore and a fell fendered botty i can deal with anything that arises without engines (that said, we are only 30ft!! in the med and no bow thruster) We then focus on the lasy line and use it to pull the boat away from the dock wall.

....i have found that when faced with a difficult mooring like med mooring when no other boats to "guide" you in and a fast cross wind, i take advantage of the large space and GENTLY glide up to the dock moving upwind and side on. When everyone is ready we hand manouvre the boat into place...It aint pretty but nobody dies, nobody pays damanges and best of all no shouting :-)

oh yes and at the end, we always smile, line up and take a bow after the performance.
 
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