stern-to mooring, solo, any tips on deploying the anchor?

[jhr]

Well yes... Thats what I meant too. Obviously things have changed since I last chartered in the Ionian but most boats went in bow first with a kedge over the stern then. The advantage is that it gives you privacy in your cockpit. I really can't see why the stern should swing about if you have the kedge through a fairlead or stern roller fitting. The disadvantage is that you need to rig a bow passerelle to get ashore or have a step to lower from your pushpit which is awkward compared to going over the stern but I can't see any other reason for going in stern first.... Someone want to enlighten me?

I think ease of access is the main reason, as you've already said. Bow first gives you privacy but makes you an anti-social git .

I also think that far more Med Moorings, particularly in small Aegean and Ionian harbours, have been made safe for stern-to mooring in recent years (i.e. there are fewer places with tons of ballast sloping out from the quay to knacker your rudder when gentle zephyrs ruffle the surface of the water and your boat starts to impersonate a rocking horse).

 

[Roberto]

I can't see any other reason for going in stern first.... Someone want to enlighten me?

exhibitionism ?


:laugh:

 

[Tranona]

Well yes... Thats what I meant too. Obviously things have changed since I last chartered in the Ionian but most boats went in bow first with a kedge over the stern then. The advantage is that it gives you privacy in your cockpit. I really can't see why the stern should swing about if you have the kedge through a fairlead or stern roller fitting. The disadvantage is that you need to rig a bow passerelle to get ashore or have a step to lower from your pushpit which is awkward compared to going over the stern but I can't see any other reason for going in stern first.... Someone want to enlighten me?

I think the bow to is more common with smaller boats that don't go well astern and don't have an open transom. The kedge is also under the control of the helm and smaller boats tend not to have a windlass.

However once you get above abot 34ft and open transom - which is now the norm, stern to becomes much more practical, particularly if you have a saildrive engine which makes going astern much easier because of lack of propwalk. On this size of boat the bow tends to be higher making the foredeck work much harder.

My wife and I manage reasonably well provided the anchor sets OK and there is not too much crosswind. Can be a bit scary though when I step ashore with the lines and look back at this huge 6 tons plus relying on me to tether it!

 

[boatmike]

I think ease of access is the main reason, as you've already said. Bow first gives you privacy but makes you an anti-social git .

I also think that far more Med Moorings, particularly in small Aegean and Ionian harbours, have been made safe for stern-to mooring in recent years (i.e. there are fewer places with tons of ballast sloping out from the quay to knacker your rudder when gentle zephyrs ruffle the surface of the water and your boat starts to impersonate a rocking horse).

Well I probably am an anti-social git in terms of not liking rubbernecking tourists looking into my main cabin, but that aside I see your other point about safety. One reason I always avoided going in stern first was the possibility of grounding rudders. If you are sure there are no obstacles then it's an OK thing to do. I probably would still go in bow first with my cat though as the rudders are right aft and very vulnerable. Also the wide solid bridgedeck for'ard make getting ashore from the bows easy. Horses for courses I guess....

 

[tudorsailor]

I think the bow to is more common with smaller boats that don't go well astern and don't have an open transom. The kedge is also under the control of the helm and smaller boats tend not to have a windlass.

However once you get above abot 34ft and open transom - which is now the norm, stern to becomes much more practical, particularly if you have a saildrive engine which makes going astern much easier because of lack of propwalk. On this size of boat the bow tends to be higher making the foredeck work much harder.

My wife and I manage reasonably well provided the anchor sets OK and there is not too much crosswind. Can be a bit scary though when I step ashore with the lines and look back at this huge 6 tons plus relying on me to tether it!

Many marinas now have mooring lines which help a bit. When I chartered a lot I used to take a collapsable bow ladder with me in my luggage. This makes getting on and off much easier if you do go in bow first.
If there is a big cross wind, it can be easier to simply drive into a gap, however getting the kedge drop right is tricky.
If going in stern first and there is a mooring line, one can use the windlass to take up the slack of the line. Good trick when its windy. Finally if singlehanded and going in between two other boats, you can always squeeze inbetween and then tie to one or other via a midships cleat. Then you can sort out stern lines and mooring line at you leisure.

You comment about the strength needed to tether your yacht. I was taught to use the engine to help. With the lines set approximately and without great tension, go into reverse and see if your anchor/mooring line stops your yacht at the right distance from the quay. If you are too close, loosen the stern lines as much as you can so that taking up the anchor/mooring line does not require great strength, then reverse again. Obviously if you are too far away, letting off bow line/anchor is easy. Once the bow line is right go into reverse to and take up the slack on the stern lines while the power is on. Me and SWMBO manage with a much heavier boat. Ideally, the stern lines are thrown to a passer-by and passed back so as enable me to adjust without getting off the yacht until the distance is correct/safe.

Does this help?


Tudorsailor

 

[Tranona]

Tudorsailer. You do much the same thing as me. I prefer going in astern because you can control progress with the anchor if it has dug in and then just balance in reverse so it is just a case of stepping ashore with the lines. However there is still potentially a brown trouser moment when stepping off before you get the line on a bollard. We have shallow draft of 1.4m so don't have a problem with getting close to the quays.

Once the stern lines are on it is easy to set the boat up using engine and windlass and the same with a lazyline once your crew has done the running forward bit before the wind blows the bow off!

Great fun when you get it right - especially when you do it in front of a German charterer with his two certificates, but brown paper bag over head when you get it wrong in front of a packed quayside audience!

 

[tudorsailor]

Neither I or SWMBO get off the yacht until the lines are secured. If there is no-one to take a stern line - which is rare - we then lassoo a bollard. Much safer.


TudorSailor

 

[Tranona]

Ah! But not everywhere has convenient bollards. some quays only have rings or chains. not very good at lassooing either - must practice more!

 

[Squeaky]

Good afternoon:

I was going to try to insert a scanned copy of some instructions that I wrote in Skiathos back in 1997 for an Italian skipper who had watched my anchoring system and was interested in understanding it however I can't figure out how to do so so have created a web page in which I have inserted the images.

This page can be found here -http://www.allaboutmarmaris.com/Caique_Swing.html

I first noticed this system used by caiques in Hydra and a number of other harbours so finally perfected it after a few tries. As I usually sail along I go forward and hang the anchor over board ready to run as soon as I hit the button on the windlass control which has a long wander lead which I can operate from the cockpit. Oh, yes, I also get the mooring lines ready and hang them over the pushpit ready to throw ashore.

My prop will pull my stern to starboard and can almost pull the stern laterally if the revs are too fast so I have to be carefully to keep the revs slow enough so the movement in reverse is equal to the amount of chain released.

I have heard comments when explaining this system that the chain will damage the hull which is nearly impossible because the chain would have to be bar tight to be lifted on the bottom high enough to touch the hull. Once the bow has been turned a few feet off the line of travel the chain will lift a bit in a line from the bow to it's location which will be to port or starboard of the hull and keel.

Once the lines are ashore I use the motor and windlass to position my yacht where I want - no point in using muscle when power is so readily available.

I think this system was written up in one of the yachting magazines by a skipper from one of the Ionian flotillas years ago.

Cheers

Squeaky