Stern to mooring

[Chris H]

On my previous berth the two bow ropes were linked by a chain and the lazy line was connected to the middle of the chain, once the stern ropes were attached, I would pull the lazy line with the winch and get it nice & tight then tie off the ropes on the bow cleats.

My new berth has two separate ropes and lazy lines, not connected, how do you pull the ropes tight with the winch……..and tie them off on the cleats ?

 

[westernman]

On my previous berth the two bow ropes were linked by a chain and the lazy line was connected to the middle of the chain, once the stern ropes were attached, I would pull the lazy line with the winch and get it nice & tight then tie off the ropes on the bow cleats.

My new berth has two separate ropes and lazy lines, not connected, how do you pull the ropes tight with the winch……..and tie them off on the cleats ?

I move the boat forwards about 10m with the stern lines which were made off with enough slack to allow this to be done. Then I pull up the forward ropes by hand an attach to the cleats foward. Then I reverse back to the right distance off the dock. If necessary letting out a bit of on the bow ropes.

On my home port I mark off with a piece of coloured wool, the right point to attach the bow lines so there is no guess work and I don't need to slack anything off.

No winches used. Either for the bow lines nor for the stern lines.

 

[markc]

Hi Chris, we have the same as your old arrangement, but have often been a visitor with 2 separate bow lines. In those circumstances I tie off the bow first and use the stern winches to get the lines tight. As mentioned above, once you mark up the bow lines, you can get them in the right place first time. This arrangement does mean that you can't have lines with permeant loops in at the stern, as I suspect you might have had before

 

[Chris H]

Hi Chris, we have the same as your old arrangement, but have often been a visitor with 2 separate bow lines. In those circumstances I tie off the bow first and use the stern winches to get the lines tight. As mentioned above, once you mark up the bow lines, you can get them in the right place first time. This arrangement does mean that you can't have lines with permeant loops in at the stern, as I suspect you might have had before

I don’t have stern winches !
My stern lines are fixed to the correct length for the passerelle position on the dock.

 

[markc]

I don’t have stern winches !
My stern lines are fixed to the correct length for the passerelle position on the dock.

Ah, apologies for the assumption! OK, totally get your predicament. In your last marina did you keep the bowline around the winch or were you able to offload it to a cleat still under tension?

 

[Chris H]

Ah, apologies for the assumption! OK, totally get your predicament. In your last marina did you keep the bowline around the winch or were you able to offload it to a cleat still under tension?

I could winch the lazy line….tight, then put the bow lines on the cleats.

 

[petem]

7:30 onwards

 

[Chris H]

7:30 onwards

That’s great if you have cleats in different positions at the stern…….I don’t, looks like two extra, longer, ropes on the stern to hold the boat whilst putting the bow lines on.

 

[Clancy Moped]

I move the boat forwards about 10m with the stern lines which were made off with enough slack to allow this to be done. Then I pull up the forward ropes by hand an attach to the cleats foward. Then I reverse back to the right distance off the dock. If necessary letting out a bit of on the bow ropes.

On my home port I mark off with a piece of coloured wool, the right point to attach the bow lines so there is no guess work and I don't need to slack anything off.

No winches used. Either for the bow lines nor for the stern lines.

In one, engine power not winch.

 

[Chris H]

In one, engine power not winch.

Engine power is not an option with arneson drives.

 

[Portofino]

Just connect up the sterns and fender off the rear while someone hooks one lazy / slime line and walks forward .Hand pull it up .
Say the stb so‘s the stern is pulled off .It’s weight will do that .The boat is now secure / safe .
Some one can be dropping the passerelle now .

Then holding the pole walk back and get the 2 nd in this case the port line .Holding the pole down so,s not to muddy the boat walk it to the bow carefully trying not to tangle the slime line with fenders or indeed drop it back in .
Pull this up and the boat will centre in its berth equally.Again its weight , now the combined weight of two bow lines ( which will have chain before they attach to sea bed ) will hold the stern off and stretch the stern lines taught + there mooring springs .

You can now BOTH stb and Pt bow lines are attached remove one and wrap a bit round the central winch to pull it up more than you can do and quickly re tie in it .
Sometimes you can as well as biceps, just grab it and use legs to walk back to get them tighter before cleating off .

Hope this helps .
I never found it a problem in my La Nap berth which had twin bow lines about 2 m apart weighted by chain to the sea bed .
Basically as said once both are cleated off the chain weight keeps the fwd tension and pulls the stern away from the dock at your pre sized stern L warps .

 

[BartW]

can you loop the bow rope around the cleat a half turn, before she goes to the winch ?

this way, the cleat takes some of the load, off from the rope,
so, after winching in that rope, with the rope looping around the cleat, you can take the rope off from the winch while holding the rope around the cleat, (a half loop)
and than tying the rope around the cleat, and making the wich free for the other rope,

thats how we tigh the bow ropes on our 75ft boat, in the occasional situatrion that the bowropes need to be more tight
we normally tigh on the stern ropes / winches, and first put bow ropes in place by hand, while the boat is further away from the dock,
for safety, with the forces involved needs two person and some coordination.

 

[MapisM]

I don’t have stern winches !

I'm surprised to hear that, because I would have thought that in your boat at least one stern winch was standard.
Well, I'm sure to have always seen it on several of them - on stbd side, just behind the cleat.
In your boots, I'd definitely install it, rather than try to fix a problem that doesn't exist.

 

[MapisM]

7:30 onwards

That's a technique known as tying the dock to the boat, instead of the other way round.
It would be entertaining to see this Nick chap trying to untie those stern lines under strong tension!

 

[Bouba]

That's a technique known as tying the dock to the boat, instead of the other way round.
It would be entertaining to see this Nick chap trying to untie those stern lines under strong tension!

I agree...it was a pointless video...for a start I think he tied his shopping trolley on the wrong side...then he gave instructions on how to berth in your home port with the lines already set at the correct length. Stern too with a really strong cross wind in a fly bridge without neighbors would have been more educational

 

[DAW]

When I've encountered this arrangement for the bow lines, I've always found the only way is to attach the stern lines with plenty of slack, adjust the bow lines to where you want them (or as close as you can get them against the weight of the chain) and then tighten up the stern lines. Stern winches make this much easier, but it can be done without.

I've never really had much success trying to pull the bow line up with the winch and transfer it across to a cleat ... it always seems to drop back into the water too quickly for me. Also, holding on to a wet, slippery, mud covered line, dragging it across the deck and wrapping it around a cleat as it tries to accelerate back into the water is tricky at best ... and way too easy to get fingers trapped.

 

[westernman]

When I've encountered this arrangement for the bow lines, I've always found the only way is to attach the stern lines with plenty of slack, adjust the bow lines to where you want them (or as close as you can get them against the weight of the chain) and then tighten up the stern lines. Stern winches make this much easier, but it can be done without.

I've never really had much success trying to pull the bow line up with the winch and transfer it across to a cleat ... it always seems to drop back into the water too quickly for me. Also, holding on to a wet, slippery, mud covered line, dragging it across the deck and wrapping it around a cleat as it tries to accelerate back into the water is tricky at best ... and way too easy to get fingers trapped.

I do exactly that, but instead of using a winch on the stern lines, I use the engine to back down and then pull the stern lines in by hand at my leisure.

 

[DAW]

I do exactly that, but instead of using a winch on the stern lines, I use the engine to back down and then pull the stern lines in by hand at my leisure.

I also do this when I have someone onboard to help me with the lines ... once the bow lines are attached I back up slowly to the quay using the engines ... in and out of gear, holding the boat against the forward pull of the chains ... while someone adjusts the stern lines to the correct length. Unfortunately, I'm usually without competent crew (too busy relaxing in the sun or drinking, or just not competent ?) so most of the time I need to rely on the stern winches.

 

[westernman]

I also do this when I have someone onboard to help me with the lines ... once the bow lines are attached I back up slowly to the quay using the engines ... in and out of gear, holding the boat against the forward pull of the chains ... while someone adjusts the stern lines to the correct length. Unfortunately, I'm usually without competent crew (too busy relaxing in the sun or drinking, or just not competent ?) so most of the time I need to rely on the stern winches.

With my boat, I just have to get the right engine power. In my case about 1100 rpm. I.e. well over tick over, but not any real welly. Then I can leave the cockpit and take my time getting everything tied off right. And only then I stop the engine and put out the gang plank, and if visiting another marina, only then hand over any documentation (otherwise it might end up in the drink).

 

[Forty_Two]

I've attached 4m rope tails to the end of the bow chains where the bow lines join the chain. I pull the stb rope up on the winch, a bit tighter than i need, then hook up my loose tail line with boat hook attach it to cleat & release the bow line on the winch which can also then be attached to a cleat on stb side. Repeat for the port bow line.

No heaving, no risk of fingers getting caught transfering rope from winch to cleat under load.

I always get the stern lines at the correct point first. Obviously use galvanised shackles to the chain or your harbour will be a bit cross.