Stopping single handed at pontoon - how?

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Jaguar 25

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A bit basic but what is the best way of stopping a boat (Jaguar 25) at a finger pontoon when sailing single handed? Normally I have my son with me and he jumps off and provides the necessary braking using the pontoon cleat but I have to do it by myself following relaunch. Can you just put a loop into the mooring warp and hook on to the cleat as you slowly motor past and hope she stops before you hit the main pontoon?
 
It's all theory for me - although I've tried it myself! If you've travelled on a water taxi, you may have noticed that for the short stops to load/unlaod they use a single line round about the widest point on the boat. You can rig a pulley or similar around that point on your boat and run a mooring line through it and back to a primary winch. Drop the loop on your line over a central cleat as you go in and then winch it in tight, step ashore and put the regular lines in place before releasing this temporary central "spring".

Depending on the layout on the finger pontoon, there are other options, but they tend to involve succesfully dropping two lines into place - I can miss with only one - a spring and breast line onto the cleat along side the cockpit and the engine slow ahead with the tiller over to oppose them can work, too (I'm told).

Rob.
 
I do this...

Come alongside and use engine astern to bring vessel to stationary relative to pontoon.

Step ashore with a line from the centre cleat (or tied to base of shrouds if you have no centre cleat).

Walk aft to nearest pontoon cleat, and make it off.

Go back aboard and engage forwards while also locking wheel/tiller so boat would steer to opposite side from which you moored if moving forwards. Amount of steering required depending on conditions and boat, but you can play around at this stage to find sweet spot.

It will now sit, hopefully, stable, while you put on the rest of the lines.

I've done this numerous times in our 38 foot, 13 tonner when alongside long pontoons though not yet in a finger berth. Works very well.

Have done it solo with our previous 31 footer many times in finger berths.

Much easier also if your prop walk takes you IN to the pontoon when you engage astern. A little more difficult if it walks you the other way but very possible with practice.
 
It should not be difficult unless the pontoon finger is much shorter than the boat.
Approach slowly, stop the boat with a little burst of reverse, tie up.
A line rigged to the widest bit of the boat helps.
Having bow and stern lines ready before you approach helps.
 
Line to midships cleat, led back to cockpit. Approach berth, edge in slowly and when boat is stopped relative to berth and in right place, put engine in neutral and smartly move to the stays, picking up line as you go. Step over guardrail on to pontoon, make fast with line and then finish off springs etc. Only works in the absence of winds and currents moving you off the berth... Best to try and arrange things so you're being blown/pushed on to the berth by either wind or current.

The best way is to attract the attention of some kind passer by, who can take your midships line when it is thrown to him..
 
Have you considered reversing in, under engine? That ought to permit you, in the cockpit, to stop the boat exactly where she's needed.

With a bow-spring to hand ( bowline on 'your' end ) which you can drop over an adjacent cleat without leaving the cockpit, and which then you pull taught around a primary winch - self-tailer helps - you can put the engine in tickover ahead, tiller towards the pontoon, and the prop thrust will hold you stopped and stern in.

Then you can pass the other breast ropes and spring at your convenience.
 
hi
i always sail single handed so i have to do it all the time
i have the stern line attched to the stern cleat the led out side all the life lines and leave it hanging over the life line at the widest part of the hull,then do the same with the front line so you end up with the two lines at the centure of the boat
come along side as slowly as possable the jump of with the line that i need
i have often got along side a pontoon and found i need to stop the boat short, then do the stern line first or if the front is being blown of fast get a line forward fast
a single centure line might be good on a flatish sided boat but i find it can still let the stern swing out to far OK on a single pontoon but not on twins in a marina thay can be to close together
or you could go for all three lines
 
Is it inboard or outboard?

Being a lightish boat, a decent boat hook might enable you to stop slightly further from the pontoon and pull the boat into position. It will be useful for holding onto the pontoon at least.

The thing to do is find an empty mooring buoy and spend a couple of half hour sessions practising where you won't scratch anything if you misjudge.
 
unless your in a dingy for get boat hook idea ,one gust of wind and bye-bye
engine idea is ok till it all gets hectic then sooner or later you will leep off only to find its still in gear
come in slowly and give your self time to handle changing fortunes
 
Has no-one read any of the articles in the yachting magazines in the last few years?
CaptainBob's method is the most efficient, but still relies on jumping off the boat which could cause problems if there is a strong wind blowing you off. You can position yourself well outboard if necessary, by using the tiller extension. This makes it easier to drop the loop in the end of your centre spring over the outer cleat without leaving the boat. If you have particularly high freeboard a boathook might help here. You then put the tiller hard over towards the pontoon and put the engine on low revs in forward gear depending on the strength of the wind. She will sit like this for as long as you like while you tie up in the normal way. I've done this many times.
 
Jaguar 25 has an outboard that produces an anticlockwise motion in reverse as reverse is used to slow but can usually manage to get close enough for said son to jump off after letting her drift in once slowed using reverse. I then use a burst of reverse to slow further as son puts mooring lines around cleat to bring to a stop.

As for proposed single handed approach I definitely don't fancy jumping off although if I am holding bow and stern lines it may be OK once I feel competent. Don't have a centre cleat. I still favour trying to hook a loop over the pontoon cleat (perhaps assisted by the boat hook) but need to give it some more thought.

Thanks for the advice.
 
What I use is one of these from Force 4 .
850445a.jpg


Just run a line from the bow and hook it over the the stern cleat on the pontoon on the way in and put on opposite helm . Easy
 
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Similar to Ocean Pilgrim except that I have a single long line attached fore and aft, with the middle bit dangling over the safety lines midships, which I take with me when I step ashore and can control either end of the boat with it. I like the idea of dropping a loop over a cleat on the pontoon but by the time I can reach that from the cockpit, I've already hit the main pontoon with the bow (if going forward) and when reversing in, I can't line the boat up so that it's going in the right direction AND I can lean over and reach a cleat on the pontoon.
 
If it's your 'home' berth, then do as I do, leave a permanent line attached to the pontoon. When you leave, make sure it's got a loop in it, then on your return, hook the loop with the boat hook, pull it quickly on board and tie off amidships. If you are approaching too fast, a quick burst of reverse and bob's your uncle. this method means you stay in the boat. If you **** it up, you are still at the engine and steering controls. If reverse thrust is not your bag then attach your pontoon line to the furthest point away from the main pontoon. Grab that with the boat hook, one 1 turn round the stern cleat and control the speed by hand. Please make sure you have plenty of fenders out though!

Practice makes perfect.
 
I use an expensive spring/cleat grabber and when engaged, apply forward and lock away from pontoon.

f9da43bf.jpg


This is the MkI, Mk II has stretchy rope.
 
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