Stopping single handed at pontoon - how?

[Cappen Boidseye]

As the OP specified being single-handed I'm amused to see the increep of crew.

I've single-handed for the last 20 years and would say a pontoon is the easiest tie up of all - just try tying up stern-to single handed and with a manual winch.

First, make sure you have the fore and aft lines rigged ready to take ashore, on the side you intend to tie up on and in the middle of the side so they're easy to grab as you leap ashore.
If it's an unoccupied finger pontoon go in, either in reverse or forward and put lots of opposite revs on just before you want to stop and when stopped get ashore.
If you're trying to get into a one-boat length alongside, put the bows in and use propwalk to stop you and move the stern over.
Ideally have the wind blowing you onto the berth.
There is no quick learning - it just needs patient practice.

As many boats have no central cleat and some pontoons have staples rather than cleats all this business of dropping a line as you come in is for the birds (and somewhere that you've had plenty of practice-opportunity)

This is almost exactly what I do, ready the lines and fenders before going alongside, I lead the bowline back to the cockpit so I can grab bow and sternlines and step onto the pontoon with both lines. As stated, head slowly into the mooring, use astern thrust to stop the boat and walk the stern into the pontoon, into neutral, step off with the lines, tie up, pull the boat further in if necessary and adjust the lines to suit.

 

[lenseman]

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 . . . . .

You are coming in far too fast, no one needs to 'jump' onto a pontoon to slow a boat down.

The idea of a crewman forward is to get a bow line secured as this is the end for which you have least control.

Some skippers have totally the wrong idea about coming into a berth and assume, wrongly, that they have 'brakes' just like a car or that they can rely on going astern to slow the boat. If you sail like that, you need to practice until you can sail properly.

No excuses, learn to sail properly.

If short-handed or solo, a midship cleat is possibly a method you need to look at and/or invest in.

.

 

[ralf2]

Generally when singlehanded i gently motor into the main pontoon (i have a bow fender for this purpose) turn rudder slightly to ensure the boat rests against the finger pontoon and leave the boat gently motoring at tickover into the pontoon. Then step off to secure the warps and then can switch off the engine at my leisure,works for me and no stress on boat,pontoon or crew.

 

[doug748]

Generally when singlehanded i gently motor into the main pontoon (i have a bow fender for this purpose) turn rudder slightly to ensure the boat rests against the finger pontoon and leave the boat gently motoring at tickover into the pontoon. Then step off to secure the warps and then can switch off the engine at my leisure,works for me and no stress on boat,pontoon or crew.

I saw a Frenchman do this in Treguier.

I watched him come in, crabbing across the flushing tide. I thought: "eye, eye how is he going to tackle this". He rounded up into his berth and butted directly up to the pontoon. Of course he had no fenders and was having a fag.

It seems to me that the greatest attraction is that you might retain the ability to nudge the stern to the left or right, should you get marooned too far from the berth. This is a tricky situation for the singlehander and it is easy to do in a strong tide and or side wind, or when you come in with the prop kick acting on the wrong side.

Do you have a straight, plumb bow? Mine is raked at quite and angle and I would also worry about damage, with differing heights of pontoon. If I can figure out suitable, bomb proof fendering, I might give it a go.

 

[Vara]

Lest any one doubts my seamanship I have the following;

Plan A gizmo...patents pending
Plan B bow and stern lines draped to centre
Plan C boat hook
Plan D large stainless steel strip on bow
Plan E jumping up and down, swearing and blaming everybody else for the
cockup
Plan D insurance co number on speed dial

A chap can never have too many plans.

The main part of the exercise is to ensure that the crew or my self are never in the position of having to stretch or leap onto pontoon in an uncontrolled manner, seen too many incidents occurring like that.

One that comes to mind is me leaping with the grace and elegance of a gazelle onto a French pontoon which like a trampoline propelled me into the water on the other side... Still holding the lines though

 

[Modulation]

If you take the line from centre cleat aft a little way, and motor forwards against it, it holds you in. Even in a bit of a blow.

Yes. this is what I do. I fitted a cleat on each side just aft of the widest point a few years back to help with the times when I have to put her on a pontoon single handed. Works really well - even in a bit of a blow - we even use it when not short handed.
The main thing we have found is that it's easier to keep the engine in neutral for as much time as possible. You end up getting more manoeuverability when you do engage.

 

[ianj99]

Single fore-aft spring line method

Assuming the pontoon has a cleat at its mid point, then my single handed method (36' heavy displ ketch) is to use a single spring line from bow to stern with enough slack to take a turn around the midpoint pontoon cleat. I can just step ashore at any point and with the spring line in hand then have control over both ends of the boat and can 'walk' her into position.
In poor conditions, even just dropping the line over the cleat means the boat cannot get away from me, until I can sort out the bow and stern lines.

I don't have a cleat on the side deck midships so this method does rely on there being a cleat midway along the pontoon but its one less line to run as well.
I

 

[oceanpilgrim]

You are coming in far too fast, no one needs to 'jump' onto a pontoon to slow a boat down.

The idea of a crewman forward is to get a bow line secured as this is the end for which you have least control.

Some skippers have totally the wrong idea about coming into a berth and assume, wrongly, that they have 'brakes' just like a car or that they can rely on going astern to slow the boat. If you sail like that, you need to practice until you can sail properly.

No excuses, learn to sail properly.

If short-handed or solo, a midship cleat is possibly a method you need to look at and/or invest in.

.

learn to sail properly.........what an a*****
come out on mine lets see you hang on to 22 tonnes