Tender left on mooring - query

[AHoy2]

When leaving a tender on a swinging mooring any recommendations for getting the tender reasonably close to the buoy without having to either hang by the ankles from the boat bow to make it off or having to clamber up from the tender at the bow of the boat. In the distant past when I did this the boat freeboard wasn't an issue, or I was more gymnastic in my method!

 

[prv]

Personally I can reach the top of most buoys by lying on Ariam's foredeck without too much contortion. But if your freeboard is too high, how about putting one of those detaching boathook clips on the end of a short painter on the dinghy, and clip it onto the buoy?

Or, have a pendant from the buoy which will just reach the foredeck. Bend the dinghy painter onto it, as short as possible (ie, painter only just reaches the foredeck as well). Then the distance between dinghy and buoy will be twice your freeboard, which may be close enough unless you sail one of those enormous ugly "floating condo" catamarans.

Or, how about a weight in the middle of a longer painter, so that it sinks and pulls the dinghy up to the buoy, with most of the rope length hanging vertically in the water? Might end up wrapped around the buoy riser, I guess - depends on your local tides.

Pete

 

[Seajet]

My mooring has a pick-up bouy led to the foredeck; I just walk the tender forward with the painter outside the guardrails & pulpit, then tie it to the pickup via the stemhead roller before letting it go.

I also find it useful to lead the dinghy painter through plastic hose, both to avoid chafe and to keep the tender held away slightly, preventing damage from the riser buoy.

Another top tip I discovered was to have a soft flexible wire spliced onto a bolt-on eye at the chandlery, so when I row ashore I can padlock it to the eyes on the slip; wouldn't stop a pro' thief, but it works well against the more usual casual young yobs.

 

[JumbleDuck]

What about tying a short length of chain, or other heavy-ish object, halfway along the painter. Weight goes down, dinghy moves in.

 

[Mudisox]

I have a strong painter that will take the weight of the yacht for a short period, on pick up. It has sufficient length to attach it to below the pick up buoy and then leave plenty of tail to transfer to a cleat, I can then sort it out, once safely attached.

 

[Uricanejack]

I tend to find my on daft way of making life easy.
hanging over bows being awkward. I back up. I can reach the ring easy from the cockpit. pass a long slip line through the ring.
then I walk it up to the bow and use it to pull a chain through the ring which I secure to my fore deck cleats.

I can let go by just slipping the chain. or if I want to leave dinghy. I can put a slip through using the chain and pull the ring right up to the bow roller and tie the dinghy painter. lower the bouy back down.
slip the line and off I go.
Coming back I just back her up beside the dinghy. put my slip through the ring and move the painter to one of my aft cleats.

Daft Heath Robinson but it works for me.
I read about the lassoing on here. Seems like a lot of bother to me. Never tried it though never seen it done iether.

In light conditions. I use a short slip line. I can walk and hold the boat no problem.
When wind is strong I secure the short slip. aft.
at my lessure dig out a long one. lead it back from the bow through the ring.

 

[Fantasie 19]

What about tying a short length of chain, or other heavy-ish object, halfway along the painter. Weight goes down, dinghy moves in.

I use chain with a pick up buoy on the end for mooring the big boat - when I go sailing I tie the painter for the tender to the pick up buoy - the chain then pulls the tender in towards the buoy...

 

[Seajet]

I don't see why people want the dinghy close to the riser buoy, within reason so as not to be an obstacle to anyone else I let my tender stream a few feet from the buoy, as we have hard edged buoys which can cause knocks.

Another point re lassoing and / or having the painter tied under the buoy, is that these buoys collect razor sharp barnacles; at a deep water mooring in Chichester Harbour I found 14mm nylon strops in plastic tubing were lucky to last 3 months !

 

[Uricanejack]

I don't see why people want the dinghy close to the riser buoy, within reason so as not to be an obstacle to anyone else I let my tender stream a few feet from the buoy, as we have hard edged buoys which can cause knocks.

Another point re lassoing and / or having the painter tied under the buoy, is that these buoys collect razor sharp barnacles; at a deep water mooring in Chichester Harbour I found 14mm nylon strops in plastic tubing were lucky to last 3 months !

Now this could be an interesting topic. Moorings damaging other people's lassoes.