Tips for marina berthing singlehanded?

D

ds797

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 Jul 2003
Messages
138
Visit site
A place to gather any useful tips!

Obviously stuff like consider your own boat's characteristics, consider wind strength and direction, current direction etc.

But what other tips do people have?

Cheers!
 
It is much easier going into your own berth than another one. You know where the cleat roughly half way down the pontoon lines up with your boat. I have an alloy toe rail with holes all along it, and have put a piece of black tape on the inside to mark where to place the snatch block, I actually attach it with one of those short pieces of webbing with an eye at each end to ensure a fair lead. Run a warp through that and back to a cockpit winch. Either get off and quickly make the warp secure on the cleat, or use one of those patent buoy clipping-on hooks, so that you do not need to get off the boat. Then quickly back to the cockpit and pull in the warp by hand, this is a Sigma 362, displacement 7 tonnes. You always have the option of using the winch as such with the handle. Then put the engine gently ahead, with the helm over so that the prop wash pushes the stern towards the pontoon. This doesn't always work for me so I place a fender well forward until all secured. Once secures remove this midships line-it is only temporary. Hope that makes sense.
 
The best thing to have with you when you sail singlehanded is definitely another person!

Joking aside... at least have another person help you with a line from the shore. I do Mediterranean mooring single handed on occasion but unless the wind is completely in one's favour, it's best to get help with the mooring lines from someone on the pier. It is possible to hang back against the anchor just off the pier until help is available.

Going along side with the wind coming off the pier is without any help, in my mind, a bit of a no no. It may be done elegantly but with a miss on a bollard etc. thing start to mess up very quickly. The last thing one should do is to step ashore too soon.
 
Last edited:
skip50 said:
It is much easier going into your own berth than another one. You know where the cleat roughly half way down the pontoon lines up with your boat. I have an alloy toe rail with holes all along it, and have put a piece of black tape on the inside to mark where to place the snatch block, I actually attach it with one of those short pieces of webbing with an eye at each end to ensure a fair lead. Run a warp through that and back to a cockpit winch. Either get off and quickly make the warp secure on the cleat, or use one of those patent buoy clipping-on hooks, so that you do not need to get off the boat. Then quickly back to the cockpit and pull in the warp by hand, this is a Sigma 362, displacement 7 tonnes. You always have the option of using the winch as such with the handle. Then put the engine gently ahead, with the helm over so that the prop wash pushes the stern towards the pontoon. This doesn't always work for me so I place a fender well forward until all secured. Once secures remove this midships line-it is only temporary. Hope that makes sense.
Click to expand...

I have permanent lines made up affixed to the pontoon with large eye splices, lay them out on the pontoon ( for easy retrieval) when i leave for a day sail. pick up the aft midships spring first
 
Longish loop of rope on a centre cleat, manoeuvre alongside pontoon, stop boat, drop loop of rope over cleat on pontoon, motor gently against it, steering appropriately to bring boat parallel to pontoon, engage autopilot to keep boat in that position, step off with bow and stern ropes, when tied securely, turn off engine and autopilot.
 
If your own berth, a couple of things can help.

A shore-line with a loop supported on a short pole to waist-height near the end of the finger, ready to be picked up.

A strip of fendering along the length of the finger in case a fender flips up. proper fendering is best but even a carpet will do.
 
I use a loop held open by threading the loop through some clear plastic hose, attach to midships cleat and drop over cleat at the end of the pontoon now power against it with helm hard over, boat will then sit happily against the pontoon while you attach the other warps.

This only really works well if pontoon is the same length or longer than your boat, marina shortened my pontoon when they replaced it and I have actually downsized the boat as a result. Original one was 10m now got an 8m on order. The issue was that I was having to leave the cockpit to get the loop on.

Alternative that works if the pontoon is too short is to reverse in drop the loop over the very last cleat and power forward again with helm hard over.
 
Fenders! Lots of fenders.

Even if (when) it all goes pear shaped, chummy next door won't whinge too much if you just bounce on the fenders.
 
Fenders both sides, bow and stern lines ready on both sides led to the centre of the boat, a centre cleat is essential. Come alongside, in my case port side to if possible as with a burst astern the stern swings in and hopefully the boat stops. Jump onto the pontoon and secure the centre rope to the pontoon cleat. Then secure fore and aft lines, stop engine and tidy up warps etc. On a Moody 33.
 
Much the same as pvb, but as my pontoon berth end cleat is just short of the cockpit even when I am moored up, when singlehanded I can’t reach the end pontoon cleat from the cockpit due to depth of cockpit, height of guard rails and approach distance from the cockpit. I have to use the boat hook and a length of fixed rope looped over the amidships cleat The approach is a little heart in the mouth job, especially when there is about 12- 15knts on the beam blowing me off. Approach tends to be a little on the hard side to maintain steerage. I use a fixed the length of rope on the amidships cleat. Drive in alongside pontoon, hold loop open with the boat hook, drop loop eye of rope over end pontoon cleat, knock it out of gear, when it comes abruptly to a stop, motor gently against it, slip loop of bungee over the tiller which is permanently fixed, one each side to bring boat parallel to pontoon, step off, pick up bow and stern ropes, when tied securely, turn off engine.
I do actually find mooring alongside visitor berths more easily, because I tend to pick one that’s got a little bit more room, and know I’m not going to motor into the end of it!! If it’s a bit tight I usually find there is some kind cruising person able to help me in?

If not there is always my anchor.
 
pvb said:
Longish loop of rope on a centre cleat, manoeuvre alongside pontoon, stop boat, drop loop of rope over cleat on pontoon, motor gently against it, steering appropriately to bring boat parallel to pontoon, engage autopilot to keep boat in that position, step off with bow and stern ropes, when tied securely, turn off engine and autopilot.
Click to expand...

I do the same thing, except i bring the line back from the centre cleat to a winch near to the tiller. Once the spring is on its easy.
 
When I had my boat in a Dutch marina I had a finger pontoon on one side and a line running from the main pontoon to a pile which defined the other side of the "box". I rigged lines from the centre line of box to a point about one third of the way along the finger pontoon and another to the same point on the boundary line. This created a vee into which I could steer the boat and be sure of coming to a halt without crunching the bow on the pontoon. It also stopped the bows being blown on or off the pontoon in a side wind.

Now I moor alongside a pontoon in Portsmouth Harbor and I find the best way of making a safe and uneventful landing is to do things slowly and if necessary try again. I have a short mooring line attached to a cleat midships, I come alongside and the first thing I do is secure that line to the cleat on the pontoon. I then run the other lines at a leisurely pace. It's a remote pontoon, and usually there's no audience. Nothing is more likely to induce a crisis than an audience - their desire for entertainment seems to overwhelm my determination not to provide it.
 
birdseye said:
you pay for service at a marina so I dont hesitate to ask them to come down to the pontoon to help us in
Click to expand...

I'm just down the Roads from you in Mylor. The guys are always happy to come and assist me into a small gap when I'm alone.
 
I have plenty of fenders and all ropes ready to go. Rope from front cleat back to cockpit stanchion along outside of the boat and same as stern line to cockpit stanchion with a quick release knots. All I do is come in to where I want nice and slow, and step off the boat onto the pontoon with the ropes in my hand, tie off the forward cleat to the middle cleat of the pontoon to stop the boat, and then the stern line to the rear cleat, boat is secure and cant go anywhere, gives me all the time I need to tie off bow line and sort springs.
Boat is a Seacracker 33.
Must admit though I love sitting in marinas watching boats come in too fast with their crew jumping onto the pontoon to try and stop the boat.
 
AngusMcDoon said:
Fix a rubber bumper at the head of your berth. Drive into it deliberately. Keep power on. Bumper will hold bow. Sling rudder over. Power will take in the stern and hold it there. Simples.
Click to expand...

That works well in your own berth but generally isn't feasible when visiting somewhere else.

The midship spring works well provided you succeed in lassoing a cleat. It can be very difficult when the finger is on the inside of your turn and you are being blown off. Its more reliable with a crew to do the lassoing.

If you have a plumb bow you can achieve the same effect as the permanently rigged pontoon fender by hanging a long V shaped fender from the bow. Approach very gently until the bow is touching the pontoon then swing the wheel hard over and put the engine into tick over so that prop wash holds the stern in. You can then walk ashore and fix the shore lines at your leisure. I find this much more reliable than trying to lassoo a cleat with a spring as I go past.
 
I have a wheelhouse motorsailer and it behaves like a sail in a cross wind. I really like the idea of a big bouncy bow fender and using the motor to hold her still whilst sorting lines. Think I have my chrissy pressie sorted! Cheers
 
Ru88ell said:
I'm just down the Roads from you in Mylor. The guys are always happy to come and assist me into a small gap when I'm alone.
Click to expand...

I've never been refused help in any marina and when we had a cat we used to ask for help every time there was any sort of cross wind.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top