Tips for solo mooring

[CaptainAl]

Hi everyone, I've got a 27ft motorboat that's moored between two buoys. We only bought her last year, so I'm still a bit of a noobie although I'm confident in taking charge of either the helm, or working the ropes when leaving and returning to our mooring.

I would like to take the girlfriend out more often though where it's just the two of us, but as she's preggers at the mo, I want to do all the boat work myself.

My biggest concern is leaving the mooring. Last year my dad managed to foul the prop on the centre-line, resulting in a new engine and a call out from the coastguard /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Although admittedly that was a schoolboy error (if only I was on board to supervise! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif ) I don't want to repeat this incident.

We're moored on the outside trot. Can anyone offer some words of wisdom to help me take her out safely and proficiently.
Thanks!

 

[doug748]

You say you are on the outside trot so I assume you have a row of boats on your inside, and a line between the buoys that you moor to. Try not to get fixated with leaving directly into clear water. Split your long mooring line in the middle, so that you can rig it either side. You can then leave on the side that conditions of wind and tide dictate. Try to figure out which end of the boat will naturally crab into the stream when one end is let go. Let go the stern or bow to spring out into the stream, only motor when well clear (or when you are sure the stern lines are out of harms way)

 

[Anonymous]

I think you'd solve the problem and get a heck of a lot more fun out of your boat if you paid an instructor to take you out for a day. He (or she) would share things with you that would possibly save you more than you paid in fees but seriously, you would enjoy the instruction and get more fun out of the boat.

 

[Searush]

I have recently moved to a trot & know where you are coming from! Mine has a permanent line between the buoys and I am required to rig my own strops fore & aft to the buoys, leaving the fixed line in place.

Invariably, the wind is pushing me on to this fixed line when ever I want to leave! I start the engine, but leave it in neutral until I am certain the stern is clear. I look at the strops to see which is carrying the load, this lets me work out where the boat will go if just released. I can then cast off the slack strops and let her drift off the trot (applying a good manual push with a boat hook if necessary) to swing her out into the stream. Ideally I will do this stern first so that the engine can be used to pull her clear in reverse, but sometimes I have to push the bow out into the current (it's a river so current tends to dominate tide) then go to the stern to push that clear in order to get the engine into gear.

Have a think about your options for the various states of tide/ wind. Think about what might go wrong & have a plan to deal with it.

When I leave, I tie my strops to the fixed line (I have put a short lanyard thro' the lay of the rope & this can be used to quickly tie a reef knot thro' the strop eyes). Looping the fixed line over the guard rail gives me the time to do this without loosing control. Then I can use the fixed line to push the boat forward or backwards as appropriate to conditions. Don't be afraid of using the neighbouring boats to help you get clear, but do use fenders if there is a risk that you can't hold her off yourself.

It will get easier with time - & practice. I find pick-up is much easier as I can hook the central pick-up buoy & loop the fixed line over the guard rail which will generally hold me in place while I untie the strops & connect them to the boat. I try to approach at an angle in neutral to minimise the risk of tangle.

 

[clyst]

" resulting in a new engine and a call out from the coastguard " What was so bad that it required CG assistance ?

Cheers

Terry

 

[Richard10002]

"If its got sails or tits its going to be expensive"

only just noticed this - made me chuckle

along the lines of "if it flies, ***ks or floats, rent it", but a bit more succinct.

 

[simonfraser]

aah, that's why some of us are gay, it's cheaper /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[themoose]

[ QUOTE ]

aah, that's why some of us are gay, it's cheaper /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Bugger that for a lark!!
/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[quimby]

Probably compulsary in the next New Lab manifesto!
seriously I use lead lined pickuplink line, this sinks and pull the fore and aft lines down, and out of the way. to Join your link line a large Caribiner is ideal.