Tying up to harbour walls.

[john_morris_uk]

One of the great pleasures for us when cruising is tying up to harbour walls in small harbours especially if there's water to stay afloat at all states of the tide. It appears that there are lots of people who are averse to doing such a thing even and I'm trying to work out why?

Is it because there is a new breed of yachtsman who is addicted to pontoons and the ability to step ashore to toilets and showers nearby? Or is it because there is some sort of myth that you really do have to tend your lines all the time. (FWIW we usually try to arrange lines long enough - with springs crossing over that we rarely if ever except on the greatest of tidal ranges have to adjust lines.) Usually once the boat is set up she will ride up and down in one spot, but others seem to believe that you need to have them adjusted 'just so' all the time.

Of course this assumes that you don't have to take the ground, but that's another topic and you find yourself in an even smaller minority if you've got a fin keeled boat that you don't mind leaning up against a harbour wall as the tide goes out. That is a bit more effort as I always want to be there and supervise her settling and the line (typically to the mast) to ensure she's leaning does need to be tended, but perhaps drying harbours ought to be another thread?

There are lots of places worth a visit with water to stay afloat at all states. Mevagissey and Portpatrick are obvious places but there are others....

 

[Wansworth]

We always enjoyed a stroll round the harbour and have the opportunity to meet visiting yachts tied alongside the fish dock and they had dirext contact with locals ;now with a marina the yachts are segregated and its difficult to make contact with visitors.Marinas maybe easier but somehow detract from the fun of visiting a new place.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

I would suggest that it is less an aversion and more a convenience. Since my early cruising days, mid 1980s and up to today, the availability of the pontoon and the direct marketing to encourage leisure sailors to use the facility has been relentless. Take Rothesay, East Loch Tarbert and Campbeltown as obvious examples; all have good harbour walls, all now have pontoons. There was a time when tying up and rafting out alongside was perfectly normal, now we can have our own personal space. Which is good as far as I am concerned because I know where all the wee harbour walls are and still use them without the inconvenience such as rafting up! I don't remember line adjusting being a big thing that folks worried about, shore lines yes, however folks were more experienced with harbour walls in the past.

 

[Vega1447]

One of the great pleasures for us when cruising is tying up to harbour walls in small harbours especially if there's water to stay afloat at all states of the tide. It appears that there are lots of people who are averse to doing such a thing even and I'm trying to work out why?

Is it because there is a new breed of yachtsman who is addicted to pontoons and the ability to step ashore to toilets and showers nearby? Or is it because there is some sort of myth that you really do have to tend your lines all the time. (FWIW we usually try to arrange lines long enough - with springs crossing over that we rarely if ever except on the greatest of tidal ranges have to adjust lines.) Usually once the boat is set up she will ride up and down in one spot, but others seem to believe that you need to have them adjusted 'just so' all the time.

Of course this assumes that you don't have to take the ground, but that's another topic and you find yourself in an even smaller minority if you've got a fin keeled boat that you don't mind leaning up against a harbour wall as the tide goes out. That is a bit more effort as I always want to be there and supervise her settling and the line (typically to the mast) to ensure she's leaning does need to be tended, but perhaps drying harbours ought to be another thread?

There are lots of places worth a visit with water to stay afloat at all states. Mevagissey and Portpatrick are obvious places but there are others....

Spent the night on the wall in Portpatrick a couple of times. Crossed spring lines as you say. Worked fine and slept well.

The long climb up the ladder at LW wasn't much fun.

 

[DJE]

Is it because there is a new breed of yachtsman who is addicted to pontoons

They're not all addicted to pontoons. As soon as you get nicely secured to the wall they are happy to come and raft up on you instead!

 

[Uricanejack]

None of the boats I chartered ever had long enough lines.
Many boats have these preemade dock lines which only suitable for a marina pontoon and are far to short for use on a wall.
I used to tie up frequently to walls with nice long lines.
A couple of planks to put over fenders help with wood piles for piers. few boats carry now.

 

[Blueboatman]

Walls. Terrible things.
They scuff yer fenders
Smell of wee and weed
Chafe yer lines on the edges
Are subject to voyeurs
And stone kickers
The ladders are in the wrong place, too short, too slimy, too disrepaired
The late night house music, shaggin, leak takin, condom throwing...
Terrrrrible things, aye.

Much better in a nice safe marina where they call you Sir and have leccy and security and other boats, all just like you'se

As fur them furreign walls. Well they're bigger aren't they eh? Go up n down more.. Ugh

 

[Sandyman]

Spent the night on the wall in Portpatrick a couple of times. Crossed spring lines as you say. Worked fine and slept well.

The long climb up the ladder at LW wasn't much fun.

Its a doddle. My missus did it no bother and she's disabled.

Marinas or harbour walls ? I think it's just a culture that has grown up, where over the years, peeps have become used to using marinas & the facilities they provide.
(Plus of course they get to use all that freshers. Wouldn't want to be seen out on the ogin with all that nasty salt on the boat )
I guess another reason so many use marinas is that their boats are not well equipped for independent living and do not provide the facilities what today's modern lazy man requires.

We actually prefer harbour walls & jetty's. Find we get a better interaction with the locals and avoid the ho har henry brigade.

As to rafting up. Seems only the Brits have a problem with it. Last summer in Port Joinville we had 9 frenchies rafted up on us. Not a problem.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

...... not well equipped for independent living ...... modern lazy man requires. ...... Find we get a better interaction with the locals .... Not a problem.

A damp flannel and public toilets to take care of these needs.

 

[Vega1447]

Its a doddle. My missus did it no bother and she's disabled.

OK, we had a older crewman who is a bit overweight and it would have been a long fall.

OT I know but have I read somewhere that the ladder rungs on the wall in Portpatrick are now a bit dodgy?

 

[Sandyman]

OK, we had a older crewman who is a bit overweight and it would have been a long fall.

OT I know but have I read somewhere that the ladder rungs on the wall in Portpatrick are now a bit dodgy?

Stick a safety harness on him with the main halyard. What I did with my missus.

No more dodgy than other places. Just avoid those that don't look safe.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

It's quite a while since I tied up alongside a harbour wall - the 1980s, on charter holidays. But back then, the harbourmasters concerned (Tarbert and Tobermory) told us to move, in one case to a pontoon, and in the other to a mooring (or anchor). So, I tend to assume that harbours in general don't like yachts berthing alongside. Earlier, when I was sailing with my Dad in the 1960s, berthing alongside was the norm; you did it without really thinking about it, and I've berthed alongside in many of the Scottish East Coast harbours.

I'd be quite happy berthing alongside, as long as I knew that the harbour management was happy with me doing so, and was conversant with the needs of yachts regarding grounding etc. In the 1980s, it seemed like most harbour managements didn't want yachts using what they saw as commercial space; you were often only grudgingly allowed alongside even if you wanted to get fuel. I guess that with the decline of inshore fishing, this attitude may have changed.

We did hit one problem! We were directed to raft up alongside a fairly large trawler, and discovered the hard way that a) The trawler grounded long before we did because the water next to the wall was much shallower than it was on the outside of the trawler, b) that when we grounded our gunwhale was below the turn of the trawler's bilge and c) That we spent a tide leaning with the cap shrouds against the side of the trawler; fortunately at a fairly small angle so there wasn't too much stress. The harbourmaster was very apologetic and moved us as soon as we floated - but we spent a very uncomfortable and worrying few hours.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

Spent the night on the wall in Portpatrick a couple of times. Crossed spring lines as you say. Worked fine and slept well.

The long climb up the ladder at LW wasn't much fun.

The climb is o.k. with me.... the pigeon s**t is something else

 

[Sandyman]

A damp flannel and public toilets to take care of these needs.

Oh no. One would not like to use public toilets. There might be ogin on the floor, and the awful smell of someone else's wee wee's you know,
and gawd forbid if someone has left a grurt big turd in a pan & not flushed it properly
Much nicer to use marina toilets, you get a better class of people in there. Their shoit don't stink either

 

[oldbilbo]

Old Mike Peyton - certainly one of the best 'yotmeister instructors' - had a couple of words to say about this topic....

and

 

[maby]

Personally I'm very reluctant to. I simply prefer the convenience and security of a marina. I also rather like the social life. Each to their own!

 

[fantasia7628]

The Peyton cartoon of the suspended yacht could have been illustrating myself 30+ years ago in Roscoff harbour. Having miscalculated the tide we came back from a lovely meal to find Seagay (now known as Seajay) suspended two feet above the remaing water. We decided that the best action was to release the warps and she fell with a big splash into the water and mud. No damage apart from her lovely varnished mahogany topsides scraping the wall. I am still a fan of berthing alogside walls, there are so many little harbours to explore in that way.

 

[oldbilbo]

( Pssst! Can I let you into a secret...? If you scrounge some time-expired stretchy climbing ropes from your local indoors 'climbing wall' and use them as long warps when alongside a harbour quay, you won't have the same outcome as the guys in the first pic... Don't tell everyone! )


Oh, and that first cartoon looks suspiciously like Newlyn, so if that happens to you, don't worry. The good fisherfolk there don't go too far - they like to be back for opening time...

 

[sighmoon]

On a friend's full keeled gaffer, we did regularly. On my own boats, I have avoided drying harbour walls, as I'm not sure how well the boat would balance fore and aft.

Does anybody do it in a fin keeled cruiser/ racer?

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

Here's a starter list for you.

No ability to control the mount of muppets who raft outside you with out proper lines.
Lots of muppets clunking over your deck who may not have the same sense of boat are as you do.
Potential damage from the arbour wall itself.
Probable damage from the muppets in points oe and two above.
Inability to come and go as you please.
Probable lack of shore power and water.
Likelihood of difficult shore access at low tide.
Gawpers on the harbour wall.
Rubbish dropped by the gawpers onto your boat.
Undesirable consequences from excessive alcohol and insufficient public toilets.
Noise.

Give me a marina, or anchor, or swinging berth anytime.