What would you have done

[robyonfrome]

Stayed the night on Wareham quay last Saturday. In the morning it was blowing a hooly I’m talking 50 to 60 mph the water had risen 6" over the quay so the fenders where unless, had to get off asap as the boat was starting to rub against the quay but the wind was pinning us against the quay. Which way should I have got off bearing in mind it was just me and SWIMBO. Option 1 try and get the bow out against the 90" wind but with a little help from a week current which could have possibly ended up catching the starboard stern of the boat as we swung around. Option 2 both engines in reverse and try to pivot the stern into the centre of the river against the wind on the bow rope. I will tell you later how I got off unscathed but a little humiliated.

 

[oceanfroggie]

On a twin engine vessel, well placed fenders near bow, asymetric thrust with rudders hard over towards quay wall may be enought to push the stern out sufficiently for you to then reverse off (ie without the use of a spring line).

If however wind is too strong then Ball and Spring method. A spring line from bow cleat looped around bollard on quay near stern, fenders set, and both engines forward, rudder hard over towards quay, and the stern will swing out enough for a reverse away, releasing spring and pulling warp back on board. The trick is slow but positive control inputs, and setting spring for quick release.

 

[jfm]

On a twin engine vessel, well placed fenders near bow, asymetric thrust with rudders hard over towards quay wall may be enought to push the stern out sufficiently for you to then reverse off (ie without the use of a spring line).

If however wind is too strong then Ball and Spring method. A spring line from bow cleat looped around bollard on quay near stern, fenders set, and both engines forward, rudder hard over towards quay, and the stern will swing out enough for a reverse away, releasing spring and pulling warp back on board. The trick is slow but positive control inputs, and setting spring for quick release.

But from what RobFrome said you can't lean on the fenders, as the water has risen 6 inches above the quay...!

 

[burgundyben]

How does your boat lie in the wind when adrift in neutral?

 

[oceanfroggie]

But from what RobFrome said you can't lean on the fenders, as the water has risen 6 inches above the quay...!

OK, no fenders, but same maneauver.

Incidentally, there has been massive flooding on the river shannon for the past three weeks affecting dozens of marinas, many boats floating higher than their berths, or marginally above, so car tyres have been used to offer some protection to hulls.

 

[Bav34]

A spring line from bow cleat looped around bollard on quay near stern.

Interesting.

Why do you feel the need for such a long spring? We have always got off using the next shore cleat back from the bow ... less to pull in.

Always ready to learn


Oh, and as an answer ... the river isn't that wide there. Take a line over to the other side ... tie to convenient bench, tree ??? Pull boat off in the lulls?

 

[Nick_H]

With 50-60 mph winds blowing you on to the quay, then no chance of getting the bow out, in fact next to no chance of getting the boat away from the quay full stop, other than sliding along to the end of it using anything you can find to cushion the boat. I think i'd have been tempted to leave the boat where it was and just stuff makeshift fenders in to protect it. 50-60 mph is storm force 10, you'd be struggling to stand up, let alone manouevre a boat.

 

[AdeOlly]

In those conditions, other than Nick_H's suggestion of sliding along the quay, the only other way that might work is take the bow line forwards at least 10' from the boat and loop around a bollard and back to the boat, and then, assuming sterndrives here, steer away from the quay half a turn, and use a generous amount of power astern on the inside engine only, praying you don't pop the cleat If you're lucky you'll get the stern away, but need to be careful not to pivot the bow against the quay wall, which is why only half a turn on the wheel to start with and inside engine, and if so continue reversing until getting towards 90 degrees to the quay at which point windage will be reduced, release the line, and then presto you're free to keep on reversing.

I've used this method sucessfully in an F6 gusting F7, but a 9/10 sheesh, may just be too much for this to work. Also, it won't work with shafts as you need the vectored thrust to pull the stern out.

Quite where you'd now go in those conditions is quite another challenge...

 

[fisherman]

Nylon rope under the hull, pull the fenders down into place?

 

[michael_w]

Take the anchor, ideally a light kedge, out as far as you can. Haul the boat off the quay. Would probably need careful fending off on the stern.

It is easier to load the anchor and warp into the tender, with the end tied off on the mothership than the other way round. An inflatable with a reliable outboard are remarkably seaworthy.

Just a raggie's 2p worth.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Use your dinghy to take warps out to buoys in the river and gradually pull yourself free.

We got caught out in those winds on Saltash pontoon, had an inpromptu pontoon party at 03-00 in the pouring rain on Sunday morning. Not fun........

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Stayed the night on Wareham quay last Saturday. In the morning it was blowing a hooly I’m talking 50 to 60 mph the water had risen 6" over the quay so the fenders where unless, had to get off asap as the boat was starting to rub against the quay but the wind was pinning us against the quay. Which way should I have got off bearing in mind it was just me and SWIMBO. Option 1 try and get the bow out against the 90" wind but with a little help from a week current which could have possibly ended up catching the starboard stern of the boat as we swung around. Option 2 both engines in reverse and try to pivot the stern into the centre of the river against the wind on the bow rope. I will tell you later how I got off unscathed but a little humiliated.

I am indebted to a certain ex editor of MBM for showing me this one and it has never failed me. Use a bow spring but don't tie it to the bow cleat nearest the pontoon but to the bow cleat on the other side (outside) of the boat. Lead the rope backwards under the bow to a cleat on the pontoon about half a boat length or less back from the bow and loop it back to the bow cleat on the boat. Fender the bow as best you can. If the fenders are too high enlist help from somebody on shore to keep the bow from scraping the quay. Instruct your crew to let go the spring line only on your instruction.
Go forward on outside engine and reverse on nearside engine as normal. Because the spring is tied to the outside bow cleat, not the inside one, there is far greater leverage on the boat and the stern will swing round quite quickly so don't use too much power, just enough to get the boat swinging. The tension of the rope leading under the bow also helps keep the bow off the quay but not entirely so you will need the fenders or the person on shore to help keep the bow off the quay. When the boat is getting close to 90 deg to the quay, instruct the crew to let go of the spring as quickly as possible and reverse off the quay smartly. Once you are going astern into the wind, the boat will naturally go back straight (weathercocking).
If there is some tide running at the same time, obviously it becomes a bit trickier so try to leave this manouvre for slack water. If you really have to go with a tide running, it means letting go of the spring a bit earlier or later depending on the direction of the tide and trying to leave room for the boat to drift a bit as you reverse out and you might need more power in this situation.
It goes without saying that you should warn other boats around you what you are doing so that they can have crew on deck to fend off and obviously check that the fairway is clear before you reverse into it.
Once you get the hang of this and what length of spring works best with your particular boat, it's dead easy but worth practising to feel how your boat reacts

 

[Thepipdoc]

My other half and me stayed in Dartmouth on Saturday night and the winds in the morning had decreased from the 50-60mph they were at about 3am, to a more steady 30 mph (ish) by 11.00am.
We were also being pinned to the pontoon and we used a bow spring line method to leave.
We use only the inside engine astern and steer away from the pontoon. Slowly but surely the stern will "step out". Once the bow is pointing at something like 45 degrees to the pontoon, I slip the bow line and we continued astern with both engines in reverse.
This method works every time - or at least it has with us. even when the wind and tide is pinning us to the mooring.
I learned pretty soon that using this method can have potentially dangerous consequences if it's not carried out using the shortest possible bow line! I was initially using a fairly length rope - about 10 metres, and even though I was using it as a slip line I was only using about 4-5 metres of the available 10 metres and "coiling" the unused 5 metres up on the deck. This was working fine until I stuck my foot in the rapidly decreasing coil and if I hadn't have been quick enough I would have lost my leg - if not my life! A valuable lesson learned
I can understand that this manoeuvre might be slightly more concerning with the fenders being as good as useless - as was the case with Robyonfrome, but I cant see how this method could be any more damaging than staying where he was.

 

[oceanfroggie]

Interesting.

Why do you feel the need for such a long spring? We have always got off using the next shore cleat back from the bow ... less to pull in.

Better pivot angle (ie less strain and boat rotates on fender easier), but yes it doesn't have to be that long, a bollard amidships will also do. But from single handed experience I've tended to use a bollard nearer the stern so I can hold the end of the line from the aft cockpit helm for quick release.

 

[MapisM]

Nylon rope under the hull, pull the fenders down into place?

Gets my vote for the best idea so far, particularly because it allows to stay and wait for better conditions.
I'm surprised to see so many suggestions, with the notable exception of Nick_H, along the lines of maneuvering the boat and/or the tender.
Makes me wonder if these posters have actually ever been in such wind conditions, or are familiar enough with routes along the screaming 60's to handle such maneuver with a grin on their face and a fag in their hands...

Btw, thanks to the OP for one of the nicest WNS seen lately, I'm curious to hear how he dealt with it.

 

[hlb]

I'm not going in to the particular situation, some boats would fight the wind, others would not.

But, I've nearly never found a good excuse for leaving a berth forwards, it always has to be backwards. This is the point that some t-at says, They cant get out of their finger berth backwards!! Fine, you should have put it in forwards. Yep this is not always possible, cos you maybe cant get off the boat. So give the marina man a good kicking. Most handling problems are caused by bad practice, not bad boat handling.

With a twin engined boat you dont need a spring. Of course you do have a big round fender for the bows, dont you?? You dont need any space fore or aft, though a foot each end is handy. With one engine fowards and the other back, the boat will just swing round on the fender, positioned right, you can get to at least 45deg from the quay, but in effect, because you have created more room, you can back up a bit, then swing round again. So effectivly leave a mooring at 90 deg. No bow thruster is needed for this. In fact you only mostly need a bow thrucher for doing things that you should never have done in the first place.

 

[MapisM]

Of course you do have a big round fender for the bows, dont you??

It can't fly Haydn, the quay is submerged!

 

[benjenbav]

Gets my vote for the best idea so far, particularly because it allows to stay and wait for better conditions.
I'm surprised to see so many suggestions, with the notable exception of Nick_H, along the lines of maneuvering the boat and/or the tender.
Makes me wonder if these posters have actually ever been in such wind conditions, or are familiar enough with routes along the screaming 60's to handle such maneuver with a grin on their face and a fag in their hands...

I agree with this. I might just offer up a prayer as well whilst I filled in the insurance claim form. But as for bobbing about in the dinghy with maybe 70kg of pig iron in a 60 mph breeze - no thanks.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Maybe some people won't know that the river at Wareham is not that wide, from memory maybe 30yards or so from memory, certainly not enough to cause bad river conditions unless the wind is coming up the river. With a long enough rope you could probably walk across the bridge to the other bank and secure it there.
Use of fenders is a no no as there's nothing to fender against. In my book has to be warps and maybe engine(s), but the boat only has to be held a foot or so off the quay to prevent damage. Can't imagine he'd want to go anywhere in those winds.

 

[Poignard]

Take the anchor, ideally a light kedge, out as far as you can. Haul the boat off the quay. Would probably need careful fending off on the stern.

It is easier to load the anchor and warp into the tender, with the end tied off on the mothership than the other way round. An inflatable with a reliable outboard are remarkably seaworthy.

Just a raggie's 2p worth.

Just a raggie's 2p worth

A seaman's solution, And worth a lot more than 2p!