Whats The Attraction In Backing in.

hlb

hlb

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Yes I know some bigger boats have to do it some places, else they cant get off. But MF is about 40ft long and nearly always fits in forwards. Last week in Conarfon, Mark saw us coming, so found us the most impossible berth. A local had gone away for a few days, So he gave us his berth. (HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT HIS COMING BACK)There was so much clutter and steps on the pontoon. The cleat could not be lassoed. It was nearly impossible to get a rope round the cleat from on the pontoon.

Anyway.

After cruising around for the last........ week.... dunno, maybe more. We stayed in Conwy, glorious sun, watching the antics.

Observations.

Tuther boats big and small, go out and come back two hours later.

There is a load of noise, banging and crashing as they come back. Bit same as when they went out. Bow thruchers thrutching and folk jumping about, like long jump training for the Olympics.

The bow thrucher seems to be used as some sort of steering wheel, which of course it is not. The excit from the pontoon involving bashing the arse end onto the pontoon untill it finally escapes, when it thankfully can now perform.

Backing onto a finger is very difficult even with a thrutcher. Getting off it forwards is also difficult. Whats the attraction and why jump about.

Tuther observation.

Why do raggies go ten times faster backwards in a marina, than they ever go forwards at sea.
 
hlb said:
Observations.

Tuther boats big and small, go out and come back two hours later.

There is a load of noise, banging and crashing as they come back. Bit same as when they went out. Bow thruchers thrutching and folk jumping about, like long jump training for the Olympics.

The bow thrucher seems to be used as some sort of steering wheel, which of course it is not. The excit from the pontoon involving bashing the arse end onto the pontoon untill it finally escapes, when it thankfully can now perform.

Backing onto a finger is very difficult even with a thrutcher. Getting off it forwards is also difficult. Whats the attraction and why jump about.
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Rookies they are. ;)

Years ago in my rookie year of SCCA road racing, I was required to have a white cross on the back of my helmet......to let the other know I wasn't competent and to give me a wide berth while passing me.

Maybe the rookie boaters should be required to fly some sort of flag as a warning to others. Sort of like that white flag with the red cross the UK is asking people to fly for that other problem their having in another post.:D

Bernie
 
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I like coming in bows to at our finger pontoon berth - it gives much more privacy from passers by on the main pontoon, and is, for the experienced, easy enough to get on and off the boat from the bathing patform onto the extremity of the finger.

The problem comes when guests/visitors come for a day out - especially elderly females - who are extremely nervous of getting onto the boat that way. Coming in stern to relieves that difficulty, it also means that I can have a short power lead instead of stringing out one along the whole length of the boat, taking on water and supplies is easier, loading the dinghy is also a doddle, and in the prevailing SWerlies its so easy to reverse in, that it would just be silly not to.
 
hlb said:
There was so much clutter and steps on the pontoon. The cleat could not be lassoed. It was nearly impossible to get a rope round the cleat from on the pontoon.

Saw that berth yesterday.
Blimey it has more 'stuff' on it than a furniture store!
Never seen it empty before!!

Anyway.

After cruising around for the last........ week.... dunno, maybe more. We stayed in Conwy, glorious sun, watching the antics.

Observations.

'Thrucher's ' as yer call em
Yep, yer right there
I reckon we should set up a 'Thrucher Stall' do a right good roring trade I reckon:)

Tuther observation.

Why do raggies go ten times faster backwards in a marina, than they ever go forwards at sea.
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I reckon they've got their props on back to front:D
 
We tend to find that the fingers allocated to us most places we go are far shorter than the length we are being charged for, which is why I had thrusters put front & back so we can deal with any eventuality.
 
We always moor bow in to a finger. Prefer the privacy of having the aft end away from the pontoon or shore. Our bow thruster only gets used about once a month on average (eg when strong wind blowing her off and I'm single handed). Don't understand the fuss about mooring, it's all very relaxing.
 
Stern on for me and most other mobo's on my pontoon.

Is much safer for the kids plus much more sociable with other pontoon dwellers, is a bit harder to do but soon becomes second nature, even on boats like mine with one engine and no bow thruster!
 
Mooring bow in is antisocial, in always doing so you could end up being a friendless, lonely, secret drinker!!
 
As a raggie, there are times when a strong throttle hand is useful. When turning with the prop walk, a burst of full throttle & full rudder will pivot her on her keel. Trying to reverse slowly will simply swing my stern to port with prop walk, so a couple of decent bursts of throttle will get her moving astern so she answers a gentle helm. 2kts is plenty fast enough, it also means that a burst of full ahead will stop her pretty quick too.

I suspect that Fear has a lot to do with what you observe, it is also one reason why I keep out of marinas. How's MF's bum these days? Got her new davits yet?
 
Stern to?

I always go in stern-to against my finger. Two reasons; a) I need as much practice as possible reversing the boat, and b) it's safer and more dignified exiting across the bathing platform. One poster commented about the social factor of being able to converse with other marina users when stern-to. Couldn't agree more. If you want privacy you motor out of the marina.

My grandfather used to say 'when going to the pub always park your car in the direction of home'!

Graham.
 
Hmm, interesting replies. No, MF is not getting her new davits till mid July, but now needs some new fair leads as well, due to the latest plonker.

I'd never thought of the social or anti social aspect. Course it's each to their own.

Forgetting the obvious, cant get off, elderly relatives and stuff.

Reasons for going in forwards.

1/ You can zoom straight in, important if any wind or tide. Bow man/girl lasso's pontoon cleat from the boat, so no jumping about. Boat will stay there all day now on her engines. Crew can now walk off the back as and when ready.

2/ When your going out, you can start the turn much sooner, plus theres no pontoon bashing.

3/ Theres nearly always a V shaped end to the pontoon for the bathing platform to hit.

4/ You cant see where your going properly backwards, so no idea when you've got there till a big klunk.

5/ SWMBO dont like going in backwards because it spoils the view.

I just thing backing in is a messy way, less of couse your forced.
 
Quiet agree, don't know why people often insist on backing in often giving them trouble in winds. Many pontoons are actually shaped for the bow and not for the straight stern side of a cruiser. I find it far easier backing out than backing in! but then I have no bow thruster and 11.5 mtr boat. The privacy thing is also a bonus coming in bow first.

As far as yachts are concerned, they have to back in fast because with only one prop and a rudder they dont have much stearage and the prop will either kick the boat left or right depending on the prop fitted. There is no wash against the rudder when going astern, the yachtsman really only has rudder control going forward.

Barry
 
Backing onto a finger is very difficult even with a thrutcher. Getting off it forwards is also difficult.
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Aha, so you need to practice more !!
Unless we jump a metre down to the pontoon, the way off the boat is off the swim platform, so we always reverse in. Not really any issue.
Actually, in Falmouth the other week, it was blowing a bit, and we d misunderstood which side the finger pontoon was, so I thought I may as well continue, bow in. Only that left half the boat with no finger pontoon, and SWIMBO told me to go back out and do it properly.
So now I ve tried bow in once in my life, and it doesnt work, I m told.
 
Always back in. Without a bow thruster. In a long keeler. Mostly in a strongish cross wind blowing the bows off......:eek:

If parked front end in first with the end of the bowsprint just lined up on the pavement at the end of the berth, the end of the finger is less than half way down the boat leaving 30ft or so hanging out the back. There is then no practical way to tie it up in that position to hold the stern against the strong winds cross winds we get.

Anyway, we like watching the passers by from the cockpit. We are right smack in the town centre on the main drag.:)
 
With me, it's a legacy of the "00" training, I'm afraid. Back in so that you can leave fast, fast, fast.

Hang on a sec, I shouldn't have mentioned the "00" training should I?

:D:D:D
 
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