Wobbly pontoon fingers

MoodySabre

MoodySabre

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I'm in BYH and the next boat asks me to help their bow round as they wanted to back out against their prop kick. When I let go I was left on the end of the finger wobbling like crazy. I daren't turn round so I dropped to my knees and crawled off backwards.

Why do some places have such rubbish fingers? A danger unless you fancy a swim. Not fit for purpose IMO.
 
MoodySabre said:
I'm in BYH and the next boat asks me to help their bow round as they wanted to back out against their prop kick. When I let go I was left on the end of the finger wobbling like crazy. I daren't turn round so I dropped to my knees and crawled off backwards.

Why do some places have such rubbish fingers? A danger unless you fancy a swim. Not fit for purpose IMO.
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Mmmmm.......sounds like you may have put on a few pounds since we last met :)
 
I agree with MS.

Currently in Eastbourne, at 9st I'm finding the end of the finger is all of a tremble !! Most disconcerting as one tries to moor. The strange thing is the the fingers are wide and really strongly attached to the pontoon, the issue must be the shape/form so the float, or the longtitudinal supports.

A
 
moonshine said:
I agree with MS.

Currently in Eastbourne, at 9st I'm finding the end of the finger is all of a tremble !! Most disconcerting as one tries to moor. The strange thing is the the fingers are wide and really strongly attached to the pontoon, the issue must be the shape/form so the float, or the longtitudinal supports.
Click to expand...

I found exactly the same problem with wobbly finger pontoons last week in Eastbourne. Yet they're Walcon pontoons, same as in Shotley (which aren't very wobbly).
 
My pontoon finger wobbled quite disconcertingly, and made a clonking sound at the hinge. I reported it and kept a record, just in case of a future mishap. It was repaired a few months later, along with several others.
 
Sounds like you may have the dodgy French pontoons... those are always the worst ones that I've known. Narrow and very unstable. As soon as you have more than 2 people on them, you start to wish you'd popped your wellies on ! And they always seem to be too short for whatever boat on alongside them.
 
if it is a problem for 'fun' users, then for people who have to work on them (marina staff ) then it sounds bloody lethal, especially if the top surface is frozen. Piss-poor design, and an issue for H&S without doubt.

Marina will probably say they have assessed the risk, and mitigated it by making workers wear LJs at all times. That does not answer the issue for owners, though. Cutting financial corners again.

The 'tremble' referred to may be a function of the natural resonant frequency of an immersed pontoon finger, and the ability of the human body to react to an wobbly underfoot surface. It sounds like a vicious circle of wobble and react in phase.
 
BYH pontoons -very unstable, and the allocated berth finger is too short for the boat whenever we visit. Makes my missus very wary. We have gates on our 34 footer and can rarely get far enough down the finger to use them. Shotley seem ok, wolverstone are wonderful!
 
The two worst on east coast are byh and Shotley. As mentioned in the empty marina threads, it's lethal with no boat tied up on other side. We refuse assistance at both places because a second person on the finger easily sinks the outer end. We had a wmyc cruise first May BH, and SPYC were visiting at the same time. Apparently 3 members of their group went for unintentional swims.
 
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Gladys said:
The two worst on east coast are byh and Shotley. As mentioned in the empty marina threads, it's lethal with no boat tied up on other side. We refuse assistance at both places because a second person on the finger easily sinks the outer end. We had a wmyc cruise first May BH, and SPYC were visiting at the same time. Apparently 3 members of their group went for unintentional swims.
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Can't say i've ever noticed any problems at Shotley.
 
Amazingly I reckon that since last year shotley has installed some sort of pontoon stabilisation system... This year they are no where as near as wobbly as last...


It's either that or my recent enlightenment might be having less influence...
 
I can report that the pontoon at Mega expensive Lymington YH in v.wobbly :-)

From your ECF reporter 'abroad' !!

Ps as FYH berth holder 14 nights free !!!
 
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