Spectacular Med Mooring Screwup

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Don't be daft, there is a mooring ball which means there are ground chains and risers in the harbour. Sticking 80kgs of Rocna into that mess would really make someones day and provide hours of entertainment for the folks on the shore. In fact there is an excellent video of a yacht doing something similar on You Tube. I will see if I can link to it later, wasn't you by chance was it?

Pete

. . . and unexploded munitions from WWII, and all kinds of war debris on the bottom . . .

Anchoring is strictly prohibited in this former Soviet military harbor, and I wouldn't do it on a bet, even if it were not prohibited.

[nigel1]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I would really like to know if anyone has tried this.

I have nearly 2 meters of freeboard at the bow so no way to pick up the buoy from there -- I'd have to keep going forward and pick it up on the side.

All the while being awfully careful not to get the rope in the prop.

But it seems to me that it ought to be possible.

Never tried it myself, but thinking about it, if you have for example 20 kts of wind on the port beam, you have a made fast a stern line from the port quarter to the dock.

Would need a fair bit of power ahead to get steerage, so you set a course on the auto pilot. In my mind, the wind is going to blow the bow down to starboard, and the auto pilot will start applying port helm to correct this. This will have the effect of moving the stern to starboard, in effect the whole boat is now walking to starboard.
I think eventually, you might end up with the stern back on the dock wall.

But, like I said, I have not tried this

[BandB]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

What should I have done differently?

Perhaps arranged help from the pilot boat in advance? With your experience, I think you made a great effort and you aborted when you saw it wasn't working. I'd only fault attempt #1 with too little line. We don't like to believe it sometimes, but there are occasionally impossibilities. I'm assuming no stern thrusters which would have helped.

Try docking a pontoon boat in a slip on a lake when the wind is 40 knots? The best you can do is get the bow in and then pivot it from there but you have to use the dock, you can't do it without touching.

There are simply circumstances that the absolutely best in handling just isn't enough. There's a reason the RIB pilot boat is there and ready to assist. A call to the dockmaster in advance probably would have led to him telling you that assistance might be needed. We've been told before to dock in a particular area and told the dockmaster no, that if we got in, getting out could be very problematic two days later. Sure enough, someone else docked there and the following morning could not get out. Small area, wind blowing toward dock and another boat in front of them. All that with very shallow water adjacent.

[nwdiver]

Any line I put over the side floats.......I have 2 reels of line on the pushpit for tying off in small coves up here in the NEP, thats North East Pasific or landlubbers and most boaters call it the PNW, but I'm ocean centric......

[foothillsailor]

FWIW here is how I would TRY and med-moor in those conditions.

For explanation purposes I will assume:
a. mooring buoy to the west,
b. wind from the NW,
c. seawall/dock lies to the east and runs North-South
d. enough room along the seawall at least as long as my boat
e. no current.

Here is what I would try and do:
1. approach mooring buoy from SE,
2. attach a LONG mooring line to buoy running the line thru port bow cleat and then back to port cockpit winch, taking a couple of wraps on winch but leaving it loose so that the line can pay out as I proceed;
3. under power, head NNE so that after allowing for drift my boat travels NE, paying out the bow mooring line as you go;
4 At the right time when close to the seawall (this is where it gets tricky!), snub up your bow line and ease off your power so as to stop your forward motion but maintaining your position
5. at that point the bow SHOULD start to pivot to the NW on the snubbed port bow mooring line thus swinging your stern to starboard close to the seawall or if not quite close enough reduce power so that the boat drifts backwards and down while still pivoting on the bow snubbed mooring line
6. PRAY that you've judged the distance right (along with how quickly the boat does/doesn't pivot and your rate of drift)
7. at that point your boat should be pointed roughly NW into the wind, your power should be just enough to maintain your position with your stern near the seawall,
8. lasso or throw the starboard stern dock line around a seawall dock or cleat and tie it off
8. while maintaining slight power ahead so as to have boat now pivoting on your stern line so as to keep the bow facing NW into the wind, winch in the bow mooring line as fast as possible
9. secure bow mooring line, cut power, attach port stern line to dock/seawall
10. have a strong drink because if it worked without a screw-up then you've performed a minor miracle.

Since I don't have a bow thruster I can't comment on how or if it should be used, but the above method doesn't require a bow thruster and should also minimize the risk of fouling a prop.

Haven't tried the above as I've only had experience of med mooring in a slip or where there wasn't enough room to pivot my boat because of the number of boats packed along the seawall.

In the conditions described, I don't know if I would be brave enough to try it single-handed

Good luck

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

. . . and unexploded munitions from WWII, and all kinds of war debris on the bottom . . .

Anchoring is strictly prohibited in this former Soviet military harbor, and I wouldn't do it on a bet, even if it were not prohibited.

Yeah that's for sure, we hear of boats blowing up all the time near town docks.

Not a week goes by and BOOM! There goes another one.

It's good thing there's never been a war over here in Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Serbia or Italy, otherwise I'd need to watch out for those unexploded bombs.

[buzzstar]

Story appreciated, and places in memory as a lesson. If I am ever in a similar situation I may avoid your problems and find my own versions. Thank you.

[deblen]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I would really like to know if anyone has tried this.

I have nearly 2 meters of freeboard at the bow so no way to pick up the buoy from there -- I'd have to keep going forward and pick it up on the side.

All the while being awfully careful not to get the rope in the prop.

But it seems to me that it ought to be possible.

Due to your high freeboard at your bow & being singlehanded,I suggest bringing bow line out thru fairlead & back alongside vessel to cockpit area before you prepare to dock.Slip knot it to something handy at cockpit.
Then motor up alongside mooring buoy until buoy is abreast the cockpit. Now,you should be able to make fast to buoy or buoy pendant from the cockpit. If the pendant has an eye,even better. You pass the end of bow line thru the pendant eye & tie the bow line to something at cockpit. The pendant eye will slide up the bow line & you are moored to the buoy.

Now that you are moored,you can decide calmly how to get a line to the dock. This can be achieved by dinghy,as mentioned,or by "lenghthening" the above described bow line. ie: Run a "bow line" from bow to stern cleat with enough left over bitter end to allow you to reach the dock-either stern or bow first-by powering & letting out the "bow line" at the stern cleat.

Bow thrusters are nice but many of us don't have them.
The stern is the only end of the boat that can be "steered".
Going into a tight spot in x wind will require steering by the stern-plan for it.
Get one point of boat "moored" as soon as possible,so that you can prevent un-controlled drifting of whole vessel. Sort out the finer details after you have ensured you are not adrift.

Wave to the dock gawkers

Thank God we don't have Med,Baltic or other weird docking arrangements here

Cheers/ Len

[nigel1]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Yeah that's for sure, we hear of boats blowing up all the time near town docks.

Not a week goes by and BOOM! There goes another one.

It's good thing there's never been a war over here in Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Serbia or Italy, otherwise I'd need to watch out for those unexploded bombs.

There are numerous areas in the Baltic where anchoring is prohibited.
One of the most common reasons for this is that after WW 1, the Baltic Sea was used as a massive dumping ground for ordance, including chemicals. Many areas are still contaminated with mustard gas.

[Sandibar]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Yeah that's for sure, we hear of boats blowing up all the time near town docks.

Not a week goes by and BOOM! There goes another one.

It's good thing there's never been a war over here in Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Serbia or Italy, otherwise I'd need to watch out for those unexploded bombs.

That's just silly. If anchoring is forbidden, it is. That's often the situation if buoys are provided. Every docking situation is different and med-mooring is not common here. Why do you insist that yours is the only right way to go, even when its obvious its not even an option.

[Sandibar]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

This being an English language forum and largely American, 95% of the people reading this don't have a clue of what you're discussing or know how to deal with this sort of situation. The folks who moor here in the Med (primarily European non-CF members) know how to Med moor., they know what works.

You've asked for advice, and I've described what works successfully, it's now your choice and the choice of others choice whether to use it or not. Mostly you're going to receive theoretical, dreamt up nonsense... do it which ever way you please.[emoji2]

That's just plain offensive. As if only people who spend their time in the adriatic know how to moor in side wind? Funny.

[CarinaPDX]

Why not stick with the Baltic style, if that works for you?

I gave up on going stern-to very early in the Med. First, my boat doesn't steer worth a damn in reverse. The pushpit is full of gear so is difficult to get through. And with a transom-hung rudder (with the risk of damage to the rudder from the shallow bottom as well as the quay) I have to tie too far off the quay. (In some harbors the water is quite shallow near the quay, which is generally only a problem for traditional boats with transom rudders.) Going bow-in I tie the stern line (on a reel on the pushpit) to the buoy, or lay down my Danforth, then motor straight in with good control. To slow forward movement and set the anchor I run the stern line around one of the primary winches a turn or two to provide friction and tension the line. Of course my bow lines are both looped over the end of the pushpit before I start, so they are ready for any helping hands or my own dash to the bow. This technique is particularly appropriate for an aft cockpit as I can steer and control the stern line. On a large boat with a center cockpit I would be in deep trouble single-handing...

Different ships, different long splices...

Greg

[Sandibar]

Dockhead. A 50+ foot yacht may put helpfull dockside people off here. For me it works to ready the lines at the bow for possible help to grab, but then again i can see the bow and can reach it quite quickly from the cockpit. 35ft/6 tons is easier to manhandle as well .

[weavis]

In any conversation, not everyone will agree with each other. Its sad when a person thinks they have the only answer and belittles others . All that happens is that the poster doing it is put on the personal avoid list and sidelined. It happens a lot on CF

A friendly reminder: Would all posters please read the rules pertaining to conduct on the threads. Excessive sarcasm and belligerent commentary is on the "not nice " list. It destroys the flow of the thread and merely confirms a previously held opinion.

We will remove commentary that breaks this CF rule from here on in.

[hamburking]

I used to often sail alone, before I sold my boat. When faced with big winds or a difficult direction, I would go to a nearby safe anchorage, and wait. Around here, a big afternoon wind can go to nothing in a couple hours.

Also, I paid a premium to be at a marina with dock hands to take my lines when I come in, and cast me off when I leave. For sailing alone, it made a big difference. Yes, there were many days of sailing I relied on the kindness of strangers to take my lines. So now I am always there to lend a hand (if needed) when a boat is coming in during a big wind. Although without a boat, that doesn't happen much anymore.

When I sailed with my young children, I would often move the boat early in the morning, when there was no wind at all. Everything is so much easier when there is no wind...except sailing of course!