Med Mooring opportunities in the Carribean/Bahamas?

[CaptainSusan]

My husband and I live in Texas, and have a bareboat charter (Lagoon 38) scheduled in September for a week from Paros Greece. While we have captained charters in the Grenadines, Whitsundays, Abacos and Exumas, our only med mooring exprience was on a training charter from Athens three years ago when we had a privately hired captain aboard to take over when we fell short.

Frankly we are daunted by the crowed harbors and aggressive captains we witnessed that week in Greece. We want to find an easy way to practice med mooring on a cat in advance of our September charter there. As I am a former airline employee, it is reasonably easy for us to fly virtually anywhere, but the Bahamas/Caribbean/Florida are especially easy.

I am trying to see if there are destinations closer to us where we could get hands on practice with med mooring. So far, I have only identified Gustavia Harbor in St. Barths. That might work, but I have also read that smaller boats get pushed out there by large yachts and outright prohibited when winds are strong.

I would love to hear of any other relatively nearby options to get hands on med mooring practoce on a cat outside of the Med.

Also if anyone knows of a stateside (or close by) Captain who has both the experience, the boat (Catamaran) and an area where we could really drill med mooring without interfering with boat traffic, please let me know.

We are trying to put this together for the week beginning July 31, 2021.

Thanks for any input wiser souls can provide.

[belizesailor]

You can practice med mooring anywhere you have access to a boat and a suitable dock or seawall.

The anxiety for most for med mooring, like most docking, is the approach not the actual docking. So, when I teach docking I have the students do "touch & goes"...just getting close to the dock in good position, not actually tying off, then pulling away and doing it again. Start by practicing maneuvering the stern close to the dock/seawall. No need to actually tie up, just do this until you are comfortable...then start attaching lines.

Med mooring requires good coordination between fore deck crew and helm...especially if med mooring under anchor. Work out your hand signals...no yelling!

Med mooring a cat is easier due to twin engines and good access off the transom.

[Joh.Ghurt]

The whole trick to mooring in the Mediterranean is being comfortable to drive in reverse through marinas and ports. This is easier in catamarans with the twin motors. Just start early enough and if your alignment is off, drive out and retry.

For Med style mooring in Greece, you often still have to use the anchor too because the don't have fixed installed mooring lines. You should know where drop it, otherwise pretty much the same as above.

And just take your time when the weather is good.

[CaptainSusan]

Thank you for your input Joh.Ghurt and Belize Sailor. I can relate to the 'touch and go reference' as I am a pilot. We'd like to just drill on the whole process under different conditions, including adjusting the ropes and anchor to position the boat optimally vis a vis the quay...we'll only have a plank for a 'passarelle'.

As I have reviewed all our intended destinations in the Cyclades, there will be no lazy lines. It will be anchoring and stern to everywhere we stop.

That said, I do wonder where you attach a singular lazy line on a Cat if that is all there is available. I know what to do if there are two lazy lines available, but don't know if it is possible to use only one lazy line on a cat in the event only one lazy line is available.

[boatman61]

I have yet to visit a marina in the Med with a single lazy line.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I have yet to visit a marina in the Med with a single lazy line.

Neither have I.

Normally on a cat you cross the stern lines which gives you plenty of lead/leverage for adjustments and is a big help in keeping the boat centered laterally.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by CaptainSusan

Thank you for your input Joh.Ghurt and Belize Sailor. I can relate to the 'touch and go reference' as I am a pilot. We'd like to just drill on the whole process under different conditions, including adjusting the ropes and anchor to position the boat optimally vis a vis the quay...we'll only have a plank for a 'passarelle'.



As I have reviewed all our intended destinations in the Cyclades, there will be no lazy lines. It will be anchoring and stern to everywhere we stop.



That said, I do wonder where you attach a singular lazy line on a Cat if that is all there is available. I know what to do if there are two lazy lines available, but don't know if it is possible to use only one lazy line on a cat in the event only one lazy line is available.

One tip on med mooring using anchor. Good crew on the bow is important. I like to drop with lots of scope distance from the wall and have the foredeck crew maintain some tension on the rode so that the hook sets as we back down.

This way if it drags I can feel it before we are stern to and bail out for another try.

[Anders]

Lots of marinas in Greece with lazy lines. Town quays often get lazy lines when it gets extended but no one maintains them and they will all be gone after a few months leaving only a big chain to catch with your anchor.
One tip is to install controls for the anchor winch in the cockpit that the helmsman can use leaving one more to help the boat in instead of just standing on the foredeck.

[geoffkimblin]

Another alternative is to ask your Charter provider to arrange for a skipper for your first day and have him school you in Med moorings. Have chartered many times in Greece and there are lots of "learners" and plenty of help on hand from other yachties. Wonderful place to cruise.

[CaptainSusan]

Thank everyone for their input. I will quit concerning myself with the possibility of a single lazy line.

Wish we could control the windlass from the cockpit, but not an option on our chartered Lagoon.

We are arriving Paros three days in advance of our charter. I asked if we could hire a boat and captain to drill before our charter, but fortunately for the charter company, business has rebounded strongly since the disaster of last year and all the boats are booked the week prior to our charter. I had actually hoped we'd hit the sweet spot of the COVID rebound with our mid- September charter and the harbors would be empty, but apparently such is not the case.

We have another couple joining us (they have owned but never sailed a yacht if you catch my drift) on the charter and want to get our skill level and confidence level up before before we scare them with our ineptness.

[belizesailor]

A good concise summary here of med mooring with both lazy line and anchor:

https://www.rya.org.uk/e-news/up-to-...oring-stern-to

[CaptainSusan]

Thank you Belize Sailor. That is concise and straightforward.

[Dogscout]

Look for the you tube channel for sailing virgins. Yep thats thier name. Two guys with a monohull but they give a great tutorial of med mooring.

Its more about confidence than anything else. You need to make concise decisions when doing this. Backing a boat up is not hard. Do not spinn the wheel wildly, calm is your friend. The twin engines on a cat will be easier. Fenders are your friends, use them. Line up the boat three boat lengths out. Drop the anchor there and keep feeding out chain as you slowly back up. Chain tension can straighten you out if you veer off to one side. On the first few ports, be early and you will beat the crowds and have more room. As you get about 3 meters from the wall, keep the chain under tension, throw your lines and use the lines and the windlass to snug up.

Its really more anxiety than skill.

[CaptainSusan]

Thanks Dogscout. Yes, we have been watching the sailing virgin videos. Agree that backing a catamaran is so much easier. I know 'real' sailors distain them but we like sailing an 'RV'. Lock the wheel and turn backwards and backing becomes intuitive.

Our base has advised that we have a 70 meter chain on our Lagoon 38 and recommends that we put all of it out whenever possible. That's 5+ boat lenghts depending on the depth. Seems like lots of opportunity for someone to cross our anchor after we arrive early (which we intend), so we are also reviewing the crossed anchor procedures.

[HeinSdL]

One note about fenders - when reversing into a fairly tight space between two other boats, IF the already moored boats are already 'well fendered', my advice is not to also tie your own fenders 'just to be sure'. To my displeasure, on arriving in the Med, I discovered this can greatly work in your disfavour. Reason being that the fenders on the already moored boats and the ones on your to be moored boat can get caught up in each other and, well pull up and away. Last thing you want when you want to get in there smartly, fenders playing havoc with each other. Especially when they actually have difficulty letting go of each other when their fixing lines have reached the horizontal... Super annoying, things break.

When reversing into a tight space, make sure your hull is... smooth, ready to, well, slip in nicely. With some crew standing by with a flying fender in hand on both sides ready to position dynamically.

And then, once moored, for sure add more fenders. Finally, also remove your own fenders before exiting a tight space.