Tying of Tenders

[Jacothebrave]

I’ve noticed that some people tie their tenders on side of yacht while others tie it behind while at anchor, any specific reason for this.

If you tie the dinghy behind the boat, in calm winds it will frequently slide forward and 'bump' the mothership. Also, should you need to leave in a hurry, or have a dragging anchor you have to remember to shorten the painter before you start the engine. In addition, it is a bit more secure from theft right next to your big boat. Good seamanship ties the tender alongside, or better yet on deck.

There is no good reason I know of to allow the dinghy to trail behind the yacht other than it is easier.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by GreatKetch

If you tie the dinghy behind the boat, in calm winds it will frequently slide forward and 'bump' the mothership. Also, should you need to leave in a hurry, or have a dragging anchor you have to remember to shorten the painter before you start the engine. In addition, it is a bit more secure from theft right next to your big boat. Good seamanship ties the tender alongside, or better yet on deck.

There is no good reason I know of to allow the dinghy to trail behind the yacht other than it is easier.

In The Pacific Northwest, almost all boats will tie the tender off the stern on a short painter. We have enough of an evening breeze that bumping is not a problem. Most sailboat tenders in this region are inflatables. Theft is not an issue here.

I am not aware of any "seamanship guidelines" for tenders while at anchor. At docks, of course, you want to miminize the space occupied, not block channels, and prevent tenders and engines from bumping other vessels.

If bumping the mothership is an issue at anchor, then tying along side with fenders or bringing it on deck are solutions. The latter can present its own problems by impeding access to the bow and by covering up hatches.

BTW - when dragging anchor, let out more rode to increase your scope (if sufficient space is astern), before starting your engine and re-anchoring.

Jack

[Sandero]

I assumed it related to boarding. We do it from the stern and so the dink hangs out there. We do tow it on coastal cruising and add a bridal so we have three lines.

It's just convenient and we never foul lines in the prop.

[Furface]

Originally Posted by defjef

I assumed it related to boarding. We do it from the stern and so the dink hangs out there. We do tow it on coastal cruising and add a bridal so we have three lines.

It's just convenient and we never foul lines in the prop.

You sure got me thinking defjef. I 've only had my newly purchased
boat out once and I was towing my canoe as a tender. It never occured
to me that the painter could get tangled in the prop. I'll have to work
on a self reeling painter or something like that.

[Pblais]

I'll have to work on a self reeling painter or something like that.

Polypropylene line floats.

[Zanshin]

In anchorages with swell a dinghy, even a hypalon one, bumps and abrades the hull too much for my liking. After sucking in my own dinghy line two months ago, I have become a firm proponent of floating polypropylene lines

[cantxsailor]

Experience is shown by not doing dumb things. Doing dumb things is how you gain experience.........m

[Christian Van H]

Originally Posted by cantxsailor

Doing dumb things is how you gain experience.........m

Or by reading the dumb things of others...

[ASenchak]

For us it comes down to 1
1) boarding - we board from the stern so its easier to keep it tied to the stern
2) chaffing - when tied to the side, I find that when it rubs against the hull, the sound irritates me.
3) slapping - even in light wind, the slapping of the bow of the tender against the water is audible and annoying.

just my 3 cents

Alex

[Blue Stocking]

I have a 1 1/4" telescopic alum pole, snap 1 end to a short pennant on the dinghy, other end on the reaching strut padeye, haul off the beam. Support pole with forestaysail halyard.

Very St.Tropez!!

[s/v Jedi]

During the day we keep it behind the boat because we use the sugar scoop stern for boarding. It's hoisted up the davits every night, something we found to be crucial to keeping the dinghy looking like a dinghy (growth) and just to keeping the dinghy.

cheers,
Nick.

[Bash]

Same here: our dink spends the night on the davits. It only takes a minute to hoist, and that's the best way to insure that we'll still have a dink when we wake up tomorrow. And if I need to cut and run and 3:00 AM because the anchor's dragging, I won't need to worry about the dink back there.

[Starbuck]

At the bottom of the ladder is a good spot. I rig it side to stern, bow and quarter lines each going to a quarter cleat. In a mooring field, it's snug up, out of the fairway; boarding is easy for multiple crew stepping on a side tube and to the ladder going up, or coming down.

Of course, wind and wave conditions may dictate other arrangements.

[s/v Jedi]

Hey Starbuck... there's a Sundeer 60 that's also called Eagles Wings ;-)

I have another point related to this: what knot do you use to tie the dinghy to the big boat?

cheers,
Nick.