Quote:
Originally Posted by sneuman
What techniques do you all use to make in single-handed docking or mooring?
It would be good to get a breakdown between techniques used at your own pier/mooring and procedures you use when at an unfamiliar port of call.
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For walls and docks and other boats I have a big
round fender that I place about 1/4 of the boat length from the bow (being round it copes with the sheer near the bow) to use as the deliberate point of first contact - so I can motor / pivot against it if needed (BTW I don't always aim to ram things! - just that I find it helps to know that one spot on the boat can "touch" safely and fairly predictably, even when not needed).
A bit of a PITA to stow, but I am always glad of it when needed!
I get the docklines ready well in advance and also other fenders in place. At the moment I do not have any
cleats admidships (it's on the list!) - so I tend to use a Sheet
Winch as a Temporary Cleat (Being a Centre
Cockpit it is further forward on the boat). The aim being to get one line ashore so the boat can be controlled (it's why I have only a 30 footer - cos I am a weakling!) and then the fore and aft lines can be set in my own time (relatively).
My own mooring is a fore and aft drying mooring. As I cannot motor through the mooring (a Boat moored in front!), I give her plenty of Welly to get her straight whilst turning into the berth. a 1 second pause in Neutral (to clear the prop wash and be "Nice" to the gearbox) and then a "good" burst of welly in astern to stop me hitting the boat moored ahead. Sometimes this does involve resting against my neighbours boats, depending on the
wind / tide. (they do the same - plenty of fenders all round).
IME the biggest help for mooring are wide and clear (ish!) sidedecks that I can scoot around easily and (against a dock / another vessel) being easy to hop off and back on.
Off course sometimes (?!!) I do motor back and forth like a tw#t trying not to sink anyone whilst docking. But ONLY when their is an audience!