Spectacular Med Mooring Screwup

[Dockhead]

One reason why I hate it when people make fun of others' mistakes is that I know that under the right circumstances, almost anything can happen to almost anyone, where boats are concerned, and that any one of us could end up being the butt of this kind of derision. Especially, and ironically, those of us who sail a lot, sail in different conditions and locales, and get ourselves into unfamiliar situations.

Well yesterday it was me

I haven't done any Med mooring in probably a decade, and I should have known better.

It was blowing 15 or 20 knots across the dock and somewhat from it. So the wind was blowing me across and away from the dock. I thought -- no problem -- the dock is almost empty and I have plenty of room. I'll take the far windward buoy and I'll sort it out.

I was single handed. And that was why I decided to go in stern-first, Med style, instead of bow-first, Baltic style. I have done a lot of Baltic mooring over the last four years, utterly without drama or problem, BUT -- I always had crew to hand the bow lines down to the dock. I figured that being single handed, it would be easier to get to the stern to throw the dock lines.

What I didn't reckon with -- fatally! -- was that I can't swing my boat when she is attached to something from the bow. I'll never forget this lesson now. When she is attached to a buoy from the stern, the bow thruster is magic. But I have no control over the stern when the bow is attached. Rudder and throttle doesn't do anything.

So in the event, I had no trouble picking up the buoy, despite my high freeboard. I got it, got the line on -- then -- dang it, the line is too short -- the buoy is a good 30 meters from the dock. So I had to go around and do it again. By this time, a crowd had gathered on the dock. Oh, great. I got on a longer line -- an old halyard -- and led it through a bow cleat back to my cockpit winch, and started backing in. So far so good. I had exploited the room I had to approach the buoy going in reverse against the wind, and continued reversing after the line was on. My plan was to get the line adjusted to get me within rope-throwing distance, and then let the wind swing me over to the dock.

Wrong! Of course , the bow blows off, not the stern, and nothing I do can straighten out the boat. I try reverse with right rudder, but as usual -- I know this from experience -- this does not rotate the boat counterclockwise, when the bow is attached to something. By now it's gusting over 20 knots. So we drift past my chosen dock spot, and towards the other boats, which a moment ago looked so far away. I abort, to avoid fouling the bow lines of other boats, and try to maneuver back towards the buoy. In the process, I get my own bow line in my bow thruster , damaging the prop . I go around again, but again the result is the same. Meanwhile the crowd on the dock is getting bigger, and some people are shouting or gesturing with various advice

I abort again. Finally a RIB from the harbor comes out -- something which doesn't exist in the Baltic, but there is some kind of tall ships festival or something going on here -- and pushes my stern over so I can reach the dock. Lines go on with no further drama.

What a fiasco!!

What should I have done differently?

I can't quite figure it out. If it had been a typical Med mooring situation with dozens of boats and a narrow slot between two of them, I would have put a line on a stern cleat of the windward boat, and would have relied on lots of fenders. Once you're between other boats, the wind doesn't affect you as much.

But here? Seems to me maybe I should have gotten the dock line on first, and only THEN tried to pick up the buoy, with due care paid to the risk of getting the line in the prop.

Or what the hell should I have done?

I come away from this with new appreciation for Baltic mooring -- this couldn't have happened. First of all, I can control the swing of the boat, with the stern attached, even without a thruster (and with a thruster, it's child's play). Second, it's much easier to deal with the buoy, keep it in sight, etc., when it's behind you. I did a certain amount of Med mooring years ago, without a bow thruster, and didn't remember it to be so horrendous

[weavis]

I did not laugh once. I felt the rising sense of shame and burning face at me too having been there.

I figured out in the vessel I was on, eventually... it too had a bow thruster, its about reversing in with the stern aiming for the dock and then kicking over the bow with the thruster. In high winds, I just really pushed for the stern to aim for the dock and then tied off at the stern as quick as I could whilst the thruster is powering the bow to the middle. I did not tie off to anything until the stern was tied. Only took me about 20 times to get it somewhat right... Lots of bursts of high power and forward correction... then relied solely on the bow thruster...

Im sure there is a correct way... but this worked for me...

Keeps us really humble this boating lark..

[ErikFinn]

Hindsight is always 20/20 but I reckon I would have considered anchoring out and wait for the wind to calm down. Actually I would not even have dared to try med mooring single handed with 20 knot wind. I don't have a thruster but even if I had I reckon I wouldn't have the guts. I never liked med mooring singlehanded to be honest. Maybe that's why I never prectise it either..

Ps Tallships? You must be in Finland atm then.

[Catnut]

My hat off to you, for even trying. I wouldn't have the nerve to try to med moor single handed with a cross wind. I remember the frustration and embarrassment of my first attempts at it, and at how flustered I became as people shouted instructions......... and it looked so easy before I tried !!

[Pelagic]

Hi Dockhead, no shame just an unusual challenge.

If I understand correctly
1 mooring ball
2 cross wind but ahead of the beam when lined up to slip
3 no finger docks or pilings just tie up on the dock perpendicular to your slip.

If correct and I was on my own boat alone:

I would have backed up to mooring bouy and secured a stern line thru windward stern fairlead and let her hang at a cocked angle while i set up bow lines to be draped over pulpit so they can hopefully be grabbed by someone ashore.
(I would purposely be attracting attention and asking for help)[emoji120]

Then with the stern line having controlling wraps on my primary winch and in my hand, I would test going slow ahead to bring bow to windward and aligned with slip entry using a combination of thruster, easing stern line and rudder angle.

The more scope you have on the stern line that is cocked to windward, the more control you have to windward.

Hopefully someone grabs your windward bow line as you are slowly easing yourself into slip.
If not, then you secure stern while still going slow ahead and secure where you can.

Not an easy manuever !

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Hi Dockhead, no shame just an unusual challenge.

If I understand correctly
1 mooring ball
2 cross wind but ahead of the beam when lined up to slip
3 no finger docks or pilings just tie up on the dock perpendicular to your slip.

If correct and I was on my own boat alone:

I would have backed up to mooring bouy and secured a stern line thru windward stern fairlead and let her hang at a cocked angle while i set up bow lines to be draped over pulpit so they can hopefully be grabbed by someone ashore.
(I would purposely be attracting attention and asking for help)[emoji120]

Then with the stern line having controlling wraps on my primary winch and in my hand, I would test going slow ahead to bring bow to windward and aligned with slip entry using a combination of thruster, easing stern line and rudder angle.

The more scope you have on the stern line that is cocked to windward, the more control you have to windward.

Hopefully someone grabs your windward bow line as you are slowly easing yourself into slip.
If not, then you secure stern while still going slow ahead and secure where you can.

Not an easy manuever !

That would be Baltic mooring -- bows first. And you described exactly how I do that, EXCEPT it never occurred to me to set up the bow lines so someone can grab them!! That's a great idea, and in hindsight, that's exactly what I would do if I could only do it over again . With the stern tied to the buoy, and especially with a thruster, it's pretty easy to control the bow.

Thanks for that.

[Sandibar]

Sorry to hear about the problems. When single handling and Baltic mooring, I also prepare and route the bow lines so that someone on the dock can easily grab them and fix them on the dock at least temporarily. Always had help as well.
By the way, that Tall Ships-event you mentioned. It's coming to Turku this weekend and is pretty spectacular, happens every few years. There's 85 ships in all, including a 123m square rigger. All the ships will leave the same time on Sunday and I plan to be there to see it. Here's more info, if you're in the neighbourhood: https://www.tallshipsturku.fi/en

[Sailmonkey]

I haven't tried this maneuver yet, but it works in my mind.

Back up to the sea wall and make fast a line to the windward quarter.

Power ahead while easing the line out to the point where you can grab the bouy from the bow.

Set the autopilot to maintain a compass heading that keeps the bouy in reach.

Stroll forward and tie off to the bouy.

Then at your leisure adjust the lines and add a second stern line.

Now I'll just need to find a place in the Houston are to try this.

[SV Bacchus]

A week or two ago, on a seasick thread, I mentioned my uncle who retired from the Navy saying "Don't brag, it can happen to anyone at anytime."

With that in mind, and my lack of skills at Med Mooring, I would have been scared poopless!

I'm with ErikFinn & Catnup, wouldn't't have tried until the winds died down. Yeah, I know, I'll never learn if I don't do it but hey, that can be an expensive lesson.

Will folks on the shore ever realize the shouting doesn't help the situation, it only worsens it?

[Pete7]

Given the space available; tie bow to bouy.

Use dinghy to take stern line to shore.

Return to yacht.

Winch stern in against the wind to the shore.

At no point is there any risk to people or damage. It can all be stopped and thought through, the only downside is the time it takes which things do single handed.

On a similar note on more than one occasion I have had to reverse out of a marina because I couldn't turn the bows through the wind in a tight marina space. But if going out backwards saves bumping into someone elses boat then that is fine by me.

Pete

[l2ridehd]

Only done this once with a charter boat and I had a second crew member and lots of space on the dock. We came into the dock first and secured the windward rear dock line and took it to the windward jib winch. Using bow thruster to push off the dock, I eased the line on the winch and slowly motored to the mooring ball. Than again moving slow and taking up slack with the winch I backed to the dock while crew mate was easing the bow line out. Once at the dock we secured the leeward side. A maneuver I would only have tried because we had lots of open dock space and a second pair of hands. If I was single handed I would have anchored out and waited until the wind was a lot less.

I applaud you for trying it single handed. And we all have done things wrong and caused problems with a group of not so helpful folks watching.

[carstenb]

Dockhead

While I'm no great shakes at Med mooring and I won't lay claim to being an orcale_ I would probably (from the liesure of sitting in my cockpit right now with a G&T in my hand), probably have hooked a line through the bouy as I passed, but left i slack (feeding it out from my hand in the cockpit as I backed in)

Then just leaving it slack until I had gotten my stern tied off and only after that would I ´have hauled it in and brought my bows around to the bouy

I've done this manuever once, the slack line allows hyou to use your bow thruster as you're backing in to keep yur bows centered so you don't have them drift off with the wind.

Well - having solved that little problem for you - I think I'll have another G&T

Serioously though - single handing the boat in either Med style or BAltic styl with nothing to hold you in a side wind can be a bit tricky

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

I haven't tried this maneuver yet, but it works in my mind.

Back up to the sea wall and make fast a line to the windward quarter.

Power ahead while easing the line out to the point where you can grab the bouy from the bow.

Set the autopilot to maintain a compass heading that keeps the bouy in reach.

Stroll forward and tie off to the bouy.

Then at your leisure adjust the lines and add a second stern line.

Now I'll just need to find a place in the Houston are to try this.

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.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by carstenb

Dockhead

While I'm no great shakes at Med mooring and I won't lay claim to being an orcale_ I would probably (from the liesure of sitting in my cockpit right now with a G&T in my hand), probably have hooked a line through the bouy as I passed, but left i slack (feeding it out from my hand in the cockpit as I backed in)

Then just leaving it slack until I had gotten my stern tied off and only after that would I ´have hauled it in and brought my bows around to the bouy

I've done this manuever once, the slack line allows hyou to use your bow thruster as you're backing in to keep yur bows centered so you don't have them drift off with the wind.

Well - having solved that little problem for you - I think I'll have another G&T

Serioously though - single handing the boat in either Med style or BAltic styl with nothing to hold you in a side wind can be a bit tricky

The only problem with this is getting the slack line in your prop or bow thruster.

If it weren't for that -- yes, it would be a good idea -- as you have more control over the boat.

[Sandero]

WOW... you've got balls Dockhead! I have never attempted a Med or Baltic moor and the only place I saw them practiced was in English Harbor and I believe the Canary Islands (not sure of that).

It seems it's mostly done by large crewed yachts who need to get on on off the boat for all manner of things and anchoring out using the dink is less convenient. Not every boat is suited to boarding a dink... the super big guys have set ups for dink boarding but many of the bigger yacht have high freeboard and it's doable but not comfortable. We use the stern swim ladder and could board the boat from dink without it.

Cross winds make controlling backing down a bitch... single handing means you have a whole lot on your hands... With no other yachts to smash into maybe you could do it. But if you can anchor off and you don't NEED to be on the quay... why even do it? And who wants to be crowded in between other boats? It's like living in a parking lot... same as in a slip in a marina... YUCK.

This might have been a situation to practice a med or baltic moor... and maybe there was no anchorage alternative... But do tell... aside from being cool and doing it... why did you do this moor?