Solo sailing in the Med

[joegrace]

Hi, I am about to go solo sailing in the Med for the first time. I wondered if anyone has any experience of stern-to mooring and has any useful tips please. Thanks in advance.

[azul_b]

For stern to line ashore I ofter free swing anchor and then row ashore and fix my very long floating line to shore and use the headsail winch to pull the boat around. Or if wind blowing directly onshore the wind hold you roughly in right spot while you sort out the lines. I use polysteel 12mm for my lines (floats, very strong - 10mm would probably be ok, cheap from fishing supplier online) for my 34ft boat. I got a 200m reel and have lengths 60m, 30m, 15m and 10m aboard.

Never done stern to a quay solo.

For alongside quays and fuel dock I use the morning calms where boat handling is easy without crosswinds.

I have a cheap ebay RF remote for my anchor windlass.

[boatman61]

Stern to mooring in a marina is fairly straight forward, set up your stern lines on their cleats, pass under pushpit whatever and coil ready to pass to the Dock hand waiting at the spot.
Once secured put engine in fwd tick over to keep the stern off the pontoon then take the lazy lines and walk them to the bow and haul in and tie off the mooring lines.
Once those are done you can adjust your stern lines for distance off and straighten the boat..
For tying up on a Quay drop your hook about 20/25 metres from the Quay then reverse in.. Once again have your stern lines set up before hand and fenders out, once close enough there's usually someone off another boat or a spectator who'll take your line.
Its sounds daunting but really it's not that bad after the first time.
If you have a long keeler maybe best to do it bow first using a stern anchor unless you have a bow thruster..

[andrzej0nl1ne]

Azul-b, can you provide a link to a polysteel flat rope supplier. I can only find it in 3 strand, or as polyester flat rope. Thanks.

[joegrace]

Thanks for the advice. Have you ever been in a situation, say if off-season where there is no one aboout to take lines. What would you do?

[boatman61]

Be very careful..
Some quays you have no option but to go in bow on as the rocks they are built on would be a threat to your rudder, or stand to far off for your passerelle.
It is possible to just step off with lines in hand.

[joegrace]

Thanks for that, that is how I imagined it would have to be done! Plenty of practice coming up!

[Sailer_Med]

Originally Posted by joegrace

Thanks for the advice. Have you ever been in a situation, say if off-season where there is no one aboout to take lines. What would you do?

I normally moor bow to the pantalon in my med slip although it is applicable to stern in as well. I approach very slowly (of course) with defensas mounted on the bow or stern as the case may be. I ease into contact with the pantalon then use the engine at just above idle to pin the boat against the pantalon. Wheel is snugged tight, although I don't think it matters, and the boat is going no where. You have as much time as it takes to sort out the lines.

Once one end is attached, kill the engine and sort out the other end.

I do this single handed or with crew. It really makes the job easier when the boat is not moving around in the slip.

[azul_b]

Yes polysteel is 3 strand.
For long floating lines I used the 12mm Seagold plus for the high vis yellow colour and 3T break strength. It is really tough!

Regular Polysteel 10mm 1835kg or 12mm 2590kg would be plenty strong enough

[Dogscout]

Pulling into a berth stern to is easier if you simply take your time and keep a level head. Most failures that I have seen are when the captain gets frustrated and starts wildily turning the wheel back and forth or using the throttle to much. Fenders are your friends, use them. Slow and steady, but you must keep enough speed to helm.

With no Marineros to handle lines I try to tie up along side if I can. If stern to alone practice throwing a loop of line over the cleat, but be aware some just have rings which is dam near impossible to tie to alone. The Marineros will be much friendlier if you have the lines ready to throw.

A remote in the cockpit for the windlass makes dropping the anchor and backing in alot easier. Use the windlass to ease back in.

[joegrace]

Thanks, I am imagining, if no one else is there and no cleats or bollards, then i would have to step off quickly to get a line through a hoop. Perhaps with engine in reverse against the anchor and or chain? Seems a bit sketchy though. Perhaps only in emergency and best only to attempt if someone is around to take a line.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by joegrace

Thanks, I am imagining, if no one else is there and no cleats or bollards, then i would have to step off quickly to get a line through a hoop. Perhaps with engine in reverse against the anchor and or chain? Seems a bit sketchy though. Perhaps only in emergency and best only to attempt if someone is around to take a line.

There's invariably someone shows up to watch a boat.. leave the engine in tickover reverse, just enough to stop the boat riding fwd with the weight of the chain.
Also, once you've done the pt/stbd lines make a cross tie to stop the stern swinging about.. port to stbd and vici verci..
Something I do is leave my stern lines just to long to step straight on board, when I want to board/leave I place one foot on a stern line and let my weight pull the boat closer then step across.. reduces chances of bumping one's stern on the jetty, also discourages the casual visitor if it looks like they have to jump across..

[goboatingnow]

I’ve singled handed stern to a few times . Very easy if there’s a boat already stern to near you. Come in along them running out your anchor. Then lie on them , that usually gets them helping !

You can even tie off then. Board with a line and get ashore and tie up. Very handy if the dock close in is risk to your rudder and there’s no help ashore

[joegrace]

Great, thanks for those tips, looking forward to trying them out.

[Borja]

OP, in almost all Mediterranean commercial marinas, you won't really need to rely on the kindness of strangers to handle lines - marinas will have people available to do that. If nobody shows up, don't hesitate to ask them on the radio and wait by the fuel dock or something. If they're being lazy, just pretend you're going to drop your anchor and they'll come out running. In municipal quays and such, there are almost always watchers.

As others suggested, you can always do like Scandinavians and go bow first if it works for your boat.

Important practical advice: regardless if you usually wear sailing gloves, have a pair ready to put when mooring with depth lines. There's some deadly sharp sea life on those things. Blood gushing out of the hand is never good but it's somehow even worse while trying to moor single-handed in crosswinds. Don't ask me how I know.