How would you med moor in a high crosswind?

[nfbr]

Assume med moor with lazy / slime lines and tight space. 25-35knt crosswind.
Reluctant to have the boards down too far as to not pick up neighbors lines. No bow thrusters.
Assume fenders and neighbours ok.

Are you
a) straight back but wind pushes your vector diagonally?
B) stern to wind, reverse in and swing bow out?
C) bow to wind, reverse in, allow wind to bring bow around?
D) bugger that, stay at anchor and wait for better weather
E) something else

[Kettlewell]

I prefer to go bow in for maximum control and least confusion. Just make sure you can get off the bow of your boat--on my mono it is much easier to get off the bow. Requires a stern anchor and someone tending the line, which can then be used as an effective brake meaning you don't have to use as much engine thrust that can kick your stern off line and you can go in a bit faster, which should reduce the effect of the wind. Of course, that is with my mono.

[hlev00]

That’s a hell of a lot of crosswind. Anything is going to end up ugly. But in general with a crosswind, after fenders on the eventual leeward side, approach in reverse with the bow into the wind. As you start to turn the wind will rapidly bring the bow around so you don’t have a lot of time to complete the turn. Make the turn as tight as possible to the windward boat so you can get in and against as many fenders as possible. You likely need a good amount of speed to keep steerage but this of course raises the risk. If you have crew and there is someone on the windward boat consider tossing them a bow line. Be sure that it is short enough that if you have to abort quickly in forward and the line gets dropped, that it won’t get caught in your prop.

[SailingHarmonie]

Originally Posted by nfbr

Assume med moor with lazy / slime lines and tight space. 25-35knt crosswind.
Reluctant to have the boards down too far as to not pick up neighbors lines. No bow thrusters.
Assume fenders and neighbours ok.

Are you
a) straight back but wind pushes your vector diagonally?
B) stern to wind, reverse in and swing bow out?
C) bow to wind, reverse in, allow wind to bring bow around?
D) bugger that, stay at anchor and wait for better weather
E) something else

With that much crosswind:

#1: D
#2: D
#3: C

A & B will not work. Even with a thruster, in 30 knots you will struggle to bring the bow into the wind. And you can not back straight down in a crosswind, your bow is always blown off. Always.

Consider bow in. If it works for your boat.

[more]

Originally Posted by nfbr

Assume med moor with lazy / slime lines and tight space. 25-35knt crosswind.
Reluctant to have the boards down too far as to not pick up neighbors lines. No bow thrusters.
Assume fenders and neighbours ok.

Are you
a) straight back but wind pushes your vector diagonally?
B) stern to wind, reverse in and swing bow out?
C) bow to wind, reverse in, allow wind to bring bow around?
D) bugger that, stay at anchor and wait for better weather
E) something else

easy don't fight with wind use wind to push you desired location,and soft touch next boat leeward side.
if wind over 35-65kt use anchor
if you first and in reality must stay Windward side. revers come to shore give one rope winward side, rev engine front and ruder total in wind. come on spot use front rope. dont lisen guy from shore ,you are captain.

but leson 1 dont fight with wind,use wind in your goal. if have wrong approach without shame,go outside danger and try again

[barnab]

Safest for your nerves, marriage and boat will be D.


If there are mooring lines, ask the marina if you can deploy an anchor. Likely they will say no for fear it will get tangled (the mooring lines are attached to something!). If you can use an anchor, basically motor maybe 45° stern to wind and use the anchor rode to keep the bows from being blown all over the place. The angle will depend on how fast your windlass can pay out the chain



If your spot is wider than the boat long, I would go in along side, stern to wind and then use the mooring line to turn the boat.


C I would not try, especially on a light cat the bows will swing too fast


If you know your boat very well you can try A, but leave your boards down and motor at high speed, full stop before you hit the dock. This requires practise (with a fender in open water), reversing into a concrete dock at high speed really sucks.



If you have enough crew you could use one with the dinghy as bow thruster.


In general
- you don't need a perfect approach, you just need to be more than maybe 60% in an then you can lean on your neighbour.

- don't let the impatient marinero stress you, he won't pay any of your damages
- make sure nobody holds your mooring line tight for you to pick up, you will very likely get them into your prop. Better deploy the windward stern line first and use one engine to keep the boat away from the dock. Then get the mooring line on the side without running engine to the bow.

- If the leeward neighbour has many fenders out, take yours in so they don't tangle

[Montanan]

Don't use a spinnaker in high cross winds, just a jib and place a reef into the mainsail, and then give her a go. If the space is tight between adjoining boats, you can shove the other boats aside, so long as you maintain adequate speed and associated inertia.
Ramming speed.

Just stay away from bridges in Baltimore.

And be properly attired.

Let us know how well it performed.

[requiem]

Be brave:

1. Motor into the wind parallel to the quay
2. As you pass your space, turn slightly away from the quay and go hard astern.
3. Put the wheel over and back in with authority.
4. Shortly before impact, throw it full ahead to stop and hope the prop stays attached.

Oh, wait... you're a cat? I suppose if the wind was really bad you could put a spring on the bow cleat of a boat a few slips up and use that to pendulum in / keep your bow from getting blown too far down.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by nfbr

Assume med moor with lazy / slime lines and tight space. 25-35knt crosswind.
Reluctant to have the boards down too far as to not pick up neighbors lines. No bow thrusters.
Assume fenders and neighbours ok.

Are you
a) straight back but wind pushes your vector diagonally?
B) stern to wind, reverse in and swing bow out?
C) bow to wind, reverse in, allow wind to bring bow around?
D) bugger that, stay at anchor and wait for better weather
E) something else

Have you really had to do this or is this just a thought puzzle?
I say D

[John_Trusty]

There's a YouTube called docking cheats that demonstrates using the rudder and spinning on a catamaran for controlling crosswind docking. I've used it for getting off docks when pinned, so it does work. I don't think it would work against 25 kts. https://youtu.be/CUqaCvXLqws?si=fyH4UxIvtel_XxLg

[Kettlewell]

In my experience in a small cat (32 feet) we would blow sideways too fast to be able to dock if the wind was 25 knots on the beam. The only way to approach a dock in that type of wind was bow on, and I did it a few times to get lines ashore, then warped the cat sideways. I can't imagine trying to get a cat into a Med moor between boats in 25 knots of wind.

[nfbr]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Have you really had to do this or is this just a thought puzzle?
I say D

Mono the other day tried it twice and hit 5 boats. Guy was terrible.
I was wondering if RD could do it.

I would anchor and wait.

Paul

[HeinSdL]

If the space is narrow, a squeeze between two other boats and both other boats have plenty of fenders out, do not also put fenders yourself. Applies in all wind strengths.

From personal experience I can confirm that the fenders moving relative to each other will occasionally get stuck, can't get past each other, thereby breaking things.

Instead one crew each side with a fender each in hand.

If no crew then just like that. Is what I do though must be said that my boat is very maneuverable also in reverse. However, with 25 knots on the beam I would wait.

[HeinSdL]

One more thing, with 35 knots crosswind, I would prob be happier to get out of such a space... which would also be tricky. But definitely not to enter.

[paul.devalier]

C) if this is the only option.
But you will most likely be limited in manoeuvrabilty. Bow to wind might be impossible because more than likely they have you in that corner that's the only slip left....D I am not sure about. In that wind and probably seas I would personally not anchor near my planned port.

But there are other options... safety first.

E) Med mooring in a port with lazy lines? Unless it's after 19:30, ask for assistance from the zodiac. More than likely in that wind there are two waiting along with 4 others with extra lines.
F) If the channel is wide enough tie up side-to along the inside of the breakwall of the entry channel or at the base of the L which are usually dotted with bollards for that purpose.
G) Sea state permitting and if the break water has bollards and isn't a rubble pile - tie up stern-to or side-to along the outside of the break wall of the L, being mindful not to block the entry channel. I've spent the night on one side-to and received a scolding in the morning from the port master.
H) best solution is to delay entry an hour or two if the forecast allows or to call another port. Or anchor in a nearby protected inlet.

But all of these scream for checking forecasts and local tiden wind lore often and early to plan your arrival with ease. I'd rather get in early to an alternate spot and visit the town then sail those extra three hours for my initial plan.