Docking stern to

[syjos]

When we boat with friends and Yacht Club, we tie stern to.

When by ourselves, bow in for privacy.

 

[Moonfish]

Our boat's bow is 6' 6" from the water, and we have used a Hook and Moor for years and years. It has successfully threaded our mooring line through the buoy ring 100% of the time. We have the 3-meter model that will telescope out to 9'.

With the number of mooring buoys (state park and DNR) we catch every year averaging 10-20, we think it's one of the best "devices" on our boat. We've also had a number of occasions where other boaters watched us grab a buoy only to dinghy over and ask what we used because it looked so easy.

 

[Capitaine R]

Our boat's bow is 6' 6" from the water, and we have used a Hook and Moor for years and years. It has successfully threaded our mooring line through the buoy ring 100% of the time. We have the 3-meter model that will telescope out to 9'.

With the number of mooring buoys (state park and DNR) we catch every year averaging 10-20, we think it's one of the best "devices" on our boat. We've also had a number of occasions where other boaters watched us grab a buoy only to dinghy over and ask what we used because it looked so easy.

Moon fish, if someone was to buy the hook and moor today is it the same model and quality as the one you have? The reviews of the quality seem to be all over the place. Several saying that the mechanisms locks up after only a few uses. The price seems to be surprisingly reasonable if it holds up for years and works as well as yours.

 

[Moonfish]

Moon fish, if someone was to buy the hook and moor today is it the same model and quality as the one you have? The reviews of the quality seem to be all over the place. Several saying that the mechanisms locks up after only a few uses. The price seems to be surprisingly reasonable if it holds up for years and works as well as yours.

You know, now that you mention it I have seen some comments about the quality being different. I don't know if the manufacturing facility or materials have changed since we got ours, which was about 7 years ago. But I can ask...

 

[caltexflanc]

Again folks, moorings are not all like those in your home waters. On the west coast alone, the moorings in the Washington state parks in the San Juans are different than those off Angel Island in SF Bay which are different than those in Newport Beach which are different than those on Catalina Island.

We had a "Happy Hooker" while cruising here up and down on the east coast, moored out a whole lot (literally month's worth) and never used it.

 

[BandB]

As to quality and negative reviews:

Hook and Moor and Happy Hooker are relatively inexpensive products. They sometimes get exposed to rough use. They will sometimes break and fail but I think it's the nature of the beast and the use. I've known many to use one unit for years and others to go through two or three of them in the same amount of time. I'm not surprised some break, but still they're very useful if you moor a lot, especially in the PNW. We've used both of them and like them both.

 

[dhays]

I’ve never used the Hook and Moor. I have used the Happy Hooker. I have an Easymoor which I like better.

A lot depends on the configuration of the mooring balls. The Happy Hooker may be better for the type of mooring ball that the WA State Parks use as the ring is recessed into the top of the ball.

http://www.easymoor.com

When we bought our current boat the PO had a Grab ‘N Go on board. It is the most ridiculously easy system I’ve ever used. However, if we are going to be staying overnight on a mooring, I will use the Grab ‘N Go to initially secure us to the mooring and then use another system to run a line through the mooring ring. Here in the PNW, mooring buoys don’t have pennants.

http://www.csjohnson.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=9_10

 

[BruceK]

...I will use the Grab ‘N Go to initially secure us to the mooring and then use another system to run a line through the mooring ring. Here in the PNW, mooring buoys don’t have pennants...

I forget about that, here buoys come with pennants attached which makes picking up very easy. We once picked up a mooring with the pennant sheared off. We got lines on it without much trouble, when we left watched boats go up to it and move away,all too hard apparently.

 

[BandB]

Straying off topic and back to the thread title for a moment. I don't like "stern to" but I would encourage everyone to set their boat up to handle it easily and practice it some in good conditions. If you do enough cruising, you will at some point have to dock "stern to." Even more challenging is "med mooring" where you have to dock stern to but there's no finger pier and no piling to attach to, just boats on either side to avoid.

Many marinas in our area are predominantly stern to. Bahia Mar is well over 95% stern to. Cruising in the Caribbean we encountered a lot of stern to plus a few med mooring marinas. Better to prepare and get used to it before the first time you have no choice.

 

[ranger58sb]

I don't like "stern to" ...

For you, is that just a size issue? Or...?

-Chris

 

[Ka_sea_ta]

Our marina and it's sister marina located adjacent to ours have individual slips that sit perpendicular to the main walkway. Each marina has a distinct preference in whether to stern in or bow in. Ours most stern in, we were told by the fire department that because most boat fires start are in mechanical spaces, a stern in tie would provide easier access for fighting a fire. Another plus is the finger piers are relatively narrow and have roof supports on them, it's just easier access on and off the boat if it's stern in.

 

[psneeld]

Just a note....what is typical for one area isn't for another.


Having actually fought boat fires...I could see where boat size has a lot more to do with it than stern/bow in.



By the time most boat fires are discovered and the fire department arrives and starts fighting it...the boat that started it is a constructive loss and they just protect surrounding boats.


So bow in or stern in is moot probably in all but a few cases.

 

[BandB]

For you, is that just a size issue? Or...?

-Chris

I think not liking "stern to" is largely just what I grew up with. On the lake, every boat was bow in. The slips were designed that way, even with angled pieces narrowing the bow area. So, "stern to" was different for me. I have gradually become more use to it.

I don't like people backing vehicles into parking spaces either. To me that's not how they were designed.

 

[markpierce]

...
I don't like people backing vehicles into parking spaces either. To me that's not how they were designed.

Ditto.

Here, most all berths are designed for bow-in as the slips all narrow at the end. Doesn't stop a lot of boaters doing it stern-in, however.

Nevertheless, there are situations where boats dock Mediterranean style short-term where individual berths are absent and the capacity of a dock is insufficient to tie-on parallel along the dock.

 

[koliver]

I’m transitioning from a 42’ sailboat to a Nordhavn 40. after 15 years with this sailboat I am a novice with the Nordhavn. There is no visibility to the stern from the pilot house so how do you dock stern to not being able to see? Also the bow is so much higher than my sailboat so how do you pick up a morning ball? There are no side decks on the trawler. Any one know of a good teacher in the Ft Meyers Fl area? Thanks

Stern to with no rearwards visibility is an exercise in frustration. On your N40, various ways to obtain that visibility have been suggested, and you will certainly need to do so.

Driving that boat in reverse will also have its challenges, being a single, though you likely have at least a bow thruster, if not also a stern thruster. Practice steering the boat in reverse (once visibility is conquered) will be necessary.
Med Mooring has been suggested, and as that generally means stern to, is relevant here. Med mooring in crowded conditions will mean a likelihood of squeezing between moored boats, while driving your own in reverse. Once you have determined which way your stern is pulled by prop walk, you know which way to approach the desired space. You won't be able to bring the stern into the space at all, if you approach from the wrong direction, as your prop walk direction will pull your stern away from, rather than towards, the desired space.

 

[firehoser75]

As far as the practicalities of boat fires, Psneeld has it correct. Having spent my life in the fire service of a major seaport, I have a good amount of both experience and training in this area. Most (almost all) boat fires are a "protect the exposures" (neighbouring boats, docks, buildings, etc.) situation upon fire department arrival. Stern in or bow in (especially for the boat involved) will not usually make any real difference in that regard.
Depending on the marina facilities, this problem can be exasperated (allowing the fire to continue to develop in size) due to the "setup" time required for the firefighters to actually be "flowing water" to control the situation.
However, in the unlikely event that boat owners are on scene and able to access their boats, then a stern in tie up may make it easier to "get away" from the fire area. In my experience, this is not a likely event, but it could under the right circumstances rarely happen (and only for boats that are not imminently threatened). Usually access to the dock(s) would be restricted by the fire and/or police officials.

Regards,
Tom

 

[ranger58sb]

I think not liking "stern to" is largely just what I grew up with. On the lake, every boat was bow in. The slips were designed that way, even with angled pieces narrowing the bow area. So, "stern to" was different for me. I have gradually become more use to it.

I don't like people backing vehicles into parking spaces either. To me that's not how they were designed.

Ah. It's common around here to have short finger piers... so getting off at the bow would be taking a flying leap...

FWIW, it's often easier to back long vehicles -- full-length pick-ups and Suburbans and so forth -- onto a slip... er....parking space because the wheels doing the turning controls turning radius. Can be a 17-point turn getting into a space face first, and a single point turn reversing into it. Nice to have back-up cameras these days; doesn't help (me) much getting the side-to-side sorted out, but it's nice to be able to get as close as possible to the vehicle or curb or wall or whatever that's behind.

-Chris

 

[FoxtrotCharlie]

Since we bought our boat last year we had only docked stern-in, or on side walls - til we got to Joe Wheeler State Park last week - we pulled in like the Nord Haven next door - bow in

 

[psneeld]

Ah. It's common around here to have short finger piers... so getting off at the bow would be taking a flying leap...

FWIW, it's often easier to back long vehicles -- full-length pick-ups and Suburbans and so forth -- onto a slip... er....parking space because the wheels doing the turning controls turning radius. Can be a 17-point turn getting into a space face first, and a single point turn reversing into it. Nice to have back-up cameras these days; doesn't help (me) much getting the side-to-side sorted out, but it's nice to be able to get as close as possible to the vehicle or curb or wall or whatever that's behind.

-Chris

I read an article not too long ago stating that people backing out of spots in parking lots were far more likely to have an accident versus backing in and pulling out.

 

[ranger58sb]

I read an article not too long ago stating that people backing out of spots in parking lots were far more likely to have an accident versus backing in and pulling out.

Hadn't realized/thought about that...

-Chris

 

[psneeld]

Hadn't realized/thought about that...

-Chris

Agree about the larger vehicles backing in.... now that my daily driver is a 24 foot motorhome (2 feet longer than a full sized bed quad cab pickup)... I usually back in as it's easier and also to put those 2 extra feet hanging over a flower bed or grass so I fit in a normal sized space.

 

[Maerin]

I read an article not too long ago stating that people backing out of spots in parking lots were far more likely to have an accident versus backing in and pulling out.

True.
Think back to “close calls” in parking lots. Restricted visibility backing out. Backing in you effectively block traffic, reducing risk of a vehicle speeding down the traffic lane. You must be more attentive backing in, that’s good.
Buddy of mine drove a fleet car for years, sales; fleet self-insured. Backing into a parking spot was required. They enforced it. Had the data.

 

[markpierce]

I read an article not too long ago stating that people backing out of spots in parking lots were far more likely to have an accident versus backing in and pulling out.

That's because more than 95% drive in forward, and later back out.

Nice to now have a "back door" camera on the car.

 

[psneeld]

That's because more than 95% drive in forward, and later back out.

Nice to now have a "back door" camera on the car.

In all fairness Mark, I think the study was more than a 5 second glance at stats.


Usually I am the first one to laugh at studies...and they often are still full of holes ...but this one rang true to me.


Don't know if this one included any stats about people backing out of their driveways and running over their kid's bikes, sometimes with them still on the bikes.

 

[O C Diver]

I read an article not too long ago stating that people backing out of spots in parking lots were far more likely to have an accident versus backing in and pulling out.

In all fairness Mark, I think the study was more than a 5 second glance at stats.


Usually I am the first one to laugh at studies...and they often are still full of holes ...but this one rang true to me.


Don't know if this one included any stats about people backing out of their driveways and running over their kid's bikes, sometimes with them still on the bikes.

It is actually safer. Talk to the phone companies, electric utilities, and other utility fleets. Stuff like this is studied and implemented in their driving protocols. For the phone company (good friend of mine worked for C & P), whenever possible, they were required to back into a spot. The reason was that you could stop on the road and legally wait till traffic allowed you to back in (traffic behind you is required [burdened] to not run into you). When leaving, you don't have any right of way when backing into traffic. So, it was determined that it was safer with better visibility to leave the parked spot going forward. They are also required to chock a wheel when parked. It's all about reducing risks. Whenever possible, I back into a spot whether in a car, truck or a boat.

Ted

 

[Seevee]

I read an article not too long ago stating that people backing out of spots in parking lots were far more likely to have an accident versus backing in and pulling out.

Totally agree.



Backing in your potential threat are parked cars. Moving cars will stop for you while you back in, even thought the might be impatient.


Backing out, your risk is moving cars and often hard to see and confusion as to who is doing what.


A better way is if you can drive in an go thru to the next space so you can drive out... and never have to back. There should be a law that all parking lots be designed this way.:lol:

 

[O C Diver]

A better way is if you can drive in an go thru to the next space so you can drive out... and never have to back. There should be a law that all parking lots be designed this way.:lol:

When going shopping, I always try to park away from others to avoid the door dings and to find the pull through parking spaces.

Ted

 

[Capitaine R]

When going shopping, I always try to park away from others to avoid the door dings and to find the pull through parking spaces.

Ted

I always park way out in left field, never anyone around until I come back to the car and 3/4 cars are right there next to my car. Another example of the sheep effect.

 

[Comodave]

I think not liking "stern to" is largely just what I grew up with. On the lake, every boat was bow in. The slips were designed that way, even with angled pieces narrowing the bow area. So, "stern to" was different for me. I have gradually become more use to it.

I don't like people backing vehicles into parking spaces either. To me that's not how they were designed.

In a car I like to back into a parking space because I know by looking what is there and what room I have. Then when we are leaving I can easily see what is in front of me. I don’t have to back out where there can be cross traffic that I might not be able to see, or there might be a small kid in my blind spot when I back out. I deliberately look for spots that I don’t have to back out, either I can back in or pull through two spots so I am pointed out.

 

[syjos]

In addition to being a lifetime boater, I'm also a lifetime car guy.

Car guys, especially when driving their cool cars, park way way out to avoid dings and back into parking spaces to offer a better view of the car.