Mooring slip bow out vs stern out

[ScottC]

The "Harbormaster" knows what he is talking about. Take his advice.

I couldn't agree more with this statement.


When we arrived at île de Porquerolles outside of Marseille a couple of weeks ago. It was dead calm. We tied to an anchor buoy about 20 meters in front of our bow and backed up to the concrete pier. Then, the harbor master issued a detailed set of instructions to fine-tune the tie up. We had to shorten the line going to the anchor buoy and use the engine to back up to the pier until the huge anchor buoy was just submerged. Took quite a few RPM's, actually. Then, while the engine was still running in reverse, attach the stern lines to the bollards on the pier (which was about 1 foot away). Once the stern lines were attached, we put it in neutral and shut off the engine. The boat came to a natural "resting point" with the stern about 3 feet from the pier. Too far to step off without a pasarelle, boarding ramp or some other alternative. We used our flip-out transom, putting it down only at the time of leaving or boarding the boat.


Setting this up seemed tedious and excessive -- until the storm came head-on the next morning. Everything worked perfectly - but if we had done it in any other manner than what the harbor master instructed, I'm sure we would have suffered some damage.

 

[Art]

Typically, it's something like in the picture below.
Back up to the dock and use a boat hook to grab the small line hanging down from the dock into the water. Walk all the way forward with the boat hook in your hand and then, once on the bow, start pulling up the line with your hands. The little "laid line" is attached to a much larger line, which you will eventually pull up from the bottom in order to tie the bow. This larger line is often attached to a chain, which is fastened to the marina's permanent "anchor" (I've read that these can be concrete blocks, stones or HUGE chains running along the bottom.) Many marinas have two laid lines per boat - one for each side.


You will want to juggle the bow lines and stern lines such that the stern will not risk hitting the dock in the event of all-too-common surges. We use fenders anyway.


(Click on picture to enlarge)

I like it! Thanks!

 

[ranger58sb]

Typically, it's something like in the picture below.
Back up to the dock and use a boat hook to grab the small line hanging down from the dock into the water. Walk all the way forward with the boat hook in your hand and then, once on the bow, start pulling up the line with your hands. The little "laid line" is attached to a much larger line, which you will eventually pull up from the bottom in order to tie the bow. This larger line is often attached to a chain, which is fastened to the marina's permanent "anchor" (I've read that these can be concrete blocks, stones or HUGE chains running along the bottom.) Many marinas have two laid lines per boat - one for each side.

Interesting, thanks for that info.

I had been envisioning a grapple or some such from the bow...

-Chris

 

[Hippocampus]

Hate Med mooring. Some places in the Caribbean you either do it or anchor out. Last boat had an electric bow thruster, single screw and no stern thruster. Electric thrusters don’t cut it anyway in the trades. Time out or don’t have enough umpf to do much.
One place we’ve been there’s a long concrete bulkhead with bollards at the edge but no other concessions to mooring. Prevailing are parallel to the concrete which you truly don’t want to touch. Ideally you drop an anchor, back down and secure two stern lines. Problem is with the winds you’re blown sideways and pivot on that anchor away from the concrete walkway. Ideally once secured you take lines from the bow and run them diagonally back to the bollards several up and down from the ones you use to secure the stern. As far as you can as to not interfere with anyone else. Then your bow won’t be blown off and dislodge your anchor. We came in and watched other boats struggle. Was about to say”forget it”. Then had the idea to launch the dinghy and use it as a push boat. Still, even though just 46’lwl without 4 people on the boat (helm, bow, line handler, dinghy) and two on land to catch lines it wouldn’t be doable. After we moored more boats came in. One to leeward was a monster. Needed crew from them to help in order to leave. Ran them back after leaving in the dinghy. For a mom and pop HATE Med mooring. Just scary. You’re dependent upon your anchor not dragging an inch.
Other places are halfway to a Med moor. Much like ScottC describes. A laid line or just a line of pick up bouys in front of the mooring spots or even a line of posts. All is good and this is easier except you not uncommonly need to slip between two boats and not touch them. Of course you fender on both sides but in a cross wind or current this can be a tight sphincter event. You can’t tightly secure your bow as then you’ll have trouble maneuvering. You need an attentive person at the bow to ease and tighten that line if required. Looks easy when you read about it. Even seems no big deal in flat water with no wind or current. Is a bear in less than ideal circumstances for me. Wouldn’t do it unless someone skilled is at your shoulder the first time you attempt it so you an learn to nuances of doing it. I wanted a skilled teacher the first several times before I felt safe to fly on my own wings. At least for me it’s a lot harder than just coming in to a slip stern first. Have never hit another boat nor have made an insurance claim but I’m a wimp and proud of it. Have no reluctance to anchor out if called on to Med moor in tough conditions.

 

[Art]

With our twin screw Tolly [no thruster at all] one of my favorite times on the bridge is during close quarter maneuverings. Very seldom do I touch the wheel; leaving rudders in straight ahead position and playing solely with throttle/transmission settings. If hard to handle conditions [e.g. too strong winds and/or too strong currents] are prevalent then I simply wait until conditions improve.

 

[Hippocampus]

Art problem is when Med mooring even with a twin screw you still go sideways in a cross current or breeze . Friend who is much more skilled than I tried to Med moor a big CF cat. Couldn’t do it and feel safe he wouldn’t hit the boats on either side of him. Couldn’t accommodate for the sideways drift even starting a bit to windward. He gave up and we anchored out. Once part of the stern was in the bow was still out. Surrounding boats protected the stern but not the bow. Boat pivoted and drifted to leeward simultaneously. Twins will pivot a boat but not effect sideways drift imho. Back on the Windward throttle and forward on the leeward stern would kick and run the risk of hitting the leeward boat if done strong enough to straighten the bow out sufficiently. So you can very effectively steer with the throttles. Even better than with a rudder at slow speeds but you can’t go sideways without a stern and bow thruster simultaneously deployed or a push boat.

 

[Art]

Art problem is when Med mooring even with a twin screw you still go sideways in a cross current or breeze . Friend who is much more skilled than I tried to Med moor a big CF cat. Couldn’t do it and feel safe he wouldn’t hit the boats on either side of him. Couldn’t accommodate for the sideways drift even starting a bit to windward. He gave up and we anchored out. Once part of the stern was in the bow was still out. Surrounding boats protected the stern but not the bow. Boat pivoted and drifted to leeward simultaneously. Twins will pivot a boat but not effect sideways drift imho. Back on the Windward throttle and forward on the leeward stern would kick and run the risk of hitting the leeward boat if done strong enough to straighten the bow out sufficiently. So you can very effectively steer with the throttles. Even better than with a rudder at slow speeds but you can’t go sideways without a stern and bow thruster simultaneously deployed or a push boat.

Hipp

This is when I do use rudder angles in combo with forward/reverse trany selections. These items are accommodated by individual differences in one or the other engine's rpm. Each twin screw boat reacts differently to what I mention above. And, therefore each boat needs to be practiced with before getting into toooo tight positions.

So... yes it can be done that a twin screw boat can be made to move itself toward one side or the other [while not moving forward or backward]. That said [although I've never handled a boat with thrusters], having watched boats with thrusters being pushed around with the thrusters, I would say that a powerful thruster [or two] would be a joy to use under certain wind and tidal current conditions.

When untenable-to-dock conditions of any sort are at hand I wait at anchor or in some way, some place else till conditions improve.

 

[rslifkin]

On my boat with twins, you can build sideways momentum as you maneuver, but you can't just slide the boat sideways. And the bow blows off and pivots downwind badly. So med mooring with the anchor in a crosswind would be a challenge. Moving the stern sideways is easy enough, but not the whole boat or the bow, so a bow thruster would probably be a necessity if med mooring frequently.

 

[Art]

On my boat with twins, you can build sideways momentum as you maneuver, but you can't just slide the boat sideways. And the bow blows off and pivots downwind badly. So med mooring with the anchor in a crosswind would be a challenge. Moving the stern sideways is easy enough, but not the whole boat or the bow, so a bow thruster would probably be a necessity if med mooring frequently.

Actually... moving a twin screw boat sideways with each trany being placed in forward or reverse as well as starboard and/or port turned twin rudder angle adjusted correctly while playing with rpm speeds can become a real pita!

About the only time I do so for sideways movement is when on an end dock type of situation [e.g. a fuel dock] with boats too close fore and aft. Don't think I'd use that technique for side movement while docking in a slip between boats. For me, too much chance for error because of trany [forward/reverse] shift position, adjustable rudder angle placement and rpm adjustments.

Although I never have... Bet it's fun to maneuver a boat with twin screws [single screw too] that has really good/strong bow and stern thrusters!

Not that I need one or two thrusters. I'm quite pleased with just twins!

 

[rslifkin]

Actually... moving a twin screw boat sideways with each trany being placed in forward or reverse as well as starboard and/or port turned twin rudder angle adjusted correctly while playing with rpm speeds can become a real pita!

About the only time I do so for sideways movement is when on an end dock type of situation [e.g. a fuel dock] with boats too close fore and aft. Don't think I'd use that technique for side movement while docking in a slip between boats. For me, too much chance for error because of trany [forward/reverse] shift position, adjustable rudder angle placement and rpm adjustments.

Although I never have... Bet it's fun to maneuver a boat with twin screws [single screw too] that has really good/strong bow and stern thrusters!

Not that I need one or two thrusters. I'm quite pleased with just twins!

Departing a side tie with boats close on both ends can be tricky for me if there's any wind pushing me onto the dock. Coming in to a tight spot is easier, I either approach steeply and pivot the stern in or spin a 180 into the spot to build a little sideways momentum.

 

[BandB]

Departing a side tie with boats close on both ends can be tricky for me if there's any wind pushing me onto the dock. Coming in to a tight spot is easier, I either approach steeply and pivot the stern in or spin a 180 into the spot to build a little sideways momentum.

Wifey B: We were once on a side tie and the boat in front of us and packed rather tightly between us and the boat in front of them didn't have thrusters and didn't think they could get out with the wind blowing toward the dock as it was. We moved away briefly so they could just back to the end of the dock and free themselves.

 

[PPandE]

My 4788 is moored in an outside slip...exposed to all the weather, wind waves and current. Some say we are the breakwater for the rest of the marina. Here’s the question...should you tie up bow out or stern out. Harbormaster says bow out into the oncoming elements...” ever see a boat back into a storm?” Others say stern out so the heaviest part of the boat takes the brunt of the elements...also preventing the bow, the lightest part of the boat, from tugging heavily on the finger pier and bouncing up and down. What are your experiences and how would you moor to the finger pier?

Bow to the weather… while I shopped for a better slip.

 

[jbbmillar]

Back In to Keep Beasts of the Swim Platform

We back into the slip because sea lions are a problem in our harbor. Backing in keeps the beasts off the swim platform better than home-depot bucktes, and buckets on the ends of the docks discourage them there.



When we were closer to the marina entrance we put electric fencing along the edge of the dock. The sea lions learned pretty quickly - after a while just the sight of the insulators and wire is enough and they didn't have to be powered all the time.

 

[Circumnavigator]

Stern exhausts strongly suggest being bow out, even with flappers.


The privacy question depends -- some like having the cockpit to the dock and engaging in conversations. Those who have commented above, apparently don't.


In general it is easier to head into a slip and back out, so unless you are a skilled boat handler, you may want to consider that.


Jim

 

[WillieJ]

Bow to the weather… while I shopped for a better slip.

That would be a mighty long wait for a boat of @Timicrinn ’s size anywhere in the North Puget Sound, Bellingham, Anacortes area. Maybe he is already on the waitlist for a more protected slip in Bellingham.

 

[PPandE]

That’s would be a mighty long wait for a boat of @Timicrinn ’s size anywhere in the North Puget Sound, Bellingham, Anacortes area. Maybe he is already on the waitlist for a more protected slip in Bellingham.

And Timicrinn may love his marina regardless of the conditions. I can only speculate what I would do in a similar circumstance. Personally, I would be planning my migration to a tropical/subtropical region with a calm marina basin. To each his own.

 

[Cartouche]

My 4788 is moored in an outside slip...exposed to all the weather, wind waves and current. Some say we are the breakwater for the rest of the marina. Here’s the question...should you tie up bow out or stern out. Harbormaster says bow out into the oncoming elements...” ever see a boat back into a storm?” Others say stern out so the heaviest part of the boat takes the brunt of the elements...also preventing the bow, the lightest part of the boat, from tugging heavily on the finger pier and bouncing up and down. What are your experiences and how would you moor to the finger pier?

Bow to avoid Hydro lock with water coming up exhaust

 

[Art]

Bow to avoid Hydro lock with water coming up exhaust

Exhaust flappers!

https://www.google.com/search?q=mar...hUKEwjKvZKolqDzAhWkQ3wKHTV5Dn8Q4dUDCAo&uact=5

 

[markpierce]

Hah! My boat's exhaust is to port-side

 

[rslifkin]

Exhaust port weather concerns vary between boats. On my boat, getting water into the mufflers would require water to go into the exhaust ports (bottom of the ports is just below to a few inches above waterline depending on fuel load). Then it has to travel 12 feet forward, around a to 90 degree turn and 18 inches straight up. If that's happening, the boat is likely getting beaten up well beyond the point where I'd want to turn it around for comfort.

 

[Art]

Exhaust port weather concerns vary between boats. On my boat, getting water into the mufflers would require water to go into the exhaust ports (bottom of the ports is just below to a few inches above waterline depending on fuel load). Then it has to travel 12 feet forward, around a to 90 degree turn and 18 inches straight up. If that's happening, the boat is likely getting beaten up well beyond the point where I'd want to turn it around for comfort.

Another usefulness [other than water ingress stoppage] of flappers - Keeps critters out of exhaust pipe. Have heard of critters getting in and chewing holes through rubber portions. Long and short of it - IMO - Flappers are a useful, inexpensive "safety" item to have on the end of marine exhaust pipes.

I appreciate em!!

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

I always (always!!!) secure with bow out. Additionally I tie both ends of my dock lines to Seaweed. This way I control my lines and can leave without assistance.

If I have to leave immediately, I can do so without trying to back out. Plus, I'm not good at reverse.

Still, imagine if there was an emergency and you had to leave right way...That's how in my opinion you should tie her up.

Thats the proper way to use mooring lines...Tie the boat to the dock, not the dock to the dock....

 

[FlyWright]

All this talk about weather and waves in the slip makes me REALLY appreciate the CA Delta! Benign and freshwater is much more my style...fishing's pretty good, too.

 

[Cartouche]

Exhaust flappers!

https://www.google.com/search?q=mar...hUKEwjKvZKolqDzAhWkQ3wKHTV5Dn8Q4dUDCAo&uact=5

None of those would work on our boat no way to close the exhaust on a mainship