Catamaran Med Mooring and passerelle

[monte]

I made 2 fender boards that double as a plank for our L380 with the same davits/solar panels. They can get close to the dock but not much closer than the transom. Its really only an issue if there is a pole right where the panels are. Our plank was 2 pieces of 12x 1"1/2 oregon about 6' long (cut to just fit in the bow locker. They had holes with lines at the side for deploying as fender boards, as well as a central hole 1' from the end of each that allowed them to be through bolted with a 3/4" bolt, allowing it to extend to 11' We usually kept it bolted together and just folded it to stow in the bow locker.
when med mooring we usually go stern to and sit the plank from the dock to the appropriate height rear step and tie it off to the cleat with one of the spare fender plank lines. It also worked bow to in most cases. Cost is maybe $40-

Med mooring takes a little while to get down, the best way I found is prepare the stern lines with a bowline over the rear side cleats
reverse to 2m off the dock and throw the 15m lines to the marinero, or lasso them around a bolard, then make them off as long as possible so you are 4m or so off the dock. Take the bow lazy lines and cleat them off quite tight, not enough that you need to strain to do it. Reverse back toward the dock, tensioning the bow lines and taking up the slack on the stern lines. I like to have the lines quite tight so I know we can't be pushed back too close to the dock with wind and tide, usually aiming to end up about 1m from the dock, then add a cross line on the lower rear cleats. From there we can usually step onto the dock, or have the single plank out...

[ka4wja]

Palarran,
I took those photos in Gib (at high tide), but at low-tide the angle down from the concrete pier was quite steep, so I used the "bottom side" of my paserelle for added boarding ease...especially helpful after dark and after some alcohol consumption by my crew....

Originally Posted by Palarran

John,
Why do you have the starboard facing down?

I think the ladders are ok but I don't have anywhere that an 8' ladder can be stored below decks and refuse to carry one above.

Every boat is different....but I have a perfect spot to stow the 8' long paserelle alongside the cockpit rails/pushpit...(have a look at the picture)



Fair winds...

John
s/v Annie Laurie

[Zoid]

Wow, I've been offline for a while and just saw all the responses. Thanks for the great suggestions and food for thought on some do it yourself options. Two quick follow up questions: 1)Palarran do you like those bow/stern fenders? I was considering them for peice of mind as I start to get proficient at med mooring. 2) Monte, good to hear from you again. Since we have the same boat with the same dinghy/solar panel setup, I was really interested in your stern to setup. Sounded like if there wasn't a pole in the way onshore you overlapped (or close to it) your panels and dinghy over the quay, is that right?

Thanks again everyone for your input and help with this.

This was submitted from my phone so forgive any typos

[sy_gilana]

FWIW, our experience with Pasarelles, its important to have one side fixed and one side floating. This will prevent wear. We have seen Pasarelles honed to a wonderful sharp edge. Some use wheels or castors, we don't like that idea because it does not work long term. We use bungie on the uphaul, so that the end of the Pasarelle floats above the deck or the ground until you place a foot on it and transfer weight, then it bottoms out and returns to suspension when the load has passed.

[Zoid]

Agreed on not letting it ready on the quay, already seen the wear that can cause around this marina.

One other question I wanted to ask was whether or not the springs or rubber snubber lines are a good idea for the stern (or bow) to lines. Everyone has them around here and with the wind change last night we got a little whiplash occasionally when the gusts would blow. It was fluctuating between 10 knots and 33 knots all last night.

Let me know if you think they are a worthwhile thing to have. It probably depends on how often we're at anchor or moored.

[Zoid]

Agreed on not letting it ready on the quay, already seen the wear that can cause around this marina.

One other question I wanted to ask was whether or not the springs or rubber snubber lines are a good idea for the stern (or bow) to lines. Everyone has them around here and with the wind change last night we got a little whiplash occasionally when the gusts would blow. It was fluctuating between 10 knots and 33 knots all last night.

Let me know if you think they are a worthwhile thing to have. It probably depends on how often we're at anchor or moored.

[Palarran]

I hope someone figures out how to suspend a passerelle on a cat. It's not going to work like a monohull.

I am getting the fenders delivered this spring so don't know how they will work. I'm fairly confident they will be the best solution for me both stern and bow. In two years we haven't hit yet but it's just a matter of time without fenders.

[Zoid]

On my lagoon 380 I am using my genaker halyard right now, but I'm bow to. Should work stern to with a little work

[monte]

yeah Zoid,our solar panels probably hung over about 18" or so. Being that med mooring is usually always non tidal it didn't really create any issues so long as we stayed a few feet from the dock. Usually we went stern to for convenience, but on higher docks over 3' sometimes bow to. We never felt a need for the line snubbers, I think they are more useful for the long term liveaboards that can't sleep with theo occasional squeak of the dock lines.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Zoid

Agreed on not letting it ready on the quay, already seen the wear that can cause around this marina.



One other question I wanted to ask was whether or not the springs or rubber snubber lines are a good idea for the stern (or bow) to lines. Everyone has them around here and with the wind change last night we got a little whiplash occasionally when the gusts would blow. It was fluctuating between 10 knots and 33 knots all last night.



Let me know if you think they are a worthwhile thing to have. It probably depends on how often we're at anchor or moored.

In general , when I'm on board I don't use snubbers. With the boat close to the dock I prefer tension and no snubbers. When I leave the boat I let it out from the dock more and then use snubbers.

Dave


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[Zoid]

I think I know what the issues might be. First of all, I'm in my very first Med port since coming through the straits. Unfortunately it's Benalmadena, which if you haven't been here is a soulless tourist trap for overweight British retirees. I stopped here because it's proximity to the Malaga airport for a flight we had to catch and am ready to move on. Anyway, point being this is my only experience do far with Med mooring. The quay here is at least 3 ft of concrete above the waterline. When we first arrived I moored stern to, and a good bit off the quay to protect my dinghy and solar panels. However, since I didn't have a plank it was an athletic endeavor to get off and back on the boat from my low sugar scoops. We switched to bow to and my bow is even level with the quay making everything easier. I just assumed that this is what most quays are like, but it sounds like 3 ft might be taller than most.

It sounds like everyone recommends taking any slack out of the mooring lines and lazy lines. We have some tidal change here, but it sounds like I need to tighten up my lines to lessen the motion with these winds.

Although I like some of the advantages of bow to such as less risk of lazy lines in the prop, more privacy, etc., I have one major disadvantage. My Lagoon 380 only has one outside cleat on each bow. This means I can't have my spring lines criss cross because they would lay across the hull and would foul with my bowspirit and anchor. I have spring lines going outward from each hull, which isn't as effective.

Long reply, but it sounds like this marina is not typical of the med in terms of quay height, and I need to tighten my lines some.

[monte]

yeah the dock heights vary from floating to 4'. Best to go bow to with a 3' dock. A 6 ft plank will sit from the dock to the cross bean, just slide it on and off the tramp when you need to use it, it will still hang close enough to the dock to reach if you are out and about. Get down to Cartegena, nicer town, not so touristy and catamaran friendly marina (same rates as mono's and pretty cheap) aveagood one
PS most marinas have a spare plank or two around on the dock

[goboatingnow]

It sounds like everyone recommends taking any slack out of the mooring lines and lazy lines. We have some tidal change here, but it sounds like I need to tighten up my lines to lessen the motion with these winds.

Although I like some of the advantages of bow to such as less risk of lazy lines in the prop, more privacy, etc., I have one major disadvantage. My Lagoon 380 only has one outside cleat on each bow. This means I can't have my spring lines criss cross because they would lay across the hull and would foul with my bowspirit and anchor. I have spring lines going outward from each hull, which isn't as effective.

Long reply, but it sounds like this marina is not typical of the med in terms of quay height, and I need to tighten my lines some.

As others have said, it ranges from floating to high.

why didn't you go into Malaga, several marinas.

yes tight stern to lines, other wise the snatch and jerk builds up till it rips the cleat out or snaps the line

dave

[Blisters]

Hi Palarran,

We are in the Med and trying to figure out the best plan to install a hydraulic passarelle. You mention Lagoon4US had a good one. Do you have any pictures that we could see for some guidance? We’re not sure of the best location I.e., which step, which length, etc and all the pros and cons. Many thanks!