Single handed Med mooring..

[majdrew]

Hi Everyone!

Simply.. is this possible??

The way I see it, the problem is, paying out the anchor cable, while simultaneously reversing into the slot..

Even if I have some kind of mechanism to pay out the cable from the cockpit, I would imagine that to be very difficult..

I'd love to hear from anyone who has any experience of this type of docking singlehanded.

Regards, Mark.

[Zanshin]

It is only practicable if you have a way to drop/raise the anchor from the cockpit. I've tried it a couple of times singlehanded (without such a device) and it only worked because there was no wind and no current. I dropped the anchor and enough chain to get me to the dock, reversed in and once tied up I pulled in the anchor, hoping it would set.

I think I would radio in and ask for a temporary deckhand if there were wind or current or a chance that the anchor really needed to be set well. A remote anchor windlass control is on my list of "nice-to-haves".

[markje4]

Hope some of these ideas help.

http://www.ybw.com/forums/printthrea...74/type/thread

I hope to be in the Med next year and as I will be travelling mainly single-handed, this is an issue that has got me just a little bit nervous.

Mark

[Hud3]

I've only tried it twice, but it worked fine both times. I have a windlass toggle switch mounted on the steering pedestal, so I can lower the anchor from the cockpit. The important thing is to give the anchor time to reach the bottom and collect a little chain before beginning to back toward the dock. Then you work the windlass switch to pay out chain, but also keep a bit of tension on the chain as you back, so that the anchor is set by the time you get to the dock.

The first time, the bow was directly into the wind, and the second time, the stern was into the wind. A bit trickier, since my boat doesn't back very well (full keel, fixed bladed prop). In a cross wind, it would be a lot more "fun", I think.

It helps a great deal to have someone on the dock to take your lines.

[Jolly Roger]

Whenever I was single handed in the Meddy’ I always drove her in forward, with an anchor from the stern. I had an aft cockpit, so controlling the feed was easy and I’d snub her in just before hitting the wall, then leave her ticking over in gear while I sauntered forward to pass the bow lines over. A center cockpit would need a bit more organization, but not as difficult as backing her in, while trying to pay out a bow anchor, ‘specially in a blow. Doesn’t half look professional as well, and that way you also keep your cockpit privacy from passing gapers. But don’t forget a forward pivot for the boarding ladder.

[majdrew]

Thank you for those replys.. they have eased my mind a bit.. especially the idea of going in forward.. sounds so much easier!!

Regards, mark.

[Hampus]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger

Whenever I was single handed in the Meddy’ I always drove her in forward, with an anchor from the stern. I had an aft cockpit, so controlling the feed was easy and I’d snub her in just before hitting the wall, then leave her ticking over in gear while I sauntered forward to pass the bow lines over. A center cockpit would need a bit more organization, but not as difficult as backing her in, while trying to pay out a bow anchor, ‘specially in a blow. Doesn’t half look professional as well, and that way you also keep your cockpit privacy from passing gapers. But don’t forget a forward pivot for the boarding ladder.

This is how we do it in Scandinavia, vitrually 100% of the boats here are moored with the bow towards the jetty. I've tried it several times single handed and it works very well. Although most boats moor stern first in the med, there's no rule against going the other way. And as Jolly Roger pointed out, there's always the bonus of extra privacy... Unless people stand gaping at the one boat that's NOT moored stern first

/Hampus

[JiffyLube]

I'm sure this is going to be a stupid question, so here it goes. Why was that method of docking adopted? Are slips or berths for boats a newer concept in docking?

[Jolly Roger]

When I was living aboard in the Meddi’ we rarely went into marinas, except to winter. Whenever we needed provisions or water we would head for the public quay, which was just a long wall, and since there were no buoys to pick up it was usual to drop the hook, then back into a space between two boats, simply because your anchor was on the bow. This always caused much interest and merriment on the boats already there, seeing how well the skipper backed into a space only as wide as his beam—and sometimes narrower. Mine was a long keeler, so I set up a stern anchor and usually pushed her in forward. So it was an age old custom, which I understand is now no longer much available, since most public quays are taken up by paying berths.