Lester Evans wrote:

Going out single this weekend. Not worried about leaving and sailing etc ..
it is the coming back in that has me in butterflies.

This is a 30' sailboat. Not huge, but not small.

How do you approach a mooring for pick up? The boat has a full keel so she
is heavy. The mooring is in a tight area. I want to do a one time pick up
.. no going around and trying again.

My thought.. get the boat going in the right direction. Once I am getting
close, put her in neutral. Try some coasting. See if I can coast up to the
mooring, leaving the mooring ball on the starboard side ( this way, if I
must go on I can turn to the port which is where the escape route is,, the
deep water ).

Anyway,,, I will have my mooring pick up stick at the ready. Once I grab
the line, get the line on deck and cleated..

I thought that I might ask for help if there is a friendly boater around.
The boat is at a dock now. I must move it to the mooring or $$$$$$.

Any thoughts?

I suggest putting it in neutral far from the buoy and practice coming to
a stop a few times on your actual approach line, keeping the boat in
control. If it starts to drift, engage forward and keep it straight (you
didn't mention if there was a current but if there is, go against it).
Once you get the feel for stopping, slowly move up to the buoy and bring
it almost to a stop again ten feet away, then engage forward and stop
again at the buoy, walk up and hook it.


--
Stephen

-------

For any proposition there is always some sufficiently narrow
interpretation of its terms, such that it turns out true, and
some sufficiently wide interpretation such that it turns out
false...concept stretching will refute *any* statement, and will
leave no true statement whatsoever.
-- Imre Lakatos