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?

If you have learned the true meaning of the words "DEAD SLOW", you
won't have any problems.

Lew

You need to adjust your strategy depending on the amount of wind.

If there is little wind, a long straight coast is very satisfying. Just
a touch of reverse at the mooring will stop you right at the pin.

If there is substantial wind, you need a faster approach to keep
steerage so as not to be blown to the side at the last moment. Approach
quickly enough that you need to give a good strong hit of reverse just
before you go forward.

As Roger says, before leaving the helm make sure you are truly stopped.
Most mooring misses are because the boat is still moving while you are
getting forward. Also, if you are not happy with the situation don't
leave the helm but make an early decision to go around again.

Back in the grand days of racing schooners, I'm told there was a 130'
engineless beauty whose captain would enter Marblehead harbor under
full sail - wing and wing with all jibs flying. Just before hitting the
yacht club porch with his bowsprit, he would put down the helm turning
180 degrees to shoot his mooring. She could coast close to a 1/2 mile
into the wind before coming to rest. This gave the crew time to drop
and furl the sails and even put on the sail covers. As the huge
schooner came to a perfect stop, the steward would be serving drinks
to the owner's party as a single crewman reached down with a boat hook
to pick up a limp mooring pennant. With no engine and the sails under
cover there was no room for error.

Carl

"Lester Evans" wrote in message
news:KR_og.2315$TC1.1920@trndny08...
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?

Thanks,,

The best approach is to slow down as Roger suggested. The only thing I would
add is to not run anywhere on the boat. If you are going slowly enough, you
should have plenty of time to walk forward. Also, you might want to let the
mooring ball come back a bit more. The boat is widest on the beam, and you
can use that to help you capture it. Try to grab it just forward of the
beam. You can also let it come all the way back to the cockpit, stop next to
it, and grab it there. Not quite so elegant, but you'll know where it is
without going to look.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Capt. JG" wrote

The only thing I would add is to not run anywhere on the boat.

Good point. I consider "running" on a boat a brisk, controlled walk
but that wouldn't be clear in my post.

My boat falls off pretty fast with the fin keel and the windage of the
roller jib forward so bringing the buoy back very far can be awkward.
I'm either pulling against the friction on the side or trying to pull
the bow upwind to it. Getting the pendant briskly on board slack and
hooked quickly over the cleat works best for me. Most pendants in
this part of the world are short and heavy enough that not having the
buoy right under the bow means moving the boat with the pendant after
you have the slimy, barnacle encrusted thing in your hand. I find the
risk of dropping or losing it while trying to get it under the pulpit
and hooked up with strain on it greater than not finding the buoy in
the right place when I get to the bow with the boat hook.

Several responders seemed to have missed the *singlehanded* word in
the original post.

When you do have a crew member, a very helpful instruction to give is
to have them stand in the bow constantly pointing the boathook at the
buoy. That tells you where it is when it goes out of sight as well as
letting you track other factors more easily beforehand. Most people
will take their first stab when too far away so that's a good signal
to goose up the throttle for full reverse.

--

Roger Long

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
"Capt. JG" wrote

The only thing I would add is to not run anywhere on the boat.

Good point. I consider "running" on a boat a brisk, controlled walk but
that wouldn't be clear in my post.

I figured... :-) I saw one guy do this single handed and he ambled. I think
he was thinking of stopping for a cigarette break or something on the way...
totally unhurried. It was fun to watch.

My boat falls off pretty fast with the fin keel and the windage of the
roller jib forward so bringing the buoy back very far can be awkward. I'm
either pulling against the friction on the side or trying to pull the bow
upwind to it. Getting the pendant briskly on board slack and hooked
quickly over the cleat works best for me. Most pendants in this part of
the world are short and heavy enough that not having the buoy right under
the bow means moving the boat with the pendant after you have the slimy,
barnacle encrusted thing in your hand. I find the risk of dropping or
losing it while trying to get it under the pulpit and hooked up with
strain on it greater than not finding the buoy in the right place when I
get to the bow with the boat hook.

The only place that mooring balls out here that I'm aware of for day use are
at Angel Island. There are no pendants, so you have to put your own on the
ball. Quite a hassle. I use a Happy Hooker. It's either that or you have to
be an acrobat or not have much freeboard. :-)

Several responders seemed to have missed the *singlehanded* word in the
original post.

Yeah... :-)

When you do have a crew member, a very helpful instruction to give is to
have them stand in the bow constantly pointing the boathook at the buoy.
That tells you where it is when it goes out of sight as well as letting
you track other factors more easily beforehand. Most people will take
their first stab when too far away so that's a good signal to goose up the
throttle for full reverse.

I made the mistake of having a very inexperienced crew member attempt to
hook one in another place. I told him specifically not to get the boat hook
inside any loop in the pendant, just grab the line itself. Of course, he put
it through a loop and when I couldn't hold the boat in one spot long enough
for him to sort it out, he had to drop the boat hook. :-)

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

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?

Thanks,,

Assuming there a wind blowing, and you have a motor, steer about 10-12 feet
upwind of the buoy and at right angles to the wind. Stop the boat, using
reverse, with the pickup as close to 'midships as possible. Just allow the
boat to drift down onto the buoy until you can reach it with the boathook.
If the buoy has a ring but no pickup buoy, try to spear the ring by hand by
laying on the side deck at the lowest point with a rope attached to the
stemhead, it CAN be done, but needs a fair bit of practice.

You must be a glutton for punishment.

Dennis.

Snip:

Any thoughts?

Thanks,,

In addition to what everyone's said.

I like to cleat off a longish line, bring it back to the boat hook, around
all. When you have the eye on the hook, simply pass the line through and
hang onto it. This solves Roger's problem of the slimy rope and also gives a
two to one advantage plus a bonus of friction. Even a 30 footers in wind and
current can create quite a tug and any advantage is good.

BF

In article KR_og.2315$TC1.1920@trndny08,
"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?

Thanks,,

Lester, many interesting ideas.

I sail my J/100 (33', furling jib, fin keel) single handed a fair bit.
Here are my thoughts:

1. Invest in a tall mast pick up buoy
(http://www.mushroommooring.com/Pick_Up_Buoys.html) if you don't have
one. I use a short line with a bowline affixing one end to the buoy and
a snap shackle at the other end which I loop around the mooring's
eyesplice. When things start to go south (e.g., you start running over
your mooring), it gives you an extra few seconds, you don't have to bend
down (at my age and weight a blessing), nor do you have to futz with a
boat hook. You may thank me for this one.

2. Don't run is absolutely correct. Nothing good happens.

3. I loved the post about dead slow. Slow is good. It is the one thing I
sometimes botch, especially in a wind.

4. I think the idea of letting your boat drift on the mooring is
interesting. I don't do it on Lake Champlain. The wind here, even when
strong is too flukey and I have found it easier to head directly into
the wind (slowwwwwly) leave the mooring on my port side (the side
opposite my spinnaker pole, throw the boat into neutral before going
forward, grab the mast of my pick-up buoy forward of the beam if I can
(don't want my dingy line or anything to foul my rudder or sail drive)
and walk forward to the cleat.

5. I don't like butterflies when sailing. They belong in my wife's
garden (there is a reason I single hand), not on my boat. I recommend
picking your poison based on these posts and spending a day (in a not so
strong blow) picking up and dropping off your line at least ten times or
until you say, this is ridiculous.

Much joy and better weather.

harlan

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?

On Fri, 30 Jun 2006 01:10:02 GMT, "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?

Thanks,,



This question drew some very very helpful responses. I was pleased.
NEXT: How to winch up the mast, single handed?

Brian Whatcott Altus OK

"Brian Whatcott" wrote

NEXT: How to winch up the mast, single handed?


Get a four part tackle like a boom vang with a cam cleat and a line
long enough for it to go all the way up the mast. Hoist it up with a
jib halyard; not one with an external block like a spinnaker halyard
unless you trust it with your life. Then pull yourself up. If the
cleat or your hands slip, you'll come down fast but still a lot slower
than on a single part. You'll also be able to squeeze the tackle to
stop if you screw up the belaying.

Once you price all the gear to do this, you'll realize you can have a
yard guy go up two or three times for the same amount. Let them do
it. They're lighter, younger, and more expendable.

--

Roger Long