Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

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,,

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

Here's my surefire, never fail method.

1) Head as straight upwind as possible and slow to the minimum speed
at which the vessel will answer her helm.

2) Steer slightly to one side of the buoy. Just before it disappears
under the bow, put the engine in reverse and then look over at the
side; not forward at the buoy. Watch for the motion to stop relative
to bubbles and flotsam in the water.

Note ahead of time if there is current. If there is, you should try
to match it's speed; not stop dead in the water. If it's not flowing
in the same direction as the wind, some judgement will be required.

3) Run forward picking up the boat hook as you go and stab at the
mooring pendant.

4) Repeat 1) through 3) as necessary.

--

Roger Long



"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,,

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

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,,



First...approach your mooring ball motoring upwind.
have a crew member at the bow with a boat hook.
Approach slowly & switch to neutral as soon as he confirms he has
snagged the bridle. You stay at the helm in case of trouble.
If you sail singlehanded...
motor upwind and take the mooring ball on the side that would be easiest
for you when it's abeam.
Switch to neutral when you think the ball is at your bow and have boat
hook ready to grab bridle. Be prepared to take control of the helm again
ASAP if you miss. Mooring fields can be crowded with little room for error.

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

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

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

"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.

I suggest taking some young person with you. If a boy, you can
challenge him that you don't think he can pick up the buoy.

If a girl, ask her to bring a boyfriend and repeat

Make them wear PFDs

Alternate - if you can't pick up another person, then try the other
guy's methods, but have your anchor ready just in case.

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,,



grandma Rosalie

S/V RosalieAnn, Leonardtown, MD
CSY 44 WO #156
http://home.mindspring.com/~gmbeasley/id1.html

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

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

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

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

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

"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

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

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.

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

"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

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

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.


I was disappointed in most of the suggestions here. Oce you
get the hang of it, no butteflies.

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.


This is not a good set-up, but it's a bit late to convince
you to get a different boat or move to a less-crowded
geographic region ;)


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 ).


An important part of making this maneuver a success is to
*know* what you're minimum steerage way is, and which way
prop walk will put the bow. Practice the basic maeuver in
open water, near something with will serve as a reference
point (a channel marker or such). Develop confidence that
you can put the boat right were you want it, then the close
quarters will not seem so tight.


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


Here is where I saw a total lack of useful suggestions.

Proper preparation prevents ****-poor performance!

Why fumble about trying to scoop up your mooring with a boat
hook? Why not put the mooring line on a vertical pole...
like a man-overboard pole only with the mooring line
attached? That would be quick & certain.

Needless to say, some attention to the deck layout is in
order. The first step in such a maneuver, which almost
everybody skips including myself half the time, is to CLEAR
THE DECKS FOR ACTION (just like in the Hornblower novels).
Get all the loose irreleveant "stuff" out of the way, and
you don't have to worry about tripping over it.

One thing I used to do when singlehanding a very
inappropriate boat was to stop while out in open water,
clear the decks, and lay out the lines. To pick up a
mooring, I might take a line from the bow cleat, outboard of
all, and put it aft where I could reach it easily from the
helm. Then all I need to do is scoop up the mooring, make it
fast to the line from forward, bump it into reverse for a
moment to back clear, and we're secure. I can get the
mooring line shortened up & secure later.


I thought that I might ask for help if there is a friendly boater
around.

That's a great idea. Prefereably somebody who can bring
along some lunch.


Stephen Trapani wrote:
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).

This is a great way to gauge your drift & set, as you
approach. A necessary part of successful mooring or docking
when there is wind and/or current.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

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

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

"DSK" wrote

Why fumble about trying to scoop up your mooring with a boat hook?
Why not put the mooring line on a vertical pole... like a
man-overboard pole only with the mooring line attached? That would
be quick & certain.

This is an excellent suggestion. There is a lot you can do to make
your own mooring easier to pick up. A light pick up rope on a long
pole will keep it in sight and you can quickly make fast with the
light rope that will keep things under control until you can bring the
heavy pendant on board.

While cruising however, you will encounter lots of poorly set up
mooring that may be in equally obstructed areas and you will want to
be competent at picking them up.

Someone suggested practicing on a channel marker. That's the dumbest
idea I've heard in a long time. Those things are heavy and go way
down in the water. Hitting them is like hitting a piling. Take a
milk jug on a long light line with an anchor if you can't find
something else that is light and attached to the bottom.

Just like landing a plane, assuming that you will go around and having
a plan to do it is your best safety net. It may look like there is no
way to recover from a botched mooring pick up at your home mooring but
there must be. Spend some time figuring out exactly what you will do
if you miss or your crew drops the pendant. It's going to happen
someday. Practicing that maneuver is as important as practicing the
pickup.

--

Roger Long

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

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"?

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

DSK wrote:

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.


I was disappointed in most of the suggestions here. Oce you
get the hang of it, no butteflies.

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.


This is not a good set-up, but it's a bit late to convince
you to get a different boat or move to a less-crowded
geographic region ;)


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 ).


An important part of making this maneuver a success is to
*know* what you're minimum steerage way is, and which way
prop walk will put the bow. Practice the basic maeuver in
open water, near something with will serve as a reference
point (a channel marker or such). Develop confidence that
you can put the boat right were you want it, then the close
quarters will not seem so tight.


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


Here is where I saw a total lack of useful suggestions.

Proper preparation prevents ****-poor performance!

Why fumble about trying to scoop up your mooring with a boat
hook? Why not put the mooring line on a vertical pole...
like a man-overboard pole only with the mooring line
attached? That would be quick & certain.

He said mooring pick up stick. I didn't think that meant a boat hook.
We have a snap shackle type thing on the end of a pole for picking up
moorings. Worth getting IMHO.

Needless to say, some attention to the deck layout is in
order. The first step in such a maneuver, which almost
everybody skips including myself half the time, is to CLEAR
THE DECKS FOR ACTION (just like in the Hornblower novels).
Get all the loose irreleveant "stuff" out of the way, and
you don't have to worry about tripping over it.

Absolutely

One thing I used to do when singlehanding a very
inappropriate boat was to stop while out in open water,
clear the decks, and lay out the lines. To pick up a
mooring, I might take a line from the bow cleat, outboard of
all, and put it aft where I could reach it easily from the
helm. Then all I need to do is scoop up the mooring, make it
fast to the line from forward, bump it into reverse for a
moment to back clear, and we're secure. I can get the
mooring line shortened up & secure later.

We always lay out the lines, even when coming in to a dock.
Surprising how many people do not do this until they are at the dock
and have no clue about where a line is. I've even seen a shrimp boat
throw the dockmaster a line which was not attached to anything at the
boat end.


I thought that I might ask for help if there is a friendly boater
around.

That's a great idea. Prefereably somebody who can bring
along some lunch.


Stephen Trapani wrote:
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).

This is a great way to gauge your drift & set, as you
approach. A necessary part of successful mooring or docking
when there is wind and/or current.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

Roger Long wrote:
While cruising however, you will encounter lots of poorly set up
mooring that may be in equally obstructed areas and you will want to
be competent at picking them up.


That's true. That's when the line run aft from your mooring
cleat comes in real handy. It's not "traditional" to pick up
moorings at the aft end of the boat, but if conditions make
that more practical and reliable, why not?



Someone suggested practicing on a channel marker. That's the dumbest
idea I've heard in a long time.

Well, I suggested practicing *near* a channel marker. Not
the same thing.

.... Those things are heavy and go way
down in the water. Hitting them is like hitting a piling. Take a
milk jug on a long light line with an anchor if you can't find
something else that is light and attached to the bottom.


That's a good idea for full-dress practice.

What I was suggesting was a follow-up to Stephen's
suggestion of practicing the maneuvers, to get an idea of
set & drift, along with minimum steerage & prop kick...
things that all too many boaters have no idea about. Without
something fixed in place, near enough to use as a reference,
you will not be able to gauge your boat's turning, stopping,
etc etc.



Just like landing a plane, assuming that you will go around and having
a plan to do it is your best safety net. It may look like there is no
way to recover from a botched mooring pick up at your home mooring but
there must be.

And if there isn't you'll suffer the consequence.

One of the things I like to do is ride around the mooring
field (carefully keeping the boat under full control)...
meet the neighbors, look for the best mooring, and see what
routes are open. A lot of people are in too much of a hurry
to do this.

... Spend some time figuring out exactly what you will do
if you miss or your crew drops the pendant. It's going to happen
someday. Practicing that maneuver is as important as practicing the
pickup.


Some years ago, very late in the season, a family member and
I cruised in his boat to Cuttyhunk. In fact it was so late
in the season that they were engaged in picking up the
moorings. We were one of three boats in the harbor (a good
reason to go in the off-season).

One morning, as I was sitting in the cockpit enjoying the
atmosphere & a cup of coffee, a smallish motor cruiser came
into the harber and began trying to pick up a mooring. The
people were not skilled, and they bumbled from one ball to
the next with a hapless crew on the bow stabbing almost at
random at the moorings. It didn't help that the helmsman
could not see under the bow very well, and the crew had such
a short boat hook that they had to almost fall in to reach
the water.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the harbor, a seaplane was
preparing to take off. They began their taxi run, then
applied throttle. The smallish cruiser zigged and zagged
obliviously from mooring ball to mooring ball, and crossed
right in front of the plane as the pontoons began to lift.

I didn't even have time to call out, but my cousin stuck his
head out of the companionway just a few seconds later... the
plane missed the cruiser by perhaps six feet, visibly
startling (and scaring the pants off of) the helmsman. I
really thought we were going to see a flaming crash!

The small motor cruiser gave up and putt-putted out of the
harbor. So the moral of the story is, practice picking up
your mooring and you won't get dive-bombed.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

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

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

"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

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

"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

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

DSK wrote in news:7Ibpg.3296$Oc5.562
@bignews4.bellsouth.net:

That's a good idea for full-dress practice.



Sorta like my captain does, yelling, "MAN OVERBOARD!" as he jumps over the
side just to see how long it will take us to come about and pick him up,
again, usually when some cute honey is driving who hasn't a clue and one of
the "usual sailors" is in the head taking a crap in Peggie's plumbing.

I'm a sneaky *******, myself. I always watch him, carefully, to see if he
has stowed his wallet and cellphone out of his pants and changed into
clothes he doesn't care about (which is most of what he wears on the boat),
a sure sign that something's up....(c;

I stay out of the head if he doesn't have his wallet.....

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

On Fri, 30 Jun 2006 01:10:02 GMT, "Lester Evans"
wrote:


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.

We sail a 50 ft sloop with the deck 6 ft over the water. Picking up a
buoy is always a puzzle cause
a) the boat has a lot of windage and we do not have a bowthruster.
b) We have 2 propellors and the rudder is in the middle so there is no
steering power with low speeds
c) from the rel. high deck the buoy is hard to reach even with a hook.

What works for me:
At very low speed and with the wind on the bow the boat will be blown
away in a few seconds but for the same reason the boat is much more
stabile with the wind from behind. This will be different for
different boats of course but I expect most boats to be more stabile
with the wind from behind. A propellor in slow reverse tends to
stabilize even more.
When needed you take the current into account here.
I approach the buoy downwind and very slow. I let it pass. In slow
reverse (steering is done here with both propellors but you can use
the rudder) I get as close as possible to the buoy without being blown
away or being set aside. From the aft deck or even the swimming
platform I can reach the buoy much easier than from the (higher) bow.
Not being blown away I have enough time for attaching a line.
"Lasso-ing" the buoy with a sinking line that has a bow-line knot in
the end and that is attached to a cleat on the bow is one option.
Being moored that way you can improve things to your own liking.
The mob alike pole sounds good to me cause it improves reachability
from a rel. high deck.

Fair winds, Len.

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

On Fri, 30 Jun 2006 17:14:57 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:

"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.


Hehe...good answer! But I had in mind erecting the mast on
an SC23 using a winch line through a block on top of a 6 ft.tall
trailer strut hooked to the the forestay; the mast foot pinned a la
Hobie, while the mast rests on an 8 ft strut placed in the rudder
gudgeons. If I try this single handed - the mast weaves sidewards -So
I have one person each side holding lines from the side stays.
(One crew, one innocent bystander usually)

Regards

Brian Whatcott

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

First thing I learned in sailing school was how to pick up a mooring under sail
alone.
If you can't do that, you shouldn't be taking a 30 footer out by yourself. What
if your motor fails? I guess it's a call to the Coast Guard, if they can get
there in time.
What if the weather turns bad? Do you know how to handle that?

Sherwin D.

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,,

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

Now THAT was helpful.
If you are bored, go look up the difference
between anodizing and electroplating. :)



sherwindu wrote:
First thing I learned in sailing school was how to pick up a mooring under sail
alone.
If you can't do that, you shouldn't be taking a 30 footer out by yourself. What
if your motor fails? I guess it's a call to the Coast Guard, if they can get
there in time.
What if the weather turns bad? Do you know how to handle that?

Sherwin D.

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

"sherwindu" wrote in message
...
First thing I learned in sailing school was how to pick up a mooring under
sail
alone.
If you can't do that, you shouldn't be taking a 30 footer out by yourself.
What
if your motor fails? I guess it's a call to the Coast Guard, if they can
get
there in time.
What if the weather turns bad? Do you know how to handle that?

Sherwin D.

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,,

I believe he said... "The mooring is in a tight area." So, this isn't the
place to practice. Sometimes, it's nearly impossible to do it under sail,
unlike anchoring where you don't have to be quite so precise.

What if your motor fails? ... start sailing and go somewhere where it isn't
so tight.

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

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

there is always someone. leave the guy alone, he is learning in the best way
possible. So he makes a couple of mistakes - big deal.
"sherwindu" wrote in message
...
First thing I learned in sailing school was how to pick up a mooring under
sail
alone.
If you can't do that, you shouldn't be taking a 30 footer out by yourself.
What
if your motor fails? I guess it's a call to the Coast Guard, if they can
get
there in time.
What if the weather turns bad? Do you know how to handle that?

Sherwin D.

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,,

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

In article KR_og.2315$TC1.1920@trndny08,
"Lester Evans" wrote:

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.

I know I'm late in this, but you'll be learning for a while and I didn't
see anyone mention this:

When things are a bit nasty, I have no compunction about picking up the
mooring at the stern, which is quite a bit closer to the water -- and
essential controls -- than the bow. Midship may be better for you, of
course.

I've even been known to back the boat up to the mooring, though I know
it looks a little strange to do that. And we're not talking about a few
feet at dead slow, but for enough distance at enough speed that the
rudder actually controls the boat. Because the mast is now aft, we don't
fall off the wind that way. Just at the mooring, a quick burst of
forward is quite a bit easier to judge than most boats' reverse when you
can't see the mooring 30+ feet away.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Single handed ,, question about approaching a mooring
 

On Tue, 11 Jul 2006 05:52:30 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:

I've even been known to back the boat up to the mooring, though I know
it looks a little strange to do that.

I used to do that all the time with my old sportfish. The trick there
was to scramble down the ladder from the flybridge before the boat
drifted too far away from the pick up stick. Grabbing it from the
stern was just about the only possible way and it also gives you
better visibility of exactly where to stop the boat.

The big trick of course, is getting the boat flipped back around with
the mooring at the bow but that's another chapter.