Practical boating tips- Mediterranean mooring

Dock Side, boats moored in St Tropez after racing Rolex/ Kurt Arrigo http://www.regattanews.com

Med Mooring is a black art for many skippers, and a nightmare for their crews. This story explains the basics. © Pic: Nick Jenkins

You head into port feeling exhilarated, and then it hits you: MED MOORING! This is the art of reversing into a space at high speed, while wrapping your anchor cable around the nearest superyacht… right?

You scan the harbour frantically for an easy berth, but there are none - only a miniscule gap between two very shiny new yachts! The wind continues to howl, and your crew look at you quizzically with a kind of dogged faith; you break into a cold sweat. Now at this point the very best place to be is sitting comfortably at one of the waterside bars, sipping on a cold one. Trust me there will be an appreciative audience already there, gleefully watching your every move, anticipating your dismal failure.

You are now about two minutes away from wiping out half the harbour and providing the waiting audience with their favourite form of voyeurism, or slipping into the gap with slick proficiency before heading ashore to bask in the adulation of your crew.

So what’s it to be?

Some Pointers

This scenario is very similar to the majority of stern-to berths at many marinas in New Zealand or Australia, but becomes more complex if you need to deploy your anchor, but having grasped a few concepts, with a bit of practice it becomes second nature. A great way to accelerate the learning process is to attend an RYA practical course and learn the correct techniques from a professional instructor. RYA courses are complimented by a wide range of excellent, informative books such as the 'RYA Introduction to Boat Handling for Sail & Power' by Rob Gibson, containing an array of useful tips. This excerpt and images from the book could help prevent embarrassment – and keep your topsides free from scratches.

'Mediterranean mooring is often viewed with trepidation. It looks complicated and if you get it wrong you tend to look silly.'

'As with any manoeuvre it’s all about staying calm, feeling confident and briefing your crew correctly. Getting a manoeuvre like this right is a very satisfying feeling.'

Med Mooring - Step 1, lower the anchor, well out and then drop back to the dock on a longish warp. Then secure the quarter lines. © Pic: Nick Jenkins

Anchoring stern-to:

• First things first; when anchoring stern-to, there’s unlikely to be any cross-tide, so the wind will be the strongest force. This simplifies matters significantly. If you can gauge where the wind is trying to push you, that’s half the battle already won, and there won’t be any unpleasant surprises.

• You may be backing into quite a narrow space, if so make sure the boat is well fendered prior to starting your approach and set up a stern line off each stern cleat with big loops in the end of each. Having done this, station one crew on the foredeck, ready to let go the anchor.

• Look for any anchor chains leading from the bows of boats already moored and check the direction in which they are pointing to ensure you don’t foul them. It may be sensible to rig a 'tripping line' to your own anchor just-in-case.

• Start your reverse run from a long way off - to establish good flow over the rudder – and thus steering control in reverse, then start to line yourself up with the gap about four boat lengths out.

• At about three boat lengths (depending on the depth of water), have your crew lower the anchor and pay out plenty of slack whilst you reverse in as slowly as you dare without losing steerage - this will depend on how much wind there is.

Step 2 - adjust all lines so that you are the required distance from the dock. © Pic: Nick Jenkins

• A couple of metres off, have your foredeck crew begin to take up the strain on the anchor warp as you ease the boat back towards the harbour wall.

• Have your crew step off with the stern lines and drop the loops over the nearest bollard.

• Now it’s just a question of tightening everything up and ensuring your anchor has held; you want your stern to be about half a metre off the quay.

Bow first

Some skippers prefer to carry out the whole manoeuvre with the bow facing towards the quay - providing better steerage. This can be easier to execute if the boat is set up for it; many Med-based boats will have a designated anchor in the cockpit for this purpose. The main problem with mooring bow-to is access to the quay, as clambering over the pulpit can present a challenge.

Lazy lines

Lazy lines can appear confusing, but actually simplify matters by eliminating the need to drop an anchor off the bow. If you see rope rather than anchor chain leading from the bow of other boats, then you know what to expect.

Step - 3 Use of lazy lines, if available instead of an anchor - check other boat’s systems before deploying your snchor. © Pic: Nick Jenkins

Lazy lines normally, but not always, come in pairs and when not in use they are attached to the quay at one end. The procedure is much the same as for anchoring stern-to except, very importantly you don’t drop your anchor!

After securing yourself to the quay, find the lazy lines and walk them up to the bow and tension them up. Again, this is a manoeuvre which can be done bows to. Check the lazy lines for any wear and tear once you are moored up.

With this manoeuvre successfully accomplished, all that remains is to head ashore and enjoy that cold beer you were promising yourself, secure in the knowledge that you have proven your boat handling prowess.

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Excerpts taken from 'RYA Boat Handling for Sail and Power' by Rob Gibson, available from Trans Pacific Marine 0800 422 427.

Practical boating courses are available from RYA Training Centres throughout New Zealand, administered by Coastguard Boating Education:

Contact 0800 40 80 90 or www.cbes.org.nz