Harbour maneuver and moorings

The most delicate moments for boaters are the maneuvers of ports and moorings. Often, the ports are saturated, the moorings crowded and the pontoons aggressive. So many worries that a successful arrival and a correct mooring can erase. It should not be forgotten that the majority of material, but also human, incidents take place when approaching ports, at anchor and at mooring, and overcrowding leaves little room for error.

Many factors tend to complicate these maneuvers

• Difficult weather conditions: wind, gusts, rain ...
• Tidal currents
• The overcrowding of ports and moorings
• Other boats on the way
• The badly appreciated heritage radius tiredness, excitement, thirst (or its opposite), persistent seasickness …… .. etc.
  

There is no longer any question today of having a boat without a motor and even more and more without a powerful motor and it is recommended to know how to use it.

EXCEPT if the crew has perfect mastery of their sailboat and a good knowledge of the port, sailing operations are to be avoided.

THE SKIPPER IS ONLY MASTER ON BOARD AND SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS MANEUVER. IT IS FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MESSAGE AND THE INSTRUCTIONS WHICH IT PASSES ON, AND MUST ENSURE THAT EVERYONE IS AT HIS POST AND UNDERSTANDING THE MANEUVER.

GENERAL INFORMATION ON MOTOR BOATS

Mastering your boat with the engine involves anticipating its reactions (and therefore understanding them) and juggling with the various local parameters (wind, current and characteristics of the water body).

• A failed maneuver rarely has serious consequences, even if it is generally a time of stress, of nervousness where you have to bear the pressure of the "public" on the platform.
  The risks are:
  
  • Injury of a team member (importance of safety instructions)
  • Damage the boat (stanchions, planking, bow, transom, etc.).
  • Engage a tip in the propeller.
    
• The departure (departure) is often easier than the docking because the maneuver can be reflected and the boat calmly prepared when it is docked. On arrival, the fatigue of navigation can reduce the reflexes of the skipper and his crew.
  
• The case of catamarans is not repeated here. The maneuver is simple on this type of boat: the two engines and the large torque between them allows you to turn on the spot (one engine in front, the other in the back, the bar is always in the middle).
  

SOME PRINCIPLES TO RESPECT

Rule of thumb: "be able to stand out at any time"

Always provide a "plan B" in case of problems. It’s good to come in reverse: the boat responds well in forward and allows to get out easily.

Preparation: 80% of the maneuver

See the chronology of arrival at the port.


In all cases…
It is essential to take an unknown boat in hand in an open space to see
how it reacts: no propeller, engine power, turning radius, dunnage ...

• Take the time to think about the most suitable maneuver.
• Always go as easy as possible, or even refuse a place if the maneuver is too delicate.
• Never improvise in case of a problem: get out and start again.
• Choose the easiest place.
• Identify places (on foot when you are at the reception dock or by boat). "The slower we go, the less we hit hard". Keep in mind, however, that speed allows us to keep a Maneuvering boat: this is what makes all the difficulty of exercising in strong winds, which requires arriving quickly ... Arriving from far (or even from very far) allows to test the behavior of the boat in local conditions and leaves
  
  

The time to adapt: reaction in gusts, drift with the current, etc.
On arrival, secure the boat (possibility of tying the fairleads) then take the time to moor it correctly by tweaking the passage of moorings, etc.

CHRONOLOGY OF A PORT ARRIVAL

Never take a maneuver lightly (even in easy conditions), some good habits and rigor in the preparation of the maneuver helps to ward off most of the "surprises".

• Before arriving at the port
  • Maps, Marine Block, Guide, Photos: get a precise idea of the places (dock, dangers, ...).
  • Harbor master's office: VHF Ch. 9.
  • Know the tide, the current in the port: to be confirmed with the channel buoys (wake).
  • Prepare the boat: clear the deck and the cockpit (easier movement, moorings and fenders out.
  • Prepare the crew: shoes, watch (ends in the water, various surprises), calm and concentration.
  • Test the boat's reactions in an open area.
• At the port: location of the place
  • Sufficient depth?
  • Type of mooring: which moorings have priority? Bitts, cleats, rings, bollard?
  • Monitoring of team members.
  • Which maneuver is easier?
  • How to stand out in the event of a problem (Plan B)?
• Preparation of the maneuver
  • Station moorings = - quite long (guards and front end in particular)
  • well spent (fairlead, balcony) and coiled.
  • Station fenders = - well placed (height, longitudinal direction), "manageable" nodes if they have to be moved.
  • Crew at post = - Each team member understood the maneuver and "Plan B" to get out.
  • Each team member understood his role and his task.
  • Reminder of safety instructions, placement / movement during the maneuver.
• The maneuver: "the slower you go, the less you hit hard"
  • Arrival at minimum speed (remaining maneuvering).
  • Do not listen to anyone and do not trust people on the platform (what do they know?).
  • Do not modify the plan while traveling.
  • Get out (Plan B) if the maneuver does not go as planned, improvisation can lead to an accident.
  • Secure the boat and then tweak the mooring.
• After the maneuver
  • Debriefing of team members: good progress, surprise, reaction, explanation to such and such ...
  • Have a drink (it's deserved).

MANAGE YOUR TEAM - COMMUNICATE

We all have in mind anthology scenes where the furious skipper yells at his teammates (or his wife) who understand nothing as the boat arrives in bulk.

Golden Rule

The skipper is the sole master on board, solely responsible for his maneuver. He is fully responsible for the message and the instructions he sends.

He must make sure that everyone understands what is going to happen.

Beginner's characteristics

• No awareness of the difficulty or the risks.
• Concentration generally limited when returning to port (excitement, fatigue, thirst ...).
• Difficulty moving around on deck.
• No knowledge of knots, the use of ropes, fairleads, etc.
• Does not understand marine language.

Knowing this

• Each team member must be able to take a dead turn to assist in the maneuver.
• Make sure that everyone is wearing closed shoes (we don't maneuver in flip-flops).
• Involve the entire crew in the preparation of the maneuvers (conditioning).
• Remember that the maneuver is not completed until the boat has moored.
• Use the most efficient team members at key positions.
• Ask team members to confirm when their task is completed (drop pendulum, etc.).
• Explain the course of the maneuver in suitable language.
• Explain their role to everyone and check that the message has been understood.

Check everything, don't trust anyone.

Preparation of the maneuver: 80% of the maneuver.

The port maneuver is prepared in advance and in open water. Take the time to think about the most suitable maneuver. Never improvise and refuse a place if the maneuver is too delicate.

Prepare the maneuver:
The hawsers must be stationary and the length of the boat, one at the front and the other at the rear, and strike at the mooring cleats. The hawser to send must be long and flexible, curled up and ready to be sent on the fly as needed. Know the hawser launch.
The tusks are fixed either on the balcony dies or on the fargue rail by two half-keys to capel and flush with the water (the ideal is three on each side with a flounce to remove obstacles and adapt its placement in depending on the maneuver).
The life jackets are caped, the deck cleared, and each team member in his place according to his skills.

Gather information about the port and the entrance channel:
Read the sailing instructions.
Know the water level due to the tide, the currents, the possibility of a bar in the channel, is the harbor protected from the wind sector ect ...?
Such as the harbor master's office (channel 9) for the allocated space (given the name of the boat, the length, the draft, the estimated time of arrival and the length of stay).

Golden rule: Be able to come out at any time, and always have a plan "B".

A port maneuver is always a moment of stress and pressure from the public and the skipper. A maneuver is successful when the boat is docked, the deck clear, the logbook completed and closed. You need good coordination at all positions, good information, good communication, good synchronization ... and command that follows two fundamental rules:

anticipate
delegate