Coming alongside using a bow spring

[DandV]

My experience is mainly on wind sensitive craft in high wind environments. Here a standard useful mooring procedure is to nose the bow in, and then the forward hand gets a turn on a mooring bollard/ring aft of the forward Tstud or samson post and check the boat against dead slow ahead, tiller towards the hard until the stern is alongside, when the stern line is placed. Out of gear, and then reposition the spring forward as a bow line. This technique worked well with our windprone cruiser in boisterous conditions in Ireland last year. I have noticed on narrowboats however that a bow spring directly off the Tstud will foul the cratch cover on narrowboats so equipped. A loaded line rubbing against an expensive cover seems like a very bad idea. To me it seems that cratch covers preclude the use of bow springs unless an open fairlead is is available to keep a bow spring of the cratch. Ideas and advice please.

 

Don and Val

[luctor et emergo]

20+ ton narrow boats are easiest moored. by stePping of the back with the centre line. TEMPORARELY secure with centre line, then secure front and back. Untie centre line and coil away.

[Martin Megson]

As Luctor said the centre line is your friend on a narrow boat. I boat single handed and have no difficulty with this technique except in very strong winds. In which case I loop the stern line onto a bollard before stepping off with the centreline. Obviously rivers are different due to the flow and I always secure the stern line before stepping off with the centre line to secure the bow. And of course release the centre line once you have bow and stern lines secured.

[Chris Pink]

My experience is mainly on wind sensitive craft in high wind environments. Here a standard useful mooring procedure is to nose the bow in, and then the forward hand gets a turn on a mooring bollard/ring aft of the forward Tstud or samson post and check the boat against dead slow ahead, tiller towards the hard until the stern is alongside, when the stern line is placed. Out of gear, and then reposition the spring forward as a bow line. This technique worked well with our windprone cruiser in boisterous conditions in Ireland last year. I have noticed on narrowboats however that a bow spring directly off the Tstud will foul the cratch cover on narrowboats so equipped. A loaded line rubbing against an expensive cover seems like a very bad idea. To me it seems that cratch covers preclude the use of bow springs unless an open fairlead is is available to keep a bow spring of the cratch. Ideas and advice please.

 

Don and Val

 

it is bad positioning of the cratch / foredeck length on a modern narrow boat, essentially a pastiche of the real thing on which a line would be unlikely to foul the cratch until at about 30° to the bank.

 

But a fairlead is the solution, yes. I often see these on the cant on the bow of a boat.

 

In my opinion those who rely on centre lines for this, firstly are in danger of being in a position where they won't get a purchase and neither the weight of the boat nor the engine work in their favour and secondly, will be unprepared when, on moving water, a centre line is downright dangerous (talking narrow boats here before Mr Blackrose pokes his argumentative hat up).

 

The use of springs for manoeuvring is rare in canal boats, possibly because the wind is usually less of a factor.

[Phil Ambrose]

And there you have it Don & Val, the centre line is your best friend. Having said that IMHO a cratch cover does prove to be an impediment and I wont have one in fact nearly every boat I know with one (and pram covers) use them like a junk room or garden shed and I for one have no use for either.

 

Phil

[Boaty Jo]

Having said that IMHO a cratch cover does prove to be an impediment and I wont have one in fact nearly every boat I know with one (and pram covers) use them like a junk room or garden shed and I for one have no use for either.

 

Phil

 

Are you a live-aboard?

[GUMPY]

Another way which is very easy but not often used is to use a stern line.

its especially easy when single handing.

Bring stern alongside take a turn on the mooring bollard/dolly, engage forward gear at tick over and the bow will come in, you will need to engage neutral well before the bow is in otherwise you will slam into the bank/boat. There is a knack to it but it saves moving from the steering position.

It can also be used to get the bow out by using reverse instead of forward.

I first saw this being used by the Jasons Trip boats in London to get off their mooring at Little Venice.

[Phil Ambrose]

Are you a live-aboard?

 

Yes, 13 years, 10 on The Broads now in the Fens, is it relevent? We have always said we would live on our boat not on the bank as many people do. I know all about wet gear, muddy boots etc but maybe we are lucky with our boat's layout and make use of the "lobby" we have at stern doors and bow doors.

 

Phil

[Mike Todd]

it is bad positioning of the cratch / foredeck length on a modern narrow boat, essentially a pastiche of the real thing on which a line would be unlikely to foul the cratch until at about 30° to the bank.

 

But a fairlead is the solution, yes. I often see these on the cant on the bow of a boat.

 

In my opinion those who rely on centre lines for this, firstly are in danger of being in a position where they won't get a purchase and neither the weight of the boat nor the engine work in their favour and secondly, will be unprepared when, on moving water, a centre line is downright dangerous (talking narrow boats here before Mr Blackrose pokes his argumentative hat up).

 

The use of springs for manoeuvring is rare in canal boats, possibly because the wind is usually less of a factor.

There is no single 'best' answer - you need to have several techniques ready to deploy in appropriate circumstances depending in particular on wind and water flow. Unless you can read both of these, together with a readiness to deal with underwater obstructions and lack of depth, sooner or later you will have a problem. (And we all have at some time or another, don't believe anyone who says otherwise!)

[Keeping Up]

Another way which is very easy but not often used is to use a stern line.

its especially easy when single handing.

Bring stern alongside take a turn on the mooring bollard/dolly, engage forward gear at tick over and the bow will come in, you will need to engage neutral well before the bow is in otherwise you will slam into the bank/boat. There is a knack to it but it saves moving from the steering position.

It can also be used to get the bow out by using reverse instead of forward.

I first saw this being used by the Jasons Trip boats in London to get off their mooring at Little Venice.

 

This works best if the dolly is well out to the side of the boat, it doesn't work well if the dollies are close together.

 

When I use this technique (quite often), having a cruiser stern I take the line from the dolly forwards, then round the upright part at the end of the rail (which is right at the edge of the boat) and then drop it over the bollard. I often leave the boat like that, with the engine ticking over in forward gear, while I go and set a lock.

[ditchcrawler]

20+ ton narrow boats are easiest moored. by stePping of the back with the centre line. TEMPORARELY secure with centre line, then secure front and back. Untie centre line and coil away.

Most people seem to forget the last 6 words

[luctor et emergo]

Most people seem to forget the last 6 words

 

Indeed

[larryjc]

My experience is mainly on wind sensitive craft in high wind environments. Here a standard useful mooring procedure is to nose the bow in, and then the forward hand gets a turn on a mooring bollard/ring aft of the forward Tstud or samson post and check the boat against dead slow ahead, tiller towards the hard until the stern is alongside, when the stern line is placed. Out of gear, and then reposition the spring forward as a bow line. This technique worked well with our windprone cruiser in boisterous conditions in Ireland last year. I have noticed on narrowboats however that a bow spring directly off the Tstud will foul the cratch cover on narrowboats so equipped. A loaded line rubbing against an expensive cover seems like a very bad idea. To me it seems that cratch covers preclude the use of bow springs unless an open fairlead is is available to keep a bow spring of the cratch. Ideas and advice please.

 

Don and Val

 

Funny I always use a midships line for this in a yacht. It acts as a forespring and then with the helm as you describe the prop thrust pushed the stern in and keeps the boat temporarily secure. However, as I am new to world of the canals I have been wondering as well. Using the middle line when there is a bollard or suchlike handy sounds pretty similar to what I do on the salty stuff but what if its just a bit of soggy bank that you want to moor up to for the night? Jumping off the boat with the string in your hand and no where to tie it to seems a potential recipe for seeing the boat drift off/getting pulled into the water trying to stop it. Is there a technique for banging in a bank stick one handed? Or do you aim for somewhere with a tree?

[luctor et emergo]

It is posible to stop the boat before stepping off the back

[larryjc]

It is posible to stop the boat before stepping off the back

 

Er yes but what if the wind is blowing it off or there is some current effecting it on a river?

[blackrose]

20+ ton narrow boats are easiest moored. by stePping of the back with the centre line. TEMPORARELY secure with centre line, then secure front and back. Untie centre line and coil away.

 

That's the way I do it but I try to bring my boat to a stop on the engine before stepping off. Being single-handed on a 32 tonne widebeam this is imperative. Leaning back on the centre line like I see some NB owners doing would just end up dragging me down the towpath. If the boat is moving forward slowly I have stepped off with a sternline and taken a turn around a bollard, but this usually brings the boat in parallel with a thud. I'd rather stop it on the engine if I can.

[blackrose]

it is bad positioning of the cratch / foredeck length on a modern narrow boat, essentially a pastiche of the real thing on which a line would be unlikely to foul the cratch until at about 30° to the bank.

 

But a fairlead is the solution, yes. I often see these on the cant on the bow of a boat.

 

In my opinion those who rely on centre lines for this, firstly are in danger of being in a position where they won't get a purchase and neither the weight of the boat nor the engine work in their favour and secondly, will be unprepared when, on moving water, a centre line is downright dangerous (talking narrow boats here before Mr Blackrose pokes his argumentative hat up).

 

The use of springs for manoeuvring is rare in canal boats, possibly because the wind is usually less of a factor.

 

Argumentative hat? Perhaps, but for some reason the words pot, kettle and black come to mind Mr Pink.

 

Anyway, for the single-handler on a narrowboat, it's a bit difficult to use a bow spring hence their reliance on a centre line.

Edited March 30, 2013 by blackrose

[DandV]

Another way which is very easy but not often used is to use a stern line.

its especially easy when single handing.

Bring stern alongside take a turn on the mooring bollard/dolly, engage forward gear at tick over and the bow will come in, you will need to engage neutral well before the bow is in otherwise you will slam into the bank/boat. There is a knack to it but it saves moving from the steering position.

It can also be used to get the bow out by using reverse instead of forward.

I first saw this being used by the Jasons Trip boats in London to get off their mooring at Little Venice.

 

This is the way commercial operators here lie alongside when dropping off/ picking up. Tried it on our hired narrowboat three years ago and got a fail because the dolly was too close to the boat centreline.

Where I also found using a spring useful was getting the boat into a berth just longer then the boat as the forward hand could ease the spring and finally check it accurately just clear of the boat in front allowing the stern to come alongside totally controlled into the gap.

 

Don

[JDR]

I am probably wrong but I thought the MCA took a dim view of commercial boats particularly passenger carrying boats mooring with the engine in gear using just a front spring. I

[JDR]

Unable to edit post:I think there was a MAIB investigation into a fatality involving a passenger boat mooring at Tower Pier which was attributed to the practice of mooring solely with a spring. Somebody with proper web access could confirm.

[DandV]

Unable to edit post:I think there was a MAIB investigation into a fatality involving a passenger boat mooring at Tower Pier which was attributed to the practice of mooring solely with a spring. Somebody with proper web access could confirm.

 

Noticed all the ferries in Venice just use a centre spring and keep in slow ahead.

 

Don

[DHutch]

Ditch the cratch... but yes, the center line can be useful for pulling the boat in under power also, all be it slower.

That said I find it fairly easy to pull in to the side without ropes all other things being equal. Point the bow in to the bank, just as its going to hit start moving the back end in with bow basically following the bank, then into reverse to stop it off, and then stop the prop with about three foot to go, and the back still swinging in quite nicely, and let the momentum do the last bit. Done.

 

Daniel

[Graham Davis]

I love the way DandV keeps using the term "the forward hand"

[Phil Ambrose]

I love the way DandV keeps using the term "the forward hand"

 

LOL if I used the term "forward hand" to my wife, she would use her "right hand" (or possibly her back hand)

[Grace and Favour]

.

LOL if I used the term "forward hand" to my wife, she would use her "right hand" (or possibly her back hand)

 

My wife has to use both hands . . . . .

 

Does this suggest she has small hands?