Coming alongside using a bow spring

[Phil Ambrose]

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

 

Does this suggest she has small hands?

 

Giggle.

 

Phil

[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.

 

Two seperate incidents if anybody might be interested, the MS Star Clipper was a failure of a bollard on the deck of the ship which hit a passenger, the Hurlingham was the loss of a passenger during disembarkation.

 

http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/Hurlingham_Report.pdf

http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/Star%20Clipper.pdf

[NickF]

I frequently use a bow spring to come alongside, particularly useful if the spot you are trying to fit in is a bit tight. Your crew member can hold the bow spring with a few turns round a bollard and inch it out until your bow is just short of the boat in front. You then have absolute control of the stern and can bring it in very slowly if it turns out you can't fit in the space then you simply put the helm over the other way and you move away from the boat behind. All very controlled and no risk of touching the other boats even if you turn out to be too long for the gap.

[Peter & Maureen H]

Have started to use a single handed 'reverse parking' technique that involves stopping the boat with the bow pointing about 30° away from the bank about 1/2 to 3/4 of a boats length forward of where I want to be. Engage reverse bringing the stern into the bank, putting the tiller hard over towards the bank to keep the rudder from catching on any obstructions, then slide backwards along the bank to your final position, which brings the bow in as you go. A touch of forward to stop, then step off with centre and stern lines in hand. Touch up the paintwork on the stern. No bollards, rings, hooks or springs required. Seems to work pretty well even with shallow waters, moderate offshore wind, or getting into a tight mooring spot. Not so good if headed by wind or current. Once alongside I often use a centreline as a spring with the boat in forward trickleover and the tiller lashed over towards the bank as a temporary mooring on a lock landing or in a wide lock.

Edited September 11, 2013 by Peter & Maureen H

[NickF]

I almost always use a bow spring when trying to fit into a tight space. The crew on the spring can let it slip on the bollard until the bow is as far forward as possible and I have absolute control of the stern and can easily swing it out again of it turns out we are too long for the gap. very controlled and calm and no one has to worry about scratched paint work.

 

Edit (sorry I have just looked back on this post and realised i have posted the same comment twice..... I am not sure how to delete one!)

Edited September 12, 2013 by NickF

[Peter & Maureen H]

The crew on the spring can let it slip on the bollard

 

 

This assumes you have a, a crew, and b, a bollard. Nice work if you can get it ! ;-)

[Guest]

Arse end in first,step off with centre line, job done. Exceptions would be with a very strong following wind, step off with stern line, or a very strong head wind bow in first and grab bow line. If a strong wind is blowing from the side you wish to moor then good luck, or moor on the other side

[NickF]

The crew on the spring can let it slip on the bollard

 

 

This assumes you have a, a crew, and b, a bollard. Nice work if you can get it ! ;-)

Very true! I carry my own crew but the bollard bit can be trickier!

[DHutch]

Two seperate incidents if anybody might be interested, the MS Star Clipper was a failure of a bollard on the deck of the ship which hit a passenger, the Hurlingham was the loss of a passenger during disembarkation.

 

http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/Hurlingham_Report.pdf

http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/Star%20Clipper.pdf

Read the pair of them, very interesting, particularly the StarClipper report from an engineering and boat design view point.

 

Daniel

[NickF]

Read the pair of them, very interesting, particularly the StarClipper report from an engineering and boat design view point.

Daniel

Scary stuff Daniel! I shall think carefully about where I stand next time I am waiting for a Thames Clipper to come alongside!

Nick

[Neil2]

The standard practice for river and sea cruisers is to secure the boat from on deck, none of this stepping off with a centre line. This is how the RYA train, generally because most sea going boats don't have easy access off the cockpit, and also it's regarded as bad practice to leave the boat until secured. Also on a lot of GRP boats/yachts the centre cleat is often a weaker fitting, not designed to take the weight of the boat on its own.

 

With a NB you may not have the luxury of a bollard or cleat to lasso, a lot of the time you have to get off to create your own mooring pins but on the canal once you have stopped the boat she isn't generally going anywhere fast unless it's really windy and you can easily whack in a spike whilst holding the boat steady on the centre line.

[Guest]

The standard practice for river and sea cruisers is to secure the boat from on deck, none of this stepping off with a centre line. This is how the RYA train, generally because most sea going boats don't have easy access off the cockpit, and also it's regarded as bad practice to leave the boat until secured. Also on a lot of GRP boats/yachts the centre cleat is often a weaker fitting, not designed to take the weight of the boat on its own.

 

With a NB you may not have the luxury of a bollard or cleat to lasso, a lot of the time you have to get off to create your own mooring pins but on the canal once you have stopped the boat she isn't generally going anywhere fast unless it's really windy and you can easily whack in a spike whilst holding the boat steady on the centre line.

I find in many places that you can just run the NB aground and climb off using a plank.