Mooring opposite a winding hole

[DeanS]

So I had to wind the widebeam...in a bit of a gale force wind. Got to the winding hole and there was a boat moored directly opposite it. I had to pass the winding hole and moor up...and do some thinking...which involved deciding to go knock on the "persons" boat and ask if he could move, because:

 

a.) He had a plastic boat and I had a steel boat that would crush his.

b.) There was a bad wind and I didnt want to crush his boat.

c.) There was no winding hole anywhere nearby (I GOOGLED IT BEFORE KNOCKING ON HIS BOAT)

d.) I was considerate (unlike him)

e.) he shouldnt have been there anyway.

 

So eventually he moves further down, but now I have the challenge of reversing my boat...with a crosswind, which would definately cause my bow to swing over and bash the boat moored to one side of the winding hole. The only thing for it was for me to TRY and push/drive my bow over to the opposite bank (wild stinging nettles galore), with the teen at the helm..and me hanging onto the bow line....jump off..and keep my bow pulled safely...and then get the Teen to reverse my boat....to the point that I can pull my bow into the winding hole...and jump on, grab a boat pole, and push it round. All unneccesary if only SOMEONE had moored their boat a little further from the winding hole. Here's a PIC below.

 

Rant over

 

Edited May 27, 2013 by DeanS

[Guest]

I can't see it, have you crushed and sunk it...?

[RLWP]

There are other ways of exploiting the wind. For instance, if you go beyond the hole, then back the stern into it, you can let the wind push the bow around. Quicker if you get your crew to pull it around with a line though

 

Richard

[DeanS]

I can't see it, have you crushed and sunk it...?

 

Yes.

[BlueStringPudding]

I like your diagram, Dean

[DeanS]

There are other ways of exploiting the wind. For instance, if you go beyond the hole, then back the stern into it, you can let the wind push the bow around. Quicker if you get your crew to pull it around with a line though

 

Richard

 

2 things.

 

I couldnt back the stern into it without my bow being blown across and smacking another boat moored just past the winding point.

Also, that winding hole has lots of silt in it, and I didnt want my prop dealing with that...better the gradient of the bow.

 

I love letting the wind do the work, but alas in this instance, the wind was my enemy on all fronts.

 

I like your diagram, Dean

Thank you.

By the time I completed it I felt much better.

[little duck!]

we are in the last avialable space before a very big winding hole and i'm, paranoid even though we are on the rings provided and well moored. I hate when people moor in winding holes, there is one very near our home mooring and we often see it.

[DeanS]

ps....I have nothing against non steel boats....it's just that...if the wind pushed me into one of those, they would sink. immediately.

[Ray]

Can you not push the back out from the bank, go astern briefly to get the boat moving and then with someone on the bow rope and someone else on the stern rope gently pull the boat back clear of the winding hole?

 

Repeat the pushing the stern away from bank as often as is necessary. Once the boat is moving it shouldn't require too much effort to maintain some kind of movement.

 

Another idea would be to knock on the GRP boat agin, ask them to turn around, breast up to you and "tow" you back clear of the widing hole. What they do after that is their problem!

[benfordboy]

ps....I have nothing against non steel boats....it's just that...if the wind pushed me into one of those, they would sink. immediately.

 

We are tougher than you think !! - & You would probably squeeze first causing a good creak ! - Due to hull profile it would be harder than you think to sink one immediately !

 

But ..... Bit inconsiderate to moor there whatever the hull construction is ! Was the boat occupied ? If not even sillier !

[DeanS]

We are tougher than you think !! - & You would probably squeeze first causing a good creak ! - Due to hull profile it would be harder than you think to sink one immediately !

 

But ..... Bit inconsiderate to moor there whatever the hull construction is ! Was the boat occupied ? If not even sillier !

 

Yup...in their pajamas. When I said...."I need to turn my boat and you're moored up opposite the only turning point...and I'm worried I'll damage your boat"...it seemed to take a while to sink in. Actually I dont think he actually realised his error, even after moving. I didnt get a sorry....which is normally what one would offer if you realised you were being silly.

[MtB]

I'd have just gone ahead and attempted to wind. Then, if my stern couldn't get past him, I'd have knocked on his/her boat from my stern. No reply = fine to move it out of the way. Reply = ask him to move out of the way.

 

Mountains and molehills spring to mind

 

MtB

[DeanS]

Can you not push the back out from the bank, go astern briefly to get the boat moving and then with someone on the bow rope and someone else on the stern rope gently pull the boat back clear of the winding hole?

 

Easy when there's no wind. Impossible with a cross wind as "gently pulling it back" was impossible without it smacking one of the other moored boats.

If the guy hadnt moored where he had, I would have come along, tucked the nose into the winding hole, hit a burst of power, and let the wind blow it round.......which would have been a great manouvre, BUT.......

[Paul C]

Whereabouts are you at the moment?

[DeanS]

Whereabouts are you at the moment?

 

On the Bridgewater... ;-) Was heading off to Runcorn, when LongSufferingWife remembered out of the blue that she has a dentist appointment on Friday, so I had to turn around and head back to Manchester....which is when I encountered MR HELPFUL.

[Timleech]

How long is your boat?

How wide was the unhelpful boat?

 

Tim

[Paul C]

oh well, was kinda hoping you'd be on the Runcorn bit.

 

Scratching my head why you drove past the winding hole. You're committed to reversing, or going to the next one now. By the way, its much less windy tomorrow than it was today.

[DeanS]

How long is your boat?

How wide was the unhelpful boat?

 

Tim

 

My boats 57ft . It only JUST fits in that space.

The unhelpful boat was about 8ft wide.

 

The way I saw it, is with my bow in that space, no boat should moor within the swing radius of a turning boat, especially in a wind where things can and do sometimes go wrong (unless you have bow thruster).

 

Moral of the story is....there is hundreds of feet of empty towpath in either direction of this winding hole....so why make it difficult for other boaters when there's no need.

 

The only reason I posted it, was to warn others to THINK a little

[Timleech]

I entirely agree about not mooring opposite winding holes, but is seems to me you could probably have turned there anyway. Tricky in the wind, granted.

 

Tim

[DeanS]

oh well, was kinda hoping you'd be on the Runcorn bit.

 

Scratching my head why you drove past the winding hole. You're committed to reversing, or going to the next one now. By the way, its much less windy tomorrow than it was today.

 

The winding hole wasnt clearly visible, but I had turned in it before and knew it was coming up....then when I saw it, I realised I couldnt stick my bow in it without removing the fibreglass boat from existance, and as there was another boat moored after the winding hole, I had to keep going...and moor up after them. I then made myself a cuppa , looked on Google to see if there was an alternative winding spot a little further on, but there wasnt...so had no choice but to go knock on there window and say....MOVE. (in the nicest possible way)

 

I entirely agree about not mooring opposite winding holes, but is seems to me you could probably have turned there anyway. Tricky in the wind, granted.

 

Tim

 

You're (ETA - most likely) wrong.

Edited May 27, 2013 by DeanS

[RLWP]

Did anyone get any pictures of Tawny turning at Longwood this morning? 70', turning between three moored boats

 

Richard

[MtB]

Yes Tawny may be 70ft wide but she's only 6ft 10in long.

 

MtB

[RLWP]

So you saw us ploughing across the cut at Holliday Wharf on Friday then

 

Richard

[Richard10002]

There are other ways of exploiting the wind. For instance, if you go beyond the hole, then back the stern into it, you can let the wind push the bow around. Quicker if you get your crew to pull it around with a line though

 

Richard

A couple of club members were discussing the difficulty of winding in the wind. When I suggested popping the stern in the hole, and letting the wind spin her round, they were both clearly aghast at the danger of catching the rudder/prop etc. in the crap that builds up in a winding hole - never enter a winding hole stern first was their fairly assertive advice.

 

Being only 45ft long on The Bridgewater, my stern only need go a few feet into a winding hole to carry out my manoeuvre.... Whereas those who are much longer might have the suggested difficulty.

 

On the subject of mooring opposite winding holes, I was turning in the one in Little Bolington, near "The Swan With Two Nicks", on Saturday evening, (to head back to Stretford), and there was a boat moored just about beyond it. Whilst it caused me no trouble, I wondered if it might impede a longer boat.

 

Dean: which winding hole was it?

[DeanS]

 

 

Dean: which winding hole was it?

 

It was the one just after the Moore canalside store.

Yep, I suspect why he the boater didnt realise he was causing a problem, is that his own boat was short..so he probably never imagined what's it's like winding a 57ft widebeam in a gale. (actually I've learned to use the wind quite well now...able to pivot the boat on it's central point). Unfortunately, he was directly within the swing radius.....there was no way a long boat could wind without wacking him..... a shorted boat could have easily done it.

 

Also worth remembering.....someone might be great at winding in the tightest spots, but in a gale, it doesnt take much for something unexpected to happen, and having to worry about your bow getting caught by the wind and swung hard into someones boat...is best avoided....(by boaters not mooring in a winding hole in the first place).