Ian_Edwards
regular
Reged: 09/02/2002
Posts: 54
Loc: Aberdeen Scotland
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Hi,
We have new “bigger” boat this year and we’re still getting use to manoeuvring her alongside marina berths, not too much of a problem. But she has much more freeboard than our last boat. It’s no longer possible to “step off” onto the pontoon; it’s definitely a “jump down”! This presents a problem getting the initial mooring lines on, usually a mid ship line to a cleat, to stabilise the situation. We’re both in our mid 60’s and reasonable fit, but after both skidding across pontoons already this year after jumping, there an understandable reluctance to leap.
Does anyone know a “big hook” which will connect to a typical galvanised cleat on a pontoon and take the load of a 40’ yacht until we can get the normal mooring lines on? We have one of these Moorfast systems which will thread a line through an eye on mooring buoy (which works well), but it’s not big enough for a cleat. I’ve looked at the BOSCO 1000, but that doesn’t seem to be big enough for typical pontoon cleat either.
Anyone out there with any experience of a system which works?
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Cheers
Ian
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Aeolus
regular
Reged: 03/08/2004
Posts: 189
Loc: Sussex
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Saw this on ebay yesterday - no idea of it works or is strong enough but the pics show it supposedly hooking onto a pontoon cleat.
mooring hook
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Jonathan / Aeolus
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MoodyNick
regular
Reged: 29/04/2003
Posts: 6518
Loc: Lymington
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we have the same problem, with SWMBO having little legs !
one of my boat rules is - no jumping off. One risk is slipping as you say, another is twisted ankles and thirdly the worst case scenario is landing in the drink between boat and pontoon, which could be fatal
we have a number of options, eg
- a 'hook on the side' ladder, so she can climb down
- a temporary spring with a large bowline in the end, which we can drop over a cleat on the end of the pontoon, then motor against it to hold the baot in while we make fast the other lines.
- longer term plan is to have SWMBO at the helm (which needs a box so she can see over the hood), and me doing all the climbing off and rope work.
Good luck!
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aka BigNick, in the past.
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Andrew_Knight
regular
Reged: 31/07/2005
Posts: 325
Loc: London
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I have a Bosco boat hook with wire loop which seems pretty effective - note that the wire loop is not included in the box but is an optional extra (from the same supplier).
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http://yachtarabella.blogspot.com
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boatmike
regular
Reged: 30/06/2002
Posts: 4489
Loc: Solent
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There are systems that work but unfortunately won't cater for the variety of cleats, bitts bollards and posts that you will find. One alternative for a high bow is to have a temporary ladder or platform that can be lowered over the side. Another solution that I often adopt is to reverse in and have crew go ashore from the stern with bow rope in hand. I invariably do this with my cat when single handed.
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Robin
regular
Reged: 30/05/2001
Posts: 5441
Loc: Poole UK
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There is a wide mouthed grab hook that fits onto a normal boathook in Force 4's catalogue, I think about £35. This is similar to the ones that have been around for years for picking up buoys/rings but is big enough to hook onto the end 'D' rings on French pontoons. We bought a pair of them in France (for not much over the price of one from Force 4) and find them very useful over there, where there are no cleats on the fingers, although we use them as quick clip ons having stepped ashore because our topsides are not that high. We also use them for grabbing buoy rings from the boathook so they would work like that in your berth probably. Note that these cannot be remotely released like the Bosco thingy.
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 Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!
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cliff
regular
Reged: 15/04/2004
Posts: 5826
Loc: various
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Use a wire loop <-click here with a Bosco for catching cleats and even bollards. You can even make a selection of different length loops.
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 Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity
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Skysail
regular
Reged: 21/01/2002
Posts: 1281
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Ian,
We have exactly the same situation; we have two methods that work:
1) practice lassoing a pontoon cleat with a midships line, just like many mobos.
2) Fit a fender step at the shrouds, this makes stepping off a doddle, SWMBO has a slightly dodgy hip and finds it perfectly OK. The fender has webbing loops and hooks to give a strong attachment to the gunwhale at a fixed height.
On a good day we reverse in and step off the transom to the pontoon which is even easier.
Along the pontoon from us is a mobo with a blind crew, he picks up a fixed stern warp from a 4 ft vertical pole on the pontoon, that works too.
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Navigation Skills Guides
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Danny
regular
Reged: 23/10/2003
Posts: 666
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We're about the same vintage and have often used a low tech solution: one person stands amidships holding a line that has one end connected to a centre cleat (or stanchion base or toerail). The line goes out under the guard rails and up to the deck hand, who holds the rest of the line. At a suitable moment the deck hand flicks a loop of line around the pontoon cleat and pulls the free end to hold the boat against the pontoon. The deck hand then waits patiently while the skipper faffs around switching everything off and getting other lines ashore, etc.
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Danny
TidePlan English Channel tidal passage planning software
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Skysail
regular
Reged: 21/01/2002
Posts: 1281
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The step or 'hook on' ladder at the shrouds can be the only way to cope with short bouncy French pontoons, though I gather Cherbourg is fitting cleats to replace those ***** horizontal hoops. Even then the pontoons might be too short to get a spring on?
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