Really good presentation. Thank you. In a cross wind especially, and now most of the time, we use a slightly different technique. After deciding where to park one of us gets into the dinghy and goes ashore while the other circles and waits. A windward line is attached to the shore and then taken out away from the shore playing out the line as we go to a point a little further than where we want the boat to end up when we are finished (this can take as long as is needed to find the optimal location). It's attached to an anchor ball and a short line with a small weight and dropped to prevent it from wandering. We then return to the boat. We drop anchor, in the normal way, and back down to the anchor ball, pick it up with a boat hook and we are then secure immediately. More chain and take in the line as needed to finally position. We can then add the lee line in slow time as normal. This prevents the boat, in any sort of cross wind, being free to swing while the shore line is taken ashore and saves the potential issue of swinging into other boats while that happens. Removes a lot of stress and pressure on the shore crew to get attached quickly and possibly rushing into a non ideal connection. Downsides: You really need the dinghy as all the line is fed from the shore but as we normally use chain to attach to rocks we cant swim with that in any case. Ultra long shore lines can be a problem. We have a couple of lines of different lengths so we don't have a lot of unused line to deal with. Can take a little longer than the 'traditional' method but now we have done it, a lot, for us its just as quick but, in any sort of cross wind the benefit, for us, outweighs the small additional prep time.
Great idea to use a weight and float! We have used a portion of your approach where Tom will take the line and secure it in the dinghy then pay out the line as you describe while he motors toward the big boat. When I see he is almost prepared, I anchor and start backing down. He can either remain in the dinghy to cleat the line or pass it to me to secure while he climbs on the stern (remembering to secure the dinghy!) We will give your approach a try!
Your welcome. You'll find a technique that will work for you and it will get easier each time. It is a really helpful skill to have in your back pocket.
Nicely done video you two. The drone shots and "cartoon" boat was very smart. I gathered that common sense is king from this. The final section where you gathered anchor chain and kept the tail tied is pure but not all that common sense. The bag of line at the ready to be thrown over is something I'll have to add to my arsenal. Thanks
Glad you liked the video Mark. We can all learn alot from each other. We've found that having an easy to deploy solution for taking a line ashore is really valuable. Enjoy!
Excellent lessons! Drone shots and pointers helped a lot. Without the upside down view it wouldn't be this easy to show how far the other boats are and where the wind is coming from. Thanks.
@@AventusFilms so happy you found it helpful! We did lots of stern-to-shore moorings when we were in Croatia (and, of course, in Greece). Have a wonderful time!
Plan to follow in your wake in 3 years this was really great to get a better understanding of why to do a stern line and how. Had never thought about the process of releasing and how that is as important as the anchoring.
Thanks for an excellent episode, and clearly, you have worked a lot with editing to share your experience. I think you mentioned that one of the lines was polypropylene, i.e., they float, which is excellent to avoid getting into a prop or snag at the bottom rocks. One thing to be aware of is that the wide-angle on the stern rope puts an enormous force in case it starts to blow from the side, and the anchor may start dragging. In this crowded anchorage, an early leave in that situation is prudent - which you have prepared for. Cheers.
I know this harbour, was there myself got lines cross top right in the old harbour. Waited until somebody helped, held the yacht in position. This is very busy now !
3 would have been a nervous night. Also, I understood the great scope shortening off the line idea, but not how you subsequently "retrieved the line easily". Good vid. It made me subscribe. PS. Also, a pleasant and clear, well spoken voice.
Retrieval really depends on the conditions when you need to depart. You need to think about how/where your boat will be pushed by the wind/current and then pick the line to retrieve first based on that knowledge. If you need to drop your stern lines quickly and get your anchor up, you could always get to where your maneuverability is good then launch your dinghy to have one of you retrieve the stern line(s) you tossed off while the other circles safely away in the big boat. Hope this helps!
I was anchored almost exactly where Sea Rose was many years ago, and the charter boat next door left and started motoring away as soon as their anchor cleared the sea bed… of course they picked ours up too and some whacky races ensued…
Great video and very thorough! Could you explain why at 13:45 you have the stern lines crossed as opposed to the way you have it at 4:00? It's it because if one like breaks, you want the boat to rotate a certain direction?
Hello there. It's a minor benefit, but the boat will swing less when the shore lines go out from the stern at an angle rather than straight back to the shore attachment point. At 13:45 you can see that the two shore points are close to straight back from the starboard and port sides of the stern. By crossing the lines, you get a slightly greater angle to them, and therefore the boat is held a little more firmly in its existing position. At 4:00 on the other hand, the shore points are already at a wide angle from the stern, and no real benefit would come from crossing the lines for a bigger angle.
Very informative video. Good job! What is the length and width of your green slings that you use around rocks? What is the diameter of your yellow floating line?
really great introduction into anchoring in crowded Italian waters! But how can I manage as a single handed sailor? Have you got similar good ideas for me?
Going stern-to shore is certainly difficult when you are single-handing, but it isn't impossible. We have a windless control at our helm so I can drop the anchor while I am backing down and Tom is preparing to hop off with the stern line. Hopefully you have this capability. Pre-planning is your best bet ... get your longest stern line ready before you start any of the process. Identify the easiest place to take your first stern line to (even if you move it later ... key is getting one line secure to buy yourself more time). Once your stern line is tied off on a cleat and fed outside of everything so it is all ready to be pulled to shore, get your boat headed backwards toward shore, drop enough anchor chain and make sure the anchor stops the boat (you can let out more later). Keep it in reverse until you are ready to hop off to take the line ashore. Then, put engine in neutral and quickly take your stern line to the identified tie-off point before the wind and other conditions more your boat too far away from shore. You can swim, use a dinghy or a paddle board. My favorite approach is to swim but a good second is using a paddle board. Once you get one line and your anchor settled, you can add a second line with the knowledge that your boat is safe. Then, begin to tweak all of your lines/anchor rhode to get the boat placement just right. Another approach is to utilize a boat that is already secured. If you can speak with them by circling past and they are open to you backing down to tie off to them temporarily while you prepare your stern lines, this can work nicely. If they agree to it, get your fenders ready, drop your anchor and get it to set before you back all the way next to the other boat. With a set anchor, get one of your lines tied to the secure boat then a second/more if needed. Once your boat is settled and tied ok against the other boat, you can slow down and know that the boats are safe. Take one or two lines to shore and take out the slack once you are back on your boat. Once these lines are secure, ask the boat next to you to toss off your lines while you tighten up on your stern line(s). Make sense? We spent this past summer in Sweden and Finland where boaters frequently take their bow (yes, it is true) to the shore ... close enough so they can just step off their bow onto land! We didn't do much of that since we have an external bow thruster and didn't want to risk damage. Also, although we have a stern anchor, we have not rigged up a good way to drop and retrieve it and all of its associated chain from our stern. We typically drop our stern anchor from the dinghy after our primary anchor is already secured. If we were to spend more time in the Baltic, we would consider alterations!
I have anchored up, sometimes in a non ideal position, and then used the technique I described in my other post, when single handed. I have also asked the crew of the lead boat for a charter flotilla to help and they were very helpful, usually keen to show off to the other boats!
Great video and just fixed a couple of 80m webbing reals to my boat but not yet used. Quick question. You state the middle is 15m yet you drop the anchor almost to the other side of the inlet which I guess would be much shallower? Does this not potentially cause a hazard to other boats that are entering the bay especially if the wind increases and the anchor chain picks up from the sea bed? I guess you are relying on the chain weight to keep you in position which is fine when calm? Thanks.
Hi Mike. Yes the chain weight, unless you are in a severe storm, drops down quickly to the sea floor and makes it less likely a passing boat will snag it.
This is a skill I really want to learn, but first of all I would wet my pants being anchored this close to land and the rocks, and two I would have to make sure the anchor is properly set as well as setting the mooring lines. Phew! :/
It can be intimidating with your boat so close to the shore, but with a little practice you can perfect the process. It indeed does require you to also have your primary anchor set well and holding while you back down hard with the engine, like a normal anchoring process. Good luck!
If you watch this video and go to the 2:30 spot you will see the big heavy-duty straps we often loop around rocks. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gpcSp5oweVo.htmlsi=xQNPxfA3BNKlCG_R
Great VLOG as always, what size are your green straps? I am heading this way and have no experience in mooring stern to against rocks so I am looking into what ropes and equipment to buy. thanks again for a great episode
Hi Oscrachx. We have two that are 4m long. The longer the better, as sometimes the rocks ashore take more length than it seems when you are looking at them afar onboard. We found them readily available in hardware and marine stores throughout the Med.
Some small lengths of anchor chain may be another option? Have been using ours for 4 years and the galvanising is still in pretty good conditions, surprisingly.
