Home / Seamanship / Mooring and anchoring
A boat lies as well as its lines lie
Most of the time a boat lies alongside on its lines. That is also when a large share of the damage happens, and almost always where something was not done well: a line too short, a spring left off, a fender at the wrong height.
Making fast on a cleat
First a full round turn around the base, then two or three figure eights, and a locking hitch to finish. The order is what matters: the round turn takes the load, the figure eights only hold it in place.
Slipping a line
Take the line twice around the bollard or ring and keep both ends on board. You can then let go without stepping ashore and without leaving anyone behind on the pontoon.
The mooring system
Bow line, stern line, forward spring, aft spring, and a breast line if needed. The two springs stop the boat surging in its berth, and they are the ones most often left off.
Coiling and clearing
A coiled line runs, a line left in a heap knots itself exactly when there is no time. Throw a heaving line so the coil opens in your hand instead of catching around your foot.
Fenders
Set them to the height of the pontoon or the neighbouring hull, not on a guess. Make them fast to the guardrail or handrail, never to the netting, which was not built for it.
Anchoring
Scope of four to seven times the depth, depending on weather and bottom. Anchor ball by day, anchor light by night. And take a bearing on two fixed marks ashore: you see dragging on the bearing long before you feel it.
How to moor a boat: which line goes on first
When you come alongside, the number of lines at the end matters less than which one is made fast first. That first line has to hold the boat while everything else is still lying on deck. Into the wind it is usually the bow line, with the wind astern the stern line. If the wind is blowing you off the pontoon, a midships spring is often the best start: led from the midships cleat aft to the shore and motored into gently, it pulls the boat in parallel and gives the crew time.
Brief the crew before you enter the marina. Decide which side you will berth on and who handles which line. The lines are then already made fast on board, led outside the guardrail and shrouds, and ready to hand over. Nobody leaps for the pontoon with a line in hand. Step off when the boat has stopped and the gap is a calm stride, not a jump.
- Choose the berthing side and rig lines and fenders before the harbour entrance.
- Get the windward line or the midships spring ashore and made fast first.
- Motor gently against that line until the boat lies quietly.
- Run the opposite end line, then both springs.
- Stop the engine only when every line is made fast and taken up.
- Check the lines again after ten minutes, once the boat has settled.
Mooring alongside a pontoon, a finger berth or between piles
Lying alongside a long pontoon is the easy case: bow and stern lines angled out ahead and astern, plus two springs. Short finger pontoons are harder. They often stop around the middle of the boat, so the bow line goes to the main walkway and the stern line to the end of the finger. Before you commit, check that the finger actually has a cleat at a usable height.
Between piles, the stern lines are dropped over the posts as the boat slides in, and the bow lines go to the pontoon. Leave the stern lines long enough that the bow cannot touch. In much of the Mediterranean you lie stern to the quay and pick up a lazy line that runs to a ground weight. Lead it forward and haul it really tight, otherwise the bow swings and leans on the neighbour.
Spring lines: what they do and how long they need to be
A spring runs along the side of the boat to the shore. The one from the bow leading aft stops the boat moving forward, the one from the stern leading forward stops it moving back. Bow and stern lines are poor at this because they lie almost across the boat. Without springs the boat surges back and forth in any swell, and the fenders roll out of place.
Springs need length. The flatter they lie against the hull, the better they hold and the less they suffer when the water rises or falls. As a rule of thumb, give the springs the longest warps on board. They are also your friend when leaving: motor ahead against the bow spring and the bow tucks in while the stern swings out, or go astern against the stern spring for the opposite. Put a large fender at whichever point is pressed against the pontoon.
How to hang fenders: height, spacing and the right hitch
A fender only works where hull and pontoon actually meet. Set the final height once you know how high the pontoon is, and look again after the boat has settled. On a floating pontoon the height barely changes; against a fixed quay with a tide it changes a great deal. Spread the fenders over the widest part of the hull and add one where the spring pushes the boat in.
Tie on with a clove hitch backed up by a half hitch, or with a round turn and two half hitches. A clove hitch on its own can work loose under constant snatching. Against piles or a sheet pile wall, round fenders roll away sideways. A fender board hung outside two fenders spreads the load and stays put.
At sea the fenders belong on deck or in a locker. Bring them out before the harbour entrance, on both sides if you are not yet sure where you will lie. Keep a roving fender within reach of the helm for the spot nobody saw coming.
Extra lines for the night and for a blow
Lines that look fine on a calm afternoon may not hold at night. When a strong wind is forecast, add lines rather than simply hauling the existing ones tighter. A bar tight line passes every jerk straight into the cleat. Rubber snubbers or springs absorb those peaks, and nylon warps stretch a little on their own.
Watch every point where a line crosses an edge. It rubs there with every movement, and chafe happens out of sight over hours. A length of hose or a fabric chafe guard prevents it. Before you leave the boat, walk round once: lines, fenders, chafe guards, and a glance at whether a neighbour has laid their lines on top of yours.
Frequently asked questions
How many lines does a boat need alongside?
At least four: bow line, stern line and two springs. In strong wind or swell add more, ideally on separate cleats.
Which line goes ashore first when berthing?
The one that holds the boat against wind and tide. With an offshore wind a midships spring is often best, because a little forward thrust pulls the boat in parallel.
How long should spring lines be?
Long enough to run flat along the hull to the pontoon. A short, steep spring holds poorly and snatches at the cleat as the water level changes.
At what height should fenders hang?
Where the pontoon or the neighbouring hull would touch yours. Check after berthing and adjust through the day in tidal water.
Which knot is best for fenders?
A clove hitch finished with a half hitch, or a round turn and two half hitches. Both let you change the height quickly.
What if the wind keeps pushing me off the pontoon?
Approach slowly, get a midships spring ashore first and motor gently into it. If that fails, go round again rather than asking anyone to jump.
What this has to do with insurance
In tidal waters you do not set line length for the water you can see, but for the lowest point of the night. A line that comes up hard at low water levers the cleat or the bollard, and the damage then sits in the deck, not in the line. If you leave the boat unattended for weeks, also read your own contract: many policy wordings attach explicit duties to how a boat is berthed and secured.
