Getting a feel for it
As a solo or short-handed sailor we have to find ways to make the difficult bits a bit easier. Mooring up in a marina is quite possibly one of the trickiest things to do solo or with limited crew. And I’m sure we’ve all heard horror stories of people being so immersed in their lines and fenders that they accidentally forget to look out for obstacles such as navigation buoys.
I made life simpler and easier by having a strict location system in place. Each fender, each mooring line has its own specific place to be deployed.
When prepping the boat for mooring, the fenders go out first. These have different lines and without looking at the fender, simply by feeling the line I know exactly which one I am holding. This means I can keep an eye on everything going on around the boat, especially if I am on my own and the autopilot is on helm.
The lines go out next. The bow and stern have simple three-strand but importantly the working centre line is braided. The important part here is different texture not the type or colour of rope.
As I lead lines aft, the bow line is usually carefully positioned on the rail and is left to be collected near the shrouds but the aft and centre lead to the cockpit. They are carefully led so no line is crossed.
Pulling alongside, I can pick up both aft and centre lines in my hand and without needing to look to check which is which, I can lasso the cleat with the centre line and/or step off with the stern line and the job, as they say, is a good ’un.