Single handed mooring pickup

[Aldebaran_III]

I've been doing a lot of single handing recently for various reasons.
Under sail in light winds I can pick up a mooring most of the time, in my tiller steered o/b powered Horizon Cat. In stronger winds the success rate goes right down, with the bow often blowing off before I can get to the pointy end.
In even stronger winds I chicken out, drop the sail and use the outboard. But even then, especially when it's gusty, my success rate is less than perfect.
An idea occurred when I thought of my old Tayana 37 with its long keel and cut away forefoot. The stern had a real grip on the water but the bows would blow off easily. In astern the only direction you could be sure of going was dead into the wind.

So, I have a line from the bow mooring bits, outside the shroud, just long enough to reach the back of the cockpit. It has one of those spring hooks on the end. I approach the mooring from abeam  or upwind. At the mooring I turn dead downwind and engage reverse on the outboard. It's then really easy to steer astern, slowly up to the buoy. Even in strong wind everything is under perfect control. When its right by the quarter, engine to neutral, simply lean over and snap on the hook. Then engine tiller hard over and a quick burst of forward power to drive the stern away from the bouy. Engine back to neutral, and the boat neatly rounds to the wind. Job done! Shorten in the mooring pennant at leisure if you want.
Success every time (so far!).
Cheers,
Derek

[capt_nemo]

Once again, it has been proven correct - "Necessity is the mother of invention."

Seriously, as an intrepid DIY'er and boat problem solver, I applaud your imaginative solution to problematic mooring pick-ups.

capt_nemo
former Sun Cat Owner

[Gerry]

I too single hand on a mooring.  Like you I have a line from the eye bolt on the bow to the cockpit.  I learned to approach from directly down wind, under power, lean over to pick up the painter on the mooring ball and attach it.  Seems to work well.