Harbour manoeuvres: Stress-free berthing with a two-person crew – new video from YACHT TV

Taking it out of the box

The video demonstrates a method by which the boat, when moored stern-to at the jetty, can be turned slowly and in a controlled manner out of the berth using the stern spring. The helmsman operates the spring line and stern line from the cockpit, whilst the second person has both hands free for the bow lines. With careful use of the engine and coordinated line handling, the crew manoeuvres the yacht round the bollard and out of the berth.

Place it in the box following the same principle

To return to the berth, the manoeuvre is prepared in reverse order. The bow and stern lines are passed over the windward bollard together. The yacht can then be aligned using the two lines and guided step by step into its berth. The stern line is particularly important here. Once the yacht is correctly positioned, it is secured. The crew then calmly cast off all the mooring lines.

The new Yacht TV video is now on YouTube

Yacht TV follows the process from preparing the mooring lines through to casting off and back to entering the harbour and mooring again. The interplay of the lines is particularly easy to follow in the video: you can see when to ease the lines, when to hold them taut, and when the yacht needs to be assisted by the engine. This is how an abstract triangle of forces becomes a concrete process, which the crew can practise together.

How do you organise tasks on board when entering or leaving a narrow berth in crosswinds?