Advanced Berthing and Boat Handling

Prerequisites

• RYA Day Skipper practical competence: coming alongside and leaving a pontoon in benign conditions, picking up a mooring, basic line handling and knots (bowline, round turn and two half hitches, cleat hitch).
• Coastal Skipper course entry experience: 15 days, 2 days as skipper, 300 miles, 8 night hours.
• On the Coastal Skipper practical course and the Yachtmaster Coastal exam you are expected to berth and unberth confidently in a range of conditions, including crosswinds and tidal streams, choosing and briefing a plan, and using prop walk, springs and the elements to your advantage.

Learning Objectives

This lesson covers the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal / Coastal Skipper practical syllabus items on boat handling under power in confined spaces (close-quarters manoeuvring, berthing and unberthing, rafting, Mediterranean mooring) and the related Day Skipper items on coming alongside and leaving a berth. By the end you will be able to:

• Explain prop walk, the pivot point, windage and tidal effects, and predict how your boat will behave under power (RYA syllabus: effects of wind, tide and propeller on boat handling).
• Turn a yacht in a confined space using prop walk and short bursts of power (RYA syllabus: turning in a confined space).
• Plan and brief an approach to an alongside berth in wind and tide, and secure the boat with springs, breast lines, bow and stern lines in a sensible order (RYA syllabus: berthing alongside; passing and handling lines).
• Use springs to leave a berth when wind or tide pins you on (RYA syllabus: leaving a berth; use of springs).
• Berth stern-to (Mediterranean mooring) using lazy lines or your own anchor, and raft up correctly (RYA syllabus: Mediterranean mooring; rafting).
• Manage a tidal berth, single-handed handling and a loss of engine power during a manoeuvre (RYA syllabus: emergency procedures in close quarters).
• Recognise and avoid the common causes of berthing incidents, and brief and lead the crew through a manoeuvre (RYA syllabus: crew briefing and leadership).

Why Berthing Matters

More insurance claims arise from low-speed contact in marinas than from any other cause. Berthing is also the part of the exam where the examiner can see most of your skill in one go: your planning, your briefing of the crew, your understanding of wind and tide, and your calm. The aim is to make it look dull: a slow, well-briefed approach with a fallback plan, with no shouting.

The Forces Acting on a Yacht at Low Speed

At marina speeds (0 to 3 knots), the rudder has little water flowing over it and the boat responds slowly. Three outside forces matter: wind, tidal stream, and the propeller's sideways kick. A good skipper predicts all three before starting.

Prop walk (transverse thrust)

A turning propeller pushes the stern sideways as well as driving the boat forward or back. The effect is small going ahead (because the rudder, in the prop wash, overpowers it) but large going astern, especially from rest.

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A right-handed propeller turns clockwise viewed from astern when going ahead. When going astern, it kicks the stern to port. A left-handed propeller does the opposite. Most yachts with a shaft drive have strong prop walk; saildrives usually have less.

Test it: in open water, stop the boat, put the helm amidships, and engage astern at moderate revs. Watch which way the stern goes. Note how long until the boat starts to go straight astern, and how much speed you need before the rudder overcomes it. This knowledge is the foundation of everything that follows.

Uses and consequences:

• With a right-hand prop, coming alongside port side to is easier: a burst astern to stop also pulls the stern in towards the pontoon.
• Starboard side to, the astern burst kicks the stern away from the pontoon, so approach at a shallower angle and get a stern line or midships line on early.
• Prop walk helps you turn to starboard in a tight space (see below).
• Going astern from rest, the boat will not steer straight until it has steerage way; start with the stern already angled to counter the walk, or use a short burst of astern then neutral.

The pivot point

A boat moving ahead turns around a point roughly a third of its length from the bow; going astern, the pivot point moves aft, roughly a third from the stern.

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When you turn while going ahead, the stern swings out much more than the bow. That matters when leaving a berth (the stern will hit the pontoon or neighbouring boat if you turn too early) and when passing close to moored boats. Going astern, the bow swings widely, which is why the bow can catch the wind and blow off in a reverse manoeuvre.

Windage

The bow of a yacht has little underwater area forward (the keel is near the middle) but plenty of topsides and pulpit above water. At low speed, the bow blows off downwind faster than the stern. Left to itself, a yacht stopped in the wind settles with the wind somewhere around the beam or slightly aft of it, and the bow keeps falling away.

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Consequences:

• Keep the speed up enough to steer when the bow is crossing the wind; slowing too early lets it blow off.
• Going astern into the wind, the stern tends to seek the wind and the boat can be quite controllable; going astern with the wind on the bow, the bow will blow off and the boat will turn.
• Get the bow line or a midships line on promptly when berthing with an offshore wind.

Tidal stream

The stream acts on the whole hull, keel and rudder. In a river berth, 1 knot of stream is equal to a lot of wind. Observe it before you approach: look at moored boats (the direction their bows point), the water swirling past piles, lobster pot buoys and how other boats are lying. Use it to your advantage: approach a berth into the stronger of wind or stream, as that gives you steerage while moving slowly over the ground.

Other propeller and drive configurations

• Left-hand propeller: everything about prop walk reverses: the stern walks to starboard astern, and starboard side to is easier.
• Saildrive: typically a smaller transverse effect and a different rudder wash. Test it.
• Folding and feathering propellers: often give less bite when starting astern; allow a longer burst.
• Twin engines: can be used to turn the boat on the spot by putting one engine ahead and the other astern, and to counter prop walk. Use both engines and the rudders together.
• Bow thruster: a useful aid but not a substitute for technique. It is weak in strong wind, runs out of battery or overheats if used continuously, and can fail. Practise without it.
• Pod or sterndrives: steer by the thrust angle, which responds quickly to the helm even at low speed; learn the manufacturer's limits.

Steerage way and momentum

A yacht has a minimum speed through the water below which the rudder stops working, usually 1.5 to 2 knots. A short burst of ahead power with the rudder hard over directs prop wash onto the rudder and can turn the stern without much forward motion; this "kick ahead" is your main tool at very low speed. Heavy displacement yachts carry way for a long time and astern power is less effective than ahead, so plan to arrive slowly.

Turning in a Confined Space

Every yacht has a turning circle under power. The tactical diameter is typically 3 to 5 boat lengths at normal speed; using prop walk and alternating bursts you can turn in much less, often about one and a half lengths.

With a right-hand prop, turn to starboard, because prop walk astern pushes the stern to port, helping the turn:

1. Moving slowly ahead, put the helm hard to starboard and give a short burst ahead. The prop wash on the rudder kicks the stern to port and the bow to starboard.
2. Before the boat gathers much forward way, go to neutral, then astern with a firm burst. Leave the helm hard over (or centred: with little sternway the rudder has almost no effect). Prop walk continues to swing the stern to port and stops the forward motion.
3. Neutral, then ahead again with helm hard to starboard.
4. Repeat until round. Each cycle turns the boat 30 to 60 degrees with little movement over the ground.

If you try to turn to port with a right-hand prop, the astern bursts undo the turn. In a strong wind, start the turn so that the wind helps blow the bow round (turn the bow downwind), or let the bow blow off while going astern.

Lines, Fenders and Line Handling

Fenders

Fenders should hang at the widest part of the boat, just above the waterline (they should touch the pontoon, not the water), tied to the guardrails with a round turn and two half hitches or a clove hitch that can be adjusted, not to the stanchions that may bend. Use at least three or four per side for a 10 m yacht, plus a roving fender that can be placed wherever the boat meets a piling or a projection. Fender boards help against rough quays.

Handling lines

• Lines should be at least the length of the boat, and at least a spring and two breast lines should be rigged before arrival.
• Lead them outside the shrouds and guardrails, through fairleads, and back aboard to a cleat, so they can be passed ashore without tangling. Coil them neatly with the end made fast (so nothing is lost overboard).
• Hand the line ashore: do not throw it unless necessary. If you must throw, throw it at the person's feet or into their arms and keep a coil in the other hand.
• Make fast with a cleat hitch (one round turn and a few figure-of-eights, finishing with a locking hitch). Never wrap a line around your hand or foot.
• Leave plenty of spare line on the cleat for adjustment.
• Check chafe points on rails, fairleads and bollards. Use rubber snubbers or old hose.

Always rig and check the lines before starting the manoeuvre: you cannot do it as the boat moves.

Lines and Springs

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Naming conventions vary between schools; describe a spring by what it prevents and where it leads ("a line from the bow cleat leading aft") to avoid confusion when briefing.

Springs in a tidal berth

Alongside a wall or pontoon in a tidal harbour, the boat rises and falls with the tide. Springs and breast lines must be long enough to allow for this: a rough guide is a line length at least 3 to 4 times the tidal range (a fixed wall with 4 m range needs lines of at least 12 to 16 m), led at an angle, or the boat will hang from its lines on the falling tide or be pulled hard against the wall on the rising tide. Check the lines at HW and LW, particularly after the first hour, and adjust. Against a wall, a drying berth or a ladder, give the fenders a vertical board, and place a spring so that the boat cannot move fore and aft.

Pontoons that float up and down on piles do not need this extra length, but check that the piles are tall enough for the largest tide and that the pontoon cleats are secure.

Coming Alongside: Planning and Briefing

Before every berthing:

1. Assess wind direction and strength, stream, space, depth, the side you will berth on, and where the cleats are.
2. Decide the approach: which direction, what angle, what speed, which line goes first, and the escape route if it goes wrong.
3. Prepare: fenders at the right height on the correct side (and a roving fender), lines led outside the guardrails and back aboard through fairleads, coiled ready to step off with.
4. Brief the crew clearly: "We will come in port side to, heading into the wind. Jenny, take the midships line, step off when I say, not before, and take a turn on the cleat by the gangway. Tom, bow line. Nobody jumps; step off when we are alongside."
5. Execute slowly; speed is only as much as you need to steer.
6. Abort early if the approach is wrong: go round again.

The approach

Approach at about 20 to 30 degrees to the pontoon, into the stronger of wind or stream. At about a length off, start turning parallel, use a short astern burst to stop (port side to with a right-hand prop, this pulls the stern in), and have the crew step off with the midships or stern line.

The usual securing sequence is: a line to stop the boat (often a midships line or aft spring), then the springs to control fore and aft movement, then breast lines if required, then bow and stern lines, then adjust all lines and fenders.

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Wind blowing off the pontoon

The bow will blow off as soon as you slow. Approach at a steeper angle (up to 45 degrees), get the bow close, and get a line on quickly. A good technique: take the midships line ashore, cleat it short, then motor gently ahead with the helm turned away from the pontoon. The boat lies alongside held by the line, and the crew can then secure the bow and stern lines without rushing.

Wind blowing onto the pontoon

The danger is coming in too hard. Stop the boat parallel to the berth, about a beam's width off, and let the wind blow her gently sideways onto the fenders. Use plenty of fenders, set at the widest part of the boat.

Tidal stream along the pontoon

Always berth heading into the stream. If the berth is the "wrong" way round, turn the boat in open water first. Use the stream to ferry glide (below).

Ferry gliding

Heading into a stream with just enough power to stem it, a small change of heading lets the stream push the boat sideways while it stays in place relative to the shore. This lets you slide neatly into a gap between boats on a river pontoon. Turn the bow a few degrees towards the berth; adjust power to stay level with the gap; straighten up as you touch.

Single-handed or short-handed berthing

Many yachts are handled by two people, and at the Yachtmaster exam you may be asked to berth with a crew member who has little experience. Pre-rig a midships line from the midships cleat, leading outside the guardrails to the pontoon side, with the outboard end ready to loop over a cleat or piling as you reach it. Approach slowly, stop alongside, step off with the midships line (stay aboard until the boat is alongside), and take a turn on a cleat at the first opportunity. A boathook can drop a loop over a cleat from the cockpit. Having the line led to the cockpit means the helmsman can make fast without leaving the helm. Practise in calm conditions until you can do it without hurry.

Leaving a Berth Using Springs

When wind or stream pins you onto the berth, motoring straight off does not work: the bow or stern cannot get out. Use a spring to pivot the boat.

Rig the spring as a slip line: from the boat's cleat, round the pontoon cleat and back to the same cleat aboard, so it can be released from on board. Remove all other lines once the spring is ready. The rule is simple: motor against the spring. The end of the boat attached to the spring stays in; the other end swings out.

• To get the stern out (then leave astern): rig a fore spring from the bow leading aft to the pontoon, fender the bow well, and go slow ahead with the helm turned towards the pontoon. The bow is held against the pontoon and the stern swings out. When the stern is 30 to 45 degrees out, go astern, slip the spring, and reverse clear.
• To get the bow out (then leave ahead): rig an aft spring from the stern leading forward to the pontoon, fender the stern quarter, and go slow astern. The stern is held and the bow swings out. When it is well out, go ahead, slip the spring and motor clear, watching that the stern does not swing back into the pontoon as you turn (remember the pivot point).

General departure rules:

• Use slip lines (doubled back aboard) so lines are released from the boat; never leave crew on the pontoon expecting them to jump.
• Release the downwind or down-tide lines first, the line holding you against the elements last.
• Pull the slipped line aboard quickly, keeping it clear of the propeller.
• Brief: who releases what, in which order, and on what command.

Leaving a berth: wind and tide cases

Before leaving, check that the exit route is clear, the lines can be released, the fenders can be brought in and the crew know the plan.

Stern-First Manoeuvring

Reversing into a berth is essential for Mediterranean mooring and useful in narrow marina fairways. Steer from behind the wheel facing aft, keep enough sternway for the rudder to bite (usually 1.5 to 2 knots), and hold the wheel firmly, as the rudder loads can snatch the wheel. Correct prop walk before it develops, and expect the bow to blow off: keep the bow pointing into the wind if possible.

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Loss of power during a manoeuvre

The engine can fail or the propeller can foul on a line just when you need it. Prepare for it:

1. Always have an escape route and room to drop the anchor in a fairway.
2. If the engine stops on approach, drop the anchor immediately to stop the boat (or use the headsail), rather than drifting down on moored boats.
3. If a line has fouled the propeller, stop the engine at once. Do not restart. Fend off, get the crew to take lines ashore or to a nearby boat, and clear the line with a knife or by diving once the boat is secured.
4. Always carry a spare anchor line or a long warp that can be used as a tow, and make sure the dinghy can be launched.

Calling for a tow from a harbour launch or the lifeboat is not a failure; a crash is.

Mediterranean Mooring

In the Mediterranean and in many crowded harbours, yachts berth stern-to (or bow-to) the quay, with the bow held off by a lazy line or an anchor.

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With lazy lines (laid moorings):

1. Prepare two stern lines, fenders on both sides, a boathook, and gloves for the lazy line (it is usually slimy).
2. Reverse slowly into the gap, correcting prop walk early.
3. As the stern approaches the quay (about 1 m off), crew hand or throw the stern lines to the marina staff or step ashore with them via the passerelle.
4. Pick up the lazy line from the quay, walk it forward outside everything, and haul it tight at the bow cleat. It holds the bow off the quay.
5. Adjust the stern lines so the boat is a safe distance off the quay, allowing for surge.

With your own anchor: drop the anchor about 3 to 4 boat lengths out from the quay (more in deeper water), reverse towards the quay paying out chain, snub to set it, then secure stern lines. Your chain may cross other boats' anchors, which is why there is often an anchor tangle on departure.

Bow-to mooring keeps the cockpit private and protects the rudder from a shallow quay, but needs a stern anchor or lazy line and makes access more difficult.

Rafting

When you raft alongside another yacht:

• Ask permission. Match the boats so masts and spreaders do not clash (offset fore and aft) and so smaller boats lie outside larger ones.
• Use plenty of fenders between the boats; secure breast lines and springs to the inside boat.
• Run your own bow and stern lines ashore so the weight of the outer boats is not taken by the inside boat's cleats.
• Cross the inside boat's foredeck, not the cockpit, and quietly.
• Before leaving a raft, consider the order: usually the outer boat leaves first, or the middle boat leaves by swinging out downtide with the outer boat's lines re-secured to the inner boat.

Which end first? Bow-to or stern-to

Stern-to is usual because the cockpit is where the helm and the passerelle are, but bow-to (for example in a narrow berth with the wind astern) can be easier in strong cross-winds, as the bow is heavier and more controllable going ahead; the anchor is then dropped from the stern or a stern line led from the stern to a mooring. Check the local convention and the depth at the quay: a shallow quay may foul the rudder or the keel.

Med mooring in a cross-wind: a worked example

You have an 11 m yacht, right-hand propeller, and a berth between two yachts on a quay. The wind is 15 knots from your port beam, blowing along the quay from left to right as you face it.

1. Plan the approach: the bow will blow off to starboard in reverse, and prop walk will move the stern to port (towards the wind). The two effects partly cancel, but the wind is the stronger.
2. Brief the crew: anchor, fenders both sides, two stern lines ready, a roving fender, one crew at the bow ready to drop the anchor and pay out, one at each quarter to take the lines.
3. Position the boat upwind of the slot at about 3 to 4 boat lengths out from the quay (33 to 44 m).
4. Drop the anchor as you begin to reverse, and pay out chain steadily (about 30 m as you reach the quay, depending on depth).
5. Steer so that the stern is slightly upwind of the berth, because the wind will blow the bow downwind and rotate the boat.
6. At about one boat length from the quay, snub the chain to slow the boat and hold the bow into the wind. Hand the stern lines ashore. Adjust the chain to keep the stern 1 to 2 m off the quay.
7. Adjust and take in the slack in the chain, put out springs from the stern if required, and set the passerelle.

If at any point the boat is blown beyond your control, stop and go forward, recover the anchor and try again.

Common Mistakes

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• Approaching too fast. "Never approach a berth faster than you are prepared to hit it." Keep only steerage way.
• No escape plan. Always know where you will go if the approach fails, and abort early.
• Ignoring the wind. The bow blows off as soon as you slow; plan for it.
• Securing in the wrong order. Stop the boat with a midships line or spring first; adjusting bow and stern lines can wait.
• Crew jumping ashore. Injuries and MOBs result. Crew step off when the boat is alongside.
• Lines fouling the propeller. Keep lines aboard and coiled; never go astern with a slack line in the water.
• Fighting prop walk instead of using it. Plan berths and turns to take advantage of it.
• Hands and feet between boat and pontoon. Fend off with fenders, not limbs.
• Fenders too high or too low, or tied to stanchions rather than rails.
• Short lines on a tidal berth, leaving the boat hanging or crushed as the tide changes.
• Relying on the bow thruster and forgetting how the boat behaves without it.
• Unclear communication, such as shouted orders in the wind, or conflicting commands from two people. One person (the skipper) gives commands.
• Going astern with a line in the water.
• Poor briefing of inexperienced crew, who then do not know what to do.

Worked Example: Berthing in a Crosswind with Tide

You must berth a 11 m yacht with a right-hand prop on a river pontoon. The stream is flooding upriver at 1.5 knots along the pontoon. The wind is 15 knots blowing off the pontoon. The berth is a 15 m gap between two yachts, on the pontoon to your port side if you head downriver, and to starboard if you head upriver.

1. Decide the heading: stem the stream, so head upriver (into the flood). That puts the berth on your starboard side, so prop walk astern will pull the stern away from the pontoon. Accept this; the stream will do the stopping for you, so you will barely need astern.
2. Wind: off the pontoon, so the bow will blow off. Plan a steeper approach and a midships line first.
3. Brief: fenders on starboard plus a roving fender; midships line rigged to step off with; bow and stern lines ready. Crew to step off with the midships line when the boat is alongside and cleat it short at the cleat level with the shrouds.
4. Execute: come up below the gap and ferry glide in: hold station against the stream with about 2 knots through the water, then angle the bow about 20 degrees towards the pontoon. The stream pushes the boat sideways into the gap. Keep the bow slightly upwind of where you want it, to allow for the wind.
5. Secure: midships line on and cleated. Motor gently ahead with the helm to port (away from the pontoon); the boat lies alongside. Crew then put on the bow line, stern line and springs.
6. Escape: if the gap closes or the bow blows off too early, increase power, turn away from the pontoon into the stream and go round again.

Worked Example: Leaving a Berth with a Spring

You are on a pontoon berth, port side to, with the wind blowing 20 knots onto the pontoon from your starboard side. The boat is 10 m with a right-hand propeller. There is a yacht ahead (3 m clear) and one astern (3 m clear). The fairway ahead is clear.

1. Assess: the wind pins you onto the pontoon, so motoring straight out will not work. The yacht ahead is close: leaving ahead needs the stern to swing out first, but the bow would hit the pontoon.
2. Decide: use a fore spring to swing the stern out, and then reverse out. This keeps the bow in contact with the pontoon and the stern free to go out into the wind and then astern.
3. Rig: a slip fore spring from the bow cleat, round a pontoon cleat roughly level with the midships and back to the bow cleat. Remove the other lines. Put a roving fender at the bow and one at the quarter.
4. Brief: crew on the bow to control the spring and fenders; crew amidships to fend off; the skipper at the helm. Signals: "Slip" means release the spring.
5. Execute: go slow ahead with the helm hard over towards the pontoon (to port). The prop wash on the rudder pushes the stern out against the wind. When the stern is at about 30 to 45 degrees from the pontoon and the bow is still against the fender, stop the engine, go astern and release the spring. The wind pushes the bow off, so go astern firmly and keep the helm amidships, then turn as you clear.
6. Be ready for prop walk: in reverse the stern will walk to port (towards the pontoon). That is acceptable if you have plenty of room, because the wind is also blowing the boat onto the pontoon, so aim to clear the astern yacht by at least a boat's width before you straighten.
7. Exit: once clear, put the engine ahead and move out under control. Stow the fenders and lines.

If at step 5 the wind is too strong for the stern to come out, release the spring and go astern while the bow is held by a bow line, or ask for help from the marina.

Examiner Tips

• Say aloud what you are going to do and why: "The wind is off the berth so I will approach at a steeper angle and take the midships line first."
• Brief the crew before you start the approach, and check they understand.
• Approach slowly. A slow, controlled approach is rated higher than a fast, smooth one.
• Stop and go round again if it is not working. It is not a failure.
• Avoid shouting; use calm, clear instructions.
• Know your own boat's prop walk and be ready to demonstrate it in open water.
• Show confidence with lines and springs, and with leaving as well as arriving.

Summary

• Know your boat's prop walk (right-hand prop: stern to port going astern), its pivot point and its steerage speed. Test them in open water.
• The bow blows off first; approach into the stronger of wind or stream.
• With a right-hand prop, port side to and turns to starboard are easiest.
• Plan, brief, approach slowly, have an escape route.
• Stop the boat first (midships line or spring), then secure springs, breast, bow and stern lines.
• Motor against a spring to pivot off a berth: the end held by the spring stays in, the other end swings out.
• Med mooring needs confident reversing; use lazy lines or your own anchor laid 3 to 4 lengths out.
• Raft with offset masts, plenty of fenders and your own shore lines.

Check Your Understanding

1. Your boat has a right-handed propeller. Which way does the stern walk when going astern, and which side is easier to berth?

Answer: To port. Port side to is easier because the astern burst used to stop also pulls the stern towards the pontoon.

1. Why does the bow blow off first when a yacht slows down in the wind?

Answer: There is little underwater lateral area forward (the keel is near the middle) but considerable windage at the bow, so the bow is pushed downwind more easily than the stern.

1. Should you approach a berth into the wind or into the stream if they oppose each other?

Answer: Into whichever is stronger, because that gives steerage while moving slowly over the ground. In most tidal rivers that is the stream.

1. You are pinned onto a pontoon by a strong wind. How can you get the stern out?

Answer: Rig a fore spring from the bow leading aft to the pontoon as a slip line, fender the bow, and motor slowly ahead with the helm towards the pontoon. The stern swings out; then go astern, slip the spring and reverse clear.

1. Describe how to turn a right-hand prop yacht through 180 degrees in a narrow fairway.

Answer: Turn to starboard: helm hard to starboard with short bursts ahead to kick the stern to port, then bursts astern to stop forward way while prop walk continues to push the stern to port. Repeat until round.

1. What is a ferry glide and when would you use it?

Answer: Holding station against a stream with just enough power, then angling the bow slightly so the stream moves the boat sideways. Used to slide into a gap on a pontoon in a tidal river.

1. In a Med moor with your own anchor, how far out do you drop it?

Answer: About 3 to 4 boat lengths from the quay (more in deep water), giving adequate scope as you reverse in.

1. Why should outer boats in a raft run their own bow and stern lines ashore?

Answer: So the inside boat's cleats and fenders do not carry the load of every boat outside it, especially when the stream or wind is strong.

1. Why use slip lines when departing?

Answer: So that every line can be released from on board, and no crew member is left on the pontoon or has to jump aboard as the boat moves.

1. A tidal wall berth has a range of 4 m. What is the minimum length of the spring and breast lines you should rig, and why?

Answer: At least 12 to 16 m (3 to 4 times the range), led at an angle, so that the boat can rise and fall without being hung up or crushed against the wall. Check the lines at HW and LW.

1. Your engine fails as you enter a marina fairway with moored boats on both sides. What is your first action?

Answer: Stop the boat before it hits anything: drop the anchor (or use the sails if you have room), then fend off, take lines to a safe boat or pontoon, and fix the problem or call for a tow.

1. You are berthing single-handed on a pontoon. How do you prepare and make fast?

Answer: Rig a midships line led outside the guardrails to the cockpit, approach slowly, step off with the line when the boat is alongside, and take a turn on a pontoon cleat; or drop a loop over a cleat with a boathook from the cockpit. Then motor gently against the line to hold the boat in, and add other lines.