Dear James: Thanks for this video, which I'll probably use in my class. I've been teaching sailing for over a quarter century, and my class involves mooring at Ayala Cove. I've done it about 250 times. I certainly do not wish to disparage anything you said, but have a few caveats. First, it has not been my experience that the currents run as you describe, at least not reliably. Sometimes they do, and of course it seems logical that they should, but I've also, counterintuitively, seen strong currents at slack and no significant current at max ebb/flood. It's probably more often like what you say than not, but that danged mother nature is just not a trustworthy old girl. Of course, maybe I can't read a tide book. Can't rule that out. Part of the discrepancy is due to the fact that the current sensors that inform the tide book are not at the surface, and our boats are, and currents flow in three dimensions. Second, it is not true that depth is not an issue, unless you're in a power boat. If you draw five or six feet, you can easily touch at low water in some spots. Thirty years ago this wasn't true, but the Bay is silting up. Third, your method of tying the stern first will be a bit dodgy if the current is taking your bow away from the forward buoy. If your dinghy has a good outboard, no problem, but it would be hard to pull the bow up to it against wind and current with oars. I'd prefer to get the bow attached first, which is made easier with the use of the tricky pole you recommend. Again, kudos for the well-done video. I wished I looked and sounded as good. Fair winds, Tony Johnson

@jamesconger8509

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Tony. Nice to hear from you. After you tie the bow line, how do you get back to the stern buoy? As to depth, I was trying to say that it was OK around the docks. The moorings are shallow. That's the reason to go at high slack.

@terrulian

3 жыл бұрын

@@jamesconger8509 I don't recommend starting with the bow buoy unless you have a dinghy. It can be done, of course, and I've done it, but the problem occurs on days when you find the current is taking you to port; if you have a right-hand prop and try to back to the stern buoy, you'll find it difficult. On days with little or no current it will be easier, but as you know, boats respond better steering in forward rather than reverse. There are of course many ways to do this, and some methods work better with some boats and conditions and crews. But since my job is teaching people who will be doing this in conditions I can't predict with crews and boats I'm not familiar with, I try to teach in a way that will have the best chance of success in every circumstance. If a boater has a way they do it that they're comfortable with, I have zero reason to doubt them so I really want to avoid the impression that I'm being critical of any skipper's process. I don't want to take up a lot of space here but how I do it is approach the stern buoy and try to pass a line through while not losing steerage. This line is tended and eased by someone who is cautioned to not lose track of it. Then we motor to the bow buoy and capture it with a boat hook, or better yet, with the device you describe. If we don't have one of those, one crew holds the hook while the other passes the line through the buoy. If something goes wrong at any point, and the crew can't get the line through the buoy, it is essential to pull all lines aboard and start over. Trying to maneuver with a line in the water is a recipe for catastrophe. As you know, the main things to avoid are 1) getting a line in the prop and 2) being swept over the buoy by the current so that it ends up fouled in your keel, prop, or rudder. Both of these are disastrous, of course, and, knock wood, neither has happened to me. I avoid the latter by approaching the buoys from down-current so that, should we fumble, we are pushed away from the buoy and not over it. As to depth, a bit of homework I give my students before we go is to figure tides using the rule of 12ths, since they may be mooring on a day or in a place where they don't have an Internet connection, but have a tide book. I have a detailed chart of the depths of the buoys overlaid on a Google Earth image of the Cove. We did the soundings a couple of years ago but they still seem fairly accurate. I would be happy to send it to you but I can't attach it here. I can message you on FB or however you like. Once again, congrats on the video. The community would benefit from more of these "local knowledge" sorts of presentations. There are a lot of ways to get in trouble on the Bay, and forewarned is forearmed.

Another great video

@jamesconger8509

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Thanks for this!

@jamesconger8509

3 жыл бұрын

You are welcome. We were there Wed and Thursday this week.