The mooring maneuvers represent a crucial moment in which the “resilience” of the crew and the character of those in command are truly discovered. Curses and curses, primitive screams, addressed to one and the other, all this when perhaps the boat is crossing into port. Without forgetting that moments of tension on board are experienced in confined spaces and it is difficult to hide or dodge. We all know well the terror of doing damage to a boat, which we often don’t own for the simple reason that we rented it.

It is a set of (negative) forces that generate a state of anguish that we would gladly do without. And, the old sea dogs say, that after one mistake there is always another. Better to be careful then. Mooring maneuvers also represent the test par excellence for every good sailor, who is often judged precisely on how he fares in these difficult situations. And, in fact, we may have logged thousands of nautical miles, but just one wrong mooring is enough to damage our reputation over time. How to do?

We have seen in several articles which mooring techniques can be evaluated for English mooring, with a crosswind, which pushes us onto the quay or which pushes us away, with current, and many other methods. But be careful, the intention is always to disseminate indications that must be taken carefully, because each maneuver differs from the other even if approached on the same boat or place.

Today we address the technical aspects from another aspect, that is, from the psychic side of the mooring which fully interests them. Specifically, let’s see how to keep your nerves and not blurt out badly. Then we define the right strategies to adopt to reduce the infamous anxiety and consequently stay clear by limiting errors.

A general rule, from which all the other observations derive, concerns the need to prepare: know the boat and the place where it is moored, prepare the equipment, prepare the crew, if possible, choose the easiest solution. Not improvising on the spot, but being sure that you have prepared everything calmly, is an option that radically changes our approach and greatly reduces the level of anxiety.

Preparing ourselves psychologically and with great British pragmatism. Only the naive do not change their minds, but changing a maneuver at the last moment, perhaps in the presence of wind, is never the best thing to do. So let’s study the cards on the table carefully, let’s clearly define the sequence of actions in our heads, how to approach the berth, how to exploit the evolutionary effect of the propeller, how to counteract the effect of the wind or, if necessary, how to suffer it in our favor. And let’s not forget to predict which rope we will drop first or which we will take.

Once we have clarified everything in our heads, all we have to do is proceed. Welcoming the help of professionals on land, often capable moorers, sometimes less so. And always remembering that we are responsible for the maneuver and that we have the final decision.

Evaluations suitable for mooring to calm down (before)

Let’s start with the boat, becoming familiar with some of its fundamental reactions. Be it a sailing or motor boat, or our own boat that we know well, before maneuvering towards the dock it is necessary to check the answers it gives us. We evaluate everything possibly in restricted waters, or in any case with nearby reference points. How the forward motion is disposed of, what evolutionary effect does the propeller have in reverse. Let’s check, by making a 180 degrees, how it approaches at slow motion. As she reacts she gives back and forward thrusts trying to make it rotate on its axis. And finally, let us carefully consider the effect that the crosswind has on the topsides.

Let’s prepare the boat for mooring. This doesn’t just mean having mooring lines and fenders ready. This is the minimum wage. The blanket: let’s keep it tidy, free of inappropriate dangers such as towels, glasses, cream packages and slippers. In the cockpit it is very useful to have a portable VHF with which to communicate with the marina to receive instructions and request assistance. It makes sense to remove everything that is hanging from the lifelines for more than one reason: we risk dirtying it with the ropes and then it is not decorous to show up at the mooring with your underwear hanging. Furthermore, everything that is laid out helps to offer resistance to the wind and increase its unwanted effects on the boat. For the same reason, in the presence of wind, it is better to close the bimini and spray hood, which among other things limit visibility.

Let’s first take a look at the place in which we are maneuvering. If we already know it, it is perfect for us, in an alternative case it is better to refer to the pilot books or first study the photos which the Internet is full of. Based on the weather conditions, if there is a choice we try to head for a windward dock, with the wind blowing as little as possible on our beam.

Let’s prepare our crew. The confusion that a skipper is able to generate by giving many confusing and contradictory orders is unimaginable. If she then gets angry and starts screaming at the natural inability of her crew to translate her delirium into maneuver, the bomb is triggered and will explode in front of the public crowded on the dock who can’t wait for anything else.

First of all, therefore, we identify the people capable of receiving our orders. We explain in detail, before entering the port, which position they are required to take and what their role is, explaining clearly what we will ask them to do. If necessary, we concretely show the positions to assume and what must be done by simulating the movements. So, when we take action, we will have to give clear orders, in sequence, clearly indicating who has to do what. Crew also refers to the rest of the guests on board. That possibly, for those few minutes that go from entering the port to landing on the quay, they don’t have to walk around the bridge, cover the view, cause confusion. In short, they have to sit in the cockpit or below deck, so as not to use trivial expressions.