how to get back into mooring by myself

[smallboatlover]

today i take the sailboat out by myself with out my dad bit nervouse. plan on just using the main. if light enough winds might take the jib. also The big thing i was worried about it getting back to mooring my self. we have a jon boat thats on the mooring while i go sailing it's a 14' jon boat so more for my to grab to but how would i do this? my dad and i have done this before i get at the bow of the sailboat and he goes into the wind at the last minute and i clip the boat off. but how do i do this by my self?

[hellosailor]

Easy way: Take the mooring line out through the cleats, outside of the rail, and back to the stern of the boat. Now you just touch your stern quarter to the mooring ball and attach the line. After it is made fast you go up forward and haul it in.

Harder way? You approach the mooring from dead downwind of it, drop sail and stall out the boat and go forward just as it touches,allowing the ball to scrape the side of the bow and giving you time to grab the pennant and attach your lines as the wind blows you back off the ball.

Whatever makes you comfortable.

[Maine Sail]

Watch my single mother neighbor do it like a pro on her 36 footer.

It is easy stuff. Come up into wind and let the inertia of the vessel glide you to the mooring. You are in neutral well before the ball or the sails, usually just the main, are luffing.

When she is tracking well towards the ball simply WALK to the bow and grab the mooring. As you get good the boat will stop nearly perfectly at the ball. In a 14 footer you can do the same but never leave the cockpit just reach over and grab the ball.

I moor solo about 5-6 days per week in season. Did it three times today & twice yesterday. It becomes second nature just practice.

So easy....
YouTube - ‪Picking Up The Mooring‬‏

[smallboatlover]

i did it today i missed twice and got it the third time. the problem is that i come up the mooring its not a ball just a rope with a bleach bottle. and i have my jon boat tied up to the mooring and i try to get the sailboat on side of it to hook the clip onto the eye of the sailboat and than i tie the jon boat to the stern of the sailboat. but the problem i was having is that when i came to the jon boat i turned into the wind but seeing the the rudder was free it turned me to the wind and the sails caught the wind. and the other time i was to bussy untangling the boom rope from the jon boat the rope got caught in the cleats of the jon boat and the wind got the sail agian. then the last time i did it perfect i think i need to try to do something diffrent though

[Maine Sail]

Nice job!!!

[RobGallagher]

Invest in a pickup stick, or make one. Not having to deal with a boat hook is so much easier. YMMV.