Do you stern tie singlehanded? I've got some questions for you...

[AKMary]

I’ll be running my boat solo in Desolation Sound and am interested in hearing from others who stern tie singlehanded. I’ve been reading up on the forums and have a good idea of the stern-tie process, but most people describe a situation where one person handles the boat while someone else runs the line to shore. As that won’t always be an option for me, I have a couple of questions:

1. I am not comfortable leaving the boat (twin diesels) in reverse while I step off to run the line to shore. How do you handle this?
2. Once you return to the boat and secure your line, how do you straighten out/position the boat the way you want it?
3. How do you determine how much slack to leave in the line? I’ve seen pics where the line is floating and others where it’s somewhat taut. I get that the changing tide will affect this, but what’s the optimal setup?
4. Lastly, when I’m scoping out a likely spot, what’s the best way to let the neighbors know a little help would be great (if they care to). I’m not a fan of shouting across the water. Is it as easy as waving “hello”?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Mary

 

[markpierce]

I'd need a gun pointed at my head before attempting a single-handed stern Mediterranean docking. ... But having anchor controls at the helm, I'd feed out anchor line as needed when backing toward the dock. ... With two engines, it should be easier than if you had only one. ... I'd never leave the helm while docking and the engine in gear ... One needs stern ties and also long lines reaching from the bow or forward midship and tied at an angle to the dock. Have lines reachable from the dock. ... The stern ties I've seen (SF Bay Area in only extremely protected waters), don't rely on anchors.

There will usually be someone on dock to lend a hand. Several short horn signals may bring others to assist.

(Note I'm alongside the dock, but on a weekday. The cruiser to my stern is prepared for the weekend crush.)

 

[Ben]

I’ll be running my boat solo in Desolation Sound and am interested in hearing from others who stern tie singlehanded. I’ve been reading up on the forums and have a good idea of the stern-tie process, but most people describe a situation where one person handles the boat while someone else runs the line to shore. As that won’t always be an option for me, I have a couple of questions:

1. I am not comfortable leaving the boat (twin diesels) in reverse while I step off to run the line to shore. How do you handle this?
2. Once you return to the boat and secure your line, how do you straighten out/position the boat the way you want it?
3. How do you determine how much slack to leave in the line? I’ve seen pics where the line is floating and others where it’s somewhat taut. I get that the changing tide will affect this, but what’s the optimal setup?
4. Lastly, when I’m scoping out a likely spot, what’s the best way to let the neighbors know a little help would be great (if they care to). I’m not a fan of shouting across the water. Is it as easy as waving “hello”?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Mary

Hi Mary,
In order
1. You should avoid leaving your boat in gear any time it is unoccupied. You want current/wind light, otherwise a different strategy should be used.
2. Use the taught line as a lever to power the boat in desired direction
3. Depends on if fixed dock or floating and how much tide you have. Judgment call.
4. You should have a VHF radio on channel 16. Or a cell phone call to the marina in question with your arrival time and request for help.

 

[MapisM]

I'd need a gun pointed at my head before attempting a single-handed stern Mediterranean docking

I'm based in the Med, and moored stern to 99.9% of the time.
That said, I might give it a try singlehanded also without a gun pointed at my head , BUT only in very good weather, with no wind and current.
The maneuver also depends on whether bow lines are available at the dock (as is actually the case in the Med) or not.
Anyway, if singlehanded, I'd rather deploy one anchor before reversing towards the dock, regardless of whether bow lines are available or not.
This way, you can have more control over the distance from the dock, by letting out more or less chain, before leaving the boat and reach the dock to tie a stern line.

 

[caltexflanc]

Mary, I take it you are referring to the practice in the PNW in some places of running a line to a tree, rock or ring-mounted-in-rock, not a dock in a marina.

The answer is to anchor up or secure to the mooring buoy and then run the stern line to shore with your dinghy. Practice this with some crew on board first. Use a line that floats and is very visible, like yellow poly.

One thing you will discover is that fellow cruisers are virtually always very helpful and friendly if they can be safely. If someone helps you out like this, take them a bottle of wine or some other treat later on. We've made so many long term friends as a result of helping or being helped on the water.

 

[Rambler]

Use the hi-vis poly as mentioned above, and if running to a tree on shore (as opposed to a dock), have enough line to loop around the tree and run back to the boat. Then you can untie one end of the line and pull it free of the tree (etc) in the morning and leave without having to go back to shore to untie. Just a thought, and poly is cheap.

I wouldn't want to leave the boat with the engines in gear, in reverse, backing toward shore, so maybe in the alternative, drop a stern anchor just to hold it lightly while the stern is secured more favorably. It ain't going to drift that far that fast.

 

[refugio]

Perhaps look for a spot with someone on deck to ask if you can temporarily raft while you run your stern line ashore? Alternatively, wave down someone in a passing dinghy and ask if they'd help take your line ashore? Beyond those two possibilities, I'm not sure what other "little help" you could ask for.

I like the idea of giving a bottle of wine - get a case of appropriate wine when you enter Canada and make some friends!

 

[Rusty]

We've been to Desolation Sound numerous times. While stern tying is handy in the more crowded places, we've not been anywhere it is a requirement. It does allow you squeeze in to little niches along the shore or fit more boats in an anchorage, though. My choice would be to just anchor in a place where you don't need to stern tie. When you are stern tying, you will have other boats, rocks, and so on fairly close. Add some wind to that and it can get interesting. In anything but the calmest conditions, someone needs to be at the helm keeping the boat lined up and in the right place. If I were by myself, I think I would avoid the worry and skip stern tying.

 

[CamanoFolks]

Desolation Sound area if busy will almost invariably require a stern tie. You have gotten good advice about using a floating line. Another convince is to have the stern line on a reel (ex garden hose reels work great), makes paying out and retrieving easy. Winds normally will be light and it is best to NOT anchor/stern tie with the wind on the beam. In Princess Louisa Inlet and in a few other places you will find ring bolts installed in the rock walls. PLI is soooo deep that you can drop your hook in 200+ feet of water and back up to the ring bolt, step onto the swim platform, pass the the stern line through the ring bolt and then pull in some anchor rode to give you some room at the stern. Your anchor will basically be hanging on a very steep rock wall. Have fun and enjoy.

 

[MurrayM]

Interesting question, and real possibility if our partners were incapacitated for any reason. Many small bays in our area on BC's north coast have slopes under water so steep that stern tying ashore is the only real possibility.

Pre-arranging for slack tide with no wind would help immensely

If there is wind on the beam or a significant back eddy current in the bay, the stern anchor idea just might be the answer. Having never done it alone, I forsee dropping the main anchor and letting out scope as normal, but if there is wind or current I'd angle into the wind or current. While keeping the boat in idle reverse, I'd chuck out the stern anchor in the direction of the wind or curren, then let the boat drift to where I intend to stern tie while paying out scope on the stern anchor. Hopefully the stern anchor would bite long enough to hold the boat roughly in position while hopping into the dinghy and taking the line to shore and back. Then I'd take the dinghy and gather up the stern anchor.

Interesting question, and would be a real test of self reliance!

 

[psneeld]

If it's deep right up to shore...

The guys around here that fish jetties sometimes use a piece of 2x4 tied to a line that they throw into the rocks.

Not sure if there's a way to do something like that there to get you tied up....even a grapple...once settled...then go ashore and do it right with some sort of easy retrieval system or slip-knot system.

 

[ghost]

I single hand my 48 Tolly almost exclusively. Never ever leave the boat unless it is secured. For me this rule certainly includes at the dock, I don't leave the vessel until I have at least one line secured so worst case scenario, I can still get back on. If you need a stern line to anchor, lots can happen once you leave the boat, so this rule most certainly still applies.

My strategy would be to find a solution that allows me to get situated in some kind of leisure. I would put my hook down in the fairway, get a decent set and then pull in to a short scope, but not so short she could come loose. She might be sitting square in the fairway, but so what, safety first. I'd then take my line to shore, typically doubled so I can later release wholly from the boat later. To do this you obviously need a rather long line. Nothing says you can't stack the deck in your favor. Then, you can pull the line in and start pulling the boat where you want it. Keep in mind, since the scope was pulled in, you will gradually let the anchor line out as you pull the stern line in. Might take some jockeying, but you will eventually get it there, most importantly without drama.

If for some reason there is too much wind, seriously consider whether stern tying is a good strategy. Nothing worse than trying to un Charlie Foxtrot a situation when single handing, so your primary thought process is to ensure you don't get into one in the first place. When an anchor drags when stern tied, it brings you parallel to shore quickly, both not good. You would not pull your stern line in you would abandon it in a hurry to focus on getting the pointy end pointing towards safety. Sound like fun? It's not. So having your anchor with a decent scope in the first place will only help. Don't get caught with 2:1 on a stern tie trying to drop it close to make the shore tie easier, bad mistake.

As a single hander, I'd much rather get that nice protected spot, often with the stern tie. Maybe that means I get up early and really know when tide changes are coming and always have the jump on my fellow boaters. I can't afford not to. I also carry a full 400 feet of nice 3/4 rode behind my usual 200 foot of chain. Being able to safely put out a full 600 foot of tackle means that I can actually get hooked up in spots people avoid because of the depth (no even that won't help in Princess Louisa), so if I get in late I can probably find a spot in the outer fairway in 75-100 foot of water. I might not like it, but I can do it and make it til morning when I can snag a better spot when somebody leaves.

A few years ago I came into the laconner channel at dead slack, leisurely mosyed up to the dock and put out a few lines with my flip flops. Some grouchy old fellow comes over and openly gripes that I would not have had such an easy time if I tried that a little while earlier. I just smiled and said I must have gotten lucky. The luck was rousting my butt out of bed 6 hours prior and knowing when slack was coming. If you single hand, you simply must account for more things than most of the folks you are typically with. If you do, life is grand.

Personally I would not hesitate to head to desolation. Heck, I'd even plan a night in Prideaux Haven, but I'd also be the early bird and plan my arrival accordingly.

 

[Conrad]

We've been to Desolation Sound numerous times. While stern tying is handy in the more crowded places, we've not been anywhere it is a requirement. It does allow you squeeze in to little niches along the shore or fit more boats in an anchorage, though. My choice would be to just anchor in a place where you don't need to stern tie. When you are stern tying, you will have other boats, rocks, and so on fairly close. Add some wind to that and it can get interesting. In anything but the calmest conditions, someone needs to be at the helm keeping the boat lined up and in the right place. If I were by myself, I think I would avoid the worry and skip stern tying.

That has been our experience as well. We have stern tied any number of times, but more by choice than needed. And often your stern tie options put you abeam of wind or current. It certainly adds complexity to your day.

And sometimes stern tying significantly reduces space for others. We pulled into one of our favourite coves one time to find a 50 footer had anchored over to one side and stretched his stern line over to the other side of the cove; Where normally 6-8 vessels could anchor, only one could.

 

[refugio]

Here we are in Grace Harbor in Desolation Sound a few years ago: 600' of 3/4" poly (probably 200' to tree, so 400' in use):

 

[ghost]

...sometimes stern tying significantly reduces space for others. We pulled into one of our favourite coves one time to find a 50 footer had anchored over to one side and stretched his stern line over to the other side of the cove; Where normally 6-8 vessels could anchor, only one could.

Yeah, well maybe it was a single hander that just didn't feel like being social that night. Tired of all the numskulls who can't do math to figure out if somebody's anchor is in 50 foot of water, they just might be cutting a swing of 200 foot radius and maybe those pesky 20 something sailboaters should get a clue of the math instead of making him get up at the tide change in the middle of the night.

It wasn't a Tolly was it?

Just kidding.

Mostly.

 

[Nsail]

I stern tie solo every time if there's little wind and current. The admiral just watches as it's pretty easy. If there's current or a lot of wind, I keep her on the controls if needed, and that's been only once.

Another Grace Harbor photo. About 150' to the tree for a total of about 300'.

 

[eyschulman]

Very interesting; We cruise PNW and do stern tie about one out of four times. While my wife is on the boat while I go ashore to tie up she really does not do anything of significance and can not really be fully trusted to keep boat out of trouble, so most of the time its single handing. This maneuver like all others is easier if done by someone with experience using good judgment. Best not to have a significant beam or stern wind. Wind on the bow good. We either turn motor off or idle after anchor is set (not too far from shore and depth variation with tide accounted for) The dinghy is loaded with shore line or now we now use an ultra spool and flat tape line. I go to shore tie off(here is were judgment and experience is important for picking the right spot). With no wind or current you can even keep some tension on the stern line as you go to shore and keep mother boat well aligned. Then I go back to boat and haul stern line tight putting some strain on anchor to help it dig further into hillside. A float tied to middle of stern line is a wise move in certain places where small boats may be moving around in the area. If you are new at this pick a quite uncrowned place for the first few attempts. If there is no wind and no significant current and your anchor is even just moderately set not much chance of real trouble. On the other hand you can just find a athletic young chick to take the anchor line ashore. If you are really lucky she would like cleaning and waxing the boat. Good cooking would be asking too much.

 

[Delfin]

I’ll be running my boat solo in Desolation Sound and am interested in hearing from others who stern tie singlehanded. I’ve been reading up on the forums and have a good idea of the stern-tie process, but most people describe a situation where one person handles the boat while someone else runs the line to shore. As that won’t always be an option for me, I have a couple of questions:

1. I am not comfortable leaving the boat (twin diesels) in reverse while I step off to run the line to shore. How do you handle this?
2. Once you return to the boat and secure your line, how do you straighten out/position the boat the way you want it?
3. How do you determine how much slack to leave in the line? I’ve seen pics where the line is floating and others where it’s somewhat taut. I get that the changing tide will affect this, but what’s the optimal setup?
4. Lastly, when I’m scoping out a likely spot, what’s the best way to let the neighbors know a little help would be great (if they care to). I’m not a fan of shouting across the water. Is it as easy as waving “hello”?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Mary

Mary, there are a few places where you can stern tie (Octopus Islands, Teakerne Arm, Prideaux - we've only needed to do it at Teakerne. So, as a practical matter, I don't think I would worry about it. Having said that and to your specific questions, no you cannot safely leave the vessel in gear. As a result, if you aren't dead calm or already kinda sorta in the right position, fuggetaboutit. If conditions favor a stern tie without being in gear, you just need a bunch of line that will reach shore from the vessel lying quietly at anchor. As you row ashore, look carefully for rocks that you might be backing into as you tighten up the line.

Once tied off (a loop around a tree or above tide line rock with floating line), if you don't have a stern winch or windlass, put the vessel in reverse for a few seconds, then neutral, then run down and secure the line.

With a stern tie, optimal slack depends on the state of tide. If slack, leave more. If high, tighten it up. No set rule here.

Unlikely you will get any help. People aren't paying attention, or don't want to offend by offering assistance until it is obviously needed. Perhaps crutches as a prop? Hide one arm under your sweatshirt? Use a white cane? Dunno, but I wouldn't count on much assistance.

 

[markpierce]

Anchoring in the California Delta while tied to shore is typically done from the bow rather than the stern, with a stern anchor.

Anchoring Out | California Delta Chambers and Visitor's Bureau

 

[nemier]

Hello AKMary,
I'll have a bash at this one. Singlehanded stern tying can be done, with no issues but it takes planning and preparation as GHOST has said previously. I have done it myself perhaps about 30 times. It's a great skill to have in your arsenal of boating manoeuvres.
First, relax. Grab a beer (or a cappuccino) the night before and study the tides, depths, and anticipated scope of anchor and stern-tie required. Prepare this stuff on deck, make sure your anchor and stern-tie line is free to run - no snags, mark it out, and physically & mentally go through the mechanics of the manoeuvre. I'm usually on beer two by this time. Before I leave the deck for the night though, I have it all ready to go.

Next morning, up early and at least one cup-of-Joe in you, motor on over to your stern tie site, and leisurely drop your hook. You will be bow into dominant force here (Wind-or-Tide, as usual), and do not worry about the stern tie yet, plenty of time for that later. Set your hook good-and-tight. Use whatever scope you feel is necessary for that location. KNOW that it's set. Now you can shorten your anchor scope as required to bring your bow opposite your stern-tie position. Ensure both sticks are in neutral, and leave the engines ticking over.

Launch your dinghy and grab your pre-prepared stern-tie rope. The way I do this is, if my stern tie rope is 600', I will secure the Stern-tie rope to my boat-cleat at the 500' mark, leaving 100' in the boat to play with later. Now fake the rest of the stern-tie line into your dinghy, and row over to your rock / pad-eye / tree / ring, whatever,,, and secure it there. Do not be concerned about how much slack you have at this point, just tie that line off and you now have your boat secure at both ends.

Row back to the boat and start playing with the lines. You will jockey your boat into final position by paying out anchor and coming up on the stern-tie line. I always have a winch on my all my boats, whether power or sail, for this purpose. No matter though, if your boat cannot be handled by hand, flash up your engine and provide a short burst of hard-over port/stbd to bring your ass around where you want it, then quickly into neutral and take up slack. I do not see you jockeying like this for more than 20 mins.

When you have settled into your desired stern-tie position, (NO, not the beer just yet,,,) Go sort out your proper stern-tie line. The one you have on now is just temporary to get your butt into position. Your proper line will run from the boat, around your shore-tie anchor, and then back to the boat. Use both your port side stern cleat AND your Stbd side stern cleat if possible for a proper set.

Tighten up that stern line good-and-tight. You will soon get the hang of how much line to use and how taught to make it - every location is different, and it's also dictated by the conditions. Sometimes I have all 600' out and sometimes I'm shortened right up with only 30' out, stern line like a guitar string. Try to use Yellow Polypropylene. It high-viz and it floats. If in doubt, just take a quick glance around the anchorage. There will usually be one or two boats who have their act together, and have things set 'just so' Emulate them,,, that's what I do ; )
Remember, if you are in a tidal area,,, the tide she'll raise and she'll drop, so be prepared for that. But you already knew that from last night's prep, right?

Yes this means two row boat trips, but since everything was prepared the night before, this entire Stern-tie production takes about 35 minutes. That's not bad for a single-hander. You have been in complete control at all times, you have been able to bail at all times, and you are ready to bail now if required. Go get that beer, you have earned it.

Lastly, forget about counting on anyone's assistance. In my mind, "Single-hander" means self sufficient. You just got to be prepared to do this all by yourself. IF someone asks to lend a hand, and you need it, sure why not take advantage of that gift-horse, but do not go into this thing with a mind that someone will be there to assist, no worries,,, (guess that's another topic)
Good luck, you can do it, & let us know how you get on.

 

[GoldenDawn]

I regularly stern tie our Kadey Krogen 42' - almost every weekend at the Butchart Gardens Saturday night fireworks. Here are couple suggestions.

1. Get There Before the Crowd: I usually make this trip at noon. It would not be possible to do at 6pm - it is a gong show by then. For your cruising, it might mean an early arrival at places where a stern tie is necessary.
2. Have at Least 600' of Floating Line: this gives the flexibility of the stern not being so close to shore. Ours is on a hose reel.
3. Set the Hook: get the hook set where you want it offshore. Take your time. With 600' you should be able to make the stern tie, bring the bitter end back to the boat and slowly pull the boat in. It may take a few trips between the anchor winch and stern line to get the position you want.
4. It is Not Mandatory to Double Back the Line: it isn't a big deal to tie off to a tree if that makes sense for the that spot. It means another trip in the next day but such a release is usually easy.
5. Go North of Desolation: not so crowded so we rarely use stern lines up north.

We are headed for Hakai Pass in one week!

 

[bowball]

Can I use a drone to go around a tree? ?

 

[Alaskaflyer]

Can I use a drone to go around a tree? [emoji4]

 

[Snapdragon III]

Lots of good advice in this thread, most of which I agree with. A few points I would add/endorse
- It is better if you can loop the line around something on shore and get it back to the boat so it can be released without going to shore. That way you can load your dingy before letting the line go in the morning when it is time to leave. It also makes it much easier to get out if you are ready to leave and another boat has anchored in very close to you, or the wind has picked up.
- I stern tied my 40' trawler almost myself many times, but my wife was always on board, just not that helpful. The one thing she could do though was to put tension on the line if I needed it. If I was doing completely alone, I think I would have a couple hundred feet of line in a big bucket with me in the dingy and tie the end to the stern of the boat. I would play it out from the dingy as I went, that way, if the boat starts to drift off coarse while you are not on it, you can cleat the line to the dingy, and use it as a tug boat to pull your big boat closer to shore, or away from the boat nextdoor it is about to hit. The problem with this is that it makes it hard to pass through a ring on shore. I would just tie it off to the ring with enough tension that the boat is safe, then come back with a longer line flaking out of a bucket on the main boat, pass it through the ring, and back to the boat. Then go back and remove the temp line. A lot of extra steps, but could save you some drama.
- If there were other boats anywhere near, I would put fenders high up on the back corners of the boat before I started. That is the part where your boat will try and hit theirs if things go sideways. Don't ask me how I know.
-If it is really calm and and easy anchorage, I found a stand up paddle board worked pretty good for getting the line to shore. Much faster and easier than launching the dingy, but only in ideal conditions. If you can't double the line back, it is much easier to go untie the line with a paddle board, since you can just grab it and throw it on deck in 10 seconds, vs. lifting your dingy and stowing it. If you tow your dingy it might not matter so much.
-On my old boat I used to run one side of the line through the hole in the stern, then all the way up the side deck to the bow. That allowed my to use my hydraulic windless to pull it tight, which was sweet. It kind of rubbed on the side of the cabin, but didn't seem to hurt anything. It was especially nice when it was windy, and very hard to pull in by hand. I have not tried it yet on my new boat, but it has a power winch on the stern that I plan to use.