Wrote this up for another forum, but figured it may help, or spark conversation here to. Enjoy!!
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In the areas we boat, there are a lot of small, narrow and shallow inlets and bays and coves you can tuck into for a night or three. But rarely is there room in these to swing, so stern tying becomes a must. It's not a difficult process once figured out - and we've got a system that works extremely well that's been honed from methods others have told/taught us - figured I share so others may be a bit more inclined to try it.
The Boat
32' (35' LOA)
Twin engine
Windlass controls at upper helm (and on bow)
Ladder to the cockpit
Ground Tackle
32 lb Bruce anchor
200’ chain, 100’ rope
Stern line
600’ 3/8” yellow twisted floating line on a hose reel. Line has no knots or loops – just a lengthy back-splice on the butt-end. Sounds like a lot of line - but it's looped on shore and brought back to the boat for making fast. This saves a trip back to shore in the morning to untie it.
The Method - setting
When I’m going to stern tie, I’ll do my best to run parallel to shore and scope out a good tree/eye-bolt or non-sharp boulder to run the stern tie line around/through. Sometimes this is not possible, so a slow pass with a good set of binos will find what you need. When I choose the spot, I’ll head perpendicular to it (away from shore). I’ll do a quick mental depth calculation so I can figure out roughly how far I should go out to end up with a 7:1 scope when all’s said and done. At least this is the plan - doesn't always work out, but ya gotta start somewhere.
When I choose my spot for the anchor, I’ll lower the anchor and after I’ve got approx. 5 – 10’ of chain sitting on the bottom, I’ll start to back down towards shore – letting rode out as I go.
When I get to a ~~ 5:1 scope, I’ll stop the windlass and set the anchor. If the anchor does not set within about 20’, I’ll pull it back and repeat. When the anchor does set, I’ll back down again, continuing to let out rode and stop when the stern of the boat is about where I want it – perhaps back from where I want it by about 10 – 15’, and perhaps as close to shore as 10' (if I have enough water). If I'm too close to shore, I can always climb back up the rode for 20' or so and sit there instead - adjusting it back later. When I get where I want to be, I stop letting out rode, leave the engines in reverse, and let the anchor stop me again. All going well – the anchor holds. If not – repeat. When it does hold, I’ll leave both mains in reverse and sit there for a minute or two, taking bearings off shore objects to assure I'm indeed stationary.
When I‘m comfortable that the anchor is solid and the boat has not moved, I’ll come off the helm, prepare the dinghy and the stern tie reel. While I do this, the boat is still in reverse (both engines). I’ll push my crew off with the butt-end of the stern line and they make their way to shore, up the beach, and take the end of the line around the securing-point. I'll feed the line out, spinning the reel as needed (or stopping it if they pull too hard).
All the while, the boat is in reverse. And typically it does not move. In fact, that's one of the things that makes this method so nice - the boat will stay where you want it to stay and not swing around while you're trying to deal with the stern line. It's a bit strange leaving it in reverse and then leaving the helm - but I can get back in about 3 seconds - so not a big deal. However, if, during this time the boat does move due to a cross wind or current, one engine into neutral will cause a slow sway back to where you want to be. I've never had the anchor slip backwards when I'm doing this - and it won't if it's set properly to begin with on a 5:1 scope, where you now have a 7:1 (ish) scope. Also as a side note - sometimes to achieve this scope, when I lower the anchor, I literally have by bow 2' off the opposing shore... sometimes you need to be creative
Once the stern line is around the tree/loop/rock (if using a rock, make sure you the rope does not slip down and get pinched on your retrieve) they’ll then peel off enough line to get the butt-end back to the boat. If it’s a sandy beach, the line is flayed on the beach. If it’s an ugly beach, the line is flayed into the bottom of the dinghy. I hold the reel, they hand-over-hand back to the boat.
When I get the but-end back, I then make the stern line fast to the boat with a bit of slack (10’), hop back to the helm, and pop the boat into neutral. The boat springs forward on the rode, the stern line tensions and the boat settles. When I’m comfortable, I’ll shut the engines off and adjust the line as needed – though it’s rarely needed.
We then open appropriate libations, and take pride in the fact that we were not the evening’s entertainment for the others in the anchorage
.
The Method - retreiving
When it’ time to go, I fire the mains, and then hop back into the cockpit and release the stern line, pulling the line back around the tree/loop/rock and into the cockpit. When I get it in the boat, I’m back up on the helm and retrieving the anchor rode.
Because I set the anchor hard and put the tension on it I did, it’s usually set really well – which means it’s not happy coming free. I simply come over top of it, add a little tension, and wait (a minute). Then a bit more tension, and wait again. It never takes more than three or four of these and the anchor pops free.
While I’m idling out of the anchorage, the Admiral re-spools the stern tie line and away we go – once again, leaving the masses un-entertained (we hope!)
*************************************
In the areas we boat, there are a lot of small, narrow and shallow inlets and bays and coves you can tuck into for a night or three. But rarely is there room in these to swing, so stern tying becomes a must. It's not a difficult process once figured out - and we've got a system that works extremely well that's been honed from methods others have told/taught us - figured I share so others may be a bit more inclined to try it.
The Boat
32' (35' LOA)
Twin engine
Windlass controls at upper helm (and on bow)
Ladder to the cockpit
Ground Tackle
32 lb Bruce anchor
200’ chain, 100’ rope
Stern line
600’ 3/8” yellow twisted floating line on a hose reel. Line has no knots or loops – just a lengthy back-splice on the butt-end. Sounds like a lot of line - but it's looped on shore and brought back to the boat for making fast. This saves a trip back to shore in the morning to untie it.
The Method - setting
When I’m going to stern tie, I’ll do my best to run parallel to shore and scope out a good tree/eye-bolt or non-sharp boulder to run the stern tie line around/through. Sometimes this is not possible, so a slow pass with a good set of binos will find what you need. When I choose the spot, I’ll head perpendicular to it (away from shore). I’ll do a quick mental depth calculation so I can figure out roughly how far I should go out to end up with a 7:1 scope when all’s said and done. At least this is the plan - doesn't always work out, but ya gotta start somewhere.
When I choose my spot for the anchor, I’ll lower the anchor and after I’ve got approx. 5 – 10’ of chain sitting on the bottom, I’ll start to back down towards shore – letting rode out as I go.
When I get to a ~~ 5:1 scope, I’ll stop the windlass and set the anchor. If the anchor does not set within about 20’, I’ll pull it back and repeat. When the anchor does set, I’ll back down again, continuing to let out rode and stop when the stern of the boat is about where I want it – perhaps back from where I want it by about 10 – 15’, and perhaps as close to shore as 10' (if I have enough water). If I'm too close to shore, I can always climb back up the rode for 20' or so and sit there instead - adjusting it back later. When I get where I want to be, I stop letting out rode, leave the engines in reverse, and let the anchor stop me again. All going well – the anchor holds. If not – repeat. When it does hold, I’ll leave both mains in reverse and sit there for a minute or two, taking bearings off shore objects to assure I'm indeed stationary.
When I‘m comfortable that the anchor is solid and the boat has not moved, I’ll come off the helm, prepare the dinghy and the stern tie reel. While I do this, the boat is still in reverse (both engines). I’ll push my crew off with the butt-end of the stern line and they make their way to shore, up the beach, and take the end of the line around the securing-point. I'll feed the line out, spinning the reel as needed (or stopping it if they pull too hard).
All the while, the boat is in reverse. And typically it does not move. In fact, that's one of the things that makes this method so nice - the boat will stay where you want it to stay and not swing around while you're trying to deal with the stern line. It's a bit strange leaving it in reverse and then leaving the helm - but I can get back in about 3 seconds - so not a big deal. However, if, during this time the boat does move due to a cross wind or current, one engine into neutral will cause a slow sway back to where you want to be. I've never had the anchor slip backwards when I'm doing this - and it won't if it's set properly to begin with on a 5:1 scope, where you now have a 7:1 (ish) scope. Also as a side note - sometimes to achieve this scope, when I lower the anchor, I literally have by bow 2' off the opposing shore... sometimes you need to be creative
Once the stern line is around the tree/loop/rock (if using a rock, make sure you the rope does not slip down and get pinched on your retrieve) they’ll then peel off enough line to get the butt-end back to the boat. If it’s a sandy beach, the line is flayed on the beach. If it’s an ugly beach, the line is flayed into the bottom of the dinghy. I hold the reel, they hand-over-hand back to the boat.
When I get the but-end back, I then make the stern line fast to the boat with a bit of slack (10’), hop back to the helm, and pop the boat into neutral. The boat springs forward on the rode, the stern line tensions and the boat settles. When I’m comfortable, I’ll shut the engines off and adjust the line as needed – though it’s rarely needed.
We then open appropriate libations, and take pride in the fact that we were not the evening’s entertainment for the others in the anchorage
The Method - retreiving
When it’ time to go, I fire the mains, and then hop back into the cockpit and release the stern line, pulling the line back around the tree/loop/rock and into the cockpit. When I get it in the boat, I’m back up on the helm and retrieving the anchor rode.
Because I set the anchor hard and put the tension on it I did, it’s usually set really well – which means it’s not happy coming free. I simply come over top of it, add a little tension, and wait (a minute). Then a bit more tension, and wait again. It never takes more than three or four of these and the anchor pops free.
While I’m idling out of the anchorage, the Admiral re-spools the stern tie line and away we go – once again, leaving the masses un-entertained (we hope!)