How To Sail: How To Pick Up A Mooring - Sailing Basics Video Series

[@kjellg6532]

In my younger days, a huge mahogany sailing yacht, no engine, came gliding up to the mooring. Everything calm onboard. Forward sails came down and belayed. Everything calm on board. Main came down and belayed on the boom. Everything calm onboard, boat silently gliding through the water. One of the crew slowly walking the foredeck, preparing some rope. Everything calm onboard. Slowly the yacht turns into the wind before the buoy coming to a complete stop. Crew bowing down and CLICK carabiner in situ! That helmsman for sure knew his boat and calculated the wind!

[@NautilusSailing]

Wow, that's impressive to witness. We've seen that too and it's awesome.

[@southernpaths2986]

What a great series! I’m newly interested in sailing at 53 years old and am trying to learn as much online as I can before signing up for a proper sailing course.

[@NautilusSailing]

Fantastic! Glad you are getting excited about sailing... Watching videos like this and doing some research and learning ahead of time, definitely helps when it comes time to do the practical skills in a sailing course. You are at a great stage in life to discover sailing :)

[@kenlathrop7106]

Great video. I just bought a Hunter 30 at your marina. I learned to sail out of Sandpoint back in 1990. My favorite adventures were on Pend Orielle. Moving my boat to Cda Lake where I bought a slip but I would have rather stayed at Bayview. Thanks for sharing your spring adventure.

[@NautilusSailing]

Very cool!

[@stevewhite791]

This gives me some confidence! Never picked up a mooring ball yet.

[@justinlaskey812]

I really appreciate these videos. I am new to sailing at the age of 33. I have learned a wealth of knowledge from these series. One thing that scares me most is docking. If you can post more content on docking I would very much appreciate it as this seems to get my heart rate up most.

[@NautilusSailing]

Hey Justin... Yeah, docking should make you nervous! It's easy to cause a lot of damage to a boat when docking, and something you really want to practice. We always recommend practicing in calm conditions on a dock with lots of space, and slowly working your way up to entering narrow docks, with more wind, and other boats around. We will definitely keep your suggestion in mind and see if we can make some other docking videos! Thanks...

[@mikesoertsz222]

SO GOOD filming all this with a drone. Really great work guys.

[@NautilusSailing]

Thanks a ton!

[@jrhernandez74]

Great tutorial and tips. Taking my first sailing instructions this May in Split, Croatia. Looking forward to the next video!

[@NautilusSailing]

Good luck! We love Croatia and will hold courses there this summer and fall

[@Sommers234]

Thank you, very good pointers and tips! @ 5:15 it would be helpful to see how to actually tie on your two lines to the ball or painter.

[@NautilusSailing]

Good idea Andy! We will try to show that in the next round of videos that we are currently working on.

[@MotherFirkinNature]

really enjoying your series of videos, keep up the good work!

[@philup4947]

Great vid will be using a double bridle when I go out next looks stress free compared to how I was shown.

[@NautilusSailing]

Sounds great!

[@FadeToFunkUK]

Just finished watching your learn how to sail playlist. Really informative! I can't wait to apply these skills to my own boat very soon.

[@이바네즈]

awesome tutorials! thank you for making me better at sailing!

[@NautilusSailing]

Glad you like them!

[@TravelWithUs3]

Wow, this is the best video on swinging mooring. Complete instructions, best footage from all angles, nothing forgotten. Great job, looking forward to watch the other videos!

[@NautilusSailing]

Glad it was helpful!

[@deardaughter]

This is a good channel.

[@mikechro58]

I started sailing again after a many year hiatus. I am now at a slip. Years ago I had a mooring and then like now, I mostly solo sailed. When I motored back to the mooring I actually reversed into the wind towards the mooring. That way I would put the motor in neutral when close and glide backwards to the mooring so I could pick it up from the cockpit. I would then put one line through the mooring bridle and walk the line to the bow where I would tie it off. I did use a second line if I was leaving the boat overnight. Was this technique appropriate or am I missing something where I should have known better? BTW, your videos are outstanding since I

[@NautilusSailing]

Mike, that's our favorite way of picking up a mooring single handed! We should make a video on that, as there are lots of single handlers out there. Glad you are enjoying the videos!

[@GregFrucci]

@@NautilusSailing Please do make that vid! I am "in the same boat" as mikechro58...almost exactly. I single handed from Wilmington to Bermuda and back 10 years ago...sold my boat in 2013 (an Irwin 30...laugh all you want about a "coastal cruiser" not designed to do what I did, I did it anyway) and I now I have a Beneteau 393 under contract where I will be mostly sailing that single-handed. BTW, I love your videos...they are assisting me in process of getting back into sailing in a wonderful way through re-creating my passion for being out there. Peace to you and thank you.

[@NautilusSailing]

@@GregFrucci Thanks for the note Greg! So glad you are liking the videos.... We may need to make a mini series on tricks and techniques for solo sailors :) Those older monohulls were built solid and were great blue water boats! Congrats on the new Beneteau 393. Hope you have lots of fantastic adventures with her!

[@fabriziolavini7457]

Would you make a video showing what'd be the wrong on picking the mooring ball from stern and eventually keeping bridled there ? Anyway thanks

[@NautilusSailing]

We have seen many boats foul around the mooring line or pennant. We have had that happen too. Always keep your prop away from the mooring.

[@JeffreyHarthSailing]

Ok, perfect. Got that down. Now, how do I do this single-hand?

[@NautilusSailing]

We witnessed a lady go into a crowded mooring field, line up, pop it in neutral, walk forward with a boat hook, grabbed the ball, to the cleat, walk back and turn off her engine. Practice approaches, see how far you coast in the given conditions and you'll get it. Know your boat.

[@SuperDirk1965]

I like to approach the mooring ball in astern and then loop a temporary line through it from the stern. After belaying that line you have time to loop the definitive line through the mooring ball eye. When it's very hot and there's very little wind I just moor stern to the ball. This gives great ventilation through the boat.

[@andredc9583]

Thank You :)

[@trackie1957]

What if your boat has no motor or it’s not functioning? This would be good to practice under sail.

[@NautilusSailing]

Yes, in smaller boats, picking up a mooring ball under sail is great practice! Definitely not easy to do and takes some practice, so find a mooring ball with not many boats around...

[@todddunn945]

@@NautilusSailing It is doable on a bigger boat. The trick is getting your speed right so the boat stops at the mooring. I do a few under sail pick ups on my 36 footer every year to keep in practice. What I do is come in under jib only. I control speed by furling the jib up in increments as I approach. When I am ready to make the final turn toward the mooring (you can't approach a mooring from directly down wind under sail) I furl the last bit of the jib up, turn toward the mooring and make the pickup normally. Note that although my wife may be on board, at 78 years old she does not help with mooring pickups so even an under sail pickup is a single handed pickup for me. Also, you can do it under main only, but you have to completely release the main sheet for the final approach or you will run the risk of the bow blowing off and the boat really powering up. Not a good thing when you are at the bow when you are single handing.

[@NautilusSailing]

@@todddunn945 Yes! It is doable, but as winds pick up the angle into the wind has to be precise and controlling speed becomes key! Definitely a great skill to practice for solo sailors.

[@kjellg6532]

@@todddunn945 Or you sail up into the wind under mains. Loosen the sheets when you have passed the buoy, sails/drifts backwards as the bouy slides along the side and pick it up when it passes the helm. With a carabiner fixed to your pole, you can get a fix to the buoy in a split second, and simply drift off from there.

[@cryptomaori2813]

Wonder what the big 'thing' is swimming past at 40s in the r/h corner ?? Ok , seals..

[@NautilusSailing]

Hey Crypto... Well spotted! Those are sea lions in the water :) We stop here to snorkel with them. They are incredibly playful creatures and come out to greet arriving boats.

[@georgecumming760]

Another really useful video, explained very clearly. Just one question, for a single handed craft, what difference in technique, if any, would you suggest?

[@NautilusSailing]

Hey George... Great question. We are hoping to make a single handed mooring pickup video later this year, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, if winds are lighter and you have good boat control skills, you can lock off your helm and glide into the mooring. This is not easy! Another popular way is to back in to a mooring ball, and have a loooong line run from the bow cleat back to the stern of the boat. When the pennant is by the stern, lock off the helm, put the mooring line throughand get it back up quickly to the bow. Good things to practice in light winds with lots of room around...

[@todddunn945]

@@NautilusSailing I have done thousands of single handed mooring pickups. This is how I do it. - kzbin.info/www/bejne/lWOcmJSXfc99hqs

[@NautilusSailing]

@@todddunn945 Thanks for sharing Todd! Single handed mooring pickups definitely take some practice...

[@TheTodsBread]

can you do the 15rpm thing on the ball?

[@NautilusSailing]

Great question. In theory, yes you could try reversing on a mooring ball to test. We usually like to swim down (when the water is warm!) and do a visual inspection to make sure all the lines are in good condition.

[@johnfisher7143]

What if you’re single handing?

[@jorgz.41]

Pick up the bow from the stern and then bring the line to the bow.

[@jorgz.41]

I meant: Pick up the buoy from the stern ...

[@NautilusSailing]

We don't recommend that because the mooring line or pennant can get caught on the rudder or prop. With practice, you can get your boat to slow into the wind and then pick the mooring line, pull it up really short on the cleat, then once secured, bring the second line to make a bridle.

[@Tyler-sv4sw]

What boat is that your on?

[@NautilusSailing]

Hey Tyler... Great question. She's a 2012 Jeanneau 439 Sun Odyssey, an AMAZING boat!

[@PepaHrabak]

Perfect :) Where is it?

[@NautilusSailing]

Don't tell too many people, as this is one of our favorite places to sail. It's the Sea of Cortez in Mexico. We sail out of La Paz, which is a couple hours away from Cabo San Lucas. A truly beautiful part of the world!

[@PepaHrabak]

@@NautilusSailing cool, maybe in the future ;)

[@CleoGewirz]

In this video, you are motoring to the mooring, not under sail. Could you do a video where you are actually sailing to the mooring?

[@NautilusSailing]

That is definitely an idea, we've focused on the basics for this series. Very tricky, especially on larger boats. In higher winds it becomes quite difficult. In a nutshell, dropping your main and furling most of the genoa controlling the jib sheet to maintain a slow enough speed to steer, but not too slow as you'll lose your bow and get blown away from the ball. Close, reach & swing up to the ball while luffing the jib to slow.

[@nomadequipment2177]

Weird, I just come up alongside and cow-hitch the eye from the cockpit and walk it up to the bow then double up...

[@NautilusSailing]

That's a great way to do it if you are single handing. There are definitely easier ways to do it if you have multiple people onboard though :)

[@riphaven]

do a video on that. lot of people don't have a crew.

[@NautilusSailing]

@@riphaven Great idea! We will try and make one on how to pick up a mooring when single handing.

[@MattUtley-Detroit]

Never told how to actually hook the mooring