How to get out of a marina in a strong crosswind

Leaving the marina is much easier than mooring. But a strong crosswind can make things very difficult. If the skipper is more or less experienced, then he will cope with the push and moldboard wind without any problems. After sailing off, when leaving the marina, everyone should be extremely careful, especially those who operate their yacht for the first time or set off on a journey on an unfamiliar yacht charter. The main task is to observe the direction of the bow of the vessel.

In a crosswind, making maneuvers, the yacht runs the risk of falling on the chain of anchors of other boats. At this moment, losing control even for a few minutes means causing damage to the sides of your own and the nearby vessel.

Let's take a closer look at how to carefully perform the maneuver, observing the rules.

How to maneuver when retreating?

One should start with the distribution of responsibilities among the crew: one person at the helm and at the stern, the rest take over the yacht. Lead mooring lines around the bollard and onto the stern duck.

Procedure:

1. Leeward aft mooring lines to give up, pick up on board.
2. Then take a firm grip on the windward end, which should not be given away, but held tightly. The person performing this operation must be strong enough to hold the end and not let go ahead of time, as well as track its position relative to the duck. Give mooring lines strictly on command.
3. After assessing the gusts of wind and the size of the yacht, the skipper should turn the steering wheel towards the wind and give “Middle Forward”.
4. At the same time, the stern should be gradually vented, but the mooring line should not be loosened, pulled tight. Take care - put on gloves, because healthy hands at sea are essential. There is no need to give the mooring, with its help insurance is provided against the wind blown out of the bow of the yacht.
5. A boat with a light bow always tries to turn towards the wind, which is also facilitated by a large windage. It is necessary to keep the yacht from hitting the bow into the wind. You need to turn the rudder in the direction of the wind and work with the throttle-reverse knob (if necessary, add or reduce the throttle a little).
6. Give mooring and control the position of the nose. The main task: not to let the yacht stand in line with the mooring line. To do this, turn the steering wheel to the wind and periodically increase the engine speed. It is possible to counteract the drift of the stern into the wind by holding the lines of the yachts next to it.
7. When they pass along the stern of neighboring ships, give the stern windward. Keep the steering wheel on the same heading (towards the wind).
8. As soon as the stern of your boat is level with the bows of the "neighbors", slowly turn into the wind and calmly leave with clear water.

And if you need to go down the drain?

First, you can act as well (repeat steps 1 to 7), and then let the wind turn the bow of the boat on its own. Then leave the parking place and stop the yacht with a small back. After making sure that there is no danger of a collision with the "neighbors", go out in reverse. According to the experts 2yachts, the yacht handles well with a confident stern movement against the wind, “does not prowl”.

Maneuvering in the face of strong crosswinds seems to be very difficult at first, but the first time you go as planned, make sure that will be much easier in practice. Happy sailing!