Stern-To

Tying Franda II up "stern to" was a bit more of an effort than just anchoring out.. As well as the anchoring, we would need to be tied to the shore to keep Franda II in place.

However, it was far more convenient to go ashore. Often, especially in the Med, tying stern to was the only option available. As by the time the sea was shallow enough to anchor, there was no swinging room.

Franda II would drop her anchor about three boat lengths from her berth. Then the little dinghy would be launched.

The (faithful, tiny, lightweight aluminium dinghy)(../Kohara) was on the poop deck if we had been at sea. Upside down, it would nestle over the capstan, with one edge touching the protective cage around the stern hatch and the other resting on the life raft. Tied securely with its painter and another rope. It was kept here for ocean passages as the "green sea" never made it onto the poop deck, so there was little chance of a rogue wave sweeping it over the side.

However, it could also be on the foredeck. When sailing in the Mediterranean, passages were often only a day or two. And although the seas could be rough and uncomfortable, they were never huge. So the dinghy sat securely tied upside down snugly between the inner forestay, under the staysails boom, and over the anchor warp box.

It's oars and rowlocks were stored safely in a deck locker. These two deck lockers were in the superstructure aft of the master's cabin hatch on the port side and the girl's cabin hatch on the starboard side. These lockers were at least 2 metres long. The starboard locker could also be accessed from inside the cockpit. Spare ropes and warps, fenders, oars, a speargun, bits of rigging wire and some tools were also stored in these lockers.

When launching the little dinghy, the painter's end was securely gripped in hand or tied to the cleat. Then the two crew standing on the [leeward side] (../glossary/#lee){: .glossary} (so that it did not touch the hull at any stage) hoisted it over the side in a way that ensured it landed firmly on its flat bottom with a "tinnie" splash.

Now with the painter, the dinghy was brought back alongside. A crew member would climb over the wire guard rail, holding the base of the rigging and feet on the rub rail. They then lowered themselves into the dinghy. Next, they took the oars with attached rowlocks and lay them fore and aft in the dinghy as they were handed down to them. The painter was then dropped into the bow.

Next, they moved the dinghy to the stern of Franda II. Standing, with feet planted firmly and weight distributed "just so". They pulled at Franda II's stanchions, hand over hand, the dinghy, and they moved quickly to the stern.

Once in place at the stern, they were handed down a coil of warp whose end led in through the fairlead and was tied to one of Franda II's aft bollards, situated on each stern quarter. Then sitting in the middle of the middle seat of the dinghy, facing the stern. They placed the rowlocks in their "socket" and proceeded to row ashore, controlling the speed of the warp running over the stern with their feet.

If there were other boats tied "stern to" that Franda II may touch, the crew would ready the fenders. First, they collected the fenders from their spot in the deck lockers. Next, these were tied to a midship cleat with a cleat hitch knot. Or to the base of the stanchions with a clove hitch knot. The crew would "eyeball" where Franda II would be lying against the other yacht to judge the height where the fender would give the most protection when the boats came together. Usually, the fender would sit vertically down over the rubbing strake unless the other vessel had little (freeboard.)(../glossary/#freeboard){: .glossary} Finally, they then stood by with an extra fender ready to slot in between the two yachts if they looked like touching. One cannot hold apart two heavy boats. At 40 tons, once moving, Franda II took some stopping. Having a fender for the yachts to squash and roll past on was easier and safer.

When the dinghy reached the shore, the end of the warp would be tied to something strong. This could be a recessed ring in concrete, a bollard specific to this role, or a substantial tree in a small bay. Whichever it was, a loop through, over or around with a bowline knot tied would secure the end of the warp and hence Franda II to the shore.

The crew, using this warp, could now use the big electric capstan winch in the centre of the poop deck to winch Franda II towards the shore. The rope would be untied from the bollard, ensuring it still went through the fairlead. This was important as it stopped the warp from touching Franda II's paint, putting pressure on stanchions, or anything else not made to withstand those forces. Wrapped three times around the capstan drum, explicitly designed for this job, it has a vertical drum for making the wrapping of warps on and off quick and easy. It is also very well-fastened to the steel deck to withstand the strain put on it.

The crew member on the poop deck winched Franda II slowly into the shore. To control the speed, they would just relax their pull on the warp's "tail" so that it would slip on the capstans drum and not actually pull on the warp. Meanwhile, the foredeck hand would let the anchor chain out, matching the speed of the capstan. If the anchor chain became too loose, Franda II might swing off the centre line, causing contact with other boats.

Franda II could be controlled more safely than reversing with an engine into a narrow space when attached fore and aft. Propellers "pull" in the direction they rotate, making it difficult for a single-engine vessel to reverse dead straight. Also, a gust of wind at the wrong time could have a disastrous effect.

When tying to a spot designed for "stern to" docking. i.e. not an isolated little bay, the sea wall should be deep enough for most boats. However, the crew would continually check the water depth by looking over the stern and asking yachts nearby how deep it was. The dinghy's oar would probe for the sea bed if the water was murky. It was vital that Franda II not hit the seabed, as reversing in the rudder would be first to touch, potentially causing untold damage. Therefore, ever cautious, Franda II would be inched close enough for the boarding plank to reach the shore.

The warp was then quickly taken off the capstan and tied off to the bollard before Franda II would move forward from the weight of the anchor chain. Finally, when the crew was content with her position, and the gangplank was in place, the two hooks would be put on the anchor chain. The other ends looped over the bollard, and the chain let out, allowing Franda II's weight to rest on the two bollards rather than the anchor winch.