Picking up the mooring
Identify the boat’s mooring buoy
Plan your approach carefully keeping as far as possible from other mooring buoys and moored boats
Approach on a close reach testing how fast boat slows and spill wind from the sails to slow the boat while maintaining enough speed to reach the buoy
Keep buoy on starboard, crew ready to pick up the buoy
Collect the buoy Initially bring the buoy and rope so it can be secured around the samson post and the rope goes through the bow fairlead
Pull the centreboard up as quickly as possible
When ready the rope can be used to pull the strop in so its loop is secured over the samson post and goes through the bow fairlead
Lower the mainsail into the crutches/cradle and secure the main halyard
Lower jib and secure the jib halyard
Relax, stop and check
Tie the mooring strop so it cannot move out of the fairlead
Picking up when the wind is against the tide (this is tricky in any gaff rigged boat)
Either
Approach under full sail, pick up the buoy and quickly pull the boom up using the topping lift (topping the mainsail). This effectively depowers the mainsail. Then, once the mooring is all secure, lower the boom and gaff together
Or
If particularly windy, sail to a position where the boat can gently sail to buoy under jib alone, come head to wind and “top” the mainsail using the topping lift and sail under the jib to the buoy
Putting the boat away.
Raise and secure the plate
Remove jib halyard and secure
Unfasten the jib tack from front of boat
Pass back to crew to roll along wire, removing creases and stow in sail bag
Jib sail bag tied above onto seat
Flake/roll mainsail and tie as tightly as possible using ties
Replace sail cover
Lower mast head burgee
Pump out
Clean deck & floor using sea water and sponge
Tie boom down using main sheet
Coil or tie main sheet so it's out of the water
Stow spinnaker, burgee and course card in stern locker
Move crew bags to foredeck
Replace cockpit cover
Three final checks pre-departure check !
Ensure plate is up and cleated securely.
Ensure strop cannot move or jump out of fairlead. If possible tie around bowsprit for safety.
Ensure boom tied down using main sheet