Med Mooring

Then there is this unique thing called Med mooring. This is not easy and especially difficult when windy.

First you find a spot on the wall... The promenade in most towns. There is no tide, so no floating docks unless you’re prepared to pay heaps to dock in the town marina, which is usually miles from the action. 

You then line the boat up directly in front of where you intend to end up on the wall and a long way out, like 60 - 70 metres or a 7 to 1 scope… and drop the anchor. Now start reversing toward your goal whilst Sally lets out chain until there is enough chain out for the anchor to bite. Once it has bitten, and that is never a given, you continue reversing letting out chain as you go, the chain being your brakes as you line her up. 

You will pretty well always be trying to get her between two other boats, the owners of which are keenly observing your ability to avoid damaging their boat. 

Sally is now at the stern with rope in hand ready to either throw to a willing helper on shore, or to jump ashore and tie up. This means getting the boat close enough to the wall without actually hitting it... I then run down and tie up the other side, take a breath and adjust everything for a safe stay....

However, if there is not enough room to drop an anchor, there will be something called a 'slime line'…. Sally loves this one! 

This time you reverse, no anchor and therefore no brakes into the slot between other boats, very slowly. Hopefully there is somebody there to catch, attach and return a line. Sally then ties that off and boat hook in hand she picks up a line which is attached to the wall. 

The other end of this line is attached to a submerged, more robust anchored line somewhere out in the water. Her job is to grab this slime line with gloves on to avoid being cut to pieces by the attached barnacles and rushes forward hauling on the appropriately named ‘slime line’ until the anchor line appears from the depths. She now pulls with all she can muster and when it is a taught as she can manage, wraps it onto the bow cleat. All this while I'm trying to hold the boat in one place with an audience all harbouring differing wishes as to the outcome. We’re talking entertainment for the entire promenade…

This is us Med-Moored in Gaios on Paxos.
Something I didn't mention was that often you get crossed anchors.
Always fun when anybody wants to leave.
This happened to us here and we delayed departure for a day to
allow the offenders to go before we dislodged their anchor.