Casting off with a crosswind: The myth of the "superfluous" leeward stern line | SPOREDO
Casting off with a crosswind – and you often hear:
"You can just release the leeward stern line, it's unnecessary now."
In this video, I'll show you, using a real harbor maneuver, why I see things differently.
We're moored alongside in strong winds in Croatia (during a skipper training course) between two neighboring boats and are steaming into both stern lines. You'll see in the live maneuver how I keep the boat stable and why I leave the "unnecessary" leeward line attached.
🔹 In this video you'll see, among other things:
– Casting off with a crosswind alongside two neighboring boats
– Steaming into both stern lines in practice
– Where the typical recommendation to use the leeward line reaches its limits
– How to execute the maneuver in a way that protects both your equipment and your nerves
💨 Note on the audio:
We had a fair amount of wind – not studio quality, but a real harbor situation.
🧭 Train with experienced SPOREDO instructors from my team on board:
👉 Skipper Training "Light" in Croatia – one week of practical exercises and harbor maneuvers:
https://sporedo.de/dl/skippertraining...
👉 Harbor Maneuver Training (Harbor Training 1.0 & 2.0) in the Netherlands:
https://sporedo.de/dl/intensiv-hafent...
📚 More background information on the Sailor Portal:
👉 Article with sketches of this maneuver on the Sailor Portal:
https://segler-portal.de/blogs/3133/A...
If harbor maneuvers like these help you become more confident:
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📝 Share your experiences or questions in The comments
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