As an old man, who is a new sailor, I want to thank you. This is an outstanding short film. No annoying music competing with voice over. slow tempered speech without babbling, spot on.

Nice to see Yachting Monthly uploading again! It's been such a long time!

Great explanation of why you steer to port: it pushes the stern away from the pontoon

this is a great idea for a video series. Can you do short, practical, hands-on vids like these please? Its so much easier to learn by watching, than reading Thanks for sharing with us Cheers

I have never heard the term "spronging off" before, but this is a technique we use in this area too, depending on what the wind and tide is doing. Very neat, and thanks for this.

Nicely done

Wow this yacht is super beautiful! TWISTER 28

Wow. I have never thought of that. A Twister does not respond easily to springing off. I sailed a Westerly with much more beam admindships and she easily

Same as last comment better to watch and learn than read

Much easier in these conditions is to simply push the bow out from the quay. Hop back onboard and away you go.

And if you need to turn 180, keep the line on, and turn the rudder portside. she'll turn smooth, nice and short. But i don't know if there is a name for that maneuver

This wind on the bow is very light, and looking at your flag, non-existent sometimes. So therefore easy to lever the bow out, but any stronger wind beam on and it would be impossible (even bow thrusters would struggle). You are much better to spring from the bow and drive the stern out first, keeping the bow downwind. Using high revs in close quarters is not good advice. Small bursts of power is better.

Give me a tips- I am selling all my stuff and going to buy a boat to live on and to sail. between 45-55 feet, It is going so sail in bluewater mostly. I also want a full keel and skag for the rudder. What but should I buy?

My boat is moored in exactly the same fashion but with slightly less clearance fore and aft. Can you do a video on how to re-enter a slip like this single handed?

Not enough fenders...lol

Let's be honest, this manoeuvre required just as much clearance forward as the conventional use of a back spring would have, and there was plenty. Furthermore, using a back spring to a pontoon cleat mid-ships would have meant that the skipper could sit on the pontoon (port) side and leave himself plenty of space as he pushed the tiller to starboard. Plus . . . he'd have been positioned right by the boat's cleat for release of the slip, instead of having to dance awkwardly around the tiller to the starboard side cleat. All in all, this 'spronging' doesn't seem a good idea for the single-handed sailor!