How to spring off using a Rustler's Hitch I Stress-free Casting off I Saga47swan

Nathalie & Skipper Chris demonstrates how to use a Rustler's Hitch to spring off the stern for "stress-Free" casting off.
Great for all: Fully crewed, short handed crew "Just the two of us" and single handed sailors.
#howto #stressfree #yachting #seamanship #yachtmasteroffshore #docking #sailing #training #

[@PhilbyFavourites]

With the weather that grim, I’d have stayed in bed!
Great use of the Rustler’s hitch, makes single handing so much easier I find 👍🏻👍🏻

[@MarcasTriesEtsy]

Noce - will have to give that a go.

[@georgerogers2681]

Well done! This technique also works single handed as the hitch will self release once the vessel has moved away from the Dock.

[@Saga47swanSailing]

Yes, you can tie the “release” line to the boat and it will pull / release the hitch, when you reverse. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@grahamlongley8298]

Crew still had to release a line up forward if you watch the video careully I think there was another line further forward.

[@Saga47swanSailing]

@@grahamlongley8298 no, there is only the bow line with the rustler’s hitch .
Slip the midship
Motor forward
When the yacht is away from the dock, then reverse.
When you reverse pull the rustler.

[@grahamlongley8298]

@@Saga47swanSailing So how does a single handed sailor in the cockpit pull the rustler?

[@Saga47swanSailing]

@@grahamlongley8298 you can tie the “release” end of the rustler to the yacht, so it will pull the rustler, when you go reverse

[@benh9928]

Nicely 👍

[@bryansmith1920]

good team

[@Saga47swanSailing]

Thank you

[@gbaiii]

Nice Job, much easier then Concrete in Lagos!

[@Saga47swanSailing]

😂

[@jamesalexander3893]

Very neat

[@Saga47swanSailing]

Thanks for letting us know.

[@grahamlongley8298]

I do the final casting off single handed from the cockpit. I take the bow rope to the cleat where you had the R hitch & pass a bight (or loop) through the cleat then pass the other end of the dock line back to the bow where it started.
I have a piece of rod about 12 inches long, on a line, which passes through the bight & holds the line in the cleat The end of the line goes to me at the cockpit. When I want to relese the bow line I just pull on the line to the rod & the bow line drops out of the cleat. I do not recover it until clear of the dock as it will not foul anything. I pull the rod back to the cockpit.
If I wanted to, I could use a long bow line & pass one end right back round the bow cleat & back to the cockpit & pull the end in from there. That way I do not risk any knots jamming.

[@atakd]

That's an interesting idea. I too would have concerns about a knot jamming when single handed.

[@lubberwalker]

I like the rustlers hitch but don't know why you didn't use a stern spring?
No vessels were ahead of you..... were there rocks or shallows?

[@Saga47swanSailing]

Good question- “rule of thumb “ for springing off is 1. Always into tide and if possible into wind. So in case of no tide, and wind coming from the stern quarter, you would spring stern out. If you would spring out the bow, then the wind would push your stern ( the whole beam is exposed to the forces of the wind) back onto the pontoon as soon as you start to go forward. Hope it is clear - try to draw it and it should be clear as mud ;)

[@lubberwalker]

@@Saga47swanSailing The mud thinned 🙃

[@lubberwalker]

What about 90° blown on?

[@Saga47swanSailing]

@@lubberwalkerstern out as you can get a better / bigger angle due to the shape of the yacht -

[@lubberwalker]

@@Saga47swanSailing I crewed for a couple of skippers (yeah 2 captains one hand).
We were in a 6 birth marina Bay. Two rows of 3 (3 tied to port and a acoss the water to the right 3 tied starboard) all facing in with just a Boat beam width down the middle between each row.
We were the middle boat tied to port slightly blown on.
The skippers discussed stern or bow springing (and were also confusing each other).
I told them I'd get them out with less fuss than lines and shouted orders.
I fendered the dockside bow and untied all lines. We just sat still.
I had one skipper face aft on the helm, one skipper a roving fender and I had one too.
I bow thrust toward the Dock and as the stern came out went into tick over reverse.
We slipped gently through the gap between the boats behind us. The two roving fenders watching mostly the leeward. No lines, no snags, no hassle, no shouting).
I call it a cheatspring.