Scaffolding poles in a flood

[Rambling]

How do you use scaffolding poles to prevent the boat going onto the bank when in flood?

 

I realise that they go vertical to the boat, but how do you jam them down into the river bed (if that is what you are supposed to do).

 

 

What is the best way to stop your boat going on to the bank?

 

and

 

are there other things you can do to protect yourself when living on a boat in a flood?

 

Would it be a daft idea to drop anchor away from the banks and wait it out? what is safest?

 

 

 

I am about to start living on my new 70ft boat, and think that I should learn a little more, as my area is currently flooded and there are boats on the banks.

 

Thanks for your expertise.

[Naughty Cal]

If an option try to find a temporary safer mooring against a high wall or ideally a floating pontoon.

 

We tend to keep a list of flood moorings for if we are caught out away from home but also more local to our home mooring for if we get locked out of the marina by the flood gates! We have at least three preferred options on the Fossdyke.

 

If not an option make the most of what you have got. We have seen people wedging planks of wood into the amco rails to provide some extra vertical height much the same as you would with scaffold poles. Alternatively anchor them horizontally and use them to hold the boat from the bank.

 

Hope this is of some use

[Leo No2]

There's some photos here (http://ianhelencanals.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/delights-of-wallingford.html) of Wallingford from May-12 of scaffold poles in use. - it's usually quite a climb down where the boats when the river levels are normal.

[Rambling]

great that is really helpful thanks. I see, they are attached to the boat (not the bank) with the ropes. Just trying to work out how they have tied them.

[GoodGurl]

we tie our scaffold tubes at the top and let them hang down the side, alternatively you could drill a hole in the tube and thread rope through,they dont need to be in the ground as long as they hang below the baseplate by about 3ft you should be fine.make sure you have enough rope at the top to adjust incase you need the pole in the water more.don't worry if the pole floats to one side that is normal.

[blackrose]

This is how I did it on my previous mooring on the Thames. You basically ram the main pole into the river bed as hard as you can and then try to get above it with a sledge hammer. It's not easy. If you can't get above it you can try to clamp a short parallel pole to it and hammer that.

 

 

And this is what it looked like when it flooded.

 

 

I also had a big permanent concrete anchor about 20m in front of the boat (belt and braces). The combined effect of the current and anchor was that the boat would move slightly out away from the poles as the current got between the boat and the bank. That may or may not be what you need. For me it was fine because I was using a dinghy to go across the river to get on and off the boat, I wasn't wading to dry land. (Before anyone asks, that centre rope went about 15ft forward and pulled the boat forward as the river rose). I had 2 bow and two stern mooring ropes tied elsewhere and all were very slack with 56lb weights hanging off them to keep them tight. That way the river could rise and fall and I never had to adjust my ropes.

 

The other way of doing it is explained in this thread.

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=29878

Edited December 27, 2013 by blackrose

[Rambling]

wow! ok, I like the small pole attached to the larger pole idea. I can see that being physically possible to put together. I suppose you have to have somewhere to keep your scaffolding poles ready and handy. The concrete anchor.. could you use a sandbag full of that concrete that you just add water to? I am just thinking practicalities. I can see that attaching the pole to the top and threading the rope through is nice and easy, andI think might be sufficient on a small rising river.

 

That's is amazingly helpful thank you all.

Edited December 27, 2013 by Rambling

[blackrose]

wow! ok, I like the small pole attached to the larger pole idea. I can see that being physically possible to put together. I suppose you have to have somewhere to keep your scaffolding poles ready and handy. The concrete anchor.. could you use a sandbag full of that concrete that you just add water to? I am just thinking practicalities.

 

That's is amazingly helpful thank you all.

 

I used giant (50 litre?) yellow plastic bucket from Wickes.

 

 

I mixed up a 25kg bag of cement & sand on a board with a spade and put it into the bucket. Then I put a knot in 10mm chain and hung it from a wire coathanger in the centre of the bucket resting on top of the wet cement. Then I mixed up 2 more 25kg bags of cement and put them into the bucket up to the top. I left it for 3 days to set and hauled it onto the bow of my boat with a friend. Then I moved the boat forward into position and gave my friend the thumbs up to push it overboard. There was an almighty splash!

 

My boat is a 32 tonne widebeam so you might not need such a big weight.

Edited December 27, 2013 by blackrose

[Rambling]

this is presumably to keep the boat away from the bank? and it can rise with the water secured by the scaffolding.

[smileypete]

Good to use nice long fore and aft springs too, this piccie gives some idea though it illustrates them on a sailboat:

 

 

Also tying the stern line to the cleat away from the bank gives a longer rope with more scope for up and down movement. Also means if the ropes do go tight the stern rope won't pull so hard on the side nearest the bank and the boat shouldn't heel over toward the bank so much which can submerge engine vents or sink and shower outlets.

 

Nylon rope usually stretches up to 50% before breaking so could be good for bow and stern line but may be too stretchy for springs in some cases, in which case a less stretchy rope like polypropylene, polyester or polysteel would be a better choice.

 

If a mooring can be subject to catastrophic flooding it might not be a bad idea to use thinner ropes for bow and stern line that can be normal tightness for everyday mooring, then thick ropes with loads of slack as a backup. If the level rises suddenly the thin ropes should break more easily but the thick ones stop the boat getting washed away.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Edited December 27, 2013 by smileypete

[Naughty Cal]

Good to use nice long fore and aft springs too, this piccie gives some idea though it illustrates them on a sailboat:

 

 

Also tying the stern line to the cleat away from the bank gives a longer rope with more scope for up and down movement. Also means if the ropes do go tight the stern rope won't pull so hard on the side nearest the bank and the boat shouldn't heel over toward the bank so much which can submerge engine vents or sink and shower outlets.

 

Nylon rope usually stretches up to 50% before breaking so could be good for bow and stern line but may be too stretchy for springs in some cases, in which case a less stretchy rope like polypropylene, polyester or polysteel would be a better choice.

 

If a mooring can be subject to catastrophic flooding it might not be a bad idea to use thinner ropes for bow and stern line that can be normal tightness for everyday mooring, then thick ropes with loads of slack as a backup. If the level rises suddenly the thin ropes should break more easily but the thick ones stop the boat getting washed away.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

That particular picture can be quite confusing as the bow and stern lines should ideally be on the opposite side of the boat to the bank.

 

I know you said that in the text but not all will read that!

[FadeToScarlet]

We moor on a river that occasionally floods, with a concrete edge about 15" above normal river level, so any flooding greater than that risks catching the edge of the uxter plate on it.

 

We use scaffolding poles, about 10' long. The aluminium ones are easier to handle but don't take so well to being bashed in.

 

The trick is to force them downwards by hand, ensuring they're started off in a soft place, and then wang the top with a sledgehammer so there's a good deal of pole buried. In the event of a very catastrophic flood, where the poles themselves are all that keeps the baseplate of the boat from the bank, I'd want to add additional poles as Blackrose has done, and place the anchor in as a backup.

 

We tend to leave them in the mooring, unless we're away for more than a week, to mark the spot for our return.

 

Getting them out afterwards is tricky! The normal way is to loosen them with the sledge, and then rig up a stout plank as a picket puller type lever to hoick them out.

Edited December 28, 2013 by FadeToScarlet

[Alan Saunders]

I found it remarkably easy to drive four foot scaffold tube mooring stakes into the bank with a club hammer.

If you happen to have an old (series) Land Rover swivel bearing it is a perfect fit in the tube to make a solid striking surface.

 

If it was harder or difficult to get above the top of the pole I would use a post driver - £7.50 to hire for two days. Best to have two people, one on each handle. Or get a local farmer to put them in with a tractor mounted post driver.

 

[Theo]

If you have long term moorings on a river one method that I have seen is to have towing balls mounted on the bow and stern. Long scaffolding poles are anchored to the bank so that they can pivot up, down and sideways. On the other end they have towing sockets like what you get on the front of a trailer. These engage with the towing balls on the boat. The scaffolding poles define how far from the bank the boat is positioned. In addition to the scaffolding poles you need really long lines to prevent movement up and down stream. You don't need head and stern lines, long springs will do.

 

Nick

[Rambling]

It would be good to get some pictures of the towing balls in action. That sounds interesting. I do have a long term mooring and want to plan in advance. This is all so helpful.

 

Pictures are great in case the imagination gets it wrong.

[Theo]

H

 

It would be good to get some pictures of the towing balls in action. That sounds interesting. I do have a long term mooring and want to plan in advance. This is all so helpful.

Pictures are great in case the imagination gets it wrong.

Hm...

 

I am not sure if my artistic skills are up to it.

 

Give me a little while...

 

Nick

[Robbo]

If you have long term moorings on a river one method that I have seen is to have towing balls mounted on the bow and stern. Long scaffolding poles are anchored to the bank so that they can pivot up, down and sideways. On the other end they have towing sockets like what you get on the front of a trailer. These engage with the towing balls on the boat. The scaffolding poles define how far from the bank the boat is positioned. In addition to the scaffolding poles you need really long lines to prevent movement up and down stream. You don't need head and stern lines, long springs will do.

 

Nick

 

Another way is too forget about the towing balls and just run a rope inside the pole, making sure what you tie the rope too can make the pole pivot up and down without catching on anything.

 

Also remember that the poles will bring the boat closer to the bank when the water rises, so they need to be long enough to not bring you on the bank. Although they will push you away from the bank when the water falls if they've not got back on themselves. If the water is going to rise alot, the pole in the riverbed looks better.

Edited December 30, 2013 by Robbo

[Theo]

H

 

Hm...

 

I am not sure if my artistic skills are up to it.

 

Give me a little while...

 

Nick

Here is a link to have a look at my amazing artwork: https://www.dropbox.com/s/h82iozfcyvpib5d/NB3.jpg

 

I will put it in line in a bit.

 

Nick

 

Another way is too forget about the towing balls and just run a rope inside the pole, making sure what you tie the rope too can make the pole pivot up and down without catching on anything.

 

Also remember that the poles will bring the boat closer to the bank when the water rises, so they need to be long enough to not bring you on the bank. Although they will push you away from the bank when the water falls if they've not got back on themselves. If the water is going to rise alot, the pole in the riverbed looks better.

That sounds simpler

 

Nick

[Theo]

 

Nick

Edited December 30, 2013 by Theo

[blackrose]

this is presumably to keep the boat away from the bank? and it can rise with the water secured by the scaffolding.

 

Yes, but my boat wasn't actually tied to the scaffolding - with the force of the current that is experienced on the stretch of the Thames where I was moored you need more secure mooring points. The scaffolding is only used to keep the boat off the bank.

H

 

Hm...

 

I am not sure if my artistic skills are up to it.

 

Give me a little while...

 

Nick

 

There are also some diagrams in the thread I posted a link to earlier.

[Theo]

 

Yes, but my boat wasn't actually tied to the scaffolding - with the force of the current that is experienced on the stretch of the Thames where I was moored you need more secure mooring points. The scaffolding is only used to keep the boat off the bank.

 

There are also some diagrams in the thread I posted a link to earlier.

Thanks, Blackrose. As you can see I have honed by digital art skills to a high finish!

[Rambling]

that's really clear and really helpful! Thank you.