Mooring to a ring

[grunders]

My question is: What is the best method of making fast to a ring (i) when you can get the rope back to the boat? (ii) when you can't get the rope back to the boat?

[Chris J W]

My question is: What is the best method of making fast to a ring (i) when you can get the rope back to the boat? (ii) when you can't get the rope back to the boat?

 

I've only really done the first; after I've made the centre line secure-ish I normally do the bow line first with the rope going back around the bow mooring dolly leaving about 5ft of slack. Then back to the stern, pulling the line so that the bow slack is taken up first and then when it's tight securing the rope around the stern dollies. Then back to the centre line to get that secure.

 

Hope that makes sense.

[grunders]

I've only really done the first; after I've made the centre line secure-ish I normally do the bow line first with the rope going back around the bow mooring dolly leaving about 5ft of slack. Then back to the stern, pulling the line so that the bow slack is taken up first and then when it's tight securing the rope around the stern dollies. Then back to the centre line to get that secure.

 

Hope that makes sense.

 

 

Yes, it does make sense. Thanks for the input.

[John Orentas]

My question is: What is the best method of making fast to a ring (i) when you can get the rope back to the boat? (ii) when you can't get the rope back to the boat?

 

 

I would say you should aways moor up to the boat an all circumstances when rings are available, if for no better reason than you reduce the amount of getting on and off the boat. Nearly always with a round turn & two half hitches or a clove hitch if very temporary.

[grunders]

I would say you should aways moor up to the boat an all circumstances when rings are available, if for no better reason than you reduce the amount of getting on and off the boat. Nearly always with a round turn & two half hitches or a clove hitch if very temporary.

 

 

Ok, thanks John.

Edited August 17, 2007 by grunders

[kookie]

i think i should have paid more attention when i was in the brownies and guides. I have no idea about knots and things :ph34r:

[bottle]

Hi kookie

 

This may help with the memory Animated Knots by Gregg

[kookie]

thanks for that link, keith bottle. I have stuck it in my faves, (hoping i still manage tinternet access) That clove knot looks might it might be a useful tool.

Edited August 17, 2007 by kookie

[Barry]

Clove hitch is ok for a short period - it can slip apparently and come undone - not very reliable

 

The round turn and two half hitches is much better - more secure

[kookie]

thank you.

[RLWP]

Here's something that I use when casting off from a ring when we have tied off on the boat. Rather than pulling all of the rope back through a ring, untie the rope and hold it in one hand, unhook the looped end of the rope from your t-stud, chuck it on the towpath (the loop not the t-stud), then pull the rope and loop through the ring. Saves getting the rope dirty or wet and you don't have to get off your boat.

 

I don't claim any originality or authenticity for this method. It's just something that works for me.

 

Richard

[SteveE]

Here's something that I use when casting off from a ring when we have tied off on the boat. Rather than pulling all of the rope back through a ring, untie the rope and hold it in one hand, unhook the looped end of the rope from your t-stud, chuck it on the towpath (the loop not the t-stud), then pull the rope and loop through the ring. Saves getting the rope dirty or wet and you don't have to get off your boat.

 

I don't claim any originality or authenticity for this method. It's just something that works for me.

 

Richard

 

Absolutely right but try not to hit any dog do.

SteveE

[kookie]

Absolutely right but try not to hit any dog do.

SteveE

 

never tried it on a boat, but I definately agree about the doggydoo!! (I have 5, so i know where you are coming from!) I doooo clear up after mine though!

[Hairy-Neil]

The round turn and two half hitches is much better - more secure

 

But has the disadvantage that it can pull tight, so tight in fact that its impossible to undo, especially in a hurry. Far better to use a hitch than a knot. A boatmans/lightermans/tugmans hitch is ideal

[kookie]

you're all trying to confuze me, arentya! I'm off to check out that animated website again.

[DHutch]

Here's something that I use when casting off from a ring when we have tied off on the boat. Rather than pulling all of the rope back through a ring, untie the rope and hold it in one hand, unhook the looped end of the rope from your t-stud, chuck it on the towpath (the loop not the t-stud), then pull the rope and loop through the ring. Saves getting the rope dirty or wet and you don't have to get off your boat.

 

I don't claim any originality or authenticity for this method. It's just something that works for me.

 

Richard

The other thing you can do to loose lenght, and we often do if the rings are in the right place, is to pass a loop of line though the ring,and drop that over the dolly, and make the end fast as normal.

 

Then without doing any long threading of rope you have four lenghts from ring to dolly and its al not going anywhere.

 

 

 

Daniel

[Bill Kennedy]

The other thing you can do to loose lenght, and we often do if the rings are in the right place, is to pass a loop of line though the ring,and drop that over the dolly, and make the end fast as normal.

 

Then without doing any long threading of rope you have four lenghts from ring to dolly and its al not going anywhere.

Daniel

 

I agree Daniel. There is also the added advantage that you don't have to step off the boat to untie.

 

Bill

[grunders]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. Any ideas on how to use a bight of the rope to secure to a ring (I don't want to have to take the whole length of rope through the ring) when you can't get back to the boat/ don't want to take rope back to boat?

 

My solution so far is to tie two half hitches to the ring with the bight - any better methods?

 

Thanks again.

[Barry]

I can't think of a better method than that

 

My knot tying expertise comes from elswhere so experienced boaters may have another solution

[John Orentas]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. Any ideas on how to use a bight of the rope to secure to a ring (I don't want to have to take the whole length of rope through the ring) when you can't get back to the boat/ don't want to take rope back to boat?

 

My solution so far is to tie two half hitches to the ring with the bight - any better methods?

 

Thanks again.

 

 

As Daniel said, pass a loop of the rope through the ring, some times you can do this several times. I use 5/8" climbing ropes, probably a bit longer than most, I often end up a bunch of six or even eight strands of rope between boat and ring. But for casting off you simply lift the loops off your 'T' stud, you never need to pull long lengths of rope through the ring.

 

Always be on the lookout for climbers, we seem to have a lot of them up here. They replace their ropes every year or more often if they fall on them, I have never bought a rope in my life. The only problem they tend to get injured once too often then take up flower pressing or whatever.

 

The one problem with this type of rope, you can't splice them. Practise tying a bowline to form a loop, an excellent knot it never comes undone but is easily untied. Heat seal the cut ends.

Edited August 18, 2007 by John Orentas

[down the north]

My question is: What is the best method of making fast to a ring (i) when you can get the rope back to the boat? (ii) when you can't get the rope back to the boat?

 

Hi , one knot I use all the time when you cant get the rope back to the boat is ; (bear with me )

make a loop in the rope at about the right length to tepoorily tie off, feed it through the ring, then make a half hitch around the line to the boat, Then, ( the important bit ) the outgoing loop of the half hitch lay across the line to the boat, then with the end of the rope that you havent pulled through, feed that over and under the crossed loop and pull through a few inches. This makes an easy release knot which requires one pull to remove the 'lock' a pull out of the half hitch, the pull the loop out of the ring and youre loose in seconds...

and that holds a 70 footer at locks !

martin

[grunders]

Hi , one knot I use all the time when you cant get the rope back to the boat is ; (bear with me )

make a loop in the rope at about the right length to tepoorily tie off, feed it through the ring, then make a half hitch around the line to the boat, Then, ( the important bit ) the outgoing loop of the half hitch lay across the line to the boat, then with the end of the rope that you havent pulled through, feed that over and under the crossed loop and pull through a few inches. This makes an easy release knot which requires one pull to remove the 'lock' a pull out of the half hitch, the pull the loop out of the ring and youre loose in seconds...

and that holds a 70 footer at locks !

martin

 

 

That seems like quite a good method; I'll have to try it sometime.

Edited August 18, 2007 by grunders

[Machpoint005]

I'd agree with the consensus here - round turn and two half hitches on the boat, or at the ring if necessary. Tie a RT&THH properly and it will come undone when you want, and not before.

 

One thing I would take issue with, however, is the use of a clove hitch anywhere on board. This hitch is for starting and finishing a square lashing, or finishing a diagonal lashing, and pretty well nothing else. It slips when you want it to hold, and jams when you want it to slip. Useless.

 

Ian

[Barry]

Have you ever noticed that if you tie the two half hitches of a round turn and two half hitches properly - they make a clove hitch?

[Rich]

"One thing I would take issue with, however, is the use of a clove hitch anywhere on board. This hitch is for starting and finishing a square lashing, or finishing a diagonal lashing, and pretty well nothing else. It slips when you want it to hold, and jams when you want it to slip. Useless."

 

However, offboard (?) a clove hitch around your mooring pin if you use the sort that doesn't have a welded loop means that if your pin pulls out due to NB racing or dodgy ground it doesn't vanish into the depths of the canal. They can be a pig to undo but do save some cash.

 

Richard Tanner