Rope work

[Heartland]

Some time ago at a Braunston Gathering Clover and Fazeley arrived carrying waste paper, I was intrigued by the rope held on the bank and its purpose.

 

 

 

[Chris-B]

It’s to stop the boat drifting away .....

Edited October 24, 2019 by Chris-B

[Ray T]

Tie the boat to a mooring ring / bollard?

 

Edited October 24, 2019 by Ray T

[Dav and Pen]

We called it middle rope. Used bit like modern boaters use the rope on the roof. At Abington one night boats were cast off. Our stern and bow ropes were untied but the scroats  missed the rope off the back end rail which was round a tree so we were ok.

the maim use of the back end rail was to put the wellies behind to keep them dry.

[pete harrison]

The line on a motor back end rail is very useful when on the move. It allows the steerer to bring the boat to a standstill and hold the boat alongside the bank in one easy manoeuvre. It can also be used to hold the boat alongside the bank once stopped - using the fore end or stern end line when stopping will cause the other end of the boat to swing into the canal requiring a bit of messing about with either the engine or a shaft to sort out. This is particularly helpful when single handing - and you have to remember these boats were not mob handed like boats often are now.

 

A centre line on a modern pleasure boat provides a similar use  

 

edit - the photograph features Les and Alice Lapworth along with Joe Safe - and that looks like steerer Boyle watching from the towpath.

Edited October 24, 2019 by pete harrison

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

4 hours ago, Heartland said:

Some time ago at a Braunston Gathering Clover and Fazeley arrived carrying waste paper, I was intrigued by the rope held on the bank and its purpose.

 

 

 

I can understand that set up on a tug  deck when the rope can easily travel from one side to the other using the rail but how would it have worked when you’ve a plank or cloths in the way? 

 

[Rob-M]

1 hour ago, Goliath said:

I can understand that set up on a tug  deck when the rope can easily travel from one side to the other using the rail but how would it have worked when you’ve a plank or cloths in the way? 

 

We pass it under the plank although it isn't that often the rear plank is in position.

[Heartland]

Thanks Pete, Dav& Pen, for the explanation. I suppose the Middle Rope arrangement developed with time and became a standard fitting on working narrow boats.

[roland elsdon]

The rail and ring arrangement was fitted to all grand union boats as far as I know.

Being in front of the engine room it means with the stern against the bank you can lever the bow over with a single rope (and the reverse). Great if single handing.  Saves having to push on a line.

 

When towing the butty when we stopped i would  put the cross straps so the butty bow was inside the line of the motor stern walk forward, grab the centre line and  stop the motor, pull the bow in with it, kick the stern out, drop the cross straps. This meant the butty came down the towpath side of the motor. 

 

 

 

[blackrose]

On 24/10/2019 at 17:38, Dav and Pen said:

We called it middle rope. Used bit like modern boaters use the rope on the roof. 

 

So it's ok for traditionalists to moor up using a tight middle rope, but the rest of us get slagged off for even thinking about mooring with a centre rope even if it's nice and loose? Ok....

[Rob-M]

6 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

So it's ok for traditionalists to moor up using a tight middle rope, but the rest of us get slagged off for even thinking about mooring with a centre rope even if it's nice and loose? Ok....

Slightly different though when it is coming from the rail as it is at the edge of the boat and lower down compared to coming from the centre of the roof where it is typically on a modern boat.

[roland elsdon]

Centre line not used for mooring used for manoeuvre and control. If we need to tie inside the line  of the boat we attach a shackle to the gunnel and run the the

line to that.

Have heard it called ‘the back end line’

[Liam]

Has a fair few uses...

 

Checking the boat to a stop

 

Tying off and leaving in tick over ahead brings the whole boat in alongside and leaves it there

 

Running it forward and tying off on a bollard stops the initial backwards surge in an uphill lock.

 

Using as a bog standard centre line to pull the boat in

 

And probably loads more probably

 

[howardang]

3 hours ago, Rob-M said:

Slightly different though when it is coming from the rail as it is at the edge of the boat and lower down compared to coming from the centre of the roof where it is typically on a modern boat.

That's splitting hairs; look at the photo of Barnet above with an almost vertical centre rope. "Sauce for the goose..." springs to mind

 

Howard 

[Victor Vectis]

3 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

So it's ok for traditionalists to moor up using a tight middle rope, but the rest of us get slagged off for even thinking about mooring with a centre rope even if it's nice and loose? Ok....

A frequent single hander writes........

 

NO!

 

The middle rope is your friend when single handing through locks etc.

 

But not when mooring.

[furnessvale]

On 24/10/2019 at 17:19, Heartland said:

Some time ago at a Braunston Gathering Clover and Fazeley arrived carrying waste paper, I was intrigued by the rope held on the bank and its purpose.

In this case they were probably walking the boats along the towpath waiting their turn in the usual congestion.

[howardang]

48 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

A frequent single hander writes........

 

NO!

 

The middle rope is your friend when single handing through locks etc.

 

But not when mooring.

Not necessarily true -it depends entirely on the circumstances. Some times it is totally inappropriate to moor using a middle rope, but there are other circumstances where it is perfectly OK. Like many things in life, you have to make a judgement, which also brings into play your own personal experience.

 

Howard

[MtB]

8 hours ago, howardang said:

Not necessarily true -it depends entirely on the circumstances. Some times it is totally inappropriate to moor using a middle rope, but there are other circumstances where it is perfectly OK. Like many things in life, you have to make a judgement, which also brings into play your own personal experience.

 

Howard

 

Depends what you mean by "moor", I'd say.

 

If you mean bow and stern lines secured to rings, engine off, you inside cooking, sleeping or leaving the boat for a week, then tying the centre line seems supremely pointless. 

 

If mooring on stakes in soft ground then a loose centre line tied to a stake might be sensible in case the pins get pulled by a speeding boater. But probably won't help at all, so again, pointless.

 

If by 'mooring' you mean securing the boat temporarily while you set a lock, or go back to shut the gates, then yes I use my centre line for this constantly.

 

 

 

[Mad Harold]

Without a centre rope single handed,mooring up is unecessarily difficult.At a lock I  grab the centreline and put a couple of turns around a bollard and tie up fore or aft depending on the wind.This is usually secure enough to set the lock.

For mooring longer the centreline can be used as a sort of "springer"if the rope is long enough.

[MtB]

33 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:

For mooring longer the centreline can be used as a sort of "springer"if the rope is long enough.

 

it can be, but is hardly any more trouble to set a proper spring using a stern dolly or the tee stud, and FAR more effective.

 

 

[howardang]

2 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Depends what you mean by "moor", I'd say.

 

If you mean bow and stern lines secured to rings, engine off, you inside cooking, sleeping or leaving the boat for a week, then tying the centre line seems supremely pointless. 

 

If mooring on stakes in soft ground then a loose centre line tied to a stake might be sensible in case the pins get pulled by a speeding boater. But probably won't help at all, so again, pointless.

 

If by 'mooring' you mean securing the boat temporarily while you set a lock, or go back to shut the gates, then yes I use my centre line for this constantly.

 

 

 

Exactly. That is what I meant in the first line.

 

Again,  I totally agree with the second line.

 

However, I was making the point that there are some occasions where, for example, either the rings/bollards, at each end are not spaced correctly, or one is missing, or to stop the boat drifting on to an adjacent boat, and so on. Then, rigging a rope as a back spring may be appropriate. I made the point that, at times, you have to use your judgement which should, hopefully,  be backed up by experience.  

 

Like many things in life, it helps to be flexible, but also to use common sense.

 

Howard

[MtB]

3 minutes ago, howardang said:

Like many things in life, it helps to be flexible, but also to use common sense.

 

 

Indeed, and tying a centre line tight down vertically to a mooring ring (as we all see done ever more commonly on boats also securely moored bow and stern), demonstrates a complete lack of common sense! 

 

 

[howardang]

45 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Indeed, and tying a centre line tight down vertically to a mooring ring (as we all see done ever more commonly on boats also securely moored bow and stern), demonstrates a complete lack of common sense! 

 

 

Yup, and that brings us back to the point that Blackrose made in Post 3, when contrasting traditionalists with us lesser mortals! - "So it's ok for traditionalists to moor up using a tight middle rope, but the rest of us get slagged off for even thinking about mooring with a centre rope even if it's nice and loose? Ok...."

 

 

Howard

[pete harrison]

On ‎25‎/‎10‎/‎2019 at 10:42, Heartland said:

Thanks Pete, Dav& Pen, for the explanation. I suppose the Middle Rope arrangement developed with time and became a standard fitting on working narrow boats.

A variation featured on some motors was a separate ring on each side of the engine room bulkhead, as featured here on UMEA in 1966

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

4 minutes ago, pete harrison said:

A variation featured on some motors was a separate ring on each side of the engine room bulkhead, as featured here on UMEA in 1966

 

But no rope attached?

 

What’s under the mop handle?

looks like bell jars or something similar. 

(to keep his cakes/sandwiches fresh?)

 

is UMEA still about?