Someone untied my ropes

[LadyG]

I always check ropes am and pm, epecially when its windy.

So a week ago, I noticed a dodgy old stern line was no longer a bowline, but a dodgy double round turn [ie not my fastening] , the only reason it was  previously a bowline  was 'cos the rope was  too short, and indeed, that particular rope with  two half hitches later came undone, but by that time I had doubled up with a decent mooring rope. I've been sailing for forty years, and never had a knot untie!

Obviously it is a criminal offence to interfere with mooring ropes.

Just sayin'

jo

Edited May 25, 2020 by LadyG

[Cheese]

Or alternatively ....

 

... someone tied your ropes!   ?

[LadyG]

I 

9 minutes ago, Cheese said:

Or alternatively ....

 

... someone tied your ropes!   ?

I would not touch someone else's ropes, well certainly not without saying something, and/or good reason. Though I was sharing a bollard for a couple of days, perhaps they decided to untie my bowline, but could not re-tie it, weird. 

In a marina, in storm conditions, I have sorted a boat that was causing problems, but I have not touched existing ropes, but added extra ones.

Edited May 25, 2020 by LadyG

[howardang]

25 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I 

I would not touch someone else's ropes, well certainly not without saying something, and/or good reason. Though I was sharing a bollard for a couple of days, perhaps they decided to untie my bowline, but could not re-tie it, weird. 

In a marina, in storm conditions, I have sorted a boat that was causing problems, but I have not touched existing ropes, but added extra ones.

When sharing the bollard were the eyes dipped to allow either boat to remove the line? If they hadn't it might explain the changes.

 

Howard

[LadyG]

4 minutes ago, howardang said:

When sharing the bollard were the eyes dipped to allow either boat to remove the line? If they hadn't it might explain the changes.

 

Howard

They had a round turn, I had a bowline, it explains why they left without saying g'morning or byeeee, as I had been particulalry helpfull, providing beer an' drugs! as they were broken down!

Edited May 25, 2020 by LadyG

[Mad Harold]

9 hours ago, LadyG said:

They had a round turn, I had a bowline, it explains why they left without saying g'morning or byeeee, as I had been particulalry helpfull, providing beer an' drugs! as they were broken down!

I have secured the lines of unoccupied boats on odd occasions if they look dodgy in windy weather.I think it is a neighbourly thing to do.

I was grateful to someone recently for re-tying my stern line when it came adrift.

Everyone has their own way of securing mooring lines,so I can't always re -secure a boat in the same way it was originally tied.

[Naughty Cal]

We have had our boat shuffled around and remoored many times to make best use of available mooring space. Provided it is tied up so as the boat won't get damaged I don't see the problem and certainly don't believe it is a criminal act.

 

You have a lot to learn about inland boating!!

[restlessnomad]

I can easily make a 15 min video out of this.... jk...

[mrsmelly]

10 hours ago, howardang said:

When sharing the bollard were the eyes dipped to allow either boat to remove the line? If they hadn't it might explain the changes.

 

Howard

Most boaters will not know what you mean without Mr google Howard.

[Alan de Enfield]

9 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Most boaters will not know what you mean without Mr google Howard.

Most boaters would know, a small number (maybe 30,000 or so) may not.

[mrsmelly]

Just now, Alan de Enfield said:

Most boaters would know, a small number (maybe 30,000 or so) may not.

Yes when I typed I though that. Proper boat owners are more likely to have an idea but even then I reckon some dont. Skip drivers simply dont come across such basic rope handling much of the time.

[howardang]

12 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Yes when I typed I though that. Proper boat owners are more likely to have an idea but even then I reckon some dont. Skip drivers simply dont come across such basic rope handling much of the time.

Yes,  I suspect, though I have absolutely no concrete evidence, that a much greater proportion of boaters, (and I am talking about inland waterways, not lumpy waters) are able to talk at length about the merits of battery chargers, the finer points of engines and pump outs but not about such basic boating skills. I have always thought it strange that yachties in general are often keen to improve their boating skills whereas inland boaters tend to disregard such matters in favour of more mechanical subjects.

 

Howard

[Mad Harold]

When mooring for any length of time,I take a turn around the bollard,and lead the line back to the boat's cleat.

How does one "dip the eyes" doing that?

[frahkn]

2 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:

When mooring for any length of time,I take a turn around the bollard,and lead the line back to the boat's cleat.

How does one "dip the eyes" doing that?

I don't think you can. In that situation I always tie up with my rope below the other boat's on the bollard.

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, Mad Harold said:

When mooring for any length of time,I take a turn around the bollard,and lead the line back to the boat's cleat.

How does one "dip the eyes" doing that?

Yes, thats a different method of mooring though not incorrect for the usual inland location. Boat shaped boats normaly put the eye over the mooring bollard and tie of back on board at bollards or a cleat for instance. I think the reason inland boaters dont put the eye over the bollard is its thought easier for scrotes to remove and set you adrift.

[ditchcrawler]

I thought you were going to say someone untied your ropes and set you adrift. 

5 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Yes, thats a different method of mooring though not incorrect for the usual inland location. Boat shaped boats normaly put the eye over the mooring bollard and tie of back on board at bollards or a cleat for instance. I think the reason inland boaters dont put the eye over the bollard is its thought easier for scrotes to remove and set you adrift.

Its the same as when Narrowboaters use ropes in locks, one end attached to the boat, round the bollard and the other end back to the person on the boat, if the rope crosses you hang up. I have been on a barge in France where it happened, I was a passenger.

[howardang]

43 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:

When mooring for any length of time,I take a turn around the bollard,and lead the line back to the boat's cleat.

How does one "dip the eyes" doing that?

If that is your preferred method, then if there is someone already using the bollard, it's only courtesy to make sure your rope is below theirs on the bollard. Then either boat can leave first without disturbing the other rope.

 

Howard

[TheBiscuits]

2 minutes ago, howardang said:

If that is your preferred method, then if there is someone already using the bollard, it's only courtesy to make sure your rope is below theirs on the bollard. Then either boat can leave first without disturbing the other rope.

 

Whilst that is courteous - which is why I do it - it doesn't really make any difference if the other boat only uses a turn round the bollard too. 

 

If I am there first, and someone else comes along and loops round the top of the bollard, we still all finish up as if they were there first and I looped round the base afterwards ...

[Iain_S]

12 hours ago, LadyG said:

They had a round turn, I had a bowline, it explains why they left without saying g'morning or byeeee, as I had been particulalry helpfull, providing beer an' drugs! as they were broken down!

If they had to remove or adjust your rope to get theirs off, possible if the bowline slips over the round rurn, then it's a lot easier to re-secure with the right tension using a round turn and two half hitches than tying a bowline and hoping it's the right size and in the ight place

[Alan de Enfield]

32 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Whilst that is courteous - which is why I do it - it doesn't really make any difference if the other boat only uses a turn round the bollard too. 

 

If I am there first, and someone else comes along and loops round the top of the bollard, we still all finish up as if they were there first and I looped round the base afterwards ...

 

Boats generally use a large eye-splice to go over the top of the bollard.

If another one comes along and loops their eye-spice over the top of yours then if you try and remove your lines it will have to slide all the way down the 'top' line, onto their boat and off around the cleat.

 

The correct way is to put your eye-splice underneath their line / eyes splice, poke it thu the 'eye' and then loop it over the top of the bollard, that way either line can be simply lifted off the bollard without having to remove the other.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=dipping+a+mooring+rope&ie=&oe=#kpvalbx=_dv7MXrqIDNKAgQaIvbnIBQ27

[TheBiscuits]

15 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Boats generally use a large eye-splice to go over the top of the bollard.

If another one comes along and loops their eye-spice over the top of yours then if you try and remove your lines it will have to slide all the way down the 'top' line, onto their boat and off around the cleat.

 

I'm saying that if not using an eye for mooring, just a turn round the bollard and tied off back on the boat as per @Mad Harold's post above it doesn't matter.  It's the closed loop of the eye that makes it necessary and therefore courteous.

 

I understand the point of it where mooring using eyes - spliced or tied - is common, but I think that is very much the exception on the canals.  I don't think it's a cultural thing, it's simple practicality as on the ditches you don't know if your next mooring is going to be on pins or bollards or a jetty with cleats or rings or nappy pins.

 

 

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

I understand the point of it where mooring using eyes - spliced or tied - is common, but I think that is very much the exception on the canals.  I don't think it's a cultural thing, it's simple practicality as on the ditches you don't know if your next mooring is going to be on pins or bollards or a jetty with cleats or rings or nappy pins.

 

In which case I loop the eye over my on-board cleat, take the line around the shore bollard then back onto the boat and tie it off on the cleat.

 

An eye-spice on one end and a back-splice on the other end and all options are catered for.

[ditchcrawler]

I always tie below the other boat's rope and often leave before them

[Keeping Up]

18 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I always tie below the other boat's rope and often leave before them

Me too. One problem though is you can't then tie a boatman's hitch.

[ditchcrawler]

Just now, Keeping Up said:

Me too. One problem though is you can't then tie a boatman's hitch.

On bollards I tend to run back to the boat