Is it normal for someone to move your boat without your permission, to the offside of the canal, tie it to trees and take your mooring pins?

[magnetman]

The old US army tent pegs are quite handy too. About 3ft long with a machined point on a 30mm round section and the "loop" is welded in more places than you can imagine..

 

Only problem is the noise level when hitting them with a sledge. It is VERY LOUD. Be warned. Eardrum damage loud.

 

Bloody good mooring pins and they do courier them if you are not local to Keighley. 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Marquee-Pegs-Landrover-Caravan-anchors-US-army-Picket-post-Unused-/111110765283

 

Quality stuff. 

 

It seems improbable but that square "handle" at the end is wrapped right round and welded all the way around too and bottom on both ends. A lot of welding for such an inconspicuous item..

 

Only in America !

Edited September 21, 2020 by magnetman

[The Gravy Boater]

3 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I still find it weird that anyone can comfortably leave a multi thousand pound investment, full of desirable stuff, totally insecure and unattended for weeks at a time on the towpath. It reaffirms my faith in human nature that hardly any get vandalised, broken into or stolen. 

Folks have their reasons.  If you have insurance and remove everything (mobile devices) that cannot be insured there is little financial risk.  But personally I'd never leave my boat outside a marina overnight unless it was somewhere with loads of boaters and lots of footfall. 

 

[David Mack]

6 hours ago, Ray T said:

 

When I use the pins I always loop the line through the rings on the pins and tie off on the boat.

 

6 hours ago, alias said:

... or if you have pins without loops then put a clove hitch on the pin before taking the line back to the boat.

 

When I am leaving the boat for any time on pins I first hammer in a pin with a loop welded to it, tie the rope with a clove hitch around the pin below the loop and back to the boat, then drive a second plain pin throughthe loop on the first pin. Having two pins at different angles makes it much less likely they will be pulled out.

[Rickent]

13 hours ago, David Mack said:

 

 

When I am leaving the boat for any time on pins I first hammer in a pin with a loop welded to it, tie the rope with a clove hitch around the pin below the loop and back to the boat, then drive a second plain pin throughthe loop on the first pin. Having two pins at different angles makes it much less likely they will be pulled out.

I do this as a matter of course any time I am moored on pins.

[ditchcrawler]

On 21/09/2020 at 17:50, Tony Brooks said:

The Rhond (thanks for the spelling) anchors I am more familiar with have a curved fluke to the tip tends to run under the right angle on the shank. I get the impression that that the curved type will have a tendency to dig themselves in when pulled.

Same as me,  but I come from Norfolk 

 

 

[The Gravy Boater]

54 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Same as me,  but I come from Norfolk 

 

 

That's a great vid.  Going to have to add a couple of them to my inventory now.

[Machpoint005]

On 21/09/2020 at 19:35, magnetman said:

Eardrum damage loud.

 

Point of order - the eardrum isn't damaged, the cilia within the cochlea are.

22 hours ago, David Mack said:

>>tie the rope with a clove hitch<<

 

Aaargh! Caution needed when using a clove hitch! This is one of the very few proper uses for it on a boat. Otherwise it slips when you don't want it to, and stays tight when you want it to slip. But you knew that.

 

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

3 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Same as me,  but I come from Norfolk 

 

 

Good for big/wide river banks, I guess. 
But are they appropriate for a canal bank?
Seems overkill. 

What no one mentions is how far away from the edge of the bank stakes/pegs/anchors should be driven in. 
Too close and it’s gonna tear the bank away. 

I reckon there’s a good portion of the canal banks destroyed through bad use of pins/stakes. 
 

Edited September 22, 2020 by Goliath

[dave moore]

I’ve always known them as stakes or spikes. “ Pins” ....ugh!

The old military hexagon sectioned stakes with a forged eye towards the top are good, best driven in with a sledgehammer. Never lost one yet!

[restlessnomad]

@lionfish did you solve the mystery ... 

[ditchcrawler]

3 hours ago, dave moore said:

I’ve always known them as stakes or spikes. “ Pins” ....ugh!

The old military hexagon sectioned stakes with a forged eye towards the top are good, best driven in with a sledgehammer. Never lost one yet!

One of the problems with pins ( they ate not worth calling stakes) is that they weld a loop about a quarter of the way from the top of the rod. so an 18" pin goes less than 15" into the ground unless you drive the ring under the surface. I would never leave the boat moored on them, OK if you are onboard. 

[lionfish]

On 23/09/2020 at 11:11, restlessnomad said:

@lionfish did you solve the mystery ... 

Thanks all, got me some goat chains, extra spikes and a bit more knowledge, will let you know how the next moor up goes. 

Restlessnomad I think i've settled on it being cool after all. Looking forward to getting back out on the water.