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Rope diameter for a centre line


DarrenG

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Hi,

 

I want to get another centre line, and am wondering what you preferences are for the diameter of rope, 12mm, 14mm, 16mm?

 

I think 16mm would be nicer to grip and handle, albeit heavier to work, and of course more expensive.

 

Is there an argument for a thinner rope?

 

Cheers

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50 minutes ago, DarrenG said:

Hi,

 

I want to get another centre line, and am wondering what you preferences are for the diameter of rope, 12mm, 14mm, 16mm?

 

I think 16mm would be nicer to grip and handle, albeit heavier to work, and of course more expensive.

 

Is there an argument for a thinner rope?

 

Cheers

16mm nylon for a 57ft or 60ft boat.

 

Howard

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9 hours ago, Rob-M said:

Is that for CRT work boats?

Blue rope? That's the old fashioned way. There are some work boats near here "moored" for weeks with no rope at all. A broad beam pan has been run aground in the shallow bit beside the tow path with one corner pointing at the sky and there are two narrow pusher tugs attached at the far end. Fortunately for them, one of the locks in the flight is being worked on, so no passing boat traffic to set them all adrift.

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It depends to an extent what it is tied to. If it is a naff welded loop on cabin top then non stretching rope is probably wise to avoid the catapult effect if it breaks the fitting. 

 

If it is handrail or handrail bridges ie a solid fixture then a thinner stretchy rope can be good. It's quite nice to have the flexibility to be able to twang the boat against the side in certain situations rather than stop it too abruptly. 

 

I used to use 12mm braided rope for my 57x12ft barge and a couple of times it really saved the day when going onto lay-bys in the wind on the Thames. One particular one I remember was above Iffley lock with a Salters steamer coming up. My Boat was not going in to the side on account of wind and the bow was well out so you put the stern in keep a little bit of way on the boat but out of gear, get off the back drop the centre line over a bollard and as it stretches it twangs the boat in to the side nicely. Had that been a non-stretching line it probably would have parted or things inside the boat would have fallen over and bashed around. Stretchy rope means it all happens in a relaxed way. 

 

This was for handling not for mooring and was fixed to something -definitely- stronger than the rope itself. 

 

Worked lovely but it does take a bit of technique and timing to do it. 

 

Disclaimer: the rope can break. If things go horribly wrong and you are decapitated and left in a pool of blood don't come running to me to complain about it. 

Edited by magnetman
Typos
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ETA another advantage of thinner stuff is one can cut through it with one's cutlass easily in the event of tying the boat up in a silly way where top of cabin ends up too high compared with the bollard. 

 

This assumes one has a cutlass about ones person. They arrr essential. 

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12 hours ago, DarrenG said:

I want to get another centre line

 

I like to cruise with two centre lines too. 

 

Lay one down each side of the cabin roof to the helm. Saves all that tedious flicking of the line over the exhaust/pigeon box/etc each time the towpath changes sides.

 

 

 

 

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6 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

I like to cruise with two centre lines too. 

 

Lay one down each side of the cabin roof to the helm. Saves all that tedious flicking of the line over the exhaust/pigeon box/etc each time the towpath changes sides.

 

 

 

 

I throw the tails of mine down in to the boat via the open sliding hatch, saves them diving

 overboard on to a spinning propshaft DAMHIK.

I have one 14mm braid and one 12 mmm three strand. I much prefer the braid, plus it happens to be about two metres longer. 

 

Edited by LadyG
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5 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I throw the tails of mine down in to the boat via the open sliding hatch, saves them diving

 overboard on to a spinning propshaft DAMHIK.

I have one 14mm braid and one 12 mmm three strand. I much prefer the braid, plus it happens to be about two metres longer. 

 

If I did that on our boat, they would wrap themselves around the spinning prop shaft on the inside of the boat. I suppose at least I wouldn't have to go down the weed hatch to fix it though.

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11 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

I like to cruise with two centre lines too. 

 

Lay one down each side of the cabin roof to the helm. Saves all that tedious flicking of the line over the exhaust/pigeon box/etc each time the towpath changes sides.

 

 

 

 

 

It was sometimes a bit of a pain having a single centre line, but when I put extra solar panels on the rear half of the roof, it became a right nuisance trying to flick the rope over the corners of the panel mountings.

Since I started using two centre lines I've found my life has improved greatly, women find me more attractive, and I've won the lottery three times- and I don't even do the lottery. 

Not all of that is completely true.

 

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58 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

I have two centre lines, much easier but I also keep a fairly clear roof.  These are 12mm but I would go 14mm when I replace them.IMG_20220420_133147987_HDR.jpg.0b182894d4d50d6ba27bb15c073706e1.jpg

I have the same/similar set up. 
Not a neat roof like yours mind. 

Just measured my rope and it’s 12mm

The mooring ropes are 10mm. 

 



 

(main line going under Engine Arm by the way)

Edited by Goliath
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