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Centre rope length?


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My centre line is plenty long enough to foul the prop but I always make sure I'm in neutral before using it ... I'd much rather have too much than too little

Edited by KevMc
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I have two 10m lines- or, rather, 1 20m figure-of-eight knotted to the ring for the centreline.

 

The trick is to never get it in the water....

 

I keep meaning to cut it and splice eyes in the end so they can be karabinered on, so I can have a short one for "everyday" and a long one if needed.

 

But then sod's law says I wouldn't have the long one attached when I needed it!

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Our extra long lines were once fully deployed before I'd figured out a way of temporarily shortening them whe not required (as above) and our daughter steering ran us through a overhanging tree (don't ask) and dragged both lines off the roof into the water - thus trailing them elegantly down either side of the boat... :rolleyes:

 

fortunately I clocked what had happened and killed the revs before they got drawn under the boat and around the prop. This is the only time we have come near them fouling the prop as I am normally aware of the potential for them to do so when fully deployed and handle them accordingly.

 

(Not with standing accidents as above of course)

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Having only been boating for a year and only properly getting to grips with locks of various types this year due to being stuck between Foxton and Watford for much of last year,ive a question about how long my centre rope should be? I thought the rule of thumb is that it shouldnt reach the prop if dropped into the water,this however makes it awkward when going through broad locks when i want to run the rope around a bollard to steady the boat.When descending locks i run the rope around a bollard and hold the end,then as the boat drops rope gets shorter until i have to release it.Most of the time i simply left the lock and managed to grab the rope as it dropped,though missed once and had an awkward moment leaning over the side to scoop the rope from the water.Any suggestions as to how i should improve my technique?Obviously a longer rope would make it simple as i would not need to lose my grasp of it,trouble is it would then reach the prop if it were to fall into the water.

 

Ian.

 

Just a suggestion you might want to try:

Calculate the maximum length of rope that wouldn't foul the prop. Buy a rope twice this length and tie the centre of that rope to your centre line fastening. You will now have 2 centre lines that won't foul the prop and when needed you can tie off to make a short and a long line.

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I prefer 10 metre centre lines.

 

I avoid them fouling the prop by not dropping them in the water.

 

I've got a 10m centre line, and it won't foul the prop. Trouble with you lot is, your boats are too short. You need to make 'em longer so you can have a proper centre line. (yes, Mr Scheider, I'm telling them).

 

If not, put engine in neutral, use a sheet bend. :P

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Not fouling the prop is about being aware of the possibility and handling the rope accordingly - difficult to adhere to Onionbargee's principle when towing a loaded butty on a long line: you either learn to pull in the slack if you slow the motor down or make sure you have your trunks with you.

 

Suggest line length is about it being long enough to reach from the front deck or stern and perform the functions you require, such as up to a bollard in an empty lock, down to a stern T stud and up to the hand.

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Two centre lines and a bow line are all I ever use - all cut to a length that they cannot reach the propellor. The stern line is something that I use only for mooring up. I work on the principal that if it can go wrong it will go wrong! And I do not store my stern line dangling deliciously from the tiller where the propellor is just begging to eat it - you make your own luck!

Edited by WJM
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You must have a mighty short stern line

 

Richard

Stern line shouldn't be attached to the boat!

(apologies if someone's already said that, I'm replying as I work my way through the thread)

 

It's not permanently attatched is it !

It's not attached at all!

 

Though notwithstanding all that, my back end line is long enough to reach the prop, and the only time I have ever got a rope on the prop it wasn't attached to the boat at the time (I just happened to drop it in the water).

 

Even if a centre rope is long enough to reach the prop, chances are it won't unless you really don't notice it's fallen in and steer over it.

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