Rope Choice

[Old Son]

I want to buy 20m of 14mm 3 strand rope. Ideally it needs to have as little stretch as possible.

 

It will have a loop at one end that pops over my bow stud and will be fed through a mooring pole as I reverse the boat onto the pontoon. We have a real issue with wind from the side which just blows the boat away from the pontoon. I tried the procedure at the weekend and it appears to work well.

 

Would Polyester be a good choice or is there a better alternative?

 

Thanks

[MtB]

It will have a loop at one end that pops over my bow stud and will be fed through a mooring pole as I reverse the boat onto the pontoon.

 

Wouldn't it be better to leave the boat in the water rather than reversing it onto the pontoon? This could be the root of your mooring problems.

 

Hope that helps...

 

MtB

[RLWP]

Tradline at Braunston would be my choice. If you discuss what you want with them, they may make it up for you

 

Richard

[bottle]

If I am reading this (in between the lines) correctly, you moor on a short pontoon and tie up to a pole at the bow.

 

I doubt whether even a 'non-stretchy' rope will make much difference.

 

If I am correct in my assumption then perhaps finding a way to tie up to the end of the pontoon, as well as the pole, may help.

 

The angle and the length are the deciding factors on how far a boat moves. when moored

 

 

ps. If I have got it wrong just ignore me.

 

Edited September 24, 2013 by bottle

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Hi ya,

Have you tried mounting a cpl of short (say 400mm) vertical fiberglass poles (similar thickness to the end section of a fishing rod in dia) with a small up turned hook at the top,strageticly & conveniently placed on your pontoon. where permanent mooring lines,with the tied eye reinforced with hose pipe can be hung,clear of the water while cruising but will help the eye to stay open,make pick up by boat hook easier and more convenient on your return,reduce Chafee,cheaper to replace,save unnecessary wear on your main lines & being pre measured & permanently made fast to you pontoon cleat,it Will ensure your boat ends up in exactly the same place,time after time.

As you know,the thick cheap as chips (say 14mm) blue nylon or polyester for your application is easily & widely available,& in my opinion,will be fine,if used in this way.as always,just keep an eye on it.if its good enough for the commercial fishermen,in daily use

Then it should be ok in this instance.

Hope you get the jist of my vague description.

 

Sorry mate,just realized,,short pontoon,, DOH !.

Edited September 24, 2013 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[Old Son]

The problem is that when its windy the front of the boat is blown away from the pontoon. I am standing at the stern. By the time I can step off the boat onto the pontoon the front of the boat is nowhere neat the pole and I am left to try and pull the boat back with the centre rope. Its almost impossible to pull the boat back if the wind is blowing as it usually is. The marina is very open and everybody has the same issue.

 

A rope over the bow stud running back to the stern appears to work OK and is a simple solution. I just thought I would buy the rope with the least amount of stretch which would reduce how far the boat moves sideways when reversing back.

 

If a rope with not a lot of stretch is similar to one that does stretch then it does not matter what rope I choose.

 

I will give Tradline a call, thanks for the details.

[Nine of Hearts]

Am I oversimplifying by thinking all you need to do is buy 21m of common or garden 14mm rope and tie a bowline in it?

[Old Son]

Am I oversimplifying by thinking all you need to do is buy 21m of common or garden 14mm rope and tie a bowline in it?

That would work.

[Scholar Gypsy]

I may have misunderstood, but an alternative might be a fixed line from the mooring post to the pontoon/pier. When you step off at the back of the boat you could

 

a) secure the rear of the boat to the pier

join your (longish) bow line (which you had put on the roof beforehand) to the fixed line

c) walk through your boat to the bows

d) pull the bows towards the post and tie up using the fixed line.

e) disconnect your bow line and store it inside the boat.

[Old Son]

I may have misunderstood, but an alternative might be a fixed line from the mooring post to the pontoon/pier. When you step off at the back of the boat you could

 

a) secure the rear of the boat to the pier

join your (longish) bow line (which you had put on the roof beforehand) to the fixed line

c) walk through your boat to the bows

d) pull the bows towards the post and tie up using the fixed line.

e) disconnect your bow line and store it inside the boat.

That would work only if it was not too windy. If the wind is at its normal pace the front of the boat would have moved away from the post and likely as mot have hit the wide beam that moors next to me, some 40' away.

 

I think I would also have a real problem pulling the front of the boat to the post in the wind. On one occasion I tried to just hold the boat from the centre line and was nearly pulled off the pontoon due to the strength of the wind!!

[George94]

The question posed by the OP was whether polyester would be the right material for a non-stretchy rope, and the answer is yes.

 

Normally for mooring lines, I would advocate stretchy rope, which will absorb shocks without stressing either the rope or what it is attached to. Nylon is the correct choice for stretchy rope.

 

But for the OP, his circumstances seem to dictate polyester. Not to be confused with polypropylene, or other horrors.

[tree monkey]

I want to buy 20m of 14mm 3 strand rope. Ideally it needs to have as little stretch as possible.

 

It will have a loop at one end that pops over my bow stud and will be fed through a mooring pole as I reverse the boat onto the pontoon. We have a real issue with wind from the side which just blows the boat away from the pontoon. I tried the procedure at the weekend and it appears to work well.

 

Would Polyester be a good choice or is there a better alternative?

 

Thanks

if you know a local tree surgeon try asking them for an old bit of climbing rope, they will normally have a spliced eye in the end and as we climb on "static" rope it will be as none stretchy as you can get.

 

most decent tree surgeons will have a regular turn over of rope and its normally destined for the bin, so for a small contribution to a beer fund i am sure one will help

[Graham Davis]

Shame you are in Essex, as I have over 20mtrs of suitable white climbing rope going spare!

Isn't spliced into a ring though.

[tree monkey]

Shame you are in Essex, as I have over 20mtrs of suitable white climbing rope going spare!

Isn't spliced into a ring though.

honest question, is it rock climbing rope or tree climbing rope, cause they are very different beasts

[Mike Tee]

The question posed by the OP was whether polyester would be the right material for a non-stretchy rope, and the answer is yes.

 

Normally for mooring lines, I would advocate stretchy rope, which will absorb shocks without stressing either the rope or what it is attached to. Nylon is the correct choice for stretchy rope.

 

But for the OP, his circumstances seem to dictate polyester. Not to be confused with polypropylene, or other horrors.

Why is polypropylene a horror? Synthetic hemp is widely used, lasts a long time, is easy to splice, it floats, and I've never managed to break it and don't know anybody who has.

[blackrose]

I want to buy 20m of 14mm 3 strand rope. Ideally it needs to have as little stretch as possible.

 

It will have a loop at one end that pops over my bow stud and will be fed through a mooring pole as I reverse the boat onto the pontoon. We have a real issue with wind from the side which just blows the boat away from the pontoon. I tried the procedure at the weekend and it appears to work well.

 

Would Polyester be a good choice or is there a better alternative?

 

Thanks

 

Yes, I think polyester would be your best choice.

If a rope with not a lot of stretch is similar to one that does stretch then it does not matter what rope I choose.

 

 

Except that nylon degrades in UV light and polypropylene is crap. Nylon is fine if you put is away after use.

Why is polypropylene a horror? Synthetic hemp is widely used, lasts a long time, is easy to splice, it floats, and I've never managed to break it and don't know anybody who has.

 

Because PP perishes over time, abrades easily and is horrible to use. It's fine for fenders but not as a handling rope.

Edited September 24, 2013 by blackrose

[George94]

if you know a local tree surgeon try asking them for an old bit of climbing rope, they will normally have a spliced eye in the end and as we climb on "static" rope it will be as none stretchy as you can get.

 

most decent tree surgeons will have a regular turn over of rope and its normally destined for the bin, so for a small contribution to a beer fund i am sure one will help

 

Make sure it is not too old, as nylon used to be preferred by climbers. That was because, when you fell, the rope wouldn't cut you in half.

 

Yes, I think polyester would be your best choice.

 

Except that nylon degrades in UV light and polypropylene is crap. Nylon is fine if you put is away after use.

 

Because PP perishes over time, abrades easily and is horrible to use. It's fine for fenders but not as a handling rope.

 

Nylon has good UV resistance, and is widely used for mooring rope.

 

ETA:

 

 

Nylon Resistance:

Excellent resistance (no attack) to Oils, Bases and THF

Good resistance (no attack) to Solvents, Formaldehyde and Alcohols

Limited resistance (moderate attack and suitable for short term use only) to Dilute Acids

Poor resistance (not recommended for use with) Phenols, Alkalis, Iodine and Acids Maximum Temperature: 210°F 99°C

Nylon Quick Facts:

Minimum Temperature: -94°F -70°C

Autoclavable: No

Melting Point: 420°F 216°C

Tensile Strength: 5,800 psi Hardness: R92

UV Resistance: Good

Translucent

Rigid

Specific Gravity: 1.13

 

Source: http://www.dynalabcorp.com/technical_info_nylon.asp

Edited September 24, 2013 by George94

[tree monkey]

 

Make sure it is not too old, as nylon used to be preferred by climbers. That was because, when you fell, the rope wouldn't cut you in half.

all tree climbing rope is a "static" type now, its because the method of climbing in a tree is work positioning, the idea is never to have enough slack in the rope to ever really fall any distance, more a controlled swing.

 

Rock rope is "dynamic" and designed to be elastic, so as to absorb the energy of the fall and not cut you in half

[George94]

all tree climbing rope is a "static" type now, its because the method of climbing in a tree is work positioning, the idea is never to have enough slack in the rope to ever really fall any distance, more a controlled swing.

 

Rock rope is "dynamic" and designed to be elastic, so as to absorb the energy of the fall and not cut you in half

 

Thanks for the clarification. When I see the word "climbing" together with "rope" I think of rock-climbing. A bit like the word "riding". Unless qualified, it means riding a horse.

[Old Son]

Thanks to everyone who responded. I have ordered some Polyester Rope. Seems to be the majority suggestion and your reasoning makes a lot of sense.

[George94]

Thanks to everyone who responded. I have ordered some Polyester Rope. Seems to be the majority suggestion and your reasoning makes a lot of sense.

 

Polyester is the technical name for the brand names Terylene (UK) and Dacron (USA). It's a high quality plastic used for sailing ropes that shouldn't stretch, like halyards and sheets. It's very strong.

 

It is definitely what you need if you need a strong, non-stretching, rope. Carbon fibre would also do, but you wouldn't like the price.

[Graham Davis]

honest question, is it rock climbing rope or tree climbing rope, cause they are very different beasts

 

Rock.

Edited September 25, 2013 by Graham Davis

[tree monkey]

 

Rock.

in which case its dynamic and will stretch.

 

i could offer some to the OP if he has problems getting something that suits, i just don't have any at the moment

[Graham Davis]

Might just stick in the For Sale section here, with a photo, but I'm not sure of value.

[RLWP]

Might just stick in the For Sale section here, with a photo, but I'm not sure of value.

 

Notoriously difficult to price is old rope

 

Climbing ropes with some life in them as climbing ropes seem to go for over £20 on Ebay. Perhaps a tenner for yours?

 

Richard