Centre line dimensions

[George94]

No doubt,&,no argument,,

But I just prefer to tie 1 or 2 knots well & by reflex, than 5 or 6 knots badly,& having to decide which knot is best for a given situation.

My head is full of rubbish as it is.

But I get by. Don't know how sometimes,but I get by.

 

But surely a bowline will be one of your one or two knots?

 

A choice of a bowline or a round turn and two half hitches will cover 90% of any situations you are likely to encounter.

[keble]

When is the centre line anchor point not at the boat's centre?

 

 

 

 

Answer: when you've had a stretch! About to sail away from the boatyard when we noticed the lines were way too short. That's because the 3m section added to the boat was done 'South' of the old centre and the anchor point remained where it was.

Not a problem really; I did splice 2 (14mm) ropes together to make one new one.

[steelaway]

Hi all.

 

I'm in the process of buying my first narrowboat and I'm going to be steering her on my own....eventually (gulp). She's 57' long.

 

What length and diameter of rope would you recommend for the centre line?

 

Thanks for any advice.

 

If your new boat has brass mushroom vents I would advise two center ropes to avoid snagging them

 

Alex

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

But surely a bowline will be one of your one or two knots?

 

A choice of a bowline or a round turn and two half hitches will cover 90% of any situations you are likely to encounter.

Hi George94,

Pls re - read my post 8,

Then maybe re-comment !.

[George94]

Hi George94,

Pls re - read my post 8,

Then maybe re-comment !.

 

Re-comment coming up!

 

Yes, I forgot No 8, and totally misunderstood your later post.

 

You must remember I am 94.

 

Well, not quite, but getting there.

[MtB]

Thanks for all the comments.

 

I am concerned about fouling the prop but I guess, if it happens, I'll hopefully only do it once!

 

 

When boating single handed the chances of dropping the centre line in the water while the engine is in gear are vanishingly small. It's VERY Good Idea to take it out of gear nefore getting off the bote to use the centre line.

 

I have 10m long centre lines on both boats. Two on each, one to lay down each side of the roof back to the steering position. MUCH easier than trying to flick a single line from one side to the other over the roof furniture when you need it in a hurry.

 

MtB

P.S. and yes I'd agree with Biggles, the thicker one's lines, the nicer they are to handle. 16mm absolute minimum IMO.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Re-comment coming up!

 

Yes, I forgot No 8, and totally misunderstood your later post.

 

You must remember I am 94.

 

Well, not quite, but getting there.

 

No worriesGeorge, ime from the west country,,,nuff said.

[Iain_S]

(Snip)

MtBP.S. and yes I'd agree with Biggles, the thicker one's lines, the nicer they are to handle. 16mm absolute minimum IMO.

Aye, right. (The 3"diameter mooring lines on SS Explorer, the other share boat spring to mind!!)

 

Still looking for smilies on this iPad ! ;-D

 

Iain

Edited December 2, 2013 by Iain_S

[Beaker]

Still looking for smilies on this iPad ! ;-D

 

Iain, does the ipad browser default to the mobile version of the webpage?

On my Galaxy Note I have to enable 'Desktop view' to use smilies.

 

[matty40s]

 

When boating single handed the chances of dropping the centre line in the water while the engine is in gear are vanishingly small. It's VERY Good Idea to take it out of gear nefore getting off the bote to use the centre line.

 

If it's windy from the landing side, I usually leave the engine in reverse gear on tickover when reaching locks and use the centre line locked on bollard to bring the front end in.

[ditchcrawler]

Thanks for all the comments.

 

I am concerned about fouling the prop but I guess, if it happens, I'll hopefully only do it once!

 

I have only seen it on 4 occasions, once at the top of the Napton flight and it was drum tight, once on the Thames with an electric day boat. (the locky cleared it with my Stanly Knife from the lock side) A cruiser on the Thames standing in the shallows working on it and one that should never have happened as several of us warned the boater who carried on out of the lock with a rope trailing along the side of the boat. That was below SB.

[Phil Ambrose]

I have only seen it on 4 occasions, once at the top of the Napton flight and it was drum tight, once on the Thames with an electric day boat. (the locky cleared it with my Stanly Knife from the lock side) A cruiser on the Thames standing in the shallows working on it and one that should never have happened as several of us warned the boater who carried on out of the lock with a rope trailing along the side of the boat. That was below SB.

Seen it loads of times on the Broads, it meant calling out the "Diver" which was huge fun as he was about 5ft tall and the same round, his dry suit would have fitted a 6 footer. He kept up a costant hilarious patter while getting into his gear assisted by a young girl who remained deadpan the whole time. One occasion a Hirer was towing his life ring behind the boat and when he slammed it into reverse at the pub, the ring wrapped round the prop!! It was a hell of a job to shift it.

Phil

[MtB]

If it's windy from the landing side, I usually leave the engine in reverse gear on tickover when reaching locks and use the centre line locked on bollard to bring the front end in.

 

Me too, but alighting from the bote and leaving it in gear while you make fast to a bollard is not something I'd recommend a new boater single handing like the OP tries. Not until they have a few dozen hours of experience boating at least.

 

MtB.

[ditchcrawler]

 

When boating single handed the chances of dropping the centre line in the water while the engine is in gear are vanishingly small. It's VERY Good Idea to take it out of gear nefore getting off the bote to use the centre line.

 

 

On the 4 I saw the person driving was on the boat at the time

[WJM]

I have never had a prop fouling problem

You left out the most important word - YET !

 

Murphy's Law clearly states, Whatever Can Go Wrong, Will Go Wrong - eventually. And the corollary is that it will happen at the worst possible time, right above a weir, during a flood, while it is raining...

 

My other 'essential' device for a single-hander is a hinged tiller. I learned this one the hard way. With no-one standing on the back deck it is easy for the tiller to swing over and catch on the lock-side while you are descending.

 

In life, you make your own luck, good or bad!

[MtB]

On the 4 I saw the person driving was on the boat at the time

 

Well you can't mitigate for stupidity. I don't let my centre lines trail in the water. It really isn't that difficult.

 

MtB

[bizzard]

I have two centre lines, both of which I have spliced a loop at the ends for when I'm running solo I can slip the ropes loop over my arm whilst climbing up and down lock ladders leaving that hand free to grasp hold of the ladders rungs with the other one grasping the windlass, baccy tin and lighter.

[WJM]

 

Well you can't mitigate for stupidity. I don't let my centre lines trail in the water. It really isn't that difficult.

 

MtB

I have given mine strict instructions to stay on the roof. But at some of the most inopportune times they have inexplicably thrown themselves into the water. Thankfully they have been trained to swim enticingly just in front of the prop, so I don't need to panic!

[MtB]

I have given mine strict instructions to stay on the roof. But at some of the most inopportune times they have inexplicably thrown themselves into the water. Thankfully they have been trained to swim enticingly just in front of the prop, so I don't need to panic!

 

Maybe you scare them they are trying to get away from you so they leap off the roof when you are not looking....

 

 

MtB

[ditchcrawler]

I have given mine strict instructions to stay on the roof. But at some of the most inopportune times they have inexplicably thrown themselves into the water. Thankfully they have been trained to swim enticingly just in front of the prop, so I don't need to panic!

They must be related to mine then

[PhilR]

The only time I have picked up some rope on the prop was in 1970. I can remember it well. We were on the Tame Valley and the rope was over 200 feet of 18 mm polyester. There aren't many days when BCN boating reaps such rewards!!

[mark99]

 

Well you can't mitigate for stupidity. I don't let my centre lines trail in the water. It really isn't that difficult.

 

MtB

 

 

Darwin will prevail - either option - clever enough to prior eliminate the hazard, or clever enough to reduce the risk. First one is better odds.