centre-line mooring

[Paul C]

Cleats etc on gunwales - isn't it a trip hazard for those few occasions you might need to use them?

[Dave Payne]

If you moor with a centre line tied tightly you will often find as another boat passes it will heel, sometimes quite alarmingly. This is because of the height of the tie off point used to tie the boat against the bank/towpath and the resulting way the forces are exerted.

 

 

Thanks, we do use it, but only on the slack.

 

Might just stop to be honest.

[John V]

At night when on board I often use a centre line on the cruiser (Tee stud on coach roof) (as well as breast lines and possibly springs if there is a lot of traffic) I tie it tight enough to cause the boat to list slightly against the bank this means that if I go to the loo in the middle of the night we don't roll about as much when I cross from one side to the other.....(well it is only a 25'6" yoghurt pot)

[Guest]

 

I often see this and cringe. I also see boats with Pram hoods fitted I am assured by Mr Cameron that legislation will soon be in place to ensure offenders are arrested and charged and taken through the court system swiftly.

 

Tim

The correct terminology is "rain shed."

[GUMPY]

Cleats etc on gunwales - isn't it a trip hazard for those few occasions you might need to use them?

In 6 years and many miles of owning that boat never tripped once but then it was only 33ft and was easier and quicker to walk through the boat.

[Paul C]

In 6 years and many miles of owning that boat never tripped once but then it was only 33ft and was easier and quicker to walk through the boat.

 

I've never tripped over anything I've not walked past either.

[Bettie Boo]

We've used the centre line along with the bow line to moor up for a water point before, but other than that we use it on lock landings while setting the lock or pulling the boat onto a lock landing.

 

Don't remember ever using it to moor up for the night

[bizzard]

Tripping over things on the toepath is easy.

[Alan Saunders]

When single-handed I always attach the centre line to a bollard or stake (in strong cross winds, temporarily, to the base of a tree or fence post!) first when mooring and detach it last when leaving the mooring. Meanwhile, it remains slack as a security measure and also convenient for my departure when it is, usually, the last line that I take on-board.

 

It is not a case of fore or aft lines parting but rather pins pulling out, even collapsing a large chunk of bank especially in winter when banks are softened by rain. I assure everyone that the first time you find your boat adrift due to passing boats, a drained pound or vandals you will wish that you had the good sense to have your centre-line 'loosely attached'. Ideally, it might have a full turn around a ring/bollard or a half turn to a "D" topped stake then returned with half a turn to the roof centre stud and the rest of the centre line coiled nearby.

 

Alan

[mango]

Tripping over things on the toepath is easy.

Is the toepath part of the footpath?

[blackrose]

Went for a stroll up to the wharf this morning. Total of 21 boats, 17 of which were moored using an additional centre-line, some tight, some slack. That's approx. 75% of moored boats, some hire boats, leisure boats, live-aboards, shiny boats, hippy boats. A real cross section.

So, there must be some on this forum who also moor like this. Own up, do you? And why?

I don't need to "own up" because as long the centre line is slack then there's nothing wrong with doing it and potential benefits such as ensuring the boat does not drift out should the bow or stern mooring line or stake come loose - and it does happen the best of us. Now who has ever come back to a moored boat to find one of their mooring lines has come loose? Come on, own up. I once came back to my boat and a long bow stake had been pulled out of soft muddy ground by a passing boat. Good job I had a centre line stake too.

 

So perhaps someone can explain why we shouldn't use slack centre mooring lines on canals with no rise or fall in levels?

 

I will continue to moor my boat in the way I've seen fit for the last 18 years without a problem despite this silly "no centre line" mantra, because I'm the one in charge of my boat and I make my own decisions. Of course, others can look after their boat and moor in any way they wish as long as it doesn't affect navigation. I'm not telling anyone else that they should use a centre line, so I'd appreciate the same respect.

Edited June 3, 2015 by blackrose

[Paul C]

I don't need to "own up" because as long the centre line is slack then there's nothing wrong with doing it and potential benefits such as ensuring the boat does not drift out should the bow or stern mooring line or stake come loose - and it does happen the best of us. Now who has ever come back to a moored boat to find one of their mooring lines has come loose? Come on, own up. I once came back to my boat and a long bow stake had been pulled out of soft muddy ground by a passing boat. Good job I had a centre line stake too.

 

So perhaps someone can explain why we shouldn't use slack centre mooring lines on canals with no rise or fall in levels?

 

I will continue to moor my boat in the way I've seen fit for the last 18 years without a problem despite this silly "no centre line" mantra, because I'm the one in charge of my boat and I make my own decisions. Of course, others can look after their boat and moor in any way they wish as long as it doesn't affect navigation. I'm not telling anyone else that they should use a centre line, so I'd appreciate the same respect.

 

Is the pin used for the centre line significantly different than those for the front and back lines? I mean, fair enough if there is a single ring in isolation, so happened to be located near the middle of the boat. But if we're talking about making a mooring on pins on an otherwise unfeatured (eg no bollards, rings, armco to put a nappy pin on, convenient fence/tree/signpost/waterpoint/skip/picnic bench etc) length of banking, it does nothing other than buy a little more time, right?

[mark99]

When single-handed I always attach the centre line to a bollard or stake (in strong cross winds, temporarily, to the base of a tree or fence post!) first when mooring and detach it last when leaving the mooring. Meanwhile, it remains slack as a security measure and also convenient for my departure when it is, usually, the last line that I take on-board.

 

It is not a case of fore or aft lines parting but rather pins pulling out, even collapsing a large chunk of bank especially in winter when banks are softened by rain. I assure everyone that the first time you find your boat adrift due to passing boats, a drained pound or vandals you will wish that you had the good sense to have your centre-line 'loosely attached'. Ideally, it might have a full turn around a ring/bollard or a half turn to a "D" topped stake then returned with half a turn to the roof centre stud and the rest of the centre line coiled nearby.

 

Alan

Nice post. After getting Muellered by the 50 plus mph winds yesterday trying to moor I concour with your thoughts.

 

No need on everyday use but keep in your armoury.

[Alan Saunders]

Is the pin used for the acentre line significantly different than those for the front and back lines? I mean, fair enough if there is a single ring in isolation, so happened to be located near the middle of the boat. But if we're talking about making a mooring on pins on an otherwise unfeatured (eg no bollards, rings, armco to put a nappy pin on, convenient fence/tree/signpost/waterpoint/skip/picnic bench etc) length of banking, it does nothing other than buy a little more time, right?

My centre pin is usually the shortest, thinnest pin I have; it only serves to, as above, retain the centre line. In nearly forty years I have had to haul my boat into the bank by the centre line only two occasions after it was 'set adrift'. Better safe than sorry! Maybe I was lucky and turned up just after the bow and stern lines were untied, not cut.

 

OTOH, there was an occasion when the centre line was inadequate; I leapt onto the bank opposite the Hungerford sanitary station and my boat drifted seven feet out, parallel to the bank. I tied the lump hammer to the long centre-line, chucked it into the bow and hauled in.

 

Keep your centre line long and handy at all times.

 

Alan

[Woodsy]

I agree with Blackrose (post 36) & Alan Saunders. I will occasionally use the centre line for mooring with as an additional assurance, but then the hire vessels I have taken out usually only have 3 mooring lines.

It would appear that the detractors main concern is that the boat may / will heel excessively or capsize / tip over if the centre line is used for mooring.

While agreeing under certain circumstances the vessel could / would heel to an alarming angle (causing damage, spillages & possibly injury etc). Is there any records or information regarding narrowboats capsizing / tipping over, solely because the centre line was used to moor the vessel in conjunction with the standard bow & stern mooring lines?

[Naughty Cal]

Interesting discussion, but nobody has stated why you should not moor up with the centre line??

Ask the chap we followed up the Trent who insisted on using only his centre line to moor on each lock landing.

 

He then at each lock landing looked on in shock and horror as his boat tilted over at an alarming angle.

 

You would have thought after one or two locks her would get the jist, but no we followed him for four locks before he called it a day

[bassplayer]

Yes. If you only use the centre line to moor up you may well lose plates. I did it once at a water point and found out the hard way when another boat went past at speed.

 

When mooring up for the night I use front and back ropes and sometimes tie up the centre line slackly as a back up in case a pin comes out or the clip in the pilling gets pulled out (both which have happened once...guess what...due to a boat going past at speed)

[Machpoint005]

There are odd occasions when we use the centre line to moor -- such as inconveniently spaced mooring rings and a stone edge that won't take mooring pins. We also use it sometimes when watering -- but that's only for a matter of several minutes. I can't remember the last time it was used when mooring up to the towpath, if we could get pins in.

 

When at the marina, the centre line is usually detached and stowed in a locker.

[bargemast]

Sea sickness prevention. Two centre lines spread-eagled, one staked down on the near bank, the other stretched way out over the water and staked down on the opposite bank, to arrest rolling.

 

Hi bizzard, I often wonder why nobody else is ever coming up with all the very practical and easy to do solutions that you always have in stock.

 

Would it be because of their lack of experience ?

 

Peter.

[NickF]

I don't need to "own up" because as long the centre line is slack then there's nothing wrong with doing it and potential benefits such as ensuring the boat does not drift out should the bow or stern mooring line or stake come loose - and it does happen the best of us. Now who has ever come back to a moored boat to find one of their mooring lines has come loose? Come on, own up. I once came back to my boat and a long bow stake had been pulled out of soft muddy ground by a passing boat. Good job I had a centre line stake too.

 

So perhaps someone can explain why we shouldn't use slack centre mooring lines on canals with no rise or fall in levels?

 

I will continue to moor my boat in the way I've seen fit for the last 18 years without a problem despite this silly "no centre line" mantra, because I'm the one in charge of my boat and I make my own decisions. Of course, others can look after their boat and moor in any way they wish as long as it doesn't affect navigation. I'm not telling anyone else that they should use a centre line, so I'd appreciate the same respect.

I guess using a centre line on a broadbeam is not such a problem anyway, I can't imagine Blackrose tilting alarmningly!

[mark99]

We used centreline only today to moor very securely. The centreline was set well above the boat. No manner of gin palaces passing really fast as they do on the Thames moved the boat to any concern.

Edited June 4, 2015 by mark99

[ditchcrawler]

Never used it at right angles to the baot, but frequently use it as a spring, running backward or forwards half the length of the boat or more, in conjunction with a second spring the other way if desired.

 

I can see using it slack as an form.of insurance does no harm, if often unlikely to help much, and can see that if you had a light boat in a secure and non-level-dependant, low traffic mooring it could be used to stabilise roll. In most uses I have seen it however its unlikely to do anything other than harm.

 

 

Daniel

I do wonder if some boaters are a bit confused about what springs are when mooring, I have seen 2 cases of these being used today alone

 

[DHutch]

I have never worked out the point in those devices, very odd.

 

 

Daniel

[Wanderer Vagabond]

Just out of curiosity, are there any recorded instances of a narrow boat being capsized by any use of mooring lines? I'm willing to accept that in extreme or flash flood conditions it may happen (has it?) but in average canal conditions how likely is it? By my reckoning you'd need to get the boat to lean to such a degree as to dislodge the ballast blocks in the bilge but, as with a sailing boat, above a given point it takes a lot more effort to make a boat lean any further until you reach the critical point of capsize. I'm not arguing either for or against using the centre line since I will moor however I think is appropriate I was just wondering.

 

Back in 2013 on the Market Harborough arm I passed a day boat full of drunks, 8 of whom were sitting on the roof (equates to just over half a ton) and whilst I would hardly describe it as safe the boat remained upright (although at something of a list )

I have never worked out the point in those devices, very odd.

 

 

Daniel

I think that they are often used on coastal marinas where it is possible to get a bit of a 'slop' on the mooring. The idea I believe is to take the snatch out of the rope as the boat rocks about. I could be wrong though!

[SamKingfisher]

It's not going to capsize your boat.

 

I just think it looks inelegant, though I can see the point of a loose backup.