Mooring Ropes

[chunkyj]

What are people opinions on these ropes please?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/COMPLETE-SET-OF-3-X-14MM-ROPES-FOR-CANAL-NARROW-BOATS-IN-ASSORTED-COLOURS-/281077986249?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item41718db3c9

 

Need some new ones to bring back a 45ft Cruiser Stern from Alvechurch to Earith

 

Thanks in advance

 

James

[Phil Ambrose]

Hi James, yeah they look OK.

Phil

[RLWP]

You could have 35 metres of that stuff here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/14mm-3-strand-Black-Polyester-boating-rope-35mtr-/351414388316?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item51d1ee065c

 

Richard

[chunkyj]

Hi guys, thanks.

 

Richard, it seems worth the extra few quid to me that they are ready made / spliced

[RLWP]

Hi guys, thanks.

 

Richard, it seems worth the extra few quid to me that they are ready made / spliced

 

Fair enough. You only get eye splices on one end, heat sealed the other. I thought the extra 13 metres might be attractive

 

Not to me though, I don't like that flimsy black stuff - that's a personal choice mind

 

Richard

[chunkyj]

2 x 10 metres mooring + 12m centre made 32 metres when I were a lad

[RLWP]

2 x 10 metres mooring + 12m centre made 32 metres when I were a lad

 

It does indeed.

 

So, you've got a front and rear line nearly as long as your boat, and a centre line that is easily long enough to get into your prop.

 

You could manage with a pair of longer lines, one each end. The front line would run along the roof to the rear

 

On the other hand, just buying three ready made lines is a simple option. You could always put the longer line onto the front, not the centre

 

Richard

Edited June 7, 2015 by RLWP

[bizzard]

When I was a lad it was ''One hundred and four feet, eleven inches and twenty seven thirty twoths of an inch.

[furnessvale]

When I was a lad it was ''One hundred and four feet, eleven inches and twenty seven thirty twoths of an inch.

Thank you. Proper measurements are sooo much easier for us old fogeys.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[RLWP]

Thank you. Proper measurements are sooo much easier for us old fogeys.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

 

A long hundred foot then

 

Richard

[mark99]

Anyone ever use only floating lines?

 

(My two centreliners dont reach the prop but the rear mooring line obviously does and all our warps/lines/ropes float just in case).

[RLWP]

What you mean by 'only floating ropes'?

 

Our hempoline ropes float

 

Richard

[DHutch]

Proper centerlines will reach the prop. Never had and issue yet.

The op's ebay link looks fine to me, doesn't say what they are made from, but I presume they are polyester, which is fine and what we have always used, although I might get polyprop next time and try that.

 

Daniel

[Phil Ambrose]

Proper centerlines will reach the prop. Never had and issue yet.

The op's ebay link looks fine to me, doesn't say what they are made from, but I presume they are polyester, which is fine and what we have always used, although I might get polyprop next time and try that.

 

Daniel

I've had polyprop rope in the past but found it weakened and degraded in sunlight, don't trust the stuff, Hempex for me everytime

Phil

[DHutch]

I've had polyprop rope in the past but found it weakened and degraded in sunlight, don't trust the stuff, Hempex for me everytime

Phil

Hempex/polyhemp IS polypropylene....

 

I am sure there are low grade polyprops that dont have much (any) uv stabilisers, as well as a the gastly course blue stuff, but while I should have been clearer, I am not talking about that.

 

 

What you mean by 'only floating ropes'?

 

Our hempoline ropes float

 

Richard

Ropes that don't sink. Some of ours sunk like a stone when in water - now replaced - all ropes float on surface if dropped by accident.

Aka,polypropylene ropes.

 

 

Daniel

[RLWP]

Hempex/polyhemp IS polypropylene....

Daniel

 

As is Baler twine - and that stuff lasts forever

 

I came across a piece of orange rope plied up from baler twine the other day. I didn't like it

 

Richard

[nearlythere]

As regards to mooring a 57 ft narrowboat, would you recommend 14mm or 16mm rope?

 

TIA

[Neil Smith]

Whatever feels more comfortable in your hands.

 

Neil

[MtB]

Whatever feels more comfortable in your hands.

 

Neil

 

 

And generally a thicker line feels more comfortable in the hand, especially when you need to pull on it to bring the boat in.

Edited June 12, 2015 by Mike the Boilerman

[Alan Saunders]

The ready eye-spliced rope rope is a good option if you don't want to splice it yourself. I make my eye splices a tight fit over the stern dollies and tee stud. ideally, have a line attached to each dolly rather than have to swap it over.

 

Also ideally, I would have soft handling lines for cruising (stored inboard when on a permanent mooring) and more durable permanent lines left on the bank/pontoon ready to be picked up with the boat-hook.

 

14mm Hempex is adequate and nice to handle. It is soft and UV stabilised but subject to insect (earwig?) attack. Larger diameter lines that I inherited are stiff and difficult to coil, handle and throw.

 

I have a very long centre line in a much smaller diameter (10mm?) - for temporary mooring at a lock or bridge landing I can take a turn through a ring/around a bollard take the line back to a ring/bollard near the stern and tie off to a stern dolly. 10mm is much easier to handle in a long length but I hope I never need it to stop the boat. Many boats have two centre lines which avoids the need to learn to 'whip' it over chimneys, aerials etc. from one side to the other.

 

Alan

[Keeping Up]

And generally a thicker line feels more comfortable in the hand, especially when you need to pull on it to bring the boat in.

I agree, I'd always go for the thicker rope for this very reason. It's also easier to throw if you want to lasso a bollard.

[Jess--]

all this talk of mooring lines recently is making me nervous..

 

I'm using 10mm or 12mm braid on braid (normally used as climbing rope) because I had a reel of it spare.

 

I know in the past I have used the same rope to pull fully loaded (probably overloaded) transits out of ditches, to my mind if a rope can withstand a 3.9 v8 rangerover in low ratio being floored it should be able to handle mooring loads.

[RLWP]

I hope you have properly spliced eyes in the end of your kernmantle ropes.

 

Richard

 

I have a couple of books that show how to do it, I've never had the opportunity to try

[Scholar Gypsy]

all this talk of mooring lines recently is making me nervous..

 

I'm using 10mm or 12mm braid on braid (normally used as climbing rope) because I had a reel of it spare.

 

I know in the past I have used the same rope to pull fully loaded (probably overloaded) transits out of ditches, to my mind if a rope can withstand a 3.9 v8 rangerover in low ratio being floored it should be able to handle mooring loads.

 

Good point. I don't think strength is really what people are discussing, for the reason you say. A snapping rope or failing T Stud or dollyis always going to be pretty risky for people in the vicinity. It is ease of handling, ability to chuck over a bollard, tendency to tie itself in knots, ability to trap fingers. I also agree with the earlier point about using old ropes when the boat is moored up, putting the nice ones inside.

[Neil Smith]

I don't think Alan said old ropes when moored up he said more robust and store the softer handling lines inside until cruising.

 

Neil