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Mooring up on pins?


Pipenslippers

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Having moved from narrow canals to wide, I have found alot more boat movement when moored up using mooring pins, therefore having to readjust pins n rope daily. I try to moor up on piling when possible.

Any tips on how to secure the boat better (positioning of mooring pins?), I have a 62 foot, and also use middle rope.

Thanks

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Having moved from narrow canals to wide, I have found alot more boat movement when moored up using mooring pins, therefore having to readjust pins n rope daily. I try to moor up on piling when possible.

Any tips on how to secure the boat better (positioning of mooring pins?), I have a 62 foot, and also use middle rope.

Thanks

Personally, I wouldn't bother with the middle or centre line if it's attached to your roof. The attachment point it so high up that it just makes the boat heel over when the line tightens.

If the gound is soft, I often use two pins on each mooring line, knocking them in at an angle so that they make an 'x'" shape, if you see what I mean.

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In the past on here there have been a variety of suggestions:

 

  • screw_anchor.jpg
  • TOSH0009.jpg
    • DSC01870.jpg

 

 

I'm personally not recommending any of these . Another alternative is longer spikes but care of use is needed with these as there may be optic fibre communication cables in the towpath. Whilst these are usually at the back of the towpath there is no guarantee.

Edited by Ray T
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Some things I find helpful, others will disagree:

  • Don't do the crossed pins thing, it just tears up the ground and makes it worse.
  • You can add a second pin a couple of feet from the first one. Tie to the first pin, then to the second.
  • Don't use the pins with the eyes, use the ones with just the lip at the top. These can be hammered in further so the rope is pulling closer to the ground (I bash them until the rope is actually embedded in the mud (my ropes are synthetic, probably not good for natural fibres))..
  • If you use the center line, tie it very loose as an emergency line. If tight it will make you far more uncomfortable as the boat rolls.
  • Position the pins quite a long way from the boat (along the bank). 6ft+ is good. This way, passing boats make your boat slide forward and back instead of in and out. It also means that the pins are being pulled along the bank rather than into the water, making it less likely that they'll rip the bank apart (which is bad for you and bad for the next person).
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Try what Sassan says above - but add a 'spring' at either end - similar to this:-

 

ship-handling-35-728.jpg?cb=1335873748

 

 

The above is not the best answer - but all I could find quickly.

Put your main lines on 1 and 6 taking them forward and rearward as you suggest.

attach lines 2 and 5 at 1 and x as best you can (depends on what' on your boat to get in the way.)

 

That should stop you moving in any direction....

 

 

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Old Leeds & Liverpool boatman technique. 3 decent pins 1 slightly for'd 1 slightly astern. Then 1 mid ships, close to the boat as possible, lines from this middle pin to for'd and stern bollards, tight. This helps prevent surging back and forth when boats pass. It's that movement which causes most problems.

Middle rope on the roof for mooring is just so nonsensical, what does it achieve other than causing boat to heel over?

Edited by swift1894
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Old Leeds & Liverpool boatman technique. 3 decent pins 1 slightly for'd 1 slightly astern. Then 1 mid ships, close to the boat as possible, lines from this middle pin to for'd and stern bollards, tight. This helps prevent surging back and forth when boats pass. It's that movement which causes most problems.

Middle rope on the roof for mooring is just so nonsensical, what does it achieve other than causing boat to heel over?

Never tried a pin in the middle (yet) but certainly used springs which is a similar idea.

I agree forget the centre line (if from roof.) Not the best way to moor (unless it is left slack as has been suggested and is just backup.)

Only time we use centre rope to moor is in the marina or similar where we are certain no boats can come past.

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Old Leeds & Liverpool boatman technique. 3 decent pins 1 slightly for'd 1 slightly astern. Then 1 mid ships, close to the boat as possible, lines from this middle pin to for'd and stern bollards, tight. This helps prevent surging back and forth when boats pass. It's that movement which causes most problems.

Middle rope on the roof for mooring is just so nonsensical, what does it achieve other than causing boat to heel over?

 

It can be of use if used as a spring to opposite either the bow or stern. Because of the shallower angle, the heeling moment is a lot less, and is even less obtrusive than the grinding against the bank as another speeder goes past biggrin.png

 

I agree the attachment point would be better on the gunwale, but few boats have suitable attachment points there.

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  • 2 weeks later...

We have a 60x12 widebeam and use these "ground anchors" which work well for us. They're made by a company called Spyrabase. Not cheap but we think they're worthwhile.

 

post-18146-0-85274000-1460306504_thumb.jpg

Edited by philjman
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Longer pins, not toothpicks. Mine on my permanent mooring are 5' long scaffolding poles. For when out and about, we use 3' long pins and a sledgehammer, or normal pins but crossed if we're not staying long.

Agree, we only use them for a fortnight at a time, but have four 3ft 1inch dia pins.

Try what Sassan says above - but add a 'spring' at either end.

 

That should stop you moving in any direction.

 

Agree again.

 

We have a long centreline and take this back from the centre to the rear post always, and then repeat with a second line going forward if the bank/ground condition require it.

 

 

Daniel

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Some things I find helpful, others will disagree:

  • Don't do the crossed pins thing, it just tears up the ground and makes it worse.
  • You can add a second pin a couple of feet from the first one. Tie to the first pin, then to the second.
  • Position the pins quite a long way from the boat (along the bank). 6ft+ is good. This way, passing boats make your boat slide forward and back instead of in and out. It also means that the pins are being pulled along the bank rather than into the water, making it less likely that they'll rip the bank apart (which is bad for you and bad for the next person).
This is how we use our four pins, with eyes just incase they are lost. Decent way from the edge, in pairs 18imch apart.

 

Top of the first pin tided down to the base of the doubling pin to give mechanical advantage.

 

 

Daniel

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