Centre Lines

[Nightwatch]

If the centre line gets caught in the prop, will it pull the boat over?

[WotEver]

If the centre line gets caught in the prop, will it pull the boat over?

Only the middle. The front and back would be OK.

[Chertsey]

But the middle isn't necessarily reachable, at the right time, when the centreline is needed. For example when mooring or stopping for any other reason, I grab the centreline as I step off the boat. If there's items on the roof it needs to be flicked over, this needs to be done beforehand.

I don't know about that. For a start, surely you could have it in the middle but within reach? But I don't even do that; my back end line stays on the back end and when I need it I walk round the gunnel and get it; it's all part of the process of coming in to the bank. Then if I need to I bring it back to the stern to get off, although if I've come in straight enough I can get off the back end, or if I haven't I can lasso a bollard. Admittedly you do need an actual back end for that though.

 

I mean, fine, if people find it easier to have two, but I wouldn't want anyone to get the idea it was vital. Coming into the bank doesn't happen in a mad rush, there's plenty of time to collect the rope, flick it over your tophamper, whatever.

Edited September 19, 2016 by Chertsey

[RLWP]

 

 

Me neither Alan. I think it's the kind of 'advice' people repeat without thinking about it, or considering shorter boats

 

If it helps, we have managed to get our centreline in the water whilst travelling. An aspect that hasn't been mentioned is that ropes made of polypropylene float - ours does. However, it was reassuring to know it wasn't going to get in the prop

 

Richard

[Paul C]

I don't know about that. For a start, surely you could have it in the middle but within reach? No, if its in the middle then its out of reach - your arms don't get longer just because you can't reach something

 

 

But I don't even do that; my back end line stays on the back end and when I need it I walk round the gunnel and get it and in the time it takes to walk round and get it.......the boat might have drifted elsewhere etc. Just sounds sloppy.

 

 

; it's all part of the process of coming in to the bank. For me the process of coming into the bank involves getting the rope in the right place beforehand, in readiness. Plenty other things to do later.

 

Then if I need to I bring it back to the stern to get off, although if I've come in straight enough not always possible though...

 

I can get off the back end, or if I haven't I can lasso a bollard. How do you lasso a ring?

 

Admittedly you do need an actual back end for that though.

 

I mean, fine, if people find it easier to have two, but I wouldn't want anyone to get the idea it was vital. I don't think anyone's claiming its vital, it just makes things easier for little outlay. Coming into the bank doesn't happen in a mad rush, there's plenty of time to collect the rope, flick it over your tophamper, whatever. Yes but don't confuse mad rush with efficiency; or plenty of time with sloppiness.

[Chertsey]

 

I don't know about that. For a start, surely you could have it in the middle but within reach? No, if its in the middle then its out of reach - your arms don't get longer just because you can't reach something

 

 

But I don't even do that; my back end line stays on the back end and when I need it I walk round the gunnel and get it and in the time it takes to walk round and get it.......the boat might have drifted elsewhere etc. Just sounds sloppy.

 

 

; it's all part of the process of coming in to the bank. For me the process of coming into the bank involves getting the rope in the right place beforehand, in readiness. Plenty other things to do later.

 

Then if I need to I bring it back to the stern to get off, although if I've come in straight enough not always possible though...

 

I can get off the back end, or if I haven't I can lasso a bollard. How do you lasso a ring?

 

Admittedly you do need an actual back end for that though.

 

I mean, fine, if people find it easier to have two, but I wouldn't want anyone to get the idea it was vital. I don't think anyone's claiming its vital, it just makes things easier for little outlay. Coming into the bank doesn't happen in a mad rush, there's plenty of time to collect the rope, flick it over your tophamper, whatever. Yes but don't confuse mad rush with efficiency; or plenty of time with sloppiness.

I do appreciate it's different on different boats and I shouldn't have gone on about what I do when my boat is fairly atypical.

[alan_fincher]

We eventually adopted two centre ropes when we still had our leisure boat.

 

Although we didn't have much on the roof junk, some badly positioned mushroom vents could result in a quick flick from one side to the other not always going to plan.

 

On the whole I would recommend it, and I'm not sure it is really an increased cost as each of the two lines will wear out only half as fast as if you just had the one.

 

With a traditional boat with a ring on a back end rail, clearly we just have the one, which sits coiled on top of the engine room. As "Chertsey" says you have to walk around the back cabin and the engine room to use these - it would not be practical or sensible to have it passed back to the steering position anyway.

[bizzard]

On early leisure narrow boats with GRP and wooden tops which were generally not strong enough to withstand the strains of centre ropes we just used the fore and aft lines and got along just as quickly. Mushroom vents are a pain in the bum for snaring ropes, I recommend the Sea-Sure yacht type of dome ventilators that don't snag ropes.