Mooring lines

[Bee]

My present bunch of frayed, knotted and horrible bits of old rope need replacing. 'Rope' can mean everything from poly something or other to awfully expensive poly some other thing.  What do others actually like, spliceable, easy to handle, knottable etc. Thanks.

[MtB]

On 28/01/2018 at 13:58, Bee said:

My present bunch of frayed, knotted and horrible bits of old rope need replacing. 'Rope' can mean everything from poly something or other to awfully expensive poly some other thing.  What do others actually like, spliceable, easy to handle, knottable etc. Thanks.

 

In my experience the more expensive, the better. 

Or rather, I've bought attractively prices lines on several occasions over the years and always regretted it. Decent rope is always expensive. If it's cheap, there WILL be something wrong with it once you are out and about, using it. 

[happyboris]

Thicker rope is always better polyblarrblarr works fine for me as long as it's cheap and thick and coils easily 2/3 cm, something like that it's much easier to handle especially when cold and wet. Not that we ever get cold and wet in UK. Beware of cheap nylon stuff it's horrid.

[Tony Brooks]

Although not as strong as some other ropes for inland use I like synthetic hemp that is a modern polypropylene. Old PP rope was horrible because after a while it produced shards of hard plastic that were worse than splinters but modern stuff seems fine. This can be spliced without much difficulty.

Another advantage of PP is that the rope floats and does not absorb (much) water unlike some other lines I have had. In fact one length of woven nylon got so heavy when wet my wife could not throw it up the the Thames Lock bollards. The ability to float will not prevent the prop sucking it down but it will help a trailing rope going around the prop.

Another thing to watch is length of line. I ensure my bow line and centre line hardly reaches the back of the cockpit so  they do go it they are less likely to wrap around the prop.  My stern lines seem to be much shorter than most being only about 3 meters long but its plenty for inland use and I carry a pair of extra long lines for river use safely stowed away under the front step.

I  am certain my son bought a pre-made length of genuine hemp in Bristol last year - despite detailed instructions. Its the same size as my synthetic stuff but its far stiffer and more difficult to handle.

Edited January 28, 2018 by Tony Brooks

[AllanD]

Have a look at the range of mooring ropes which Tradline of Braunston do. 

Edited January 28, 2018 by AllanD

[Arthur Marshall]

59 minutes ago, AllanD said:

Have a look at the range of mooring ropes which Tradline of Braunston do. 

look good - but is 14mm thick enough?  I singlehand and use the centre rope extensively to stop the boat as well as to tie it up in locks.  I've never been sure what thickness is best to use. A 40ft boat can get picked up on a surge in a lock (sometimes my fault, sometimes that of over-enthusiastic helpers) and I've snapped ropes before now leading to a worrying crash at the front end.

[AllanD]

I bought mine from Tradline and found them well suited to my 42 footer.  if in doubt give them a call for further information and details of stretch and strain strength.  I found them very helpful. 

[system 4-50]

Next time I buy ropes I want ones that don't dramatically change length between wet and dry. I moor correctly, the weather changes, and I look as if I moored with the boat 3ft out from the bank.

[MtB]

On 28/01/2018 at 16:06, Arthur Marshall said:

look good - but is 14mm thick enough?  I singlehand and use the centre rope extensively to stop the boat as well as to tie it up in locks.

 

I agree about the products from Tradline being spot on.

However, I see the OP asked about mooring lines specifically. The conversation has morphed seamlessly into handling lines! 

[Alan de Enfield]

16 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I singlehand and use the centre rope extensively to stop the boat as well as to tie it up in locks. 

I've never worked out how to tie up in a lock.

Tie up when going down and the rope either snaps, pulls your cleats out or you are left hanging.

Tie up when going up and the rope gets looser and looser and is doing nothing to stop you surging.

'Going up' just put in into gear and let it sit against the front gates / cill and it'll ride out the surge, going down there are no surges to worry about just let it settle by itself.

[MtB]

On 28/01/2018 at 16:27, Alan de Enfield said:

I've never worked out how to tie up in a lock.

Tie up when going down and the rope either snaps, pulls your cleats out or you are left hanging.

Tie up when going up and the rope gets looser and looser and is doing nothing to stop you surging.

'Going up' just put in into gear and let it sit against the front gates / cill and it'll ride out the surge, going down there are no surges to worry about just let it settle by itself.

 

You never single hand obviously!

You need to tie something to the lockside in order to get the boat back.

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

You never single hand obviously!

You need to tie something to the lockside in order to get the boat back.

I have - often. 

A long line (held loosely) to pull it thru the gates, and hold it whilst closing the gates, pull it back to the lock gate and climb aboard.

What good does tying it up whilst operating the lock do ?

[Jim Riley]

I bought a 100m bobbin of 16mm synthemp, soft floating, hemp coloured, easy to splice, made a full set of ropes and still have some on the bobbin. Cost me about £120. Nice to handle.

Also came across soft shackles, made from 12 strand braid. Had a length of that, found in cut, so made a set. Great to fasten ropes to eyes on boat. Correctly made they can be 210% stronger than a single rope. 

[john6767]

Tradline also have a eBay store http://stores.ebay.co.uk/TRADLINE-ROPE-AND-FENDERS

[Robbo]

53 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

look good - but is 14mm thick enough?  I singlehand and use the centre rope extensively to stop the boat as well as to tie it up in locks.  I've never been sure what thickness is best to use. A 40ft boat can get picked up on a surge in a lock (sometimes my fault, sometimes that of over-enthusiastic helpers) and I've snapped ropes before now leading to a worrying crash at the front end.

The thickness is more than enough for the boat, but you may prefer a 16mm for handling purposes.

[Rob-M]

I have a set of lines from Tradline, I added an extra centre line so I have one down both sides and don't have to flick it over the roof. I like their soft shackles as well, using them to attach the centre lines and bought extra ones for attaching side fenders.

[MtB]

On 28/01/2018 at 16:33, Alan de Enfield said:

I have - often. 

A long line (held loosely) to pull it thru the gates, and hold it whilst closing the gates, pull it back to the lock gate and climb aboard.

What good does tying it up whilst operating the lock do ?

 

It guarantees the end of your 'long line' doesn't fall into the lock while you're operating it. 

[Phil Ambrose]

I have always used artificial hemp, goes by the name of Hempex 

I agree with all of Tony's comments..

Phil 

[Arthur Marshall]

2 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

'Going up' just put in into gear and let it sit against the front gates / cill and it'll ride out the surge, going down there are no surges to worry about just let it settle by itself.

I've never had the nerve to do that since watching someone else get the front of my boat snagged on a lock gate at Chester and nearly sinking the thing.  All I would have been able to do would be watch it go down if I'd been on my own.  Going down, agreed no surges, but no ropes and no control if it slips back against the cill.  And if I'm driving out, I have to get it back against a ladder and if not, I need a rope to pull it out with!

And in a wide lock, a forty foot boat can happily sit in the middle where you can't get to it...

 

[MtB]

On 28/01/2018 at 19:28, Arthur Marshall said:

I've never had the nerve to do that since watching someone else get the front of my boat snagged on a lock gate at Chester and nearly sinking the thing.  All I would have been able to do would be watch it go down if I'd been on my own.  Going down, agreed no surges, but no ropes and no control if it slips back against the cill.  And if I'm driving out, I have to get it back against a ladder and if not, I need a rope to pull it out with!

And in a wide lock, a forty foot boat can happily sit in the middle where you can't get to it...

 

 

I agree with all of that.

Failing to tie up in a wide lock is just tempting fate. Which is why I think Alan De E doesn't do it single handed very much.

I think the difference of opinion is semantics. By tying up in a lock I mean securing the end of a center line. I think Alan imagines it means bow and stern lines as if one is mooring.

[Arthur Marshall]

1 hour ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I agree with all of that.

Failing to tie up in a wide lock is just tempting fate. Which is why I think Alan De E doesn't do it single handed very much.

I think the difference of opinion is semantics. By tying up in a lock I mean securing the end of a center line. I think Alan imagines it means bow and stern lines as if one is mooring.

Yes, just tie it on the centre rope.  You see a lot of hire boats tying both ends up, which is definitely overkill as well as slowing everything down, but I'd still personally rather they did it and feel safe than not.  Most of the time the centre rope does little but hold the boat near the ladder if going down and not much going up, but tying it to one of the many useful bollards lying about is surely better than just leaving it loose, and certainly better than holding it all the time while negotiating lock gates.

[Rob-M]

If I'm single handing through locks I take a centre line with me and either give it a few turns round a bollard or the gate beam. This is to keep the boat where I want it to be and enable me to move it out of the lock if I don't want to climb down the ladder.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

7 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I have - often. 

A long line (held loosely) to pull it thru the gates, and hold it whilst closing the gates, pull it back to the lock gate and climb aboard.

What good does tying it up whilst operating the lock do ?

What I tend to do, going up, is to lead the centre line to a bollard somewhere towards the top gate and pull the boat up tight against the cill. When the paddles are raised (narrow lock) there is a tendency for the boat to initially move backwards, overcome by being tied, before the surge to bring it forwards again. If the boat has been able to move backwards for several feet, when it then goes forwards it can give the cill quite a clout, if already being held against the cill there is virtually no collision. I don't like collisions, it knocks things over!