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Mooring


Naughty Cal

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Keep meaning to make some mooring 'plates', large(ish) sheets of checkerplate or similar with lots of s/s coachbolts stuck out of the bottom, sort of an upside down bed of nails. Hole in the middle for mooring pin, reckon it would hold in any soft ground.

 

Large(ish) sheets of checkerplate won't be easy to store and/or handle as they will be heavy, but apart from that they will give you lots more grip and won't pull out if a barge passes by.

 

Instead of pins I use strong angle iron 50/50/8 about 1m long of which the bottom is cut to a point, and a short piece of round tube over it, to make it more rope friendly.

 

A piece of 1.5" to 2" heavy gage tube about 1m long with a diagonal slice cut of to make a sort of point at the bottom end.

 

Pieces of about 1m long of old prop shaft 40/45mm with a point machined to the bottom end.

 

All those stakes need a sledge hammer to get them in the ground, and they are sometimes (almost) impossible to get out, but they are not pulled out when a barge is passing.

 

On the continent spud poles are slowly but surely becoming more popular on the pleasure barges, to do like many of their bigger brothers/sisters nowdays.

 

Peter.

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Large(ish) sheets of checkerplate won't be easy to store and/or handle as they will be heavy, but apart from that they will give you lots more grip and won't pull out if a barge passes by.

 

Instead of pins I use strong angle iron 50/50/8 about 1m long of which the bottom is cut to a point, and a short piece of round tube over it, to make it more rope friendly.

 

A piece of 1.5" to 2" heavy gage tube about 1m long with a diagonal slice cut of to make a sort of point at the bottom end.

 

Pieces of about 1m long of old prop shaft 40/45mm with a point machined to the bottom end.

 

All those stakes need a sledge hammer to get them in the ground, and they are sometimes (almost) impossible to get out, but they are not pulled out when a barge is passing.

 

On the continent spud poles are slowly but surely becoming more popular on the pleasure barges, to do like many of their bigger brothers/sisters nowdays.

 

Peter.

 

To fit my storage space I would need two plates 28"x11" (perhaps not large) with approx 50 x 60mm bolts each, plates set with length pointing in direction of pull of mooring rope. At that size they would be easily handled and, vitally, easy to remove tho it would need a flat surface to sit on on

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Are Spyro-base ground anchors used by anyone? They look like a very sturdy giant corkscrew with a circular plate at the top. They screw into the ground - a bar put through the ring at the top and turn them in - and the disk at the top apparently stops them pulling over

 

I've got a 'Ground Anchor' which is basically what you describe, absolutely brilliant!

Was £27 from a B&Q warehouse and i just use it on a slack centre line as a bit of insurance that my boat stays put when it's windy or the bank is soft.

Considering getting another one though and just using them instead of pins.

 

Steve

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Hi,

 

Personally, I do prefer to use a pair of mooring chains, with elongated rings at each end, I drop one end through the Armaco piling horizontal rail, pass one end through the other and then pass a loop of mooring line through the loose end of the chain. I then drop the opposite end of the rope over the bow cleat and make secure with an oxo knot (twice round the cleat, under the cleat, diagonally over the cleat, under and around again twice (this is a self-locking knot), if I cannot use chains, then I'll use the ole trusty mooring iron. Ideally, the angle of the rope to the armaco should be at least 45°.

I do the same at the stern, but use the self locking boatman's hitch.

 

I usually try at all costs to avoiding using mooring pins.

 

Very true,

 

I do move on and hope to find Armaco pilings, if not, then the mooring pins appear.

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Made some fresh observations this fine weekend on this matter. Watched plenty of boat mooring techniques from a variety of boat types and watched plenty of people getting p*ssed off that boats where "flying" past and moving the moored boats. Have come to one or two conclusions on this matter including:

 

- NB's dont ride wakes very well, they attempt to cut through it ending in the steerer getting wet feet even with small waves.

- There is no pleasing some people, they will moan about anything.

- Some people just maon for the sake of it.

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Yes, we know about spring lines.

The problem is that setting them can be tricky.

It can?

 

springlines-1.gif

The red lines are springs.

 

You seem to forget that most people on this forum are on narrow boats which often only have cleats or tying off points far apart at bow and stern and so are not as easy to set springs for as a boat like yours.
There no reason at all all why with only a fitting at each end toy can use breast-lines and springs

- You can either use several points on the ground to tie to, or run a full length spring from the bow of the boat to the stern mooring point and visa-verse.

- Failing that, few narrowboats dont have a centerline. So you can so as i typicaly do on emilyanne and run the springs from there as per Carls diagram.

 

Them's called piling hooks (pile-ing) cos thems are hooks wot slide behind the piling :lol:
Certainly what i have always know them as. Although i prefer to use goat chains for anything other than an overnight stop.

- The pilling hooks also seem to work far better when the pull is somewhat upwards, and although we have a high sided boat, they is typically not the case on a narrowboat although there are two types in common use.

 

In the case of a narrowboat, the spring lines are usually more like this:

SFB05.jpg

(From Jim Shead's site)

Which ofcause doesn't really fully allow them to perform there intended function as they are at as shallow an angle as the others.

 

On narrow and shallow channels, the cause of movement isn't the bow wave that springs WILL help to mitigate against.

The cause here is that the passing boat is pushing water behind itself, which it is gathering from in front of itself. On wider and deeper waters this just circulates right back around and under the boat without a problem.

 

On shallow, narrow canals, it builds up behind the the boat.

So, when a boat passes at speed, the following happens;

  • First, as the other boat approaches, the water level drops gradually, and the moored boat is drawn towards the oncoming boat. The distant mooring rope comes under tension, and the close one slackens slightly.
  • Then, as the boat passes, the water level rapidly goes up 9 inches, first at the end with the slackest rope, until the rope at that end checks its progress, and the rise in the water progresses towards the other end.
  • At the same time, the moored boat begins to be pulled to follow the passing boat, bringing the rope that was closest to the passing boat at the start into tension, pulling that end down, at the same time as the water drops 3 inches.

This whole thing causes a quite violent fore and aft pitch, and because it tends to bring ropes that are not horizontal into excess tension causes side to side roll as well.

I agree to some point that one (of many) causes of moment in a moored boat on a narrow waterway (ie, narrowboat on a canal) is the short term fluctuation in water level caused by the passing boat and that although springs contain the boat in a fore-aft direction against the associated fluctuating current, no mooring rope can prevent the up and down movement of a floating boat as the level fluctuates.

 

However at the same time, i think nine inches (230mm, or most of a foot) is a very large over estimate of the severity strengths of the effect typical seen, certainly given what i have experienced in the last 20 years of boating.

 

 

 

Daniel

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Here are some fairly typical emilyanne moorings.

- Front and rear lines become breast ropes, centerline becomes one of two springs, with a final rope being added to make up the second spring.

- Springs typically run from the center of the boat to the pins/stakes used fore and aft. If needed due to softground. Stakes are doubled or tripled.

 

dscn1768.jpg

dscn8029.jpg

dscn1767x.jpg

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Remembered to take a pic of our mooring on our home mooring. Now this arrangment can take boats cruising past at 5mph (the minimum for some of the petrol boats) and dinghies going by pretty quickly without any harsh movement, spilling drinks, smashing plates etc.

 

DSC00042.jpg

 

A little extra time spent sorting your mooring can save a whole lot of time moaning and getting upset

 

Apologies for the sh*t quality of the picture.

Edited by Phylis
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Thousands of professional seamen for decades must have got the correct techniques of mooring up. A vessel ranging against the quayside is a potential life-threatening hazard to stevedores in the holds when working cargo with shore-side cranes. Ships are tied up using forward and stern lines and forward and aft springs. The lines hold the vessel against the quay and the springs being parallel to the ship's side prevent her from ranging. If the technique works for a merchantman it will certainly work for a small pleasure craft. It's all common sense really.

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Thousands of professional seamen for decades must have got the correct techniques of mooring up. A vessel ranging against the quayside is a potential life-threatening hazard to stevedores in the holds when working cargo with shore-side cranes. Ships are tied up using forward and stern lines and forward and aft springs. The lines hold the vessel against the quay and the springs being parallel to the ship's side prevent her from ranging. If the technique works for a merchantman it will certainly work for a small pleasure craft. It's all common sense really.

Agreed

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Thousands of professional seamen for decades must have got the correct techniques of mooring up. A vessel ranging against the quayside is a potential life-threatening hazard to stevedores in the holds when working cargo with shore-side cranes. Ships are tied up using forward and stern lines and forward and aft springs. The lines hold the vessel against the quay and the springs being parallel to the ship's side prevent her from ranging. If the technique works for a merchantman it will certainly work for a small pleasure craft. It's all common sense really.

 

Although if the water level isn't expected to change too much, one pair, either fore/aft or the springs, can be replaced with breast ropes, which will do a better job of holding the boat against the side when the crew are getting on and off. Ships don't have this problem, as they're a lot bigger/heavier :lol:

Iain

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Although if the water level isn't expected to change too much, one pair, either fore/aft or the springs, can be replaced with breast ropes, which will do a better job of holding the boat against the side when the crew are getting on and off. Ships don't have this problem, as they're a lot bigger/heavier :lol:

Iain

 

Fishing boats use the same technique. Just look around any harbour.

 

DSC00038-1.jpg

 

Unfortunately thats as close as we got but all of these boats where using fore and aft ropes plus springs to hold them against the harbour wall. The breasted up boats didnt just tie to the adjacent boat, the ones closer to the harbour wall used ropes to the wall as well to reduce the strain on the inside boats ropes.

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There no reason at all all why with only a fitting at each end toy can use breast-lines and springs

- You can either use several points on the ground to tie to, or run a full length spring from the bow of the boat to the stern mooring point and visa-verse.

- Failing that, few narrowboats dont have a centerline. So you can so as i typicaly do on emilyanne and run the springs from there as per Carls diagram.

Daniel

 

Yes of course you there's no reason why one can't set up springs on a narrow boat, but the point that I and others have made is that it's not as easy to do this on a long narrow boat or barge, compared to a small plastic cruiser.

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Yes of course you there's no reason why one can't set up springs on a narrow boat, but the point that I and others have made is that it's not as easy to do this on a long narrow boat or barge, compared to a small plastic cruiser.

But all you do it take the centreline (which is already attached) tie it on to one of the mooring pins (that are already in the ground) and bingo you have a spring. Time taken, seconds, effort, far less than putting in the pins in the first place.

- If your then a boat that had two centreline (not uncommon, although i dont) you just repeat. Otherwise you need a bit of almost anything else (6mm blue polyprop is fine) and a knot in each end.

 

Im not saying you all have to use springs all the time. But that for a lot less effort than opening a window and moaning everytime a boat goes past theres and easy and very underused solution.

 

 

Daniel

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But all you do it take the centreline (which is already attached) tie it on to one of the mooring pins (that are already in the ground) and bingo you have a spring. Time taken, seconds, effort, far less than putting in the pins in the first place.

- If your then a boat that had two centreline (not uncommon, although i dont) you just repeat. Otherwise you need a bit of almost anything else (6mm blue polyprop is fine) and a knot in each end.

 

Im not saying you all have to use springs all the time. But that for a lot less effort than opening a window and moaning everytime a boat goes past theres and easy and very underused solution.

 

 

Daniel

 

IMHO, if centre lines attached to the roof are used as spring lines they will never work as intended. The attachment point is too high. They need to be at deck height nearer to the centre of gravity. But all boats are different ................. and some people don't mind being rocked about at night ;-)

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IMHO, if centre lines attached to the roof are used as spring lines they will never work as intended. The attachment point is too high. They need to be at deck height nearer to the centre of gravity. But all boats are different ................. and some people don't mind being rocked about at night ;-)

 

Very true, I would like to fix a bollard or T stud to the centre point of my side deck but lack the bottle to do so as it involves welding near my electric cable ducting + it could be a trip hazard. I suppose a hefty bar let into the edge of the deck would be the best solution but that would encroach into the cable ducting.

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IMHO, if centre lines attached to the roof are used as spring lines they will never work as intended. The attachment point is too high. They need to be at deck height nearer to the centre of gravity. But all boats are different ................. and some people don't mind being rocked about at night ;-)

Your not wrong many ways. And certainly the worse thing you can ever do is tie the centreline down straight to a bollard or pin. However i find it works well and given what most boats have if the lines are then run to the ends of the boat i cant see you would have any problem at all. Emilyanne is 58ft and i dont find the springs cause the boat to rock. Certainly less so than if only on a pair of short lines to the bow/stern fittings, which arent low themselfs. She is a little heavier than some at 22ton but not outrageously so.

 

This is how the boat is moored at present, which is very typical of how she is moored usually.

- Note she is sitting on the bottom, which is not at all uncommon, but is why she appears to be so loosely tied and far out from the bank.

- Front spring is the centerline, tied to it usual place on the center of the roof. The rear spring is the old centerline, tied to the handrail.

- The bank here is particularly low to the waterline, but is well piled, and the ropes are secure at each end using a goat chain (2 used in total)

 

dscn8474small.jpg

 

dscn8472small.jpg

 

 

Daniel

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I seem to remember that this thread was started after discussion about boats not slowing down sufficiently past moored boats, Phylls was questioning weather people moored correctly, whilst i'm sure on cosy, deep moorings you can moor perfectly however as in the example above no matter how well a vessel is moored, a inconsiderately steered boat is going to cause you to ride up the 'shelf' further than a more gently/skillfully steered passing craft.

 

If my boat was moored the same as Emily Anne above we would soon be washed up on the 'shelf' we need the addition of standoffs to keep the vessel free from a serious list. Only 30 boats passed me yesterday none of which were going too fast but nearly all were going faster than what I would have chosen to pass a moored boat.

 

Paul

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Only 30 boats passed me yesterday none of which were going too fast but nearly all were going faster than what I would have chosen to pass a moored boat.

 

Paul

 

I think that is where the issue lies. Everybody has a different idea of what is slow enough to pass a moored boat. :lol:

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I think that is where the issue lies. Everybody has a different idea of what is slow enough to pass a moored boat. :lol:

 

 

Perhaps, but I think the issue is that nobody knows everthing about everthing and local conditions can cause specific problems when mooring or passing moored boats so the only safe way to pass moored boats is as slow as possible, just good manners IMO, especially on narrow shallow waterways.

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Perhaps, but I think the issue is that nobody knows everthing about everthing and local conditions can cause specific problems when mooring or passing moored boats so the only safe way to pass moored boats is as slow as possible, just good manners IMO, especially on narrow shallow waterways.

 

I have discovered that I have a rare and unusual problem. I pass moored boats too slowly! I get caught up by other boats while I am doing this and I'm certainly slower than the boats that passed me when I was moored on the southern Oxford.

 

Richard

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IMHO, if centre lines attached to the roof are used as spring lines they will never work as intended. The attachment point is too high. They need to be at deck height nearer to the centre of gravity. But all boats are different ................. and some people don't mind being rocked about at night ;-)

Sorry, but height is not important. In the 1950s, ships which I served on frequently offloaded cargoes of spelter in Regent's Canal Dock from narrowboats using the ships derricks. Mooring lines and springs were always set and the height difference between a fully loaded narrowboat and the mooring positions on the foc'sle or aftercastle of the ship in ballast was commonly around 15 feet. Because of the potential danger to the stevedores handling heavy compact pallets of spelter, tautly set springs were essential. There was often a lot of tug or sea-going vessel's movements in the dock as well as considerable movement of water, both from the use of the locks to the canal and to the river, compared with which the disturbance due to a passing pleasure boat on a canal would be insignificant. I do not recall knowing of any accidents attributable to movement due to slack or incorrectly applied moorings. God looks after those who look after themselves. Moor up properly and stop wingeing about the occasional passing craft.

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Sorry, but height is not important. In the 1950s, ships which I served on frequently offloaded cargoes of spelter in Regent's Canal Dock from narrowboats using the ships derricks. Mooring lines and springs were always set and the height difference between a fully loaded narrowboat and the mooring positions on the foc'sle or aftercastle of the ship in ballast was commonly around 15 feet. Because of the potential danger to the stevedores handling heavy compact pallets of spelter, tautly set springs were essential. There was often a lot of tug or sea-going vessel's movements in the dock as well as considerable movement of water, both from the use of the locks to the canal and to the river, compared with which the disturbance due to a passing pleasure boat on a canal would be insignificant. I do not recall knowing of any accidents attributable to movement due to slack or incorrectly applied moorings. God looks after those who look after themselves. Moor up properly and stop wingeing about the occasional passing craft.

 

Alternatively, appreciate that some years have passed since the 1950's, and that the canals are a different place, with a different pace and different standards.

 

Boat with consideration, and stop whinging about how much better it was in your day.

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