Bow Roller Ripped Off By Mooring Chain!

Zagato

Zagato

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Coming back through Itchenor Reach, Chichester Harbour last week I was shocked to see how many boats had sustained damage from their mooring lines. One pretty big wooden yacht had it's whole bow fitting ripped off to reveal just a hole and I noticed three others had their fittings broken or the chain slipped out making a real mess of the hull :(

Some motor boats come ripping through the 'reach' during the day without a care of the carnage left in their wake which is bad enough but I have seen worse as I spend nights on board when they think nobody is about :rolleyes:

Thankfully most people respect other people on board and their property but a few just hammer straight on by. Strangely RIBs can be the worst for big wakes, which is odd considering the hull shape :confused: Also I thought stinkers (jet bikes) were banned from Chi Harbour but you do see a few about!

Anyway I have developed a floating stinger and will be deploying it when necessary ;)
 
Zagato said:
Coming back through Itchenor Reach, Chichester Harbour last week I was shocked to see how many boats had sustained damage from their mooring lines. One pretty big wooden yacht had it's whole bow fitting ripped off to reveal just a hole and I noticed three others had their fittings broken or the chain slipped out making a real mess of the hull :(

Some motor boats come ripping through the 'reach' during the day without a care of the carnage left in their wake which is bad enough but I have seen worse as I spend nights on board when they think nobody is about :rolleyes:

Thankfully most people respect other people on board and their property but a few just hammer straight on by. Strangely RIBs can be the worst for big wakes, which is odd considering the hull shape :confused: Also I thought stinkers (jet bikes) were banned from Chi Harbour but you do see a few about!

Anyway I have developed a floating stinger and will be deploying it when necessary ;)
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suggest the owners look at the chain hook and snubber debate, and all things mooring shock absorber related - but then what do I know?
 
It never ceases to amaze me how many people don't use snubbers and put the whole load onto the bow roller when moored or at anchor.

It's just a daft thing to do, and you're asking to have the whole thing ripped off.
 
Bobc said:
It never ceases to amaze me how many people don't use snubbers and put the whole load onto the bow roller when moored or at anchor.

It's just a daft thing to do, and you're asking to have the whole thing ripped off.
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The bow fitting is probably one of the strongest parts of a yacht.
It has to be to cope with the forestay.
It is not usually designed to take much forward pull though.
 
lw395 said:
The bow fitting is probably one of the strongest parts of a yacht.
It has to be to cope with the forestay.
It is not usually designed to take much forward pull though.
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snatch loads - no part of the boat however strong like snatch loads, so we use a snubber or shock absorbers, much cheaper than bow rollers or cleats. Have even seen old car tyres pressed into service, they dont look very good but they work very well.
 
Yes I was going to go the tyre route but bought a rubber snubber which has taken a lot of the hard snatching from the line. If it lasts a season I will be happy. I'm going to add a bigger one also to absorb the rare really hard tugs!
 
To me missing bow rollers seem to hint at something that has been built down to a cost, rather than up to the job in hand!

My boat lives on an exposed swinging mooring in the middle of Portsmouth Harbour, she is on a chain only and I've never had any issues. The Sabre does have a colossally over-engineered solid bronze bow fitting, that doesn't even have rollers, just two solid sheave channels with no moving parts. When I bought the boat the potential wear was a concern, however some of the members of the class just smiled and said that in 30 years of anchoring they've had no cause for concern over wear at all.

Add in a solid bronze Samson post and you are set for pretty much anything. I'm not some fuddy-duddy MAB evangelist (trust me I'd love some carbon rocket ship capable of sustained double figures) but when I look at the tinfoil foredeck gear on modern boats I do despair...

Yes, I do have a nylon snubber and hook,but use it only to take the load off the windlass and onto the Samson post when anchored, like this...

9327098892_44eed4256f.jpg
 
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Marsupial said:
snatch loads - no part of the boat however strong like snatch loads, so we use a snubber or shock absorbers, much cheaper than bow rollers or cleats. Have even seen old car tyres pressed into service, they dont look very good but they work very well.
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That's true.
Like IanC I'm used to exposed Portsmouth moorings.
I have found the best answer to be not to have the strop slack in the first place.
It's when a few tons of yacht is brought up short after being allowed to gather speed that damage is done.
Not saying it's always the right answer. There are a lot of variables.
 
TeamSpirit said:
On Sunday evening their were a couple of vessels who whizzed past me and according to my Marpa were travelling at 19knts and 22knts respectively despite the 10knt speed limit in Portsmouth Harbour ! (http://www.qhm.mod.uk/portsmouth/regulations/speed-limits) god know what repetitive loads that puts on swinging moored vessels however well constructed.
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Could have been the plod who are exempt of course!
Fastest I've been in a tender is surfing on their bow wave.
 
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