capnsensible
Well-Known Member
Imagine, for a moment that he may actually go elsewhere.
Clever knot or similar for quickly releasing mooring warp from cleat?
- Thread starter LittleSister
- Start date
prv
Well-Known Member
They don't, however, help with his "need to be able to leave a longish line attached to the end of the finger pontoon as I depart, in order to turn the boat sharply as soon as it is clear of the finger".
Pete
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
We can all hope ,, can't we?
Tranona
Well-Known Member
But he did not ask about a berth or about whether he should have permanent lines, nor what you do. How does him moving to a berth near you matter?
He specifically asked about a slip knot. And you did not respond, but gave useless information about how you moor your boat.
sailorman
Well-Known Member
Its a shame that we cant all be perfect isnt it
Plum
Well-Known Member
What I'm looking for is a cunning knot (or similar) by which a mooring rope on a pontoon cleat could be quickly and confidently released by an operator at the boat end of the rope.
Such a knot was described on a thread on here a year or three ago. Despite much searching I can't find it again. (It was the sort of thing you look at and think 'Of course! Why didn't I think of that? It's so obvious I'll certainly remember it'. But I don't!)
(I do have one of those proprietary quick release mooring hook gadgets, but it doesn't suit some sizes/shapes of cleat, etc.)
I have an 'interesting' close quarters/long keel/single handed situation to address, where I need to be able to leave a longish line attached to the end of the finger pontoon as I depart, in order to turn the boat sharply as soon as it is clear of the finger and neighbouring boat, then release and recover the line smartly as soon as the boat is at right angles to the finger. Having the line release too soon, or fail to release when required, would be highly stressful and quite possibly expensive!
I have used the following method to get out of a visitors berth but should also work for repeated use in a regular berth.
Use your tatty-est yet strong piece of nylon or polyester line and at the appropriate time release it from the boat end and leave it behind to sink out of the way. I keep such a piece of line that i don't mind loosing if it means i can get out of a tight spot singlehanded without damage. This is the the most foolproof method i have found. In your case, after you return to your berth just retrieve the line for next time you leave. If you use a good looking piece of line it may not be there on your return.
I have also used a quick-release gibb shackle which does work but not always guaranteed to release perfectly.
Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
Cathy*
Well-Known Member
I use this one all the time. Also good for tying up horses, haynets and when tying up our rhib single handed.
TallBuoy
Well-Known Member
But how do you release it from the end of the pontoon when you are on the horse and can't reach it yourself?
Poignard
Well-Known Member
Reminds me of the time I saw a yacht leave a catway in St Vaast leaving behind a length of rope attached to a cleat. "Ah ha" I said to myself "if they don't want that, I'll have it!"
The catway was one of those horrible narow wobbly ones and, as I crawled gingerly backwards clutching my prize, a voice behind said "Cheers mate! We were having a problem leaving the berth so we let the line go and moved round to the fuel pontoon and now I've come back for it"
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BERT T
Well-Known Member
Reminds me of the time I saw a yacht leave a catway in St Vaast leaving behind a length of rope attached to a cleat. "Ah ha" I said to myself "if they don't want that, I'll have it!"
The catway was one of those horrible narow wobbly ones and, as I crawled gingerly backwards clutching my prize, a voice behind said "Cheers mate! We were having a problem leaving the berth so we let the line go and moved round to the fuel pontoon and now I've come back for it"
Best one I've heard for a long time!
LittleSister
Well-Known Member
I did wonder about doing something like that (it's my new home berth, so the line wouldn't be lost after use), but it's a crowded situation, and I could become very unpopular if the line didn't sink fast/far enough, or got churned up from the bottom during someones manouevrings. I thought a suitable length of light chain might be preferable, with a short bit of rope on the boat end for cleating off and releasing.
Either rope or chain would end up very muddy/mucky on the bottom (and probably so would I every time I retrieved it:disgust
, so I might try the quick relase knot first.The idea of leaving an old line behind, if the situation demands it, when visiting somewhere else is a good one, though, so I'll hang on to some of the scraggier ropes I was planning to clear out.
sailorman
Well-Known Member
The yardies use long wooden boat hooks to move some boats about the marina ( it saves using engines ) that might be an option for you too.I did wonder about doing something like that (it's my new home berth, so the line wouldn't be lost after use), but it's a crowded situation, and I could become very unpopular if the line didn't sink fast/far enough, or got churned up from the bottom during someones manouevrings. I thought a suitable length of light chain might be preferable, with a short bit of rope on the boat end for cleating off and releasing.
Either rope or chain would end up very muddy/mucky on the bottom (and probably so would I every time I retrieved it:disgust
The idea of leaving an old line behind, if the situation demands it, when visiting somewhere else is a good one, though, so I'll hang on to some of the scraggier ropes I was planning to clear out.
john_morris_uk
Well-Known Member
I did wonder about doing something like that (it's my new home berth, so the line wouldn't be lost after use), but it's a crowded situation, and I could become very unpopular if the line didn't sink fast/far enough, or got churned up from the bottom during someones manouevrings. I thought a suitable length of light chain might be preferable, with a short bit of rope on the boat end for cleating off and releasing.
Either rope or chain would end up very muddy/mucky on the bottom (and probably so would I every time I retrieved it:disgust
The idea of leaving an old line behind, if the situation demands it, when visiting somewhere else is a good one, though, so I'll hang on to some of the scraggier ropes I was planning to clear out.
I haven't understood why a long line set to slip wouldn't suffice?
duncan99210
Well-Known Member
It strikes me that any solution to this conundrum, other than leaving a fixed line behind, requires a line twice the length required. That's no matter whether you use a release knot, bit of broom handle or a simple slip line. For preference, I'd go for the slip line as it's the simplest solution and least prone to getting jammed.
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RichardS
N/A
As I tried to explain way back in post #16, it depends whether you are singled handed or not. If you are single handed, a long slip line can take 10 or 15 seconds before you are absolutely confident that it's not going to jam. You can't just throw the bitter end over the side and then go back to the helm and "hope" that it all pulls around the cleat. I've been there and tried that and failed!
The "stick" method is, as you say, the same total length of line ...... but it's in two separate pieces. As soon as you pull the "stick" line both the stick and the bitter end are in the water and cannot jam on the cleat so you can resume helming, or whatever, and sort out the trailing lines once you are clear of the row of moored boats, or whatever.
Richard
LittleSister
Well-Known Member
From my point of view (though hopefully the thread is of interest/use to others) a slip line probably would suffice, but it has two potential drawbacks, and I won't know the the real likelihood and impact of these until I've tried it:
1) the possibility (or fear of) it failing to release - either the knot itself, or part of the line becoming caught on the cleat/end of the pontoon/neighbouring boat or whatever;
2) the time it could take to retrieve the line single handed, with the risks that the boat will in the meantime be either in neutral and going walkabout, or in gear and risking the prop picking up the line while it's in the water.
Hence I'm interested in what other potential solutions there might be.
When I arrived at the marina yesterday it was rather gusty, and a nearby boat had got itself in a pickle and been blown sideways onto the stern of another in the process of exiting their berth. Fortunately no harm done, and I happened to be passing at the right moment so was able to help them extricate themselves, but that would have been much harder single-handed. And having carefully chosen my berth so that the prevailing wind was on the nose, the day's wind was from astern, so would make it even more challenging to turn. Luckily the adjacent berth was vacant, so I was able to simply walk the boat round through 180 degrees and motor straight out! So the first trial of the slip knot solution was postponed for another day.
Question: What type of rope does the team think would slip easiest and be least likely to kink and get itself caught up? Braid on braid?
jbweston
Well-Known Member
I use braid on braid.
I can see why some of you would prefer to have a quick release that drops the line (from the shore end) into the water without having to pull a slip through. However personally I have a strong preference not to have a line trailing in the water - specially if it were long. And of course if it's a short one, a slip would have pulled through in seconds.
I can see why some of you would prefer to have a quick release that drops the line (from the shore end) into the water without having to pull a slip through. However personally I have a strong preference not to have a line trailing in the water - specially if it were long. And of course if it's a short one, a slip would have pulled through in seconds.
prv
Well-Known Member
Braided polyprop is pretty slippery, and also floats which might keep it out of your propellor. The kind of stuff used for waterski towlines and some man-overboard kit. Not especially strong, but I assume you're not going to be putting huge loads on it just to turn the boat.
Pete
Lon nan Gruagach
Well-Known Member
How strong is det-cord?
Nothing trailing, guaranteed instant release, only down side is you might not have a mooring cleat to come back to.
Nothing trailing, guaranteed instant release, only down side is you might not have a mooring cleat to come back to.
