Clever knot or similar for quickly releasing mooring warp from cleat?

[LittleSister]

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!

 

[Lyndsey Doyle]

Good evening, I've also pondered the same scenario, but have always gone back to:

Rig for slip.

Choose a type of line which runs feely.

Choose line which you can easily flick off the cleat.

Fancy knots will jam at some point.

Organise things so you can either pull it through or flick it off the cleat.

Hope that helps, LD

 

[mainsail1]

I would say the best and most fool proof option is simply a long rope once around the cleat with both ends onboard. Pay out one end of the rope and when ready just let go one end and pull in.

 

[sailorman]

all my dock lines are permanently made to the correct length with eye splices / loops, come along side aft spring to the centre cleat first then the windward forard line

 

[jbweston]

The conventional way of doing this (and the one I always use) is to rig the line as a slip so that both ends are made fast on the boat and there's just a half turn round the shore cleat.

Admittedly the crew has to be trained (a) not to rush the slip so that the end flips round an obstruction but pull it slowly and gently and (b) to shout 'clear!' to the skipper when the line is clear and not before. And of course not to start to slip until told to, but perhaps that goes without saying.

I'd be wary of using a knot on the shore side. But perhaps you have a reason not to use a slip rope?

The only disdvantage of the slip rope is that you do need it to be double length which I can see might be a problem if you need to let the boat out a long way before slipping.

PS But it has just occurred to me that any sort of knot would need the line to be double length or else how is the crew on the boat to pull on the end. So I'd suggest a conventional slip line.

 

[Poignard]

A tumble hitch. Very useful.

http://www.netknots.com/rope_knots/tumble-hitch

 

[Yngmar]

There was an interesting way of doing this in a recent PBO. It involved a loop through the cleats center hole, locked with a piece of broomstick, held in by tension on the mooring line. Then a small diameter line at the end of the broomstick to pull it out, releasing the loop.

I've used the Handy Duck mooring aid, which has a remote release trigger, making the process really easy and it fits the standard Walcon cleats seen in most marinas around here, or a short loop to fit anything you can get a rope around.

Also used a technique from Duncan Wells' Stress-free Sailing book with a line set to slip from and to a primary winch, which has the big advantage of being within reach of the helm.

 

[Tranona]

all my dock lines are permanently made to the correct length with eye splices / loops, come along side aft spring to the centre cleat first then the windward forard line

Tell us how that helps with the OPs very specific requirement which he describes in great detail - and which is nothing like what you describe.

 

[LittleSister]

Thank you all for all the suggestions. Keep 'em coming.

A tumble hitch. Very useful.

http://www.netknots.com/rope_knots/tumble-hitch

That's the one, I think.!:encouragement:

 

[alan_d]

Thank you all for all the suggestions. Keep 'em coming.

[QgestionsUOTE=parsifal;5677192]A tumble hitch. Very useful.

http://www.netknots.com/rope_knots/tumble-hitch

That's the one, I think.!:encouragement:

The highwayman hitch is similar, but like everyone else I use a line rigged as a slip.

 

[steve350]

Here's a possible solution for you. I love this guy's presentation, a no-nonsense video of how to make a quick release knot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Nxu-jS9TSc&list=FLvo1BuibEUZOCUHZOkqW3-A&index=13

 

[sailorman]

Tell us how that helps with the OPs very specific requirement which he describes in great detail - and which is nothing like what you describe.

The OP is moving to a berth near me, Hence the reply THATS how it helps

 

[Daydream believer]

The OP is moving to a berth near me, Hence the reply THATS how it helps

Now now girls - Don't get tetchy !!




Mind you Tranona did have a point !!!

 

[sailorman]

Now now girls - Don't get tetchy !!




Mind you Tranona did have a point !!!

& you can wind yer neck in too

 

[RichardS]

Mind you Tranona did have a point !!!

He certainly did/does have a point ...... and Sailorman's convoluted reply leaves me none the wiser!

Richard

 

[RichardS]

There was an interesting way of doing this in a recent PBO. It involved a loop through the cleats center hole, locked with a piece of broomstick, held in by tension on the mooring line. Then a small diameter line at the end of the broomstick to pull it out, releasing the loop.

Yes ... that was a clever release mechanism for single-handed sailors. The big advantage compared to a slip line was that it was instantaneous in that you could quickly pull out the "broomstick" line and immmediately see that the line is free so, assuming that there is no chance of the mooring line or stick line being caught in the prop, the lone skipper could turn his attention back to helming, or whatever, and sort out the lines a bit later.

With a slip line you really need a crew member present to make sure that the line is fully released from around the pontoon cleat before you can turn your attention to something else, and with a long line that can take some time.

Also, I don't think the stick method could be used with a plain bollard so a slip line seems the only safe option in that case.

Richard

 

[prv]

The highwayman hitch is similar, but like everyone else I use a line rigged as a slip.

A highwayman's hitch does tend to jam though if it's subjected to much load. It can also come loose if pulled hard enough, which might be a problem in the OP's situation.

The tumble hitch is supposed to suffer less from the former problem, not sure about the latter, but I have little experience with it as I can never remember how to tie the thing . Whereas a highwayman's hitch I learned in Cubs and can do without thinking; I often use it for a dinghy painter temporarily.

Here's a possible solution for you. I love this guy's presentation, a no-nonsense video of how to make a quick release knot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Nxu-jS9TSc&list=FLvo1BuibEUZOCUHZOkqW3-A&index=13

That's a highwayman's hitch

Pete

 

[capnsensible]

Just rig a slip. Its so easy.

 

[capnsensible]

all my dock lines are permanently made to the correct length with eye splices / loops, come along side aft spring to the centre cleat first then the windward forard line

Imagine, for a moment, that you have actually gone somewhere else.

 

[sailorman]

The OP is moving from a swinger into a tight marina berth,with a longish keel, so lines made-up to the correct length make berthing & leaving easier