How do you tie your boat up in a marina? Simple question???

[bigwow]

Has to be tight or you loose the Sky TV signal.

 

[Sybarite]

In case of interest, I have found in the past that a snubber to take the shock out of mooring lines can be improvised using a standard car roof-rack style bungee strap.

Simply form a loose bight of the mooring line, and tie the bungee tight around the line with a rolling hitch or similar either side of the slack.

Takes a bit of trial and error, but works surprisingly well if one is in a snatching situation; which can of course be quite horrible on cleats, boat & crew !

You could use a motor bike tyre as well - if aethetics aren't your thing.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

The majority of boats are moored up badly in marinas by having both springs going to the mid-ships cleat on the boat. Far more preferable to do the job properly by taking springs from fore and aft cleats on the boat to pontoon cleats, so that they not only stop the boat going back and fore but also help to keep the bow and stern alongside.

 

[Vara]

The majority of boats are moored up badly in marinas by having both springs going to the mid-ships cleat on the boat. Far more preferable to do the job properly by taking springs from fore and aft cleats on the boat to pontoon cleats, so that they not only stop the boat going back and fore but also help to keep the bow and stern alongside.

That's a good theory, but in practice on my boat this would mean lines fouling on hull and giving unnatural lead from cleats across toe rail.

I have all my lines tightish, If I'm on the boat and it's snatching I double up with some scabby climbing rope which calms things down

 

[jhr]

I usually call up the Marina Manager and instruct him to do it...............

 

[Seajet]

Has to be tight or you loose the Sky TV signal.

You're not kidding ! I was off Hayling foreshore once when a gin palace came bounding towards me at high speed, showing a black ball.

I thought he'd forgotten to take it down, then as he went past I saw it was a sky dish nailed onto the flying bridge...

 

[Robin]

The majority of boats are moored up badly in marinas by having both springs going to the mid-ships cleat on the boat. Far more preferable to do the job properly by taking springs from fore and aft cleats on the boat to pontoon cleats, so that they not only stop the boat going back and fore but also help to keep the bow and stern alongside.

I don't want to keep the bow and stern alongside! This is why we always had an extra line from the outside stern or centre cleat to the main pontoon as it held the boat off the finger, so no load on fenders or chafe from their rubbing. Easy enough to slacken this line when on board to make it easier to get on the boat from the finger. We did this years back and one by one most other boats around us did the same when they saw how it worked.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

That's a good theory, but in practice on my boat this would mean lines fouling on hull and giving unnatural lead from cleats across toe rail.

I have all my lines tightish, If I'm on the boat and it's snatching I double up with some scabby climbing rope which calms things down

Climbing rope isnt exactly stretchy, so more likely to snatch. Just like peeps using old sheets and halyards ... which is another thing that niggles me!

 

[LadyInBed]

There speaks the voice of zero experience cruising a 22' boat then !

Is a trip to the Med (twice) enough experience cruising a 22' boat then

 

[Seajet]

Apparently not ! Only had mine since 1978 trundling around the Solent, Channel & West so I haven't learned how to get by with just bungees yet...

 

[ChrisE]

In places where they get proper winds (Norway, f11+ yes in a marina) they rig their lines tight with snubbers. I left Rival Spirit bolt tight with 3 foot from the stem to the pontoon head and still ended up with a bloodied nose...

 

[Vara]

Climbing rope isnt exactly stretchy, so more likely to snatch. Just like peeps using old sheets and halyards ... which is another thing that niggles me!

Beg to differ, the climbing rope I use is extremely stretchy, designed to take the stress out of the snatch induced by falling.

Agree about halyards and sheets though.

 

[Amulet]

I agree that length is the deciding factor. Long lines, eg springs, can be tight, short lines, breast ropes in a marina, must have a bit of slack. If the breast ropes are tight then even a slight roll causes snatch, which is not the case for the long springs. I think it's a good idea to rig your breast ropes through a fairlead and across to a cleat on the OPPOSITE side of the boat. So I am moored starboard too, but cleat off on the port side. The extra length absorbs a bit of snubbing.

Guilty of midship cleated springs, which are tight to stop me surging around. Over a knot of tide runs through the berth at springs, which makes getting in and out (especially out) interesting, particularly in a long keeler which steers like a supermarket trolley astern.

 

[prv]

Climbing rope isnt exactly stretchy, so more likely to snatch.

You what? I wouldn't want to fall on your climbing rope if it doesn't have any stretch in it. The eyes water just thinking about it

Pete

 

[BlueSkyNick]

You what? I wouldn't want to fall on your climbing rope if it doesn't have any stretch in it. The eyes water just thinking about it

Pete

Fair cop! I tried abseiling once about 40 years ago and havent been near a climbing rope since.

 

[Sinc]

I agree that length is the deciding factor. Long lines, eg springs, can be tight, short lines, breast ropes in a marina, must have a bit of slack. If the breast ropes are tight then even a slight roll causes snatch, which is not the case for the long springs. I think it's a good idea to rig your breast ropes through a fairlead and across to a cleat on the OPPOSITE side of the boat. So I am moored starboard too, but cleat off on the port side. The extra length absorbs a bit of snubbing.

Guilty of midship cleated springs, which are tight to stop me surging around. Over a knot of tide runs through the berth at springs, which makes getting in and out (especially out) interesting, particularly in a long keeler which steers like a supermarket trolley astern.

Oh for just 1 knot of tide at springs.

 

[Sybarite]

Climbing rope isnt exactly stretchy, so more likely to snatch. Just like peeps using old sheets and halyards ... which is another thing that niggles me!

If I leave my boat for any time I usually add old sacrificial lines which are tighter than the main ones and therefore take the strain.

 

[Daedelus]

Snubbers. Then get the lines nice and tight and the snubbers absorb all the snatch.

Got them years ago when the marina was far more subject to swell than now and just carried on using them.