How Long Should My Mooring Lines Be ?

[beejay190]

I recall reading somewhere that the preferred lengths are : 2 lines one + three quarters the boat length, and two lines three quarters the boat length. Any views on this please.

 

[westernman]

With only four bits of string you definitely won't be mooring in a marina in the Med during winter.

Every winter here, we have had a least one storm with winds of over 100mph inside the marina!

I use 8 during summer and 10 during winter.

 

[Tranona]

Have a look at the Jimmy Green website. There is a table of recommended mooring lines ther.

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

You may want to differentiate between lines you use on a day to day basis and those you use for long term mooring. A wise man told me once that if your bow lines are shorter than your LOA then you should not be able to put them round the prop. Stern lines are less likely to go ob unnoticed than bow ones.

 

[Mr Googler]

You may want to differentiate between lines you use on a day to day basis and those you use for long term mooring. A wise man told me once that if your bow lines are shorter than your LOA then you should not be able to put them round the prop. Stern lines are less likely to go ob unnoticed than bow ones.

I agree with the bowline. Always done that and never had a wrap (of my own rope anyway)

I was told as a young lad and kept to it. Bit of a pain in a 5ft tender but I stuck fast and again, never got a wrap. After it sunk, never found the tender either!! Something about tide range?????

 

[timbartlett]

I recall reading somewhere that the preferred lengths are : 2 lines one + three quarters the boat length, and two lines three quarters the boat length. Any views on this please.

Sounds like a barest possible minimum if you only ever berth in marinas.

If you ever plan on berthing alongside a tidal wall, then you need at least four, each with a minimum effective length (i.e from wall to fairlead -- allow a bit extra for going round bollards etc.) of at least four or five times the range of the tide, plus a couple of shorter ones in case you have to raft up outside another boat.

OTOH, if you're talking about a tender-sized outboard powered boat, I'd say the painter needs to be not long enough to reach the prop, plus another bit of rope long enough to reach from the top of the steps to the waterlevel.

So it all depends!

 

[Wiggo]

On a 12m boat we use 2 20m warps most of the time. We have four cleats each side (I'll refer to them as 1-4, bow-stern). The warps are long enough to go from bow (1) to forward cleat on the pontoon back to no 3 cleat, and from stern (4) to the aft cleat on the pontoon and forward to No 2. That way we get fore and aft lines plus a pair of springs out of two warps (not exactly textbook, but we find it easier this way).

We also have a pair of 20m warps to use a shore lines when rafted, plus a 40m one, so we can double up the 20m's at one end, use the 40m at the other and raft 6 boats out in Weymouth. These extra warps also double up if we know we're in for a wild spell of weather.

Finally, there's another 10m chunk with a chain hook in the middle of it to pick up the anchor rode and stop it snatching at anchor...

Edit: oh, and the painter on the tender (from bitter experience) is just too short to reach the prop, so we also carry another 8-10m or so of 10mm stuff in case we need to leave the tender tied to a harbour wall.

 

[Major Catastrophe]

A wise man told me once that if your bow lines are shorter than your LOA then you should not be able to put them round the prop.

As I reported on here the week before last. My bow line was longer than my LOA. But problem was solved when the prop shaved a couple of metres off the line.

Now it is the perfect length.

 

[Wiggo]

Yes, the 230hp Volvo Penta warp trimmer is very effective, but I find it doesn't to a very neat job of sealing the cut end of the warp. I prefer a hot knife these days...

 

[mil1194]

PMSL ^^

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

Yes, the 230hp Volvo Penta warp trimmer is very effective, but I find it doesn't to a very neat job of sealing the cut end of the warp. I prefer a hot knife these days...

I'd raise that issue with Volvo, their lads are quite inventive. It would have to be electrically driven I guess, to heat the cutters, and probably be £2k or so, with replacement heaters needed yearly at about £350 a time. Warranty checks would consist of binning the current heater, fitting a new one and charging £325 + labour + VAT for the process

 

[mil1194]

Sounds like you've been going to the same swindlery as me! (Who also happen to be VP)