Is this what you mean by "singled up"

[shmoo]

Is this what you mean by \"singled up\"

I have always taken the expression "singled up" to mean, somewhat perversely, doubled up and ready to slip. Sorry about sad art-work - the boat is on the right and the quay/pontoon is on the left. Blue stuff is water.

Is this what you think it means?

 

[Cliveshep]

Re: Is this what you mean by \"singled up\"

I thought it meant having only a backspring ashore to enable the vessel to go ahead into this to push the stern out before letting go and moving clear astern

 

[Daipal]

Re: Is this what you mean by \"singled up\"

As an ex Merchant Navy chap I think it just means to reduce the amount of ropes going ashore ready to leave. It may be to a single spring, or it could be, for example, the forward crew are told to single up to a head line and the aft crew to single up to a stern line. They would both then be told let go for and aft. It just depends on conditions and the pilots/captains preference.

 

[EdWingfield]

Re: Is this what you mean by \"singled up\"

From my Penguin Dictionary of Sailing.

'Single up' = Cast off all securing hawsers except one at each position.

 

[Dyflin]

Re: Is this what you mean by \"singled up\"

My understanding pretty much too.

Be difficult to 'let go aft' in a hurry otherwise /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[dombuckley]

Re: Is this what you mean by \"singled up\"

On a big ship, once the vessel is in the correct position alongside, the ship is fully secured by additional warps, so that there are 2 headropes / 2 sternropes/ 2 breastropes fwd and aft, 2 springs fwd and aft. This is "doubling up".

"Singling up" is the reverse process, so that there is only one of each rope ashore, and is the first part of getting ready for departure They may be slip-ropes as you show, if there is no one to slip the lines from the dockside.

 

[Bilgediver]

Re: Is this what you mean by \"singled up\"

I thought it meant having only a backspring ashore

NOp........single headline single stern line and single spring This enough to hold the vessel in position ready for arrival of tug boats alongside and the engine turned by turning gear and made ready for manoevering.

 

[Refueler]

Re: Is this what you mean by \"singled up\"

[ QUOTE ]
On a big ship, once the vessel is in the correct position alongside, the ship is fully secured by additional warps, so that there are 2 headropes / 2 sternropes/ 2 breastropes fwd and aft, 2 springs fwd and aft. This is "doubling up".

"Singling up" is the reverse process, so that there is only one of each rope ashore, and is the first part of getting ready for departure They may be slip-ropes as you show, if there is no one to slip the lines from the dockside.

[/ QUOTE ]

The Fore and Aft Mooring parties will "single up" lines to Masters orders and Pilots advice .... it is to reduce lines to minimum safe to maintain vessel immediately prior to letting go. The lines kept / released could be any combination as decided by Master / Pilots advice taking into account whether shore uses fixed bollards, quick-release hooks etc. and of course use of tugs, current, wind etc.
No Merchant ship of any reasonable size would ever have a "slip-rope" as OP shows ... How ?

Further that nothing else happens until each party's officer reports back to Master that they are "singled up".

 

[dratsea]

Re: Is this what you mean by \"singled up\"

Big ships have shore crew to let go. If you do not have shore crew then singled up is what you have shown, on Sara Jane this means one line fore and one line aft, but so that we can let go from on board the lines are doubled up and brought back to the boat without locking turns on the shore cleat. Ferries use the term "top-line" to mean thay can slip as soon as Port Control gives them permission, I guess one warp at each end.

 

[shmoo]

Re: Is this what you mean by \"singled up\"

Thanks, but interesting as the that big ship practice is, I think I meant in terms of a yacht!

 

[Nico]

Re: Is this what you mean by \"singled up\"

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks, but interesting as the that big ship practice is, I think I meant in terms of a yacht!

[/ QUOTE ]

I appears that the term derives from big ships, and is probably a bit misused on a yacht where it has come to mean rigged to slip.

 

[bluedragon]

Re: Is this what you mean by \"singled up\"

I had an instructor back in the 80s who used the term to mean run slips, but I've always found it very confusing to crew and never used it.

 

[shmoo]

Re: Is this what you mean by \"singled up\"

Yes it is a confusing term, but the very useful concept does need a simple name. You can't keep saying, "Please can you run the line ashore and back again so as to form a slip rope"

Dratsea's observation that
[ QUOTE ]

Ferries use the term "top-line" to mean they can slip as soon as Port Control gives them permission,


[/ QUOTE ]
seems quite useful. I think I will adopt that term.

 

[doug748]

Re: Is this what you mean by \"singled up\"

[ QUOTE ]
run slips.

[/ QUOTE ]
Thank you Bluedragon, that is the term I have been trying to grope for.
As a singlehander I never have to ask, but of course you request your crew to: rig/run slips.

 

[singledup]

To SINGLE UP by singledup@aol.com

I thought it meant having only a backspring ashore to enable the vessel to go ahead into this to push the stern out before letting go and moving clear astern

SINGLE UP - is used in the USN as - to simply reduce to ONE line prior to departure. Depending upon conditions, this could be bow or stern line.

Robb GONAVY!

 

[prv]

Thanks, but interesting as the that big ship practice is, I think I meant in terms of a yacht!

I only understand the term in the context of big ship practice (we use it on Stavros). In terms of a yacht I'd suggest that it's basically meaningless. If some skippers do use it on yachts you'll have to ask them what they choose to mean by it.

In the absence of anything else, if someone did say "OK, let's single up" I'd assume they meant to get rid of any warps that weren't required right now, eg springs that are slack with the current flow, shore lines on a raft, etc.

I also have a lesser issue with "slip", in that one guy I sail with says "slip the bow line" when he means to double it back on board. To my mind, that order means to let it go. Certainly it caused some confusion the first few times.

Pete

 

[andygc]

I have always taken the expression "singled up" to mean, somewhat perversely, doubled up and ready to slip.

If you think about what you wrote and drew, you'll realise that a slip is not "doubled up" - it's a single length of rope, and if you cut it, you cease to be moored. If you are "doubled up" you can cut one rope, and you will still be moored.

Yes, people often say "single up" to mean "please convert our current arrangement of single mooring lines to become slips". It's wrong, but if it is understood by the whole crew it should work OK.

 

[KenMcCulloch]

When I worked on Sail Training vessels one would instruct the bosun/2nd mate/whoever to 'rig a spring to slip, aft / rig a spring forarrd to slip / a bow line to slip etc. as required. I always thought of 'singling up' as described above, something very large vessels would do.

 

[prv]

When I worked on Sail Training vessels one would instruct the bosun/2nd mate/whoever to 'rig a spring to slip, aft / rig a spring forarrd to slip / a bow line to slip etc. as required. I always thought of 'singling up' as described above, something very large vessels would do.

Ah - don't think I've ever rigged lines to slip on Tall Ships Youth Trust (ex STA) ships. It would be quite an awkward affair. Instead we leave three lucky voyage crew ashore to cast the lines off the bollards, and then get a ride back to the ship in the RIB with the Bosun.

Pete

 

[Humblebee]

What you have drawn is what I was taught "Singled up" meant, though it does seem perverse.