Daedelus
Well-known member
Using OXO or OXXO with a locking hitch on top is just in case someone walking down the pontoon kicks the bitter end of the line and it starts to undo. Locking hitch will hold, OXO may come loose.
Locking turn or OXXO on a cleat
- Thread starter tudorsailor
- Start date
Poignard
Well-known member
I prefer to have the OXO or OXXO on the boat, and a bowline or round turn and two half hitches on the pontoon cleats. T
rotrax
Well-known member
First Mate and I are fairly new to sailing, but not boating. Been boating 50 years, sailing for 20.
Canal Narrowboats invariably have one central cleat on the bow, no fairleads while the stern invariably has two posts, one each side, again no fairleads. Bankside you use you own mooring spikes or bollards or rings.
As you can imagine, making one of these fast alongside is far different to a yacht.
I always make off on the vessel, not shoreside.
I always use a round turn, two X's with the last end locked.
In 20 years of sailing I have never experienced a jam and never had a mooring line come off. Our current boat weighs around 17 tons with full tanks and all the cruising kit aboard.
Of course, ropes have stretched requiring adjustment, but that is it.
My biggest problem is, as I suspect it is with others, is squeaking lines during a lively night alongside.
Canal Narrowboats invariably have one central cleat on the bow, no fairleads while the stern invariably has two posts, one each side, again no fairleads. Bankside you use you own mooring spikes or bollards or rings.
As you can imagine, making one of these fast alongside is far different to a yacht.
I always make off on the vessel, not shoreside.
I always use a round turn, two X's with the last end locked.
In 20 years of sailing I have never experienced a jam and never had a mooring line come off. Our current boat weighs around 17 tons with full tanks and all the cruising kit aboard.
Of course, ropes have stretched requiring adjustment, but that is it.
My biggest problem is, as I suspect it is with others, is squeaking lines during a lively night alongside.
ryanroberts
Well-known member
I never used more than a lighterman's hitch on my narrowboat, maybe set up springs if things were busy. Yachts are much more fiddly
Achosenman
Active member
Irritated mode on: 
I went down yesterday. My neighbour has doubled up his lines on his Oceanlord. Every cleat on the pontoon within the vicinity of his boat now sports a "birds nest" heaped onto them. No-one else can get a look-in.
What is the matter with people? A Bowline or a Round Turn with two half hitches is the seamanlike thing to do. Dip the eyes and be courteous to other's who may need the cleat. The bitter end should be back aboard, not heaped up on the pontoon.
Irritated mode off:
I went down yesterday. My neighbour has doubled up his lines on his Oceanlord. Every cleat on the pontoon within the vicinity of his boat now sports a "birds nest" heaped onto them. No-one else can get a look-in.
What is the matter with people? A Bowline or a Round Turn with two half hitches is the seamanlike thing to do. Dip the eyes and be courteous to other's who may need the cleat. The bitter end should be back aboard, not heaped up on the pontoon.
Irritated mode off:
Last edited:
RichardS
N/A
Achosenman
Active member
It was...in my defence I avoid these types of topics as a norm and I didn't read that far. I'm not a knot Nazi, but I can certainly sympathise why people turn into one. ??Post #68 seems a long time ago.
Richard