Locking turns

[johndf]

When cleating off a halyard or mooring rope, do you finish off with a figure of eight then a locking turn, or a figure of eight followed by a round turn? I've seen both recommended, but worry that the latter is not 'locked' so could come adrift. My teenage son, however, knows that I am wrong!

 

[Guest]

Oxo is a good way to go. Lead the rope to the back of the cleat, one round turn, two crosses, or for extra security a third cross, then finish off with a round turn pulled in tight. I only use a locking turn when there isn't enough rope to do it "properly". Have you ever tried to undo a locking turn when the rope is wet, the weather is foul and it's a bit of a panic. Get some of your friends together, use the oxo method and see if they can get the rope to slip. Of course, if you are leaving the boat you should be using a round turn and two half hitches on the shore end.

 

[claymore]

The size of cleats and mooring lines being used obviously has a bearing on what you can and cannot tie. If it is really windy I might use a heftier bow, breast or sternline than in light conditions.This tends to leave me with a struggle to tie a locking knot but locking off can be really tough to undo and you only ever want to loose knots that won't undo when conditions are against you.
The other issue which I wish pontoon sharers would get into the habit of is cleating off on the boat - not wrapping yards of mooring line around pontoon cleats

 

[Guest]

has your son been on a course? Many instructors seem dead against locking turns under any circumstances, altho I likem under most circumstances, exceptions as per other messages.

 

[mldpt]

Warps should always be attached to the shore end with a round turn and two half hitches or a bowline, making sure that any other boat useing the same cleat can remove their warp easily, the other end should be made off on the boat, with what ever system you use depending on what is available on your boat, mine has fairly large cleats. so I usually use one full turn a figure of eight and a locking turn, I have never had a peoblem with releasing these, but my cleats are large and I use large warps, however the reason you should more in this way is so that you can adjust your lines without going ashore, this is not so important on a pontoon, but on a quay or wall, with tides as we have in the NW up to 10 mtrs it is often necessary to make adjustments during the tide, and to get ashore is not easy if possible.MIKE

 

[incognito]

1. For finishing off to a cleat, I ALWAYS make the lead from the load side to the furthest horn of the cleat, NEVER complete the first turn, instead cross over and start the figure of 8, then a final lock. Try watching this without the final lock with a serious (25%) load on the warp.

2. I always finish on the boat end.

3. Start at boat, down to pontoon cleat, round furthest horn, then nearest, then cross over, then back to boat to finish off (as 1). This means I have a non-slipping not-chafing turn on the cleat, but when readying for the off, just lift it and turn into a slipping half turn. This may need you to try it to see what I mean.

 

[johndf]

Well, I don't know where my son was taught his way of doing it, but it is more or less the OXO method, which seems to be quite popular. My locking turns (on the boat cleats, of course, not on the pontoon) have not caused me any problems, but I'll let him do his OXO's in future, as it is obviously a well tried method. Incognito - your third point is a very useful suggestion. I'll give it a try.

 

[Guest]

Horses for courses

The OXO method is fine for mooring to a pontoon in a marina, but without a rope clutch, would you use it for a halyard in a blow?

I tried suggesting that both were correct, depending on the circumstances in in RYA test paper, and got marked down. (They seem to reckon you should use a locking turn.) Locking turns were a big no-no in my father's day, when hemp ropes shrank as they got wet and a locking turn was just that - it locked solid. Synthetic ropes aren't such a problem, and hell, so long as you've got a knife handy....

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