Med mooring - bow line around winch?

[markc]

Hi

I use the bow winch to lift & tighten the bow line and it is a bit of a struggle to keep tension and transfer load to a cleat. Looking at my neighbours, they just have the line around the winch drum 2 or 3 times and tied off on a cleat. Instinctively I'm not sure I want the load on the winch, or is it more than man for the task?

Cheers
Mark

 

[jrudge]

I sometimes use the winch and if so then tie off on the cleat. The cleat is holding it the line just happens to be round the winch.

I only do this with long saggy lines. Most of the time just go forward and let the stern winches do the work

 

[MapisM]

I use the bow winch to lift & tighten the bow line and it is a bit of a struggle to keep tension and transfer load to a cleat.

There's a workaround for that, but I'm afraid you can't use it on your boat, due to her cleats/winch layout.
Actually, I' not 100% positive for the 165, but IIRC the layout is very similar to the 175, i.e. with the cleats well forward of the winch, and almost in line with it - am I right?
If yes, the trick you can't use is to go round the cleat with the bow line BEFORE putting it on the winch and pull it.
When the cleats are either placed astern of the winch, or on its side, this makes the load transfer you are struggling to keep much easier.
Otoh, if I'm wrong and your 165 cleats are placed in a way that allows you to go round them and then to the winch, give it a try, it works a treat!

All that said, I also prefer, as jrudge, to use the winch at the stern whenever possible.

 

[Jonmendez]

You can also use a second line secured further aft and then tie it to the line with the weight on using a rolling hitch you can then take the line off the winch and put it on a cleat, then release the second line. Job done.

 

[vas]

or similar to the previous poster, I put the port bow line on the winch (Lofrans Tigress has the drum on the port side) tighten and temp secure on the cleat on top of the winch and then pick the stbrd bow line and secure it.
In order to avoid lots of pulling, I just engage both engines to fwd (idle) then job becomes much easier...

If I had a stern capstan I'd definitely use it and avoid all the hassle

cheers

V.

 

[Jack Haines]

You can also use a second line secured further aft and then tie it to the line with the weight on using a rolling hitch you can then take the line off the winch and put it on a cleat, then release the second line. Job done.

This method is explained (by Jon!) in this video (from approx 2 mins in): https://youtu.be/4DDnL7ntciY

 

[grumpy_o_g]

At the risk of showing my ignorance, can't you just drop forward a fraction on the engines, easing off on the stern lines as you do so. Then, with a bit of slack in the bow line, re-fasten it and use the engines to drop back tightening up on the stern lines at the same time? I'm assuming you have a crew member on board of course. I speak as a man who is used to sailing off of moorings mostly so it's purely out of interest.

 

[jrudge]

At the risk of showing my ignorance, can't you just drop forward a fraction on the engines, easing off on the stern lines as you do so. Then, with a bit of slack in the bow line, re-fasten it and use the engines to drop back tightening up on the stern lines at the same time? I'm assuming you have a crew member on board of course. I speak as a man who is used to sailing off of moorings mostly so it's purely out of interest.

Generally ( read 95 %) you can leave slack rear lines. Put on the bow line and then stern winch in ( or in your example use the engines. )

if you have a long bow line - very long ... some here in mallorca on visitors moorings will take a 15m boat to a 30m boat or more this method starts to fall apart as the bow line ( at this point very thick ) line is huge and most people will not get the slack out of the line. In these cases the bow winch presents a very good option. Similarly if you are all tied up and then decide you need the bow a bit tighter it can be a lot less hassle to pop it on the bow winch as opposed to pulling hard or messing with the tied off stern lines.

 

[Bouba]

What is the technique for chain?

 

[Portofino]

What is the technique for chain?

This happens @ the bow in the Opersite scenario to what JRudge describes above .A 15 M boat in a say a 12 visiting berth .
Don,t ask me how I know ?
As you pull up the rope and run out inorder to keep the chain off the gel coat use a smaller rope threaded through a link .
Or I have a large chain hook /carribena which has a Y yoke allready spliced in with loops to slip over the bow cleats -made so,s the crab hangs with in hand reach off the bow .With this normally ,with the help of the lad in a dingy ( Capitaneries ) attaches this leaving the chain dangling off the bow .

In the morning on departure "crew" slacken off stern lines to ease tension @the bow so you ,a bloke with let's say big arms can lean over and pull up enough slack to unclip it -without it touching the gel coat --just !
Works for me .
Same bit of kit also works on some bouys , with a inside sliding loop .
You can also double up with A N other rope threaded through for a belt n braces if you wish ?

Essentially with chain in a marina berth - idea is to keep it off the gel coat .

Our problem is that the UK reg doc that my wife goes into the Capitaneries when we arrive at a new to us marina says 13.2 M ( throw back to Italian boat tax calc ,c ?) This was taken from the old IT reg book ,so it all tallys up -no discrepancys in the paperwork if anybody delves deep.Did not want a row with foreign officialdom cos doc,s did not match etc .
The true LOA 14.5 inc bathing flatform ,which does not magically disappear in a 12-13 Berth .

So for this year we have nearly been short berthed x2 -wife's savvy now and asked for 15 M +

How ever if there's a storm forcast and beam permitted we will take any berth even one that's got a load of chain @ the bow .

 

[Bouba]

This happens @ the bow in the Opersite scenario to what JRudge describes above .A 15 M boat in a say a 12 visiting berth .
Don,t ask me how I know ?
As you pull up the rope and run out inorder to keep the chain off the gel coat use a smaller rope threaded through a link .
Or I have a large chain hook /carribena which has a Y yoke allready spliced in with loops to slip over the bow cleats -made so,s the crab hangs with in hand reach off the bow .With this normally ,with the help of the lad in a dingy ( Capitaneries ) attaches this leaving the chain dangling off the bow .

In the morning on departure "crew" slacken off stern lines to ease tension @the bow so you ,a bloke with let's say big arms can lean over and pull up enough slack to unclip it -without it touching the gel coat --just !
Works for me .
Same bit of kit also works on some bouys , with a inside sliding loop .
You can also double up with A N other rope threaded through for a belt n braces if you wish ?

Essentially with chain in a marina berth - idea is to keep it off the gel coat .

Our problem is that the UK reg doc that my wife goes into the Capitaneries when we arrive at a new to us marina says 13.2 M ( throw back to Italian boat tax calc ,c ?) This was taken from the old IT reg book ,so it all tallys up -no discrepancys in the paperwork if anybody delves deep.Did not want a row with foreign officialdom cos doc,s did not match etc .
The true LOA 14.5 inc bathing flatform ,which does not magically disappear in a 12-13 Berth .

So for this year we have nearly been short berthed x2 -wife's savvy now and asked for 15 M +

How ever if there's a storm forcast and beam permitted we will take any berth even one that's got a load of chain @ the bow .

Thanks Portofino, but is there a way, correction is there an easy way, without the guy in the rib and without the guy on deck with big arms?

 

[jfm]

I also tension the system using the stern winches, but to get to OP's core question I see no problem leaving a line on a winch, under load, for several months if you want. I do it all the time.

 

[markc]

I also tension the system using the stern winches, but to get to OP's core question I see no problem leaving a line on a winch, under load, for several months if you want. I do it all the time.

Thanks all for your comments. I do have stern winches on both sides, but currently the boat has a pair of chunky stern lines with spliced loops at the boat end, just the right length for the berth, chained to the bollards on the quay, so with this set-up I do really need to tension at the bow. In addition, the chain on the bow is pretty meaty and my arms not as big as Porto's, so the bow winch is the only option, and so for the time being I'll happily defer to jfm's position and not worry if I leave the line on the winch.

Thanks again folks!

 

[Forty_Two]

I also tension using my winch. To make life easier i have shackled an extra line to each bow line where it changes from chain to rope.

Haul the normal slime line up to where i want, boat hook to pick up the loose 2nd line which goes to cleat, slack off slime line, job done. No risk of bent winch shaft etc etc.