Mooring rope size

Rayjive

New Member
Joined
30 Jul 2013
Messages
13
Visit site
Can anyone advise me of the size of rope I need on a swing mooring to connect the boat to the buoy on a boat with 2218kg displacement? I intend using 3 plait nylon rope but I'm open to suggestions for better alternatives.
 
If it is a swinging mooring with just an eyelet on the buoy then I would use a rope and chain on a bridal set up rope coming from each of the bow cleats. If it has a pick up then as big as the cleat can take and over the bow roller if there is one and remember the belt and braces a piece of rope to stop the eyelet jumping off the cleat.
 
I would check the breaking strain of the rope, and then I'd go up from there accounting for rough weather and chaffing.

FYI had an 18mm strop with a snubber on my east coast sheltered fixed mooring (5.5tonnes) for season one without any problems. Up sized in season 2 to 32mm with a wear sleeve hanging off a Hippo SB1 mooring buoy with 1x 18mm chain to the front, dual 18mm strops to 2 x 16mm chains to the rear, which is well OTT, but I have absolutely no problem sleeping at night even with gale force winds tearing across the land.

My view is that the difference in cost is maybe £20/30/40 but so what? How much do you stand to lose if the strop isn't up to the job?

Over spec your strop and get a good night's sleep.
 
Last edited:
The chap who services my mooring (which I own) supplies the strop, which he replaces every 2 or 3 years. It's chunky (22mm? 24mm?) braid of some sort. Luckily I have a nice big samson post on the foredeck which could take a Calmac ferry's mooring line without trouble.
 
Can anyone advise me of the size of rope I need on a swing mooring to connect the boat to the buoy on a boat with 2218kg displacement? I intend using 3 plait nylon rope but I'm open to suggestions for better alternatives.
What is being used locally? Always a good indication.
 
Dart HArbour Authority require all craft on swinging moorings to use chain. Seems a sound policy. If worried by snatch you could use a chain hook and a rubber compensator or a length of stretch rope.
 
Top