Mooring rope?

[david]

The mooring ropes I use in my marina are permanently tied to the marina pontoons, so when I return it's easy to berth. But I find they go very stiff from UV light making it hard to tie up after only two years. What type of rope dosen't go stiff from exposure to UV?

 

[Tranona]

Polyester that I have seems to be OK. If they are your permanent warps, then perhaps better to make them the correct length with a spliced eye in the end on the boat so no need to tie, just slip them over the cleat.

 

[prv]

If they are your permanent warps, then perhaps better to make them the correct length with a spliced eye in the end on the boat so no need to tie, just slip them over the cleat.

This is what I do, but I learned with Kindred Spirit that if all the ends are fixed then it can be difficult to get the last line on. So I have three lines with soft eyes on the boat and hard eyes shackled to the pontoon cleats, and one line (a spring) which has an eye at the boat end but is made up round the pontoon cleat each time. This allows me to haul it taut in a way I couldn't if I had to get a loop over a cleat.

Pete

 

[Tranona]

My short midships spring which is the first to go on has a long soft eye on it and is overlong so that an extra loop round the cleat is the final action to get the boat sitting right.

 

[david]

I should have said in my first post, three of my ropes do have spliced loops in but the problem is the two remaining ropes I prefer to tie are very stiff from UV light. So is Polyester the best choice for stopping the rope from going too stiff to use?

 

[sailorman]

I should have said in my first post, three of my ropes do have spliced loops in but the problem is the two remaining ropes I prefer to tie are very stiff from UV light. So is Polyester the best choice for stopping the rope from going too stiff to use?

Nylon goes stiff polyester doent well not as bad.
i have a mixture of braid on braid, 3 strand polyester & multi plait all are made up with eyes spliced or a bowline, the non stretchy ones have snubbers.
fixed lines are a great help single handing, get the aft spring on the centre cleat first, job a good-un

 

[Kelpie]

In a similar vein, are there certain types of rope which will be quieter than others? I usually tie up using a set of 3 strand nylon warps which came with the boat and seem the ideal length for this purpose. But on some quiet nights you can't get to sleep for the creaking they make. I've experimented and found that almost any other bit of rope I carry aboard is quieter.

 

[oldbilbo]

I usually tie up using a set of 3 strand nylon warps which came with the boat and seem the ideal length for this purpose. But on some quiet nights you can't get to sleep for the creaking they make. I've experimented and found that almost any other bit of rope I carry aboard is quieter.

This is the stuff! Stops squeaks in the night.....

Stops 'em going rusty, too!

 

[johnphilip]

Amongst the tips in a recent YM was the suggestion to soak hardened ropes in fabric conditioner solution. I tried this with one of my warps which had become almost rigid (possibly salt as much as UV ) Although not totally renewed there was considerable improvement.

 

[Twister_Ken]

The mooring ropes I use in my marina are permanently tied to the marina pontoons

Grrrr! Leaving them there to muck up visitors who either have to use your warps (the wrong length) or somehow tie their warps over yours. Then there are those who trip over loose warps, while there are others who delight in kicking them in the water.

 

[prv]

Grrrr! Leaving them there to muck up visitors

Fortunately, we don't get visitors.

If we did, how would anybody know that I wasn't about to arrive back in half an hour and that my berth is therefore available?

Pete

 

[Twister_Ken]

If we did, how would anybody know that I wasn't about to arrive back in half an hour and that my berth is therefore available?

Pete

The office would allocate your berth to them them - that's usual way

 

[prv]

The office would allocate your berth to them them - that's usual way

But how do the office know that I wasn't about to arrive back in half an hour and that my berth is therefore available?

Pete

 

[Twister_Ken]

But how do the office know that I wasn't about to arrive back in half an hour and that my berth is therefore available?

Pete

Because you tellem you're going 2B away

 

[prv]

Because you tellem you're going 2B away

No I don't.

I don't think there's anyone in the office at weekends anyway.

I sometimes wave to Al in his portacabin if I see his motorbike parked outside. But he doesn't know if I'm working on the boat or going sailing, and he certainly doesn't know when I'm coming back.

Pete

 

[Kelpie]

Just a thought. If you give your marina some indication of your plans, they can fit visitors into your berth at no loss to you, giving extra income which in turn allows them to charge you less. Or perhaps it doesn't work like that.

 

[prv]

Just a thought. If you give your marina some indication of your plans, they can fit visitors into your berth at no loss to you

But we don't get visitors.

Why would anyone want to come and wallow in our corrosive mud, looking at the back of a Chinese takeaway wholesaler and a scrap metal yard?

Anyway, I quite often leave in the evening after work, when even Al in his portacabin has got on his bike and gone home. So there's noone to tell.

I like it this way.

And I can leave my warps on the pontoon without anyone complaining about them

Pete