Mooring tape spools - advice on Ankarolina please!

[Windchase]

Could anyone who has experience of using "Ankarolina" anchoring tape spools give opinions & advice please?
I'm thinking of using one when berthing bows to the quay in the Med - singlehanded. Up till now I've just flaked out multiplait (and about 8m of heavy chain) and let it run out unattended while I do the business manouvering and then the bow lines. The essential thing for the tape spool is that I can let it run out without having to keep an eye on it.

 

[chrisc]

Lots of them in use in Sweden (where it comes from I believe) works very well with bows on mooring only problem seems to be that the 'line' deteriorates fairly fast in sunlight so it is necessary to sling it in a bin and buy a new one every couple of years.
Will you not be mooring more stern to in the Med? I know some places insist on stern in mooring.

 

[scarlett]

I used one for five years when single handed bows to, wearing a glove to control the speed of boat. !0 metres of chain used next to a Meon danforth style anchor.

I never had to replace the tape and it is in use still.

The biggest problem was that careless people would chop it with their prop. This happened twice and each time they bought a complete new unit as nearly the same price as discount version, to replace just the tape.

 

[Windchase]

I prefer the privacy of parking bows to the quay, some Greek quays are very public! Also to avoid underwater ballasting and other debris near the rudder and prop. Without some help on the quayside when putting lines ashore, there can be a bit of bumping the quay and the boats a bit less easy to damage there.
I hadn't heard of it being obligatory to park stern to, where was that?

 

[pcatterall]

What would be their reasoning for them insisting on stern to??

 

[Norman_E]

I looked at those last year and took advice from a very experienced yachtsman in the marina where I keep my boat. He has about 80 metres of floating rope on a drum at the stern. The advantage is that if he anchors and takes the line ashore he can swim ashore with it. I plan to fit one this year, but will not use the tape variety. In either type the pushpit takes the drum, but is no where near strong enough to take anchoring loads, and in any case the stern anchor should have a few metres of chain, as well as warp, so I do not consider the Ancharolina or similar suitable for an anchor, but only for taking a line ashore, which then needs to be made fast on a cleat, so as to remove the load from the pushpit.

 

[chrisgee]

Sailed quite extensively around Greece for many years and have Never been anywhere that insisted on mooring a particular way -- sounds odd to me.

 

[steve_l]

I have one of these on my pushpit for bows-to mooring. It ends in a shackle so I can quicly attach a snap-shackle for mooring to a bouy (if one is provided in the harbour) or to the anchor via 5m chain which is kept in the stern locker.

There is a little friction in the reel so it can't to the "toilet-roll trick" and all run out at once.

The idea is that you drop the anchor or clip on to the bouy on the run and the tape takes care of itself while you walk to the bows to step ashore and fix the bow lines. Then back to the stern to take up the line and take a few turns around a cleat. The pushpit doesn't take any anchoring load at all, it all goes to the cleat.

If you get the speed and timing right, the boat is almost stopped by the time the bows are near the shore. Great for single-handing, just need to be careful in any side wind.

-steve-

 

[Windchase]

Steve - Thanks for your info - Did you have to arrange a fairlead in line with the spool? Looking at photos in catalogues, it appears that there is just one place on the circumference where the tape exits; do the spool mounting arrangements allow this tape exit point to be positioned anywhere? I'm thinking that I would wish the tape to leave the spool low and aft.
- Robin