Moronic question about mooring

[armchairsailor]

Confession time, I suppose....

Our boat was moored on a drying mooring, and we always tied up to the samson post - good, strong, never gave a moments bother. All subsequent boats I've had the pleasure of being on sailed out of marinas. However, I see that most boats that were built after the 60s don't appear to have samson posts, but 2 cleats and ?fairlead eyes through which to tie a rope bridle or something. Ar they used together, or is the boat secured "off-centre"? How do you cleat off chain if you have no rode? How does it work?

I don't have a clue how this system works, but since it's a pretty basic requirement for parking in wilder places, it seems essential to know.

I realise that there's probably about as many ways to moor/ anchor up as there are opinions on the best hook, but I'd appreciate being illuminated. Is there an online explanation that would do the job?

Signed:
The dunce in the corner.

 

[Rigger Mortice]

On my mooring I have chain with a loop at the end. the chain goes over the bow roller and the loop drops over a single cleat.
When I visit elsewhere and there is a rope strop I drop the loop over the cleat in the same way.
If I use a visitors mooring with has neither a chain nor rope strop then I take a line from the cleat, through the fairlead, then through the ring on the buoy (twice to reduce chaff), back to the other fairlead and then to a cleat.

Nothing wrong with your question. I'll also be interested to see what others do.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Several ways. Mostly, chain comes aboard over the bow roller. Keep enough slack chain between the windlass and the stemhead to take a loop of chain around one of the bow cleats. You might want to OXO a length of line around the cleat to make sure the chain can't jump off.

You can also fit a length of nylon line with a chain hook. Hook that on the chain outboard the stem head. Lower a few feet of chain away with the hook on it. Tighten up and cleat off the nylon line so that the strain goes cleat - line - hook - chain, taking any strain off the chain on deck.

Picture from Jimmy Green site.

 

[chewi]

Not sure I understand the question, but I have a chain strop with a shackled eye at the top, and a rope pickup line.
The chain strop goes over the roller and on to a cleat on the foredeck. It wouldn't matter if the cleat was off-centre, but in my case it is.

My cleat has two upright horns, so I figure of eight the eye round them so it can't jump off, but I don't really think it ever would even if I didn't.

 

[armchairsailor]

Not sure I understand the question,

You've answered it really - the cleat side doesn't matter - the chain still comes over the roller, but something of an intermediary nature to secure it to the cleat. So a separate piece of rope (with optional hooky thing) is needed. I see...

Thankyou, I have learnt things.

Those cleats must be pretty beefily held on if they mirror the samson post.

 

[Rigger Mortice]

Several ways. Mostly, chain comes aboard over the bow roller. Keep enough slack chain between the windlass and the stemhead to take a loop of chain around one of the bow cleats. You might want to OXO a length of line around the cleat to make sure the chain can't jump off.

You can also fit a length of nylon line with a chain hook. Hook that on the chain outboard the stem head. Lower a few feet of chain away with the hook on it. Tighten up and cleat off the nylon line so that the strain goes cleat - line - hook - chain, taking any strain off the chain on deck.

Picture from Jimmy Green site.

Ken,

That's when you are hanging off your anchor isn't it? I think OP was asking about being on a mooring? Maybe I've got it wrong.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Ken,

That's when you are hanging off your anchor isn't it? I think OP was asking about being on a mooring?

I 'think' he was asking about both - the wild places reference.

"I don't have a clue how this system works, but since it's a pretty basic requirement for parking in wilder places, it seems essential to know.

I realise that there's probably about as many ways to moor/ anchor up as there are opinions on the best hook, but I'd appreciate being illuminated. Is there an online explanation that would do the job?"

 

[Rigger Mortice]

You're probably right.

 

[chewi]

Those cleats must be pretty beefily held on if they mirror the samson post.

A cleat that isn't fixed as strong as it looks is a false promise.

 

[VicS]

My little boat has a fabricated stainless bollard on the centre line of the foredeck. Bolted to a moulded in kingplank
It is designed for a loop in the end of the mooring chain ( or warp) to be dropped over it.
It is also slotted so that the anchor chain can be dropped onto it
Its the original equipment. I have never seen the same on any other class of boat AFAIK

I have fitted two ordinary cleats and fairleads for mooring alongside.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Vic, nice bit of kit.

 

[Lakesailor]

Vic, doesn't that bollard risk chafe on warps?
I have always fitted Vetus bollards (very good value) like this on Feckless.

Fitted longitudinally as the foredeck was small and I didn't want to trip on it,. As the strops come in sort of sideways from the fairleads it makes little difference where the "ears" are loctaed)

 

[snowleopard]

A practice I have seen a lot is to have two rope strops on the mooring (20mm polypropylene is good) and run one through each fairlead to the cleat(s). It makes the arrangement symmetrical and gives belt + braces.

 

[Rob_Webb]

Several ways. Mostly, chain comes aboard over the bow roller. Keep enough slack chain between the windlass and the stemhead to take a loop of chain around one of the bow cleats. You might want to OXO a length of line around the cleat to make sure the chain can't jump off.

You can also fit a length of nylon line with a chain hook. Hook that on the chain outboard the stem head. Lower a few feet of chain away with the hook on it. Tighten up and cleat off the nylon line so that the strain goes cleat - line - hook - chain, taking any strain off the chain on deck.

Picture from Jimmy Green site.

I have both a sampson post and two side cleats. When on the marina both bowlines go over the sampson post. When at anchor the chain runs over the port hand bow roller and I have 'snubber' in place as per Ken's pic which comes back over the stbd bow roller to the sampson post.

I never leave the anchor (chain or wharp) secured only around the windlass. The shock loads are bad for the axle and you only have to listen to the loud whine of a windlass where this has been the case, compared to the silence of one that is protected by a snubber when at anchor.

 

[A1Sailor]

Vic, doesn't that bollard risk chafe on warps?
I have always fitted Vetus bollards (very good value) like this on Feckless.

Fitted longitudinally as the foredeck was small and I didn't want to trip on it,. As the strops come in sort of sideways from the fairleads it makes little difference where the "ears" are loctaed)

What a lovely bollard - and the slots are lined up perfectly fore and aft.
Must be a bu**er to keep it shiny, though. Do you polish it every day?

 

[Elessar]

A practice I have seen a lot is to have two rope strops on the mooring (20mm polypropylene is good) and run one through each fairlead to the cleat(s). It makes the arrangement symmetrical and gives belt + braces.

beware polyprop it is not UV resistant and loses strength quickly. It is also a menace if you lose it overboard. Nylon is a much better choice.

 

[little_roundtop]

A practice I have seen a lot is to have two rope strops on the mooring (20mm polypropylene is good) and run one through each fairlead to the cleat(s). It makes the arrangement symmetrical and gives belt + braces.

This is exactly what I do. I have a two-warp strop made up with the chain hook seen in earlier pictures attached to the joined-end via a swivel. I also have two rubber snubbers in the warps too - probably unnecessary I know but it felt like belt-and-braces to me. I have the warps marked where they should meet the two bow cleats so that when cleated off the warps are the same length. I then release the chain so a big loop is hanging down - this is required to keep the chain hook in place.

We've been anchored this way in some moderately hairy conditions, F8 gusting with a moderate swell bucking the boat around. No signs of chaffing, the boat didn't veer too much and (the big thing for me) the load was on the cleats and not the windlass.

Tony Cross

 

[AndrewB]

I was once given this rule of thumb: is the cleat strong enough to lift the whole weight of the yacht?

If not stick to sheltered moorings.

 

[Twister_Ken]

I was once given this rule of thumb: is the cleat strong enough to lift the whole weight of the yacht?

If not stick to sheltered moorings.

Unrealistic. Just might be true of a tug, but nothing else.

 

[snowleopard]

beware polyprop it is not UV resistant and loses strength quickly. It is also a menace if you lose it overboard. Nylon is a much better choice.

Totally disagree. It floats so is easy to pick up and doesn't get round the prop. I have been using the same bridle for 6 years and it is showing virtually no signs of degradation even though I long since stopped bothering with anti-chafe protection. I'm not talking about the hairy grey stuff but the green rope you buy from chandlers in a fishing port. Mine is in 18mm and the 11m my bridle takes costs under £10.