Permanent docklines

[knuterikt]

That's neat. These moorings work quite well and make efficient use of the space, but you have to be absolutely sure that your fenders will stay in place as you enter. One marina (Leba) alternates these with fingers, which again works well. If you want some fun, ask your crew to step on one of these as you approach.

Bound to get wet feet if you try to step on those.
We also have fingers in between. Many put permanent fenders on the booms.

 

[MountainGoat]

I created a fixed mooring line out of a single long length of rope with loops at the appropriate points to cow hitch on the cleats. The advantage is that there is only one line to worry about. The loops in the middle of the line are made from alpine butterfly knots, which has the advantage of isolating any failure to its own section.

 

[Captn D]

My arrangement, which is geared to crew staying on boat and for single handed use, is to have all dock ends shackled to cleats. One spring of correct length with soft spliced loop at boat end from dockside pontoon end cleat to boat centre cleat which is picked up on entering berth. Boat is then held in place using engine in fwd as necessary, whilst breasts are cleated on boat using tail ends oxo hitches which enables fine adjustments as weather dictates. Warps are 14 mm 3 ply polyester. Use of Plastimo Mooring Poles http://www.force4.co.uk/plastimo-mooring-pole.html#.WaK_b9HTWf0 in appropriate spots helps no end. Dockside fixed bumber fenders saves the top sides when boat fenders can ride up. I fix these on later.

 

[colind3782]

My arrangement in Empuriabrava, on a "box berth" with posts, is bows to, as my pulpit is step through with a boarding ladder as it's a Spanish built Furia. The dock has rings rather than cleats so the bow lines are attached with bowlines, protected by plastic hose. I have a line permanently attached from one ring to a post with a loop tied in the centre. As soon as we're in the berth we hook the loop over the midships cleat so she is held and not going anywhere. It's usually close enough to the dock to step off but, if not, the docklines are in easy reach of a boat hook.The outer post have small metal "hooks" on top and the stern lines have a bowline which is hooked over the top on the way in. The lines on the boat are oxo'd so they can be easily adjusted and are protected through the fairleads by plastic hose. The stern lines are crossed to opposite cleats to minimise sideways movement. The pic doesn't show it very well.

 

[wrr]

Permanent mooring lines by their very nature suffer from chafe at the same points; such as cleat horns, fairleads, toe-rails etc. I find that tubular webbing around spliced eyes and seized to warps in fairleads greatly enhances the useful life of such warps. Merchant vessels and ferries use similar protection. For examples, see https://www.jimmygreen.co.uk/item/29/anti-chafe-tubular-polyester-webbing (no connection).

 

[Sybarite]

I use pieces of hose as chaff guard.

I put a fender on the deck under the spring.

 

[knuterikt]

I put a fender on the deck under the spring.

The hoses are permanently installed on the lines.
Carry chafe guard of different types for temporary use, use far less stowage space than fenders.
have 10 fenders on board and sometimes I need all for their designated purpose.
8 docklines = 8 extra fenders?

 

[lw395]

Mine are spliced to the cleats because visitors keep nicking them

The other thing visitors will do is adjust those carefully calibrated lengths if they can.
On the other side of the fence, some residents leave so much clutter on the cleat that visitors have problems using their own warps.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

OK so here's what I've decided to do. I've purchased a quantity of 3 strand polyester (great price and friendly service from http://outdoorxscape.co.uk) and will make up lines to custom lengths, each with a 10" soft loop spliced into one end. I'm happy doing the splicing.

To give me a bit of flexibility on line length (and allowing for stretch etc) these will be cowhitched onto the cleats but OXO'd onto the boat cleats with a locking turn; after a few uses I might convert these into spliced loops at both ends but we'll see how we get on. The berth is not used for visitors so no issue there as far as I know. My berth is on the inside of the hammerhead, and I've got a good selection and position of the pontoon cleats to enable me to have starboard-side bow, midships and stern breast lines, bow and stern springs, and also a line from the port quarter back to the pontoon. Not decided yet whether the springs could be one line with a loop in the middle, or two separate ones.

I'm sure I'll need to experiment a bit with this but I think this will be secure and workable.