R.Y.A at it again!

[alant]

I think he meant "minor" rather than "ridiculous". I train people out of it because although the cleats on my boat are decent size, they can't take OOXXOO and the final OOs generally fall off. Locking turns rool OK.



I think you're right. The trademarks aren't very old.



Except ...

"Locking turns" - ugh.

 

[alant]

Agree, "silly" is the wrong word, how about "utterly daft"?

Unless one is talking about heavy ship lines of course.

Well, I've used them ok on 50 ton yachts, wouldn't want to use locking turns on anything that size, IMO the preserveof lorry drivers & the Birmingham Navy.

 

[alant]

Large hawsers, often between two bollards, are a different ball game entirely.

But why on earth ban locking turns

Locking turns have a habit of tightening up when a moored boat moves, making it impossible to throw off or adjust any line. OXO, allows quick adjustment & doesn't need a sharp blade to unhitch.

 

[mbroom]

Locking turns have a habit of tightening up when a moored boat moves, making it impossible to throw off or adjust any line. OXO, allows quick adjustment & doesn't need a sharp blade to unhitch.

The last time a locking turn tightened and gave me difficulty in releasing was on my old Mirror dinghy with hemp halyards.

 

[Resolution]

Locking turns have a habit of tightening up when a moored boat moves, making it impossible to throw off or adjust any line. OXO, allows quick adjustment & doesn't need a sharp blade to unhitch.

Surely it depends on a) the relative size of the rope compared to the cleat and b) the make of rope?

On modern mid-size yachts I have never had a problem with locking turns tightening up. But I have had problems with newish braid-on-braid lines slipping. And that could be even more dangerous than a line that is a struggle to release.

Far more dangerous is the custom of using mooring line loops made with bowlines. Under tension , quite hard to release. Use a round turn and two half hitches every time.

 

[martyn78]

Birdseye's complaint is wholly justified. The ICC is a legal requirement in many cases and it is inappropriate for the RYA to be the sole issuing authority (for sail boats) and use that monopoly as a device to leverage its membership. No different, in principle, to Ryanair having responsibility for issuing passports then offering its customers a discount.

+1

 

[Praxinoscope]

To those who criticise the RYA, I bet you would be even more critical if our sport was represented or organised by some QUANGO or government agency, neither of which would be very good at opposing government policies. As for ‘always looking for the money’ if you want an organisation capable of providing training, information, legal advice etc. it has to be paid for.
I have no connection with the RYA apart from being a member and a. RYA/DOT Yachmaster, and fully accept that the RYA is not perfect, and could do better but if not the RYA who else do you think could do the job?

 

[CLB]

Locking turns have a habit of tightening up when a moored boat moves, making it impossible to throw off or adjust any line. OXO, allows quick adjustment & doesn't need a sharp blade to unhitch.

Never had a locking turn cause me any problems whatsoever in a lifetime on the water.

 

[Blue Sunray]

I'm sure the the RYA could do better, but as anyone involved with target rifle shooting in the UK will know there are infinitely worse sporting governance organisations around qv the (UK) NRA.

 

[johnalison]

Never had a locking turn cause me any problems whatsoever in a lifetime on the water.

I changed to locking turns when natural fibres were no longer used. I think that the reason that neither of us has had a turn tighten on us is that we, presumably, take a round turn first, unlike very many sailors and not a few instructors that I have witnessed.

 

[capnsensible]

Never had a locking turn cause me any problems whatsoever in a lifetime on the water.

I have. A few times.

Anyway, I see my job as being to teach people a number of different ways to complete a task safely and give guidance as to where each technique is probably the most helpful. Or not.

Sooo, happily as there is no such thing as the 'RYA Method, one tiny part of a course isfor me to get people to understand the benefits of, say, locking turns and an OXO method of securing lines to cleats.

Mostly though, I agree with alant. :encouragement:

 

[sailorman]

Because they are regularly used by much heavier boats than 5 tonne boat.

P.S. Locking turns are banned on my boat. If I find a locking turn the fine is a bottle of Highland Park 12 year old, two and it is a bottle of their 18 year old. I'm not that keen on their 18 year old and just now and then need to try it again.

No back turns on my boat either, OXO is just fine

 

[alant]

Never had a locking turn cause me any problems whatsoever in a lifetime on the water.

Lucky you.
Seen many a boat, even RIB's, in difficulty when the tide has dropped (even in Solent/Cowes), leaving lines tightened under the weight of the boat, because locking hitch has made it impossible to release from cleat. Not a nice sight, seeing boat hanging, awaiting cleat to part company with hull.

 

[dom]

Locking turns have a habit of tightening up when a moored boat moves, making it impossible to throw off or adjust any line. OXO, allows quick adjustment & doesn't need a sharp blade to unhitch.

Better to untangle a locked locking-turn than try to find a drifting boat

Only way a lock-turn can tighten is if original oxo was slipping!

 

[Poignard]

Better to untangle a locked locking-turn than try to find a drifting boat

Only way a lock-turn can tighten is if original oxo was slipping!

:encouragement:

 

[Laysula]

I am quite happy for the RYA to administer ICC etc. £45 for five years is pretty reasonable. If you left it to the Government to do it would be a dam sight more expensive. As an example, I pay £300 every four years for my ADI licence.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Locking turns have a habit of tightening up when a moored boat moves, making it impossible to throw off or adjust any line.

I must just have been lucky over the past thirty-eight years of using them, because I have never once had one tighten up. Perhaps your technique could be improved? Are you putting on enough normal turns first?

 

[JumbleDuck]

Far more dangerous is the custom of using mooring line loops made with bowlines. Under tension , quite hard to release. Use a round turn and two half hitches every time.

Why would one want to release the loops? Most of mine are spliced.

 

[JumbleDuck]

As for ‘always looking for the money’ if you want an organisation capable of providing training, information, legal advice etc. it has to be paid for.

That what membership fees are for. Does the RYA provide training, information and legal advice to non-members?

 

[JumbleDuck]

I'm sure the the RYA could do better, but as anyone involved with target rifle shooting in the UK will know there are infinitely worse sporting governance organisations around qv the (UK) NRA.

The British Gliding Association ran gliding with a light hand, but by golly they were incompetent.