Rope from Lidl

[elton]

From Thursday, 20 Metre 10mm 3-strand polypropylene, £3.99

 

[prv]

Who uses builder's blue polyprop on a yacht?

OK for tying winter tarpaulins down i suppose, but a bit late in the year for that.

Pete

 

[rob2]

Well, there are uses for it, such as a dinghy painter that won't sink down around the prop (don't ask). It's also very good for using as a mouse whilst taking the halyards out for a wash...

Rob.

 

[VicS]

10mm

Too thick I would have thought for use as a mouse and for tying down tarps

Even for a dinghy painter.

I have a big coil bought IIRC from Bradshaws/Tarpaulins Direct which is 7mm

I use it for the covers, tying the dink onto the car roof rack and tying the dink down during the winter. Even 7mm is a bit on the thick side.

I have made a temporary bridle and painter for the inflatable from it.

Its not nice to handle and tie. Hard and slippery

20 metres is not a lot! Bradshaws sell 220m coils http://www.tarpaulinsdirect.co.uk/TarpaulinsSite/product/R220.htm

 

[RupertW]

Bought 75m of 12mm last year for £14 - its my main mooring line for when anchoring in a bay, tiring the stern to rock or tree. It's very cheap, it floats and it's a nice bright colour so doesn't often take the head off passing dinghy passengers.

As I always double up and often have a port and a starboard vee to hold the boat in position then there is plenty of redundancy for the eventual breaking of one of the lines. Horrible to coil so I just stuff it onto zipped laundry bags and feed it out from them.

 

[prv]

Yep, long shore lines for tying to rocks and trees are one of the few things I might use polyprop for on board. Also possibly for semi-sacrificial mooring lines on rough fish-quays etc.

Pete

 

[electrosys]

The stuff to avoid like the plague is an offering currently doing the rounds of the 'pound shops' - it's a hank of 9 or 10mm for silly money which has a braided outer and looks ok (but doesn't feel quite 'right'), and has a core made from scrunched-up paper ! The ends are usually tucked into the hank so you cant see 'em.

 

[greenalien]

Please don't use polyprop 3-strand for mooring lines - it's horrible stuff to handle with bare hands, it's difficult to coil up without ending up in a tangle, if it accidentally goes into the water its more likely than not to end up round somebody's prop, and if you try mooring alongside someone and try handing across a coil of the stuff, don't be surprised if you get a dirty look!

 

[prv]

Please don't use polyprop 3-strand for mooring lines - it's horrible stuff to handle with bare hands, it's difficult to coil up without ending up in a tangle, if it accidentally goes into the water its more likely than not to end up round somebody's prop, and if you try mooring alongside someone and try handing across a coil of the stuff, don't be surprised if you get a dirty look!

Most of that's true, but surely the one benefit of polyprop is that it floats and therefore is less likely to wrap itself round a propeller?

Pete

 

[greenalien]

surely the one benefit of polyprop is that it floats and therefore is less likely to wrap itself round a propeller?

If it's floating and you drive a boat across it, it's highly likely to go round your prop; it can also get pulled in by the prop wash if you accidentally drop it alongside a boat that's manouvering to moor, for example. That's why fishermen always (ahem...!) use sinking line between pots and net buoys, for example.

 

[dleroc]

I got it last time around. As others have said it's okay for emergency use etc.

I have used it as a painter on my tender but it's too thick and slippery so I will change it.

 

[LONG_KEELER]

Interesting hearing the experiences we have with this kind of rope.

I have never found the blue stuff to break.Not yet anyway. Following a few occasions when I have forgotten to de-lengthen the dinghy painter, I have ended up with rope round the prop. Since then, I have always used the floating blue stuff. The only time I have ever had a rope break was the other type of rope that you see on lifebuoys. I used it as a floating painter and it broke under a snatch load in a choppy anchorage.

A downside with the polypropylene I have found is that it tends to melt under friction and can melt and get stuck in a prop cutlass bearing . This is a real nuisance when picking up fishing line etc.

Shortly after I started yachting and had a swinging mooring, I finally went into a marina for the night. The Harbour Master hurt me deeply saying that my blue polypropylene mooring lines were only good for baling hay.

I have now sourced the same blue polypropylene in a much more upmarket orange. I only use it for turning my boat end for end or warping my rather unhandy boat. Perfect for not getting it round the prop.

 

[ffiill]

Think you will find that if you need some Tool Stations prices are pretty good

 

[Chalker]

Electrosys
That's the 'rope' I bought at Beaulieu a few years ago! Towing the dinghy the inner separated into short lengths, its not continuous! Luckily the outer is continuous.

Still available at Beaulieu last year and seller not interested in problem.

John