grayling
New Member
We have recently been allocated a pile mooring on a tidal river and would appreciate advice on how to rig permanent mooring lines to the rings on the piles to make drop and pick up safe for us and the neighbouring boats.
Setting up mooring lines on pile mooring
- Thread starter grayling
- Start date
Seajet
...
For a start, a lot of people use a short length of chain through the ring, the mooring line having a hard eye shackled on to this; greatly assists preventing chafe.
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
Agree with Seajet, chafe is a big problem and should be guarded against. Most people rig a line between the two piles with a pick-up buoy in the centre but I believe this is not allowed in some places. I would have thought a sinking line from buoy to chain would be better than polypropylene to avoid prop wrap.
Skipper Stu is your man on this, he has had a pile mooring for years.
Skipper Stu is your man on this, he has had a pile mooring for years.
wrr
Well-Known Member
Pile Mooring Lines
1. Golden Rule, as in carpentry, measure twice and cut rope once!
2. While some use only one, I would favour two lines from each pile. An enormous galvanised shackle to the pile ring, well moused. Best attached at low water springs from a stable dinghy. If you use cable ties to mouse, do not cut off the ends as they are very sharp and will get you when next you handle the shackle!
3. Large diameter three strand line with hard eyes (galvanised or nylon) to the shackle. I base the diameter of the line on thinking of 50% chafe rather than initial tensile strength. If you want stretch, use a rubber insert, as these large diameter lines stretch very little. Some people use an half metre or so of chain from the ring to the line but I have seen such chain snap under strain.
4. Length of plastic tubing (twice as long as you think you need) positioned with constrictor-knotted burgee cord (or if you must, cable ties) on each line to go through fairleads.
5. Large soft eye on the end of each line. Even if you use cleats, include the eye, reasons below.
6.When measuring for the lines, remember that you will want to moor facing upstream and downstream, according to the tide.
7. Pick-up line of smaller diameter, remembering that your boat will hang off it some day, say 12mm or so, with soft eye either end and pickup buoy at its centre. This is shackled (stainless best here as galvanised siezes) to one forward and one aft mooring line and the other mooring line is tied to its partner. Useful if buoy has flexible pick-up stick that you can reach from your decks.
8. Pick up the line, draw in heavy pile lines forward and aft, drop loops over samson posts/cleats, then untie partner line and lead 2nd mooring line through other fairlead and secure.
9. If you share the mooring, you need breast lines and springs to your companion boat. These you would carry anyway.
10. Check at LWS every 6 months and sleep soundly through gales!
1. Golden Rule, as in carpentry, measure twice and cut rope once!
2. While some use only one, I would favour two lines from each pile. An enormous galvanised shackle to the pile ring, well moused. Best attached at low water springs from a stable dinghy. If you use cable ties to mouse, do not cut off the ends as they are very sharp and will get you when next you handle the shackle!
3. Large diameter three strand line with hard eyes (galvanised or nylon) to the shackle. I base the diameter of the line on thinking of 50% chafe rather than initial tensile strength. If you want stretch, use a rubber insert, as these large diameter lines stretch very little. Some people use an half metre or so of chain from the ring to the line but I have seen such chain snap under strain.
4. Length of plastic tubing (twice as long as you think you need) positioned with constrictor-knotted burgee cord (or if you must, cable ties) on each line to go through fairleads.
5. Large soft eye on the end of each line. Even if you use cleats, include the eye, reasons below.
6.When measuring for the lines, remember that you will want to moor facing upstream and downstream, according to the tide.
7. Pick-up line of smaller diameter, remembering that your boat will hang off it some day, say 12mm or so, with soft eye either end and pickup buoy at its centre. This is shackled (stainless best here as galvanised siezes) to one forward and one aft mooring line and the other mooring line is tied to its partner. Useful if buoy has flexible pick-up stick that you can reach from your decks.
8. Pick up the line, draw in heavy pile lines forward and aft, drop loops over samson posts/cleats, then untie partner line and lead 2nd mooring line through other fairlead and secure.
9. If you share the mooring, you need breast lines and springs to your companion boat. These you would carry anyway.
10. Check at LWS every 6 months and sleep soundly through gales!
rob2
Well-Known Member
Thanks wrr for that detailed description! I too am just assembling all the kit for a pile mooring. At the moment I'm using the other boat's fixed lines to the piles, but after Easter he may reappear.
I like the idea of a length of chain on the ring, but the weak point is likely to be the shackle. In fact, I've been looking for a couple of weeks for some galvanized shackles that aren't made of Chinese monkey metal with a fit like a member in a tophat! With that in mind, I'm going to take a turn on the ring with the chain and then put two or three shackles between standing part and fall. As we have a pontoon between the piles, I have the luxury of considering taking the chain right up onto the foredeck without need for a rope tail. That will allow me to take the chain through the bow roller, leaving the fairleads clear for the breasts and springs. The aft line will have to have a rope tail or it may well chew the quarter deck! Worth remembering that the chain, like all the shackles involved will rust and wear, particularly in the surface region and will need regular inspection.
All told, it has proven far cheaper to buy the materials on ebay, e.g. 16mm polyester three strand for £1-50/m (incl postage) against £4 - £5 at any chandler.
Rob.
I like the idea of a length of chain on the ring, but the weak point is likely to be the shackle. In fact, I've been looking for a couple of weeks for some galvanized shackles that aren't made of Chinese monkey metal with a fit like a member in a tophat! With that in mind, I'm going to take a turn on the ring with the chain and then put two or three shackles between standing part and fall. As we have a pontoon between the piles, I have the luxury of considering taking the chain right up onto the foredeck without need for a rope tail. That will allow me to take the chain through the bow roller, leaving the fairleads clear for the breasts and springs. The aft line will have to have a rope tail or it may well chew the quarter deck! Worth remembering that the chain, like all the shackles involved will rust and wear, particularly in the surface region and will need regular inspection.
All told, it has proven far cheaper to buy the materials on ebay, e.g. 16mm polyester three strand for £1-50/m (incl postage) against £4 - £5 at any chandler.
Rob.
TSB240
Well-Known Member
I agree with all the tips given above.
Our tip is to fit a large stainless snap clip in the pick up line. This has two purposes.
You can clip your dinghy to it if leaving it on the piles and it will stay in the centre and not end up banging the upsteam or down stream pile or boats.
It also means that if you have an adverse crosswind or tide and no rafted neighbour you can then quickly re rig the pick up line on the opposite side and leave down wind or tide rather than fight to clear the line.
The large clip helps to weigh down the pick up line and keep it clear of props when approaching.
Our experience of piles in last years August storm force winds in North Wales is loads of damage was caused when rafted boats had not really tensioned their lines. Make sure you are lifting the rings up with the mooring lines under as much tension as you can get on them.This prevents movement fore and aft relative to each other.
This would not be necessary if people used springs but I have not seen any pile rafted boats using them in Pwllheli.
Our tip is to fit a large stainless snap clip in the pick up line. This has two purposes.
You can clip your dinghy to it if leaving it on the piles and it will stay in the centre and not end up banging the upsteam or down stream pile or boats.
It also means that if you have an adverse crosswind or tide and no rafted neighbour you can then quickly re rig the pick up line on the opposite side and leave down wind or tide rather than fight to clear the line.
The large clip helps to weigh down the pick up line and keep it clear of props when approaching.
Our experience of piles in last years August storm force winds in North Wales is loads of damage was caused when rafted boats had not really tensioned their lines. Make sure you are lifting the rings up with the mooring lines under as much tension as you can get on them.This prevents movement fore and aft relative to each other.
This would not be necessary if people used springs but I have not seen any pile rafted boats using them in Pwllheli.
wrr
Well-Known Member
Chain Anecdote
Rob,
Two concerns about your proposed chain set-up.
What will you do when tide and weather force you to moor your boat way around, with bow and stern lines interchanged? You will have that chain coming over the transom.
The second is anecdotal but... In my teens, I used to fish out of an exposed harbour in other people's boats. Early one autumn, there was a F9 gale blowing in the harbour mouth, combined with a spring tide and a fresh (flood) on the river. Four of us were aboard a sturdy open 20' clinker boat moored to an old timber wharf on heavy chains. We were trying to keep her off the rough wharf when a large swell lifted the boat above the mooring points on the wharf. The chains came under tension and a 1/2 inch shackle, joining the forward and aft chains, parted. Fortunately, the boat was tied stem and stern to the chains and the recoiling chain ends did not hit anyone.
When the shackle was examined, the break showed bright metal with no visible flaws or corrosion. The boat plus crew weighed less than a ton but the snatch loading must have exceeded 10 tons, which is way beyond anything that you might calculate for an unballasted 20ft open boat.
Based on this experience, when moored to piles without a pontoon, I use 22mm shackles and two polyester lines of at least 20mm diameter!
Rob,
Two concerns about your proposed chain set-up.
What will you do when tide and weather force you to moor your boat way around, with bow and stern lines interchanged? You will have that chain coming over the transom.
The second is anecdotal but... In my teens, I used to fish out of an exposed harbour in other people's boats. Early one autumn, there was a F9 gale blowing in the harbour mouth, combined with a spring tide and a fresh (flood) on the river. Four of us were aboard a sturdy open 20' clinker boat moored to an old timber wharf on heavy chains. We were trying to keep her off the rough wharf when a large swell lifted the boat above the mooring points on the wharf. The chains came under tension and a 1/2 inch shackle, joining the forward and aft chains, parted. Fortunately, the boat was tied stem and stern to the chains and the recoiling chain ends did not hit anyone.
When the shackle was examined, the break showed bright metal with no visible flaws or corrosion. The boat plus crew weighed less than a ton but the snatch loading must have exceeded 10 tons, which is way beyond anything that you might calculate for an unballasted 20ft open boat.
Based on this experience, when moored to piles without a pontoon, I use 22mm shackles and two polyester lines of at least 20mm diameter!
Heckler
Well-Known Member
Ive had a pile mooring for 11 years. Pwllheli has rings around the riser. We attached the black multiplait lines with shackles to the rings. Two warps at each end, the end of the warps were attached to each other by thin 6mm cord, the idea being that once one is hooked on then you pull the other on board. The warps were also joined to each other (end to end) by a pick up line with a pickup buoy. The bow is ponted at the pickup buoy, crew hooks the buoy on board and then runs to the relevant end to hook one line on, this depends on which way the tide is running. Once on you are safe and you can use the joining lines to pull the other lines on board. In practice, once you know the lengths you can put loops on the ends and just leave one warp free to adjust the attitude of the boat. It can get V exciting when the wind is blowing on the beam!!!
Stu
Martin_J
Well-Known Member
To make it easier on the lines led aft - last time I had a boat that I moored fore and aft I installed fairleads on the transom. One at each side... This saved lines passing through a fairlead and then rubbing on the stern quarter when the wind changed.
Twister_Ken
Well-Known Member
Forget the chain, just get girt big galvanised bow shackles and seize them.
Roger52
Well-Known Member
Pile Mooring lines
We have just set this up having taken advice on the best method. We have used 2 lines from each pile, soft eye at boat end and hard eye at pile end. We used a short length of chain to attach the lines to the ring to avoid chafe. Floating line to connect them up and used some small fenders to keep it all afloat and visible. We were advised that to calculate the length of the lines you should deduct the boat length from the distance between the piles and then divide this by 2. Each line should then be 1.5 times this length. For example if the piles are 50' apart and the boat length is 30' deducting one from the other leaves 20'. Half of this is 10'. Multiply this by 1.5 to give a length for each line of 15'. This needs to be the minimum finished length so allow enough to make up the eyes at each end.
We have just set this up having taken advice on the best method. We have used 2 lines from each pile, soft eye at boat end and hard eye at pile end. We used a short length of chain to attach the lines to the ring to avoid chafe. Floating line to connect them up and used some small fenders to keep it all afloat and visible. We were advised that to calculate the length of the lines you should deduct the boat length from the distance between the piles and then divide this by 2. Each line should then be 1.5 times this length. For example if the piles are 50' apart and the boat length is 30' deducting one from the other leaves 20'. Half of this is 10'. Multiply this by 1.5 to give a length for each line of 15'. This needs to be the minimum finished length so allow enough to make up the eyes at each end.
rob2
Well-Known Member
Lady Campanula
N/A
It's a constant surprise that peeps are willing to secure their valuable boats routinely, on home moorings using third-rate, undersized and untested, farming-grade shackles - which are known to be inadequate for marine service. The inconvenience is that 'short-link' chain will not permit the pin of a properly-tested shackle to pass, so peeps use whatever rubbish is handy and cheapest.
That means one is using one's own boat to do the testing, in a gale, at night, and that's an expensive exercise!
The first thing is to realise that 'medium link' chain WILL permit the pin of a properly-rated and tested shackle to pass. So, for the short lenghts needed on a piles mooring, use 'medium link' chain. Or have a couple of medium links welded into the ends of your short-link chain.....
The second thing is that cheap ( or free ) reinforced hose anti-chafe tubing can readily be fitted over chain, in the same way as rope, and secured in place with cord. There's no need to risk damage to one's toerail.
Do inspect the chains in the pic, and have a think.....
The chain manufacturers have answers, developed for the lifting industry, which we can borrow. Just ask Chris Wiggins at Bradney Chain.
That means one is using one's own boat to do the testing, in a gale, at night, and that's an expensive exercise!
The first thing is to realise that 'medium link' chain WILL permit the pin of a properly-rated and tested shackle to pass. So, for the short lenghts needed on a piles mooring, use 'medium link' chain. Or have a couple of medium links welded into the ends of your short-link chain.....
The second thing is that cheap ( or free ) reinforced hose anti-chafe tubing can readily be fitted over chain, in the same way as rope, and secured in place with cord. There's no need to risk damage to one's toerail.
Do inspect the chains in the pic, and have a think.....
The chain manufacturers have answers, developed for the lifting industry, which we can borrow. Just ask Chris Wiggins at Bradney Chain.
rob2
Well-Known Member
I don't disagree that the welded assembly is the best - if only local services would provide such services at reasonable cost. In general, the fewer joints (however accomplished) the stronger the assembly will be. If I were attaching to a swinging mooring in open water, then nothing could be too good. But in my case, I am on a protected stretch of river with a full complement of mooring lines to both piles and pontoon. To commision custom chains within my budget comes into the same category as so many safety products - radar, AIS, ocean liferaft, etc - which are marketed on the premise "what price your life". Most of these are of little use within the Solent. I'm also pretty sure that the thousands of moorings laid by contractors on the Hamble do not use lifting tackle from Bradney's, either.
Rob.
Rob.
grayling
New Member
Many thanks
Wow
I am always impressed by the speed, quantity and depth of responses to the forum.
Setting this up feels like a lot more fun the fighting the Easter Holiday traffic
Thanks guys
Grayling
Wow
I am always impressed by the speed, quantity and depth of responses to the forum.
Setting this up feels like a lot more fun the fighting the Easter Holiday traffic
Thanks guys
Grayling
