Warps and ropes

[Steve Clayton]

Having a tidy up and have a shed-load of various sizes and lengths of good/serviceable warp/fender size line/shore line when rafted out, etc
Common sense tells me way too many but my heart says you can't have enough rope aboard.

So a 45' yacht, general day sailing with potential plans for France & Ch. Isles this year - what would be your minimum to stay safe?

 

[Skipper_Christoph]

As you already stated:
You can't have enough!

Christoph

 

[Searush]

I've never thrown a rope away! If they chafe or get damaged then I cut them into smaller bits & they progress to tie downs, painters etc.

 

[Sailfree]

There is no bad rope except the one round your prop!

I am replacing some of the running rigging but will keep the "wrong" rope for rafting.

Rafted some 8 deep at Lymington town quay once took some rope!!

 

[Angele]

I once tried to estimate the amount of rope I have on board, but gave up when I passed 2,000m. (Most of that is sail controls, not mooring warp, of course).

Assuming you have the usual breast lines and springs, plus a couple of long one for shorelines when rafted, you are sorted. I guess there is a question as to how long shorelines for rafting should be. I think mine are a tad over 20m (possibly 25m?) and I have never needed anything longer. They were cut from a 200m reel that I have on board - so there is another 150m+ where that came from if I need it .......

 

[ChrisE]

On the off chance that someone wants a sensible reply to this, on top running rigging and anchor warps, mooring lines 6 * 1.5 times length of boat plus 2*100m shore lines plus some of bits of gash stuff for tailing lines if on rough moorings.

There, it's not that difficult is it?

 

[Steve Clayton]

On the off chance that someone wants a sensible reply to this, .......

There, it's not that difficult is it?

Who said anything about being sensible?
As an aside there are 20+ MILF's in the Boathouse Cafe - Chi; having a birthday lunch; I'm trying to pick 1, or 3, who could get some afternoon delight a bit later - plenty of rope to get tied up !

 

[Goldie]

On the off chance that someone wants a sensible reply to this, on top running rigging and anchor warps, mooring lines 6 * 1.5 times length of boat plus 2*100m shore lines plus some of bits of gash stuff for tailing lines if on rough moorings.

There, it's not that difficult is it?

My rule of thumb as a minimum is 4 warps equal to LOA plus 2 warps of LOA +50%. I've also got a couple of very long ones for mooring up to about 10 out (the old days on Poole Quay!) and, and, and...... if only I could keep it to my rule of thumb!

 

[ChrisE]

Who said anything about being sensible?
As an aside there are 20+ MILF's in the Boathouse Cafe - Chi; having a birthday lunch; I'm trying to pick 1, or 3, who could get some afternoon delight a bit later - plenty of rope to get tied up !

I didn't say that I kept to the rule, I was just answering the question ....

 

[Angele]

[snip].... plus 2*100m shore lines plus ..... [snip]

When you say "shore lines" I'm guessing you are talking about lines taken ashore when anchored in a bay somewhere (and not when rafted up on the outside of a bunch of boats at a quayside), otherwise 100m seems a bit excessive to me.

I have to say that, when the OP said "France and CI" I was assuming Normandy and north coast or Britanny. I've never had a situation there where I felt it appropriate/necessary to run a line ashore in an anchorage.

 

[ChrisE]

When you say "shore lines" I'm guessing you are talking about lines taken ashore when anchored in a bay somewhere (and not when rafted up on the outside of a bunch of boats at a quayside), otherwise 100m seems a bit excessive to me.

I have to say that, when the OP said "France and CI" I was assuming Normandy and north coast or Britanny. I've never have a situation there where I felt it appropriate/necessary to run a line ashore in an anchorage.

I've used most of the 100m in Weymouth often enough, when rafted 6 or 7 out ....

 

[Angele]

I've used most of the 100m in Weymouth often enough, when rafted 6 or 7 out ....

Really?

I normally reckon on a beam of 4m per yacht. Add one set of fenders per yacht (not two - because if you do you are double counting), say 4m50. If you are number 7 that means 6 on the inside of you, so your widest part of the boat is 27m from the pontoon (add half a boat width to acknowledge the narrowing of your boat near the bows). Call it 29m.

If we are talking about the pontoons outside the harbourmaster office then they have a number of separate rafts, meaning your warps have to go to cleats on the pontoon mostly perpendicular to the boat - but let's say they "splay" forwards/aft by 5m. Pythagoras gives the hypotenuse as less than 30m. Add a bit for a bowline and for tying off to a cleat.... I struggle to see how more than 35m could be required in the situation you describe.

Whilst I too am in the "can never have too much rope" camp, 2 x 100m does seem a bit excessive for these circumstances.

... Unless we are talking about 6 fishing boats, but then you would be able to walk from one side of the harbour to the other without going over the bridge.

 

[vyv_cox]

We have always carried 2 x 1 times length of boat, 2 x 1.5 times length, 1 x 2 times length, a 30 metre and a 50 metre length. We have at times used all of them cruising in the Irish and North Seas. Now in the Med we have added 2 x 40 metre lengths for shore lines and dumped the 30 metre. Because we seemed often to be tying the 40s together, and they didn't float, we have just bought a 100 metre length of polyprop. On top of that we have a small kit-bag of shorter lengths, bungee, etc.

 

[LadyInBed]

I have three maxims:
Never throw any rope away.
Never cut a rope, unless it's to remove a chaffed bit.
Always check the boatyard bins, to see if anyone with more money than sense has thrown anything useful away

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Excess rope is for the garage, not the yacht, in my opinion of course. I cleared out my Rival this winter and what a pile of old rope I had. It was not needed, took up space and had become damp and smelly. The good stuff was washed and put in storage, the rest binned - I have too much stuff anyway. Apart from my mooring warps, sheets I also carry kedge warp and a heavy towing line, the latter two would deal with any long warp requirements.

 

[westhinder]

When you say "shore lines" I'm guessing you are talking about lines taken ashore when anchored in a bay somewhere (and not when rafted up on the outside of a bunch of boats at a quayside), otherwise 100m seems a bit excessive to me.

I have to say that, when the OP said "France and CI" I was assuming Normandy and north coast or Britanny. I've never had a situation there where I felt it appropriate/necessary to run a line ashore in an anchorage.

Ster Wenn on Belle Isle, the accepted way of mooring there is anchoring with a stern line taken ashore. There are rings for the purpose, but take care when you go ashore, as the rocks are slippery and the shells razor sharp. Don't ask me how I know...

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Excess rope is for the garage, not the yacht, in my opinion of course. I cleared out my Rival this winter and what a pile of old rope I had. It was not needed, took up space and had become damp and smelly. The good stuff was washed and put in storage, the rest binned - I have too much stuff anyway. Apart from my mooring warps, sheets I also carry kedge warp and a heavy towing line, the latter two would deal with any long warp requirements.

I'm with you on this one. Last year, I wanted to remove a spare anchor from the aft cockpit locker to lighten the boat for the RTIR. In doing so I also took out a marina trolley full of rope, most of which I had forgotten I had. I only carry what I really need for the sailing we are doing at the time, plus a little more but not a lot.

 

[DJE]

France & Ch. Isles this year - what would be your minimum to stay safe?

If you're thinking about Iles Chausey on the fore and aft bouys make sure that you have one rope at least 50m long!

 

[Angele]

Ster Wenn on Belle Isle, the accepted way of mooring there is anchoring with a stern line taken ashore.

... but Belle Ile is on the SOUTH coast of Brittany.

 

[ChrisE]

Really?

I normally reckon on a beam of 4m per yacht. Add one set of fenders per yacht (not two - because if you do you are double counting), say 4m50. If you are number 7 that means 6 on the inside of you, so your widest part of the boat is 27m from the pontoon (add half a boat width to acknowledge the narrowing of your boat near the bows). Call it 29m.

If we are talking about the pontoons outside the harbourmaster office then they have a number of separate rafts, meaning your warps have to go to cleats on the pontoon mostly perpendicular to the boat - but let's say they "splay" forwards/aft by 5m. Pythagoras gives the hypotenuse as less than 30m. Add a bit for a bowline and for tying off to a cleat.... I struggle to see how more than 35m could be required in the situation you describe.

Whilst I too am in the "can never have too much rope" camp, 2 x 100m does seem a bit excessive for these circumstances.

... Unless we are talking about 6 fishing boats, but then you would be able to walk from one side of the harbour to the other without going over the bridge.

Well, in my defence I did say most. And I have used almost all of it whislt rafting xxx deep (don't ask, it's the norm prior to the rush across the pond in June/July) in Funchal. Plus if you're going buy rope buying the whole of a 100m reel works out not that much more than buying 50m from the reel.