What Mooring Lines

[VicS]

Who said it did?
My 22 footer didn't and I'm guessing that not many do, unless retrofitted.

I'm not surprised, not many pontoons have cleats at 10ft spacings.
Are lines tied to a mid ship cleat (boat or pontoon) springs?
They are often used as such, but I prefer lines crossed from near bow to near stern.

How much of all this talk about spring and midship cleats is relevant to the tidal basin at Gillingham.

Surely all that will be required are two warps from the piles to the quarters and two more from the bow to the pontoon /

 

[Len Ingalls]

Boating single handed will teach you that "necessity is the mother of invention".
More pre-planning is almost a necessity & that is a good thing for all.
Watch what others do but keep an open mind so that you can figure out what works best for your situation.
Try to avoid thinking about what it looks like to others. If it works for you, that is what matters.
Practice maneuvering outside the harbour & off by yourself.
Make docking & mooring in normal conditions an enjoyable part of boating,rather than a dreaded thing.

Cheers/ Len

 

[LadyInBed]

How much of all this talk about spring and midship cleats is relevant to the tidal basin at Gillingham.

Surely all that will be required are two warps from the piles to the quarters and two more from the bow to the pontoon /

Pile mooring only came into the thread at #8
The relivence to my way of thinking is that the OP will occasionally visit other marinas and won't be just tying up at his home port. If his lines are so large that he can't put two of them on one of his cleats, then he will have to attach them to things that were not designed to take them.
Ask PotatoNavigator about the relivence of midship cleats, he raised the subject.

 

[Fantasie 19]

Quick Question
What is a reasonable minimum starter set for tying up a 21ft sail boat in a tidal marina

On a budget here so please bear that in mind

Regards

Purely my take... 2 lines about length and half of the boat.. 21 footer, so about 10 or 12mm... three fenders minimum... moor fore and aft and then bring the ends of those lines back to midships (if you have a midships cleat - I don't) where they can also act as a springs ... add some more over time... but that'll get you going... I get mine from boat jumbles...

 

[ex-Gladys]

Purely my take... 2 lines about length and half of the boat.. 21 footer, so about 10 or 12mm... three fenders minimum... moor fore and aft and then bring the ends of those lines back to midships (if you have a midships cleat - I don't) where they can also act as a springs ... add some more over time... but that'll get you going... I get mine from boat jumbles...

Bad seamanship to bring ends of warps back as springs, because it's a complete pain if you then need to spring off...

 

[LadyInBed]

it's a complete pain if you then need to spring off...

But with a 21 footer a good shove with a boat hook will do a job

 

[Fantasie 19]

But with a 21 footer a good shove with a boat hook will do a job

Yup...

I agree with Gladys re. best practice, but not such an issue on a small boat, and the OP did specify "minimum starter set"..