would you trust a sheet bend for your mooring ?

No, I wouldn't trust a sheet bend. I can't quite visualise the setup, but I don't think a sheet bend is reliable when NOT under load. A boat on a mooring often diddles around with the line being agitated by passing wash, and I would be concerned about it shaking out. Especially if it's new line. This can happen even on new bowlines. There are various versions of 'secure' bowlines but the one I like to use just involves taking an extra turn round the standing part (the rabbit goes round the tree twice). Makes it harder to undo, but I've never known one shake out - unlike a standard bowline. But if your bend has been there a while and is well set it will probably be fine.
 
For security ( and fear of the mooring line parting would keep ME awake at night!) simply whip loose ends onto the standing parts.
 
I keep posting this.

Here goes again.

Don't stop worrying about chafe. A Moody33 near us had two new 14mm (?) warps with transparent plastic pipe sleeves made for it's swinging mooring.
During the summer all was well. In the winter I was rowing around the moorings and noticed the plastic had gone opaque, presumably the sunlight. One of the pipes was bent over the stemhead roller quite sharply and I went to investigate. It turned out the pipe had hardened and cracked over the roller. The sharp edges had sawn away at the warp, unseen, inside the opaque pipe and I was able to just pull the slack end out of the pipe. The boat was only moored by the other, opaque pipe-clad warp over a fairlead.
I called the owner and he got the boatyard to come out. They found the other pipe was doing the same and had partly cut the remaining warp.

I have only ever used bare nylon 3 strand warps over the stemhead roller and a fairlead and checked them regularly. I changed them every two or three years, but frankly only because they were dirty and starting to harden.
 
Turn a bowline over and have a look. You will see it's a sheet bend and with a double turn through the 'hole' it's a double sheet bend.
 
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the plastic had gone opaque, presumably the sunlight

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In the lake district? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
This is my solution. 50mm rope and wire rope clamps. Very little chafe. I know it's not on a swinging mooring but the principle is the same!
DSCF0003.jpg
 
'Turn a bowline over and have a look. You will see it's a sheet bend and with a double turn through the 'hole' it's a double sheet bend. '


It's not. A sheet bend is for tying two ropes together. A bowline is for tying a non slip loop.
 
Why not just gets some good old 3 strand and splice it.
A nice long splice will hold and if you want you can whip the splice as well.

as for the plastic pipe i agree its a bad idear. I prefer to use a strip of leather whaaped round and whiped on for perm warps.
 
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'Turn a bowline over and have a look. You will see it's a sheet bend and with a double turn through the 'hole' it's a double sheet bend. '


It's not. A sheet bend is for tying two ropes together. A bowline is for tying a non slip loop.

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I know what they are for, all I am saying is tye one or the other and take a look at it.
 
Marina warp stresses are far different from a swinging mooring in a tidal stream. Few marinas get much in the way of waves or current - wind is the worst they get. Plus you have warps & springs sharing the load & restricting movement.

Snatch on a wind over tide mooring situation can get pretty bad. I have had a strong S/S stem roller bent flat in a gale.
 
Well I would never trust my boat on a swing mooring without at least 2 ropes tethering it. A bowline with the tail whipped or clamped in some way is quite safe. But no single rope is reliable enough.

I use a SS hook on one mooring rope that goes to the eye on the bow that is designed for hauling the boat onto a trailer. ie about half way down the bow. This takes the primary load and there is no place for it to chafe. It is also protected from other boats if they come adrift from chafing the rope. The second rope goes to the usual cleat on deck.

We have lots of swing moorings in Swan River (several thousand) boats are often coming adrift but that is mainly due to wear of chains and shackles. The moorings are privately owned and so are responsibility of owner to do maintenance.

Incidently moorings are becoming a great real estate investment. In some cases doubling their value in a few years. Now you might buy a boat on a mooring and dispose of the boat just to get the mooring. ie 5to7K pounds not unusual for a mooring. (and you still have to pay 120 squid per annum for licence fee.

good lcuk and give it another rope olewill
 
A bowline and a sheet bend are the same knot (look at their structures - they are identical). It's just that the bowline is made in one piece of rope, whereas the sheet bend is made with two pieces.

But the same knot in both cases.
 
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What are the forum's thoughts on a Round Turn and 2 Half Hitches in this situation?

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That's what I use for a one-night stay on mooring on buoys, but for long term most in my area use chain up to the cleat, not rope.
 
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