Yachtmaster snippet - anybody explain why?

[Nico]

Why is it a Yachtmaster snippet . . . . . surely its a competent crew snippet as they will be doing the tying up . . . . under the watchful eye of whoever claims to be in charge.

Not all competent crew will be yachtmasters but all yachtmasters should be competent crew.

 

[GHA]

A 'proper' mooring job requires 6 lines.......

??
Bow , stern and two springs, where do you put the other 2?

 

[Ru88ell]

??
Bow , stern and two springs, where do you put the other 2?

Breast

 

[GHA]

Breast

On a pontoon? I can see why rafted up but do people bother or does the RYA suggest best lines on a pontoon? Sounds a bit ott on a not huge yacht.

 

[Resolution]

We use four lines for mooring - two blue one for the breasts and two plain ones for the springs. The colour differentiation helps guest crew to understand which is meant to go where.
If mooring just for the night we usually take the breasts straight round the cleat and back up on board, to make slipping so much easier on departure. The springs are usually bowlines on the pontoon and the loose end back on board. Seems to work much better than the old days when we used two longer ropes, each to double up as a spring and a breast.

 

[prv]

We use four lines for mooring - two blue one for the breasts and two plain ones for the springs.

Same here, for standard marina berths - two short breasts, two long springs. All the same colour though.

Plus a locker full of assorted other lines for more interesting berths.

Seems to work much better than the old days when we used two longer ropes, each to double up as a spring and a breast.

Exactly.

My preference for one warp for each job isn't something learned on courses or parroted from reading endless Tom Cunliffe articles - it's something I figured out for myself after years of doubling up (copying my mother, who still does it this way) and then finding that separate lines worked better.

Pete

 

[Searush]

I have used one rope for all 4 lines if I can't be rsed to get out several ropes, but it does mean you need to get them right as readjusting them is a pain. Who cares anyway? As others have said, if it works, it works.

As to my long rope splitting into smaller bits, there is a fairly steady supply of 220' cheap condemned climbing ropes for my long shore lines & towing warps, and I will cut & whip any chafed bits anyway.

 

[mainsail1]

I suspect you happy sailors don't understand what a breast rope is. The bow rope is the bow rope and the stern rope is the stern rope. Neither are breast ropes. Breast ropes are rarely used by small boaters, they run from amidships direct to the shore. So there!

 

[prv]

I suspect you happy sailors don't understand what a breast rope is. The bow rope is the bow rope and the stern rope is the stern rope. Neither are breast ropes. Breast ropes are rarely used by small boaters, they run from amidships direct to the shore. So there!

In my book a breast line is any that runs more or less perpendicular to the quayside/pontoon/etc. Most of us use a bow breast and a stern breast. Properly speaking, a bow line (or head line) runs away forward of the vessel and a stern line runs away aft of it. A bow spring runs aft from the bow and a stern spring runs forward from the stern.

The professionally-qualified officers I've sailed with on Stavros used the term "breast lines", and we never ran any mooring lines from the midships bollards, so I'm quite happy with my understanding, thanks.

Pete

 

[jac]

In my book a breast line is any that runs more or less perpendicular to the quayside/pontoon/etc. Most of us use a bow breast and a stern breast. Properly speaking, a bow line (or head line) runs away forward of the vessel and a stern line runs away aft of it. A bow spring runs aft from the bow and a stern spring runs forward from the stern.

The professionally-qualified officers I've sailed with on Stavros used the term "breast lines", and we never ran any mooring lines from the midships bollards, so I'm quite happy with my understanding, thanks.

Pete

That was exactly my understanding.

 

[ripvan1]

Sorry prv but mainsail's got it right on breast lines, not often seen now, maybe because of lack of mid cleats on both pontoons and boats, but they go from midships directly ashore and as mainsail says fore and aft lines are just that - bow and stern

 

[dunedin]

Sounds like typical "rules" for the sake of making rules. Have heard it many times, but don't partake of this one.

On pontoons use two mooring ropes, both made up with loops to thread through bow and stern cleats - one at bow and stern, cleated off and then brought back to middle cleat as springs. Quick and simples. Also to hand to use as two ropes for attaching to a mooring buoy. Clearly don't use this approach for very rare occasions that have been alongside a harbour wall (anchor, moor or pontoon are more common for us). Also occasionally vary if looks like other boats will need to use same cleat.

Worked for 10 years or so to date.
(PS In my dinghy days also ignored RYA recommended approach of one person on centreboard and one person inside boat for righting after a capsize - small problem was with our crew weight needed two on the board for leverage. Suggestions are good food for thought - "rules" generally over simplifications and discourage thought)

 

[Ru88ell]

There's a description here:- http://www.jimmygreen.co.uk/products/yacht-ropes---rigging/mooring-warps

Click the Mooring Alongside diagram. Seems to agree with prv.

 

[jac]

There's a description here:- http://www.jimmygreen.co.uk/products/yacht-ropes---rigging/mooring-warps

Click the Mooring Alongside diagram. Seems to agree with prv.

Another diagram here. Also agrees with prv.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mooring_(watercraft)

 

[Uricanejack]

Mr PRV

Is correct.

PS what's a back spring.

 

[DJE]

what's a back spring.

Opposite of a head spring.

 

[jac]

PS what's a back spring.

Gymnastic move

 

[Beau Nidle]

Well that created more answers than expected!

I must own up to using two lines - one for the bow line and bow spring, and one for the stern line and stern spring. Never had an issue with adjusting or springing off or anything else really so am quite happy with the method but the website and the guy selling his "method" of passing a yachtmaster exam seemed to indicate that I was doing it completely wrong and would die horribly in some strange mooring accident if I persisted, which intrigued me a little.

I don't have a yachtmasters (plainly) but also have no pressing desire to get one. I have been sailing a little over 35 years and tend to subscribe to the view that there is always something new to learn, but at the same time new doesn't equate to right and as I have never had an issue, tidal or otherwise, I couldn't really see the benefit.

I find the different explanations and arguments interesting, and some more convincing than others, but the conclusion does seem to be that there isn't a wrong way as such, just different factors that may influence the right way.

 

[mainsail1]

I could refer you all to the Admiralty Manual of Seamanship but no doubt you would simply refer me back to Jimmy Green or some other spurious authority so I will leave you all to use your ropes as you wish!

 

[prv]

I could refer you all to the Admiralty Manual of Seamanship

This Admiralty Manual of Seamanship?

Pete