Bob, who moors a couple of boats along from us, passed on a trick he'd learned from another boater -reportedly an elderly lady single hander.
Picture this. You bring your boat in alongside some sheet piling and want to quickly tie up. Maybe there are passing boats which are pulling your boat around as they pass. Time is of the essence. What you need to so is to tie off one end of the boat very quickly, then run up to the other end to secure that. Well here's the trick.
Today I made up a rope like this.
Just a short length with a loop on each end. Don't look too closely at my splicing, I'm not sure it's quite right, but it is strong.
One end drops over the dolly at the back of the boat, the other end goes through your piling clip or chain which has been dropped through the piling beam, then back over the dolly. This should be quicker than having to tie off with a knot at the dolly. Then you nip up to the front of the boat and tie off there in the normal way pulling the boat forward so as to tighten the short rope at the rear.
I'm not sure what is the ideal length of rope, at six feet mine will give a reach of three feet from dolly to clip. I think that'll be about right in most places.
Well I haven't tried it yet of course but that's the theory. Bob says it works for him.
I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has tried this.
9 comments:
I saw a (female) single handler using this, but with a 'nappy pin' already tied to one end of the rope. She step off the back of the boat, put one end of the rope over the dolly, used the rope to pull the boat into the side & slipped the 'nappy pin' down behind the armco. Took her less than 5 seconds.
Thanks John, maybe that's the same lady Bob saw.
Not unless you think mid 30's is elderly :)
I reckon it's gettiong the rope through the pin, chain or whatever which is the major faff in this situation, so having a preloaded nappy pin (even if you subsequently come back and tie to something else) is where the advantage lies. Putting a hitch round the dolly takes scarcely (if any) any longer than locating a bight over it. (I may of course have forgotten everything I ever knew as I haven't actually done this in over two years)
Yes I think you're right Sarah
I have had such a rope for several years. Also doubled as a lifting rope when I lifted my gearbox yesterday.
Just a thought why not reduce the rope to three feet and splice it to the mooring clip?
PS what was the name of your insurance company?
Hi Maffi. GJW is the insurance co.
I have thought of doing a single rope with clip attached as you suggest. Watch this space
That looks very handy, Neil.
Al and Del on Derwent 6 showed us this near Hillmorton when we were last on the cut back in 2019. I made one when we were at Sawley and got splicing lessons from a guy on a trading boat there selling fancy fenders and bow buttons.
I'd have to say thought that David and I didn't get the hang of using it during the remainder of that season. Perhaps when we come back in a couple of years' time, we'll get it sussed.
I must ask our son who's living on Waka Huia at the moment, if he's found it, used it and been successful with it.
Cheers, Marilyn
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