Front mooring line

keeno07 · 18 January 2015, 09:38

Where do you attach your front mooring line, do you use the front D ring for mooring line or use a harness through the 3 rings on the bow?
I bolted a cleat to floor inside bow to spread the pressure on the boat, only down side is line rubs on the tubes.
I am always worried about the D ring ripping away from the boat if I attach the main mooring/towing line to it

beamishken · 18 January 2015, 10:31

Lots of people use the cleats or rings inside the boat but this tends to chafe the tubes after a time
I prefer the bow eye which is usually fairly substantially attached as it's used for winching the boat onto the trailer
I'm assuming a rib of course will be different if it's a sib

keeno07 · 18 January 2015, 10:36

It's a sib & I do use a cleat inside boat. I have been given advice to protect tubes, run the mooring line through garden hose or similar. Sounds like a plan

Peter_C · 18 January 2015, 18:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by keeno07

use a harness through the 3 rings on the bow?

Same as I anchor. Redundancy is a good thing. With the Zodiac glue failure at around 10 years, my bow ring was accidentally pulled off when I left pressure from the trailer winch on it.

I personally like the knots since they are easy to grab, but you can easily finish the ends at the d-rings.

Nightfisher · 22 January 2015, 09:37

That's the same set-up I use too, Peter. However when being towed by another boat, I run the lines back and looped around the stern tubes up against the transom for added relief of pull-stress on the bow and side rings.

Peter_C · 22 January 2015, 16:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightfisher

I run the lines back and looped around the stern tubes up against the transom for added relief of pull-stress on the bow and side rings.

Doesn't that create two stress points on the transom fabric at the bottom where the rope passes over? I would worry about abrasion. I have heard of connecting them directly to the transom when towing, but even if I was towing my boat I would still just use the front rings and call it good.

Nightfisher · 23 January 2015, 12:57

I cover the both loop using garden hose, works pretty good. I have not seen any abrasive marks on the tubes.

kelson · 23 January 2015, 16:54

Since I re glued my bow ring I haven't had any issues, but it makes me nervous to totally rely on glued mount d rings so in addition I have a short line that clips to my anchor line and is tied off inside the boat for insurance. I tried tying off from inside the boat with chaffing gear, but where I anchor there are big waves and the boat didn't ride well (tending to track to one side or the other).

Peter_C · 23 January 2015, 18:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightfisher

I cover the both loop using garden hose, works pretty good. I have not seen any abrasive marks on the tubes.

Towing from the transom is pretty common on long range cruiser that tow for short distances. I have seen it done from the transom before, except they went over the top. See picture below. Logic tells me running over a 90* angle can not be a good thing. Although doing it as below would require about $30 in hardware and 4 new holes in the boat to provide lifting/towing points inside the boat. I installed a set for hoisting my boat.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kelson

Since I re glued my bow ring I haven't had any issues, but it makes me nervous to totally rely on glued mount d rings so in addition I have a short line that clips to my anchor line and is tied off inside the boat for insurance. I tried tying off from inside the boat with chaffing gear, but where I anchor there are big waves and the boat didn't ride well (tending to track to one side or the other).

The way I have my anchor setup it would require ripping all three points on the bow off before the boat became free. Possible yes, likely no. (I do have my anchor crate bungeed inside the boat, and the end of the anchor line is clipped off to the crate with a carabiner.)

kelson · 25 January 2015, 15:42

I lost two of the three D rings off the front of my Futura at one time. The boat didn't look right crabbing sideways over swells at anchor while I was surfing. Glad I paddled out to check it!

Maybe I should have more faith in my re glue work, not an edge has raised on any of the mounts since re installed.

azzurro · 26 January 2015, 07:36

The front D ring usually has a square handle.
I would use the ring rather than the handle for a painter.
Best solution is 2 separate doubled independent lines from right and left rings to the front ring, and a ring between the doubled lines. Your boat will stay tied even with 2 rings broken, and the line stress is distributed on the three rings.

Peter_C · 26 January 2015, 17:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by kelson

I lost two of the three D rings off the front of my Futura at one time. The boat didn't look right crabbing sideways over swells at anchor while I was surfing. Glad I paddled out to check it!

Maybe I should have more faith in my re glue work, not an edge has raised on any of the mounts since re installed.

Okay I would be totally freaked out to return to my boat, after a dive, and find it barely holding in place. Still there are two points holding it, as the bitter end is clipped to the anchor crate. Scary thought none the less.

Quote:

Originally Posted by azzurro

The front D ring usually has a square handle.
I would use the ring rather than the handle for a painter.
Best solution is 2 separate doubled independent lines from right and left rings to the front ring, and a ring between the doubled lines. Your boat will stay tied even with 2 rings broken, and the line stress is distributed on the three rings.

That is effectively how mine is done, since there is a knot in the end that the anchor rope clips to it creates two independent lines going to each d-ring.

Also using the right anchor line that has stretch to absorb the shock is a good thing.