Safe stowage of mooring ropes

Leapy · 08 July 2011, 18:30

There was discussion on here recently about painter lengths and getting entangled in the prop should it disappear overboard. All good stuff and learned a lot.

So, what's the collective view of how to secure the stern mooring ropes? Up till now mine are just kept neatly on the floor at each side of the A frame root and could conceivably go overboard and cause mayhem.

Ideas?

m chappelow · 08 July 2011, 18:47

couple of small bags one each side of the A frame that the rope can be stuffed into , on my hard boat i made a couple of makeshift ones from a pair of old oilskin trouser legs with one end sewn up .
or a couple of toggles and bungie cord to wrap around the a frame .

jambo · 08 July 2011, 18:47

Hi L, how are you?
I never keep ropes on the deck I usually keep them in the pod storage or tied-off to the seat back pad of the rear pods. Hope that helps.

J

willk · 08 July 2011, 20:14

Back in the day when I had stern lines, I used to coil them and tie them onto the cleats on my A-frame.

Leapy · 08 July 2011, 20:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

Back in the day when I had stern lines, I used to coil them and tie them onto the cleats on my A-frame.

Hmmm...No cleats on this boat. Plan B?

willk · 08 July 2011, 20:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leapy

Hmmm...No cleats on this boat. Plan B?

erm, coil them and tie them to the A-frame horizontals?

chewy · 08 July 2011, 20:29

Tie them to the A frame.
I tie mine onto the handles on the console, that way if I need it its to hand.... although most things are to hand on an SR4!

BogMonster · 08 July 2011, 21:15

I have one stern line on my boat which goes from the cleat on one side of the A frame to the cleat on the other side of the A frame, across the deck after of the rearmost seat.

When I want to tie up to something I just take it off the side that isn't against the dock/other boat and use that as the free end. No risk of the line escaping - a modest risk of tripping on the rope I suppose but as it tends to sit across where the transom joins the deck, it isn't a problem. If I need a second line, which isn't very often, I have others coiled up in the pod seats.

With hindsight I would have had a couple of small stainless hooks welded onto the A frame that you could take a few turns of rope around and tie it off, but I only thought of that after I got the boat. Happy enough with the way it works though.

Simon B · 09 July 2011, 10:53

Depends how "pretty" your RIB is, Aldi or Lidl often do mesh bags that are really cheap that are ideal for flaking rope into. Alternatively any dive shop will flog you a "goody" bag most often used now for storage of fins, mask and snorkel not for shellfish as per the last century!

Searider · 09 July 2011, 11:49

Mine are secured to the a frame and just left loose in the stern.

Never ever had one go overboard.

GJ0KYZ · 09 July 2011, 11:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Searider

Mine are secured to the a frame and just left loose in the stern.

Never ever had one go overboard.

Mine too; I've never had one go over either.

willk · 09 July 2011, 13:03

The worry is mainly that after a "stuffing" type situation, one might get washed over and missed in the confusion. If running with drain socks down (as I sometimes used to) there was the potential for a loose hank to get washed down and left flapping beside the prop.

My biggest concern was that careless crew would leave an end or coil on the tube... If they were tied up and visible, there was nothing to fret about. It looked more "Bristol fashion" too

Searider · 09 July 2011, 22:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

The worry is mainly that after a "stuffing" type situation, one might get washed over and missed in the confusion. If running with drain socks down (as I sometimes used to) there was the potential for a loose hank to get washed down and left flapping beside the prop.

My biggest concern was that careless crew would leave an end or coil on the tube... If they were tied up and visible, there was nothing to fret about. It looked more "Bristol fashion" too

Fair point - now I think about I have had one go out through the elephants trunk on the searider. Nowhere to stow anything on there though!

9D280 · 11 July 2011, 09:32

Coil it, leaving about a coil's worth free at the attatched end. Then wrap the attatched end round the coils three or four times (starting at the coil side), pass a loop of the rope that is left between what you have just done and the frame / cleat , pull it through, and loop it over the top of the hank. Then pull tight.

Rope is now a neat coil suspended by the fixed end. after a few attempts, you'll find an optimal coil size & free rope length to keep it neatly off the floor.

If that didn't make sense, look for halliard stowage / management for sailing boats on your favourite search engine - there are dozens of websites out there with pictures.

alystra · 11 July 2011, 09:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by 9D280

Coil it, leaving about a coil's worth free at the attatched end. Then wrap the attatched end round the coils three or four times (starting at the coil side), pass a loop of the rope that is left between what you have just done and the frame / cleat , pull it through, and loop it over the top of the hank. Then pull tight.

Rope is now a neat coil suspended by the fixed end. after a few attempts, you'll find an optimal coil size & free rope length to keep it neatly off the floor.

If that didn't make sense, look for halliard stowage / management for sailing boats on your favourite search engine - there are dozens of websites out there with pictures.

Beat me to it. Yes, I think you described a buntline hitch. Anyway That's what I do and then stuff the coil into a plastic bucket in the corner. I've never had any of the several ropes I stow like that fall out - but then I'm a bit wimpish and don't go out in rough weather.

Leapy · 11 July 2011, 10:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by 9D280

If that didn't make sense...

I think it does...just off for a practice. Thanks