Forward Dock Lines, Snubbing and chafing

D

Donald Tyson

Member
The plans for my windlass installation is almost complete and I hope to begin work on it in July.
There are still some questions. I know it seems you can't have enough attachment points on a boat. But do most of you use the single center front cleat every time you tie off at a dock? I haven't yet done so though my only experience with docking was at Beresford Yacht club during Hontoon this year, and only for a few nights. I simply found no real need to plug into that 10" center cleat.
I'm concerned about chafing on the gunnels if I were to use Snubbing gear. There are no Chocks or fairleads on most of this groups boats and perhaps I'm thinking too hard and chafing from snubbers is not a "thing". When you use snubbing gear is it always protected with chafing protection (covers) and what is it that the chafing protection is protecting the most? Is it more to protect the snubbing lines from wear or is it more to protect the gelcoat from wearing thin going over the sides?
 
I usually use the cleats by the forward windows when I tie up somewhere other than home, at least for short stays, as it is more convenient than the center cleat on the bow. At our home berth, we have two lines, port and starboard, that go to the center cleat on the bow. I put chafe gear made of ballistic nylon where the lines pass over the edge of the boat to protect the lines. Have had no issues so far.
 
Good question Donald and glad you asked. It seems most (me included) do as Gerhard does but I'm finding that the anti chafe wrap on the forward lines still rub on the gel coat of the deck. I'm about to just mount chalks.

Paul Bahn
Sláinte
 
I'm looking into the chrome bars I'm seeing screwed to the gunnels on some boats in place of or in stead of the chocks.


pbahn":6c646wel said:
Good question Donald and glad you asked. It seems most (me included) do as Gerhard does but I'm finding that the anti chafe wrap on the forward lines still rub on the gel coat of the deck. I'm about to just mount chalks.

Paul Bahn
Sláinte
Click to expand...
 
You should be looking for SS rub strakes (they are quarter round, not half round.) Get 315 SS. There are many on Amazon. Not chrome plated. The chrome will wear plated brass will wear. IF you had a classic mahogany runabout, then I might consider chrome plated deck hardware to be period correct.
 
On my boat I keep my bow line attached to the center cleat all the time. I run it from the center cleat thru the chalk down the stbd side where I make a turn around the rear part forward cleat and loop over the forward end of the cleat and run the remaining line back to the cockpit. I generally just hang it into the cockpit until I land the boat at the dock which makes it quite easy to single hand land the boat by grabbing the line and stepping off the boat as it approaches the dock. The line is not long enough to reach the prop should it somehow manage to go overboard. This allows the bow of the boat to be tied and a distance from the dock I like and from there spring it back to the forward cleat, then set the stern line with a similar spring. This will keep the boat parralel to the dock and closed to the dock for boarding/unboarding.

IMO as far as chaffing goes, we as C-dory owners generally do not live aboard our boats and for the most part keep them on the trailer. I personally think that the way these boats are designed that there is little need to worry about chaffing or the hull gelcoat being rubbed away. In all my years of boating I have not had an instance of a critically damaged line due to chaffing. If you plan on keeping it stored on a mooring buoy all the time, then I would be more concerned about it. Good luck on your windlass installation.
 
Thanks for al the answers. IMO these boats don't impress me as being the best choice a permanent mooring boats. No real reason they shouldn't be its just that they're pretty easy to put back onto the trailer.
I guess I agree with Bob that the Item I was thinking of were called 1/4 round rub strakes. 304 or 316 unlike the chrome I mentioned. It just seems like overkill. So hey!, that's even easier yet. After all, as mentioned, it's not a classic woody of some sort.
I'm ready to get started as soon as Iate June or early July and I can't wait.
 
Our boat is typically in the water all year long, except for maintenance. It gets used for short hops usually. Protected water except for the occasional idiot throwing a huge wake. Haven't had any issues. Tie up is to fixed pilings with a line to each stern cleat and two lines to the center bow cleat. The slip is wide so the lines are kept very slack so she can bounce around if necessary before coming up tight on the lines. I keep thinking about putting some of those snubbers in the lines, but then I'd have to make up new lines because it would make the current ones too short, so it hasn't made it to the top of the list yet!
 
You could always attach lines to the bow eye. If I know I am going to use a mooring, I attach a line to my bow eye that is long enough to reach around to the cockpit. The line has a shackle that is connected to the mooring ring or pendant.

For mooring at dock you can have two lines that can go from the eye to each side of the slip. When you cast off, pull the ends of the line onto the boat and secure them around the center cleat so they can't drag in the water.
 
It's been 25 or more years since I picked up a mooring and it was at Keyport Yacht Club in Raritan Bay, NJ, from an Albin 29 sailboat. I can't for the life of me remember how it went. Do you always carry your own harness or do most harbors provide them? Do all morning balls have a clevis/shackle on them ready for your use? I simply don't remember and I will need to polish up on this.
If it has what is needed can I pull along side in my little boat and tie off before going forward to make adjustments?
I guess the reason I never used the front Bow Cleat is that I've never docked for extended stays on tidal waters.
Sobol I do understand having lines short enough to not fowl the props


ssobol":fk4b5w08 said:
You could always attach lines to the bow eye. If I know I am going to use a mooring, I attach a line to my bow eye that is long enough to reach around to the cockpit. The line has a shackle that is connected to the mooring ring or pendant.

For mooring at dock you can have two lines that can go from the eye to each side of the slip. When you cast off, pull the ends of the line onto the boat and secure them around the center cleat so they can't drag in the water.
Click to expand...
:lol:
 
There are all sorts of moorings. Some just a ring on the top of the float, some have a pickup, and you take that aboard, some have a "sand line" which goes to an aft cleat. Usually a nice 3 strand line from the forward cleat going off the bow on one side and back on the other is OK. It is rare that you have to provide a shackle. Some would require a huge shackle. Look in Chapmans book on seamanship.
 
I wonder how much chafe with a sharp angle around one of the sides of each chock. I have always used a bow cleat vs window cleats for a foreward line. From the forward mid ships cleat, this leaves another rope on deck to trip or roll an ankle over. That is why I use the 1/4 round SS rubbing strakes.
 
I installed a set of chocks similar to the ones shown in the link that ENDEAVOR provided. I think they are really practical and cant believe that C-dorys don't have them installed from the factory. They may by now i haven't checked out the newer boats. I have never experienced any chaffing at that point. The chocks are a polished stainless steel (316ss) and are quite smooth. Keeping in mind that there is really no rubbing going on at that point as the line is merely going thru the chalk and is secured to the cleat a couple feet away. The point that chaffing may occur is where the line passes thru the mooring buoy shackle as that is a point at which there is line movement across the shackle.
 
Our CC23 came with these:

http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?set_ ... _photo.php
http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?set_ ... _photo.php


When we were docked at the Friday Harbor gathering, next to DayBreak (Gary and Colleen's 23 Venture) Mike from NMI noticed that DayBreak didn't have those installed even though the non-skid was detoured around that space. I believe that they had talked about adding them since they were not added before it left the factory. I'm sure that Gary can verify.
I have used mine only a couple of times to tie up while docked. They are very smooth and I don't think they would be a chafing issue. Maybe if they were used for an anchor bridle, at a bumpy anchorage? I would probably find some fire-hose if I make an anchor bridle and use those for that purpose.
 
In normal circumstances one does not worry about chafing in most situations. It is when the line is in high tension, and the boat is working back and forth. The line begins to heat, and eventually fails. These are more likely during a hurricane or heavy storm. The C Dory is a very light weight boat, thus less chance of chafing.
 
Plus in addition to all your comments earlier in the thread Bob asked if I was using Spectra or Dynamo. I believe that the concern was not so much when anchored but rather during long term wet storage in a slip. With this scenario the dock lines might be adjusted so that the line passes more obliquely to the natural lay (direction) of the chocks. These tough synthetic Lines apparently don't do well when repeatedly stretched a round a very strong guide such as going backwards from a forward facing set of chocks. So the solution for many modern boats seems to be the use of 1/4 round strips of stainless or chrome covered bronze in conjunction with or without chocks.
With all that expressed I'll say that the conversation is now much more comprehensive with regards to all of the relationships to do with anchoring or docking and the placement of protective gear.
At this point I'm leaning away from the Idea of fixed chocks.

Has anyone tried the fairleads posted in Thistle's photos?
 
If you use cocks you will have to make a decision, if you are best served for lines going forward as in anchor or mooring bridles. Then different design chocks for bow lines and even different for spring lines, unless using the amid ships cleats as we do. Most of my boats in the last few years had not had bow chocks.
 
Back
Top