New RIB and Warps....

[mikew4]

OK...first RIB arriving next week. Need to get some rope.

Painter - just under boat length (6.5m) when tied to prevent fouling the prop. What type of rope?

What other rope types should I have on board and what lengths?

Mooring, springs, towing etc.

Happy to have more than needed. Storage not a problem (sizeable lockers & A-Frame). Just want to get the right stuff.

[Gobuchul]

I wouldn't over think it.

Go to the chandlers and have a look at what they have.

Buy decent quality but not crazy top end stuff.

Don't go too small, the breaking strain may be sufficient for the job but a thicker rope is generally easier to handle.

IMO a painter is essential.

If you want to tie up alongside jetties etc I would have 3 or 4 mooring lines of 2 or 3 metres in length. All depends how long you will be staying and the layout of your cleats.

A 10m long general purpose rope would be handy if you have the stowage.

Learn some basic bends, hitches, whippings and splices.

If you get "traditional" 3 strand rope, it's easy to splice and make it look really neat.

[boristhebold]

Longer than boats length mooring ropes are a better idea, makes moving the boat around pontoons easier and enables you to pull the boat around so it doesn't scrape on the side of the pontoons, if you tie the ropes up well enougth inside when underway it shouldn't be a problem. Ive seen many people struggle with their boats in the marina due to minimal length of mooring lines.

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by mikew4

OK...first RIB arriving next week. Need to get some rope.

Painter - just under boat length (6.5m) when tied to prevent fouling the prop. What type of rope?

What other rope types should I have on board and what lengths?

Mooring, springs, towing etc.

Happy to have more than needed. Storage not a problem (sizeable lockers & A-Frame). Just want to get the right stuff.

Good question..and it generally takes a bit of time to settle on what suits you and your Boating.
I like the multibraid type rope for Painter and Warps a little more expensive but well worth it IME..soft ,supple,has a nice bit of weight for throwing,and plenty strong!..a good SS cleat on the in Boat end I've found is useful too.
And is very easy to attach the Anchor rope too quickly in an emergency....Anchor rope can be standard three or four strand,but it's a good idea to have purpose made anchor Rope as it has a good amount of stretch in it.
I also carry two mooring (length to suit your Boat) lines which I wrap around the A-frame (Port and Starboard) for easy access and deployment.
A couple of short looped one end and clip the other (SS Cleats) on mooring lines (1m Max)for swinging moorings is a really good idea and you're in buisness....
On the point of swinging moorings,always make sure you clip on and hence have a metal to metal connection to the Bouy/Chain...it's amazing how soon a Rope will wear through on a moving chain or metal link!


A good idea IMO is to take off the Bow eye and have a pro splice the rope to it,no knot,strong and takes up far less room on the Bow eye,which in turn gives you plenty of space for securing other fixings when towing or mooring (when your useing the short clip on mooring lines for instance)
Some spare Warp is always a good idea....stowed but accessible.

[Bern Hanreck]

Don't forget the anchor !

[Chris]

Search ebay for Docklines. loads available and you can get a nice braided 10 meter line with a loop in one end for £10.

[Starovich]

This also is helpfull. Mooring mid line

[mikew4]

Nto over thinking it. Just want to get the right stuff. Am familiar with mooring a boat, knots etc, but never kitted a boat before as always used someone elses.

What is confusing is that on the web the strength (i.e. diamaeter) of rope is generally by length of boat, and I guess they mean a yacht. As a RIB is a lot lighter than a yacht, I guess you can go for thinner, less bulky rope.

So, what diameter rope for a 6.5m RIB?

My list so far for my 6.5m RIB is:

1off x 7m for Painter = 7m
2off x 7m for Springs = 14m
2off x 3.5m for Bow & Stern = 7m
2off x 15m for towing, quay walls etc. = 30m

Total length is 58m. So might as well get a 100m reel of Nylon and use the rest for anchor line and spare. Cheap at £57 from Mooring Ropes from Boat Gear Direct

Grateful for for the view on this approach on here. Ta.

[willk]

While I always admire and applaud economy - I'd just caution that you may find that using one type of rope leads to confusion...

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by willk

While I always admire and applaud economy - I'd just caution that you may find that using one type of rope leads to confusion...

Yep..As said.
One size fits All isn't always the way to go...but we know some people have to learn it for themselves.

[mikew4]

What about thickness of rope chaps? Given that RIBS are light compared to Yachts.

[Poly]

If you buy different colours (odd ends bin at the chandler) it makes it easier to find the one you want (or give clear instructions to the crew to get it out). Can also be helpful if novice crew are untying etc. Won't look ad pretty tied up though.

[jeffstevens763@g]

I always buy 12 MM floating mooring line for anchor line and mooring lines nice diameter to pull on easy to splice.
Off eBay


Cheers

[Bucksribster]

Um - i really would not use floating line for the anchor. The idea is to get a horizontal pull on the anchor and a floating line works against this. Nylon is the right stuff for anchor line. I like floating soft polyprop rope for mooring lines and painter - less chance of it going round the prop.

[Fred.]

Originally Posted by Maximus

I like the multibraid type rope for Painter and Warps a little more expensive but well worth it IME..soft ,supple,has a nice bit of weight for throwing,and plenty strong!..a good SS cleat on the in Boat end I've found is useful

Sorry, what do you mean by Cleat ?
I thought a cleat was one of these ?

Originally Posted by Maximus

A good idea IMO is to take off the Bow eye and have a pro splice the rope to it,

How do they splice the multibraid ropes ??, don't they quite often have an inner cores with lots of braiding around the outside ?

Originally Posted by Maximus

A couple of short looped one end and clip the other (SS Cleats) on mooring lines (1m Max)for swinging moorings is a really good idea and you're in buisness.... ,

Have you a photo please of what you mean ??

Thanks

[GuyC]

I have a bow line that is just shorter than the boat so that if I lose it over the side, it doesn't get wrapped around the prop. I like the idea of a permanent splice to the bow eye. In addition I'd consider making this rope strong enough that you can be towed using it, albeit with an extension.

I've got a stern line that is long enough to go from the stern to the dock and then as a forward spring to the bow, say twice the length of the bow line.

I've also got a line that is about the same length as the bow line that I have attached midships that I use as a temporary mooring line when I'm travelling solo or with novice crew - my family. On the assumption that there is a cleat handy, I can tie off to that and then sort out the bow and stern lines. This line also doubles up as an extension to the bow line to make an aft spring.

Anchor line - I carry about 40m of octoplait with 7m of chain. The octoplait flakes easily and fills a small gorilla bucket.

Other - I have another 40m of octoplait that doubles up as anchor extension, tow rope, long mooring line plus I carry a couple of old genoa / spinnaker sheets that extend mooring lines if I want a shore line when I'm rafted outside other boats.

Sizes - I think most of my lines are 10mm or 12mm although the octoplait is 14mm.

It seems a lot when you write it down.

I suspect Maximus meant stainless clips like a caribiner that you can hook on to the eye on the mooring buoy. The soft loop would go on the cleat in the boat.

[GuyC]

Originally Posted by mikew4

What about thickness of rope chaps? Given that RIBS are light compared to Yachts.

Try telling that to my Pac 22!!

[mikew4]

Originally Posted by GuyC

I have a bow line that is just shorter than the boat so that if I lose it over the side, it doesn't get wrapped around the prop. I like the idea of a permanent splice to the bow eye. In addition I'd consider making this rope strong enough that you can be towed using it, albeit with an extension.

I've got a stern line that is long enough to go from the stern to the dock and then as a forward spring to the bow, say twice the length of the bow line.

I've also got a line that is about the same length as the bow line that I have attached midships that I use as a temporary mooring line when I'm travelling solo or with novice crew - my family. On the assumption that there is a cleat handy, I can tie off to that and then sort out the bow and stern lines. This line also doubles up as an extension to the bow line to make an aft spring.

Anchor line - I carry about 40m of octoplait with 7m of chain. The octoplait flakes easily and fills a small gorilla bucket.

Other - I have another 40m of octoplait that doubles up as anchor extension, tow rope, long mooring line plus I carry a couple of old genoa / spinnaker sheets that extend mooring lines if I want a shore line when I'm rafted outside other boats.

Sizes - I think most of my lines are 10mm or 12mm although the octoplait is 14mm.

It seems a lot when you write it down.

I suspect Maximus meant stainless clips like a caribiner that you can hook on to the eye on the mooring buoy. The soft loop would go on the cleat in the boat.

V useful post. Thx !

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by Bucksribster

Um - i really would not use floating line for the anchor. The idea is to get a horizontal pull on the anchor and a floating line works against this. Nylon is the right stuff for anchor line. I like floating soft polyprop rope for mooring lines and painter - less chance of it going round the prop.

The buoyancy of floating line is minute and doesn't make a blind bit of difference more important is chain length for horizontal pull a foot of chain will make the rope sink.

[lakelandterrier]

The thicker the line the easier it is to handle, it's not just about the breaking strain. My lines ae min 12mm and painter is 14mm just for ease of handling