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Mooring Up
It is much easier to moor if you have at least two people on board (one
to direct the boat and the other to pull the boat into the side with a
centre rope). If you can edge slowly to the side of the canal on your boat
close enough for the second member of the boat crew to get off with
the centre rope and pull the narrowboat to the side.
Once the second crew member has control of the canal boat then it is
time to tie the boat to the waters edge. The aim when mooring up your
boat is to make sure that the boat is secure and moves as little as
possible. The ropes must be firm and a rope tied up at least either end of
the boat (perhaps also having a centre rope tied up on longer boats - this
should be used at the last resort). Ideally the moorings should be a
yard or two either side of the boat.
The boat should then be secured by tight
ropework by using a mooring pin, hook , ring
or a bollard (see the image of a bollard
below). A
mooring pin
is generally used in
the countryside where there are no other
alternative. They need to be pushed into the
ground at an angle using a lump hammer.
A hook or a bollard is generally used when
mooring up near a lock.
Piling hook & Chains
Used when there are horizontal metal pilings
next to your mooring. You just hook the curved
ends over the pilings with the ring uppermost
then tie off on the ring. Often piling hooks won’t
fit onto the piling, in which case use the chains.
They are more difficult to fit, but give excellent mooring security. Drop the
smaller loop end through the horizontal pile, then pull it up and pass
through the larger ring, then pass mooring rope through the larger ring. Try
not to drop them in the canal.
A couple of basic knots
Taken from Paul Smith’s website www. http://livingonanarrowboat.co.uk
To knot or not to knot… that is the question! Do you know the difference between an albright and a
woggle or an alpine butterfly and a west country whipping? Probably not. The good news is that you
don’t need to. As a traveller of the inland waterways there are really only two knots you need to
know, but you
really
do
need to know them. Let me give you an example of what can happen when
you don’t.
Figure 6 - Mooring Bollard
(Usually only for temporary moorings but very
safe)
Figure 5 - Mooring Ring
(excellent mooring, very safe)
Figure 8 - Piling Hook
(For use on steel pilling, very safe)
Figure 7 - Mooring Pins