mooring pendant unraveling

[Jmstee]

Bought new boat this past summer and got all the mooring gear set up. Everything was great all summer even two weeks before we hauled out for the winter. When I went to take my gear in for the season I found one pendant unraveling. What causes this and how to i prevent it from happening again? iv been fiddling with the lines and i can't seem to get it to go back together. Would that be unsafe anyway?

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Jmstee.


Yes, you want to avoid hockling and kinking. Once these hockles appear, they cannot be effectively removed
and the rope is permanently damaged, and should be replaced.
A 3-strand rope will rotate until it spins and twists itself into hockles and eventually destroys itself. The sudden release of a heavy strain may also cause hockles or hard kinks.
Excessive turns can cause kinking in any rope but hockles can occur only in the basic “twisted” ropes (3-strand, 4-strand and cable-laid).
Braided and plaited ropes cannot be hockled; their interlocking strand construction prevents the unlaying. Strands run in both directions creating a torque-free balance thus eliminating any inherent tendency toward twist or rotation.
A braided or plaited rope, being torque-free, can have twist induced by constant working on winches and capstans. If a twist develops, it can easily be removed by “counterrotating” when the rope is relaxed.

See ➥ http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-on-97046.html

[Jmstee]

I wasn't set up with a swivel would that prevent it from happening again next summer? Im am not really interested in replacing lines every year when otherwise they are in great condition. Or maybe ill just invest in nicer lines

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by Jmstee

I wasn't set up with a swivel would that prevent it from happening again next summer? Im am not really interested in replacing lines every year when otherwise they are in great condition. Or maybe ill just invest in nicer lines

Hi, if it's a swing mooring then it should have from the block a ground chain, usually heavy stud link, a lighter springer chain, a good quality swivel then the rope. Will last years with year round use.

[Tingum]

You don't say what size boat but from the photo the mooring line looks very light. Going way up in size may solve your problem. You can size down with a lighter line that fits the on deck cleats, the heavier line from the mooring will be less likely to hockle.

[Jmstee]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

Hi, if it's a swing mooring then it should have from the block a ground chain, usually heavy stud link, a lighter springer chain, a good quality swivel then the rope. Will last years with year round use.

Alright thanks that is my exact set up except I don't have a swivel for some reason. Time to have a chat with the morning contractor.

[Jmstee]

Originally Posted by Tingum

You don't say what size boat but from the photo the mooring line looks very light. Going way up in size may solve your problem. You can size down with a lighter line that fits the on deck cleats, the heavier line from the mooring will be less likely to hockle.

Thanks for the suggestion it's a Catalina 25. This was the recommended line but I'll look into upgrading when I replace this damaged one.