squeaky mooring lines

[wackerb]

I have a Lagoon 400, about 14T, and use 3/4 twisted nylon mooring lines. As tension comes and goes on the cleats some of them squeak. Some of them I can even grab in the middle and twist manually to get the same noise, so it is in the line, itself, not between the line and the cleat. I've tried applying water and soapy water in the middle of the night and soaked the lines in fresh water overnight and repeated until the water didn't taste salty.

Does anyone know how to quiet them down?

[Tillsbury]

Some use a loop of dyneema at the end, so the dyneema is the part passing through the fair lead and over the cleat. The dyneema doesn’t squeak, but the majority is still nylon for stretch.

[wackerb]

I've also tried anti-chafe at the cleats, but the noise is coming from within the lines, themselves, as the tension on them changes. It is most noticeable at the cleats because of the bending of the lines, but I get the same noise just manually twisting and pulling the lines.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by wackerb

I've also tried anti-chafe at the cleats, but the noise is coming from within the lines, themselves, as the tension on them changes. It is most noticeable at the cleats because of the bending of the lines, but I get the same noise just manually twisting and pulling the lines.

Try a wash-in water repellent, like Polar Proof. Lubes the line from the inside.

[gabilo]

Ear plugs

[LongRange]

Have you considered stretchy polyester mooring lines instead? They typically last longer, for a given weight of material, since they are somewhat more abrasion resistant, and they tolerate UV significantly better than nylon.

I tend to throw an additional single line with a simple rubber snubber over the mooring line which is taking most of the beating, to decrease surging impulses and all the associated wear and tear, as well as noise.

[Tingum]

I would soak the lines in a tub of fabric softener.

[Zanshin]

I second Tingum's suggestion. I will periodically clean and then soak my dock lines (and running rigging) in diluted fabric softener and it makes the running lines softer and more pliable and keeps the docklines from squeaking.

[rslifkin]

I've found that 3 strand nylon squeaks on cleats sometimes, but double braid nylon rarely does. So over time, we started replacing worn dock lines with double braid and eventually got rid of all of the 3 strand. No more squeaking and they're less stiff to work with too. Only downside is that double braid is a bit less stretchy.