Mooring line around the mast

[Jack Hattingh]

In summer (Western Cape, South Africa) our marina is battered by the south easterly and my 31' cruiser lies beam on to this wind. The mooring lines do their job but the wind tilts the boat to the extent that some fenders get trapped beneath the fingers of the marina. I have now secured some lines from the mast to a cleat on the windward side of marina (currently vacant) and it does steady the boat. It this good or bad practice for the mast.

[JPA Cate]

Not a problem for the mast.

However, perhaps a kedge off to the windward side, with some chain on it backed by line (so it mostly stays down, led to a midships block, thence to a primary, to hold the boat off, and allow the slip to be used by someone else?

Imho, it's really uncool to leave an at first glance open slip with a line across, even if it's only for a dinghy. What does the guy coming in trying to tie up do? Especially if it's windy and him likely to lose control. This is one of those cases where you need to take care of yourself efficiently, but also make space for the mythical other guy, imo.

Ann

[brianlara 3]

Jack really is in an awful situation, what to do?
But if another vessel needs a berth, especially in what could quickly become an emergency.......hard to argue with Ann's stance.
But really, Jack can only utilise the other berth in the way he described if he's paying for both berths. Really glad it's not me.
Feel for you Jack.
Surely the marina management is in some way at fault.

[UNCIVILIZED]

How bad it may or may not be for the mast depends a lot on how the lines are attached to it. That, & how long the current weather lasts. Since if it's long term, you'll be accelerating the aging in all of the rigging & tangs on the windward side. And this will be true even if the lines going to the masthead are attached so that no damage is done to it, or to your rigging.

[belizesailor]

Masts aren't designed to take single point lateral loads. That would concern me.

Why not just rig a breast line(s) from a midships cleat to the windward dock to hold your boat a bit away from the dock? Alternatively a kedge anchor can do the same thing with less obstruction in the marina.

[boatman61]

I'd not kedge or use the mast.. I'd take lines across the empty slip from bow and stern cleats and hold her off the finger that way.. and notify the marina staff/office about what I'd done.
They are then aware that if they rent out the slip the lines need releasing by the assistant before the new boat enters.. its a pretty common practice with slips that are empty long term.. once another boat moves in problem solved.

[becrux]

Why not talk to the mgmt about switching to the other slip?

[Suijin]

Just to clarify, you're leveling the boat by running your halyards down to the windward finger pier to keep your boat from tilting over?

I don't agree with Anne. I think that's a Really Bad Idea. You're going to damage your sheaves, probably chafe your halyard, and there is the potential for shock loading on both, not to mention the rest of your rigging which is not designed for this sort of loading.

Shorten up your windward docklines, raise your fenders or get a few more and stagger their height, and live with some tilt.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by becrux

Why not talk to the mgmt about switching to the other slip?

Like the presently unoccupied one to windward!

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by Jack Hattingh

In summer (Western Cape, South Africa) our marina is battered by the south easterly and my 31' cruiser lies beam on to this wind. The mooring lines do their job but the wind tilts the boat to the extent that some fenders get trapped beneath the fingers of the marina. I have now secured some lines from the mast to a cleat on the windward side of marina (currently vacant) and it does steady the boat. It this good or bad practice for the mast.

It is unwise and particularly so if you're fitted with a deck stepped mast. Your windward mooring lines should be shortened such that there is enough distance between the yacht and the leeward quay or "finger pier" to avoid fenders becoming entrapped.

[sailormed]

I think the cost of some extra lines and fenders outweigh the cost of your potential mast damage.

[zeehag]

i faced patricia beam to. i had my lines onto 8 affixment points--i broke a cleat on windward side relegating only 4 points remaining for 215 mph steady winds. my boat was knocked down onto my dockfinger breaking my boarding ladder irrepairably--it could not even be found. use pilings and all the cleats you have . use heavy lines. use one line for each affixment point. it is too late to change slips once the weather comes. yup. i know this one.
i think retrospectively i could maybe have prevented the knockdown by trebling my lines at the bow--i only had 2. one to cleat then midships from bow-- i should have made that one 2 lines, one to either side of the dock i was affixed to, so when cleat broke the backup on other side of windward dock would take the load.
extra fenders on leeward side... keep boat off dock.
if you have the option after this storm, move boat to a slip wherein your bow is pointing into wind.
donot use mast except as a backup reinforced as the tugging and yanking and jerking cause damages no matter how the mast is stepped.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by becrux

Why not talk to the mgmt about switching to the other slip?

Bingo!...

[meirriba]

Can you install fixed fenders on the edge of the finger adjacent to your boat? Then your fenders will be an extra only and if pushed underneath you will still be protected.

[topmast]

To keep from snagging under the slip one could improvise. A cluster of fenders protected by a handy pallet to ride the slip as boat heels or water level changes .Riding creosoted piling to a regular 12 ft tide you get creative in a hurry. Steel belted auto tires on a gunny sack are somewhat better than a sprung mast or replacing chafed halyards