Safe Mooring

Things can get pretty rough in the harbor in bad weather.

Wind and waves move the ship, and mooring lines and fenders have to withstand quite a lot.

Suitable fenders and mooring lines are needed to absorb the movements of the ship and protect the hull. A good mooring line must be stable, correctly dimensioned and stretchy to take the load off cleats and lips and make staying on board comfortable even in storms. Shock absorbers on the lines are a useful addition.

Damage to mooring lines and fenders due to abrasion or chafing should be avoided at all times. Use a protective cover and fender covers and check your lines and fenders regularly.

Rope construction and mooring line material

The stretchability of the mooring line depends on the construction and material of the cordage.

Stranded cordage consists of two or more strands that are twisted around each other. It is inexpensive, elastic and can be easily spliced. It is often used on traditional ships.

Square braids, also known as squareline, are very flexible, are easy to use on cleats and do not kink. Squareline has the best stretchability of all mooring lines.

Core-sheath braids consist of an inner core that guarantees the breaking load and a sheath that protects against abrasion and damage. These mooring lines are particularly robust and flexible. Core-sheath braids are easy to fix to the cleat and do not kink. The elasticity depends heavily on the material and is usually somewhat lower than with square braids.

Polyester mooring lines are particularly UV-resistant, break-proof and resistant to shrinkage and abrasion. The material absorbs very little water and is slightly less elastic. Shock absorbers are suitable for increasing stretch.

Polypropylene mooring lines are buoyant, lightweight and highly resistant to chemicals. It is less UV-stable and less abrasion-resistant and has a lower breaking load. The lines should be slightly thicker.

Mooring lines made from rPET are made from recycled plastic flaps, the properties are identical to those of polyester ropes.

Natural materials such as hemp or sisal are hardly used because of their durability.

TOPLICHT Tip:

Our SPUNFLEX rope is a modern, UV and rot-proof replacement for classic rope.

What working load, length, and diameter does my mooring line need?

The required breaking load or rope diameter depends on the weight and size of the ship. We recommend leaving room at the top regarding the breaking load. Knots weaken the mooring line; it is better to use a splice, which reduces the breaking load significantly less.

For the correct selection of your mooring lines, we recommend taking a look at our equipment recommendation.

The right length

Regarding the length of mooring lines, we recommend at least

2 mooring lines with a single ship length,
2 mooring lines with 1.5 times the ship length.

For larger ships, an additional 2 warping and mooring lines of 2 times the ship length may be useful.
If you regularly visit ports like Helgoland, where you have to tie up in large bundles (rafting), you should have at least one 30-meter shore line on board.

Protect the hull of the boat with fenders.

Long or spherical inflatable fenders made of PVC are the most common type of fender. However, in traditional shipping, there are also traditional fenders made of coconut fiber, canvas-covered fender cushions, and simple friction blocks, which are also referred to as fender boards on yachts. They all serve the same purpose – they protect the outer skin of the boat or ship at its berth from damage and are used as elastic buffers when mooring and maneuvering in port.

What kind of fender do I need?

The shape of the fender strongly depends on the hull shape. Ensure the fenders are evenly loaded. The number of fenders depends on the boat length; we recommend:

Up to 10 m boat length, at least 2 fenders per side.
From 10 m boat length, at least 3-4 fenders per side.

Additionally, you should always have a spare fender handy.