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.
All you need for Traditional Boats and Classic Yachts.
Protect the hull with fenders
Long or round fenders made of PVC are the most common form of fender. In classic shipping, however, there are also traditional fenders made of coconut yarn, fender cushions covered with sailcloth and simple rubbing strakes, which are also known as fender boards on yachts. They all serve the same purpose - they protect the outer skin of the boat or ship from damage at the berth and are used as an elastic buffer when mooring and during harbor maneuvers.
Breaking load and diameter of the mooring line
The required breaking load and rope diameter depends on the weight and size of the boat. We recommend giving the breaking load some extra capacity. Knots will weaken the mooring line; it is better to use a splice, which reduces the breaking load less.
To choose the right mooring line, we recommend that you take a look at our Ausrüstungsempfehlung.
The right length
With regard to the length of mooring lines, we recommend at least
- 2 mooring lines with the same length as the boat,
- 2 mooring lines with 1.5 times of the length of the boat.
For larger vessels, we recommend an additional 2 mooring lines twice the length of the vessel
Tauwerkkonstruktion und Material des Festmachers
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.
Welchen Fender brauche ich?
The shape of the fender depends heavily on the shape of the hull. Ensure that the fenders are evenly loaded. The number of fenders depends on the length of the boat:
- Up to 10 m boat length at least 2 fenders per side.
- From 10 m boat length at least 3-4 fenders per side.
In addition, you should always have a spare fender to hand.