Docking/Mooring problem.

[SiXeVeN]

Hey all,

I have a question for all the experienced salts out there. My boat has no rub rails or hull protection in the area of likely contact between boat and dock. I can use fenders off of flat sided docks but they tend to roll off piling based slips. Now that I have a new shinny $$$ paint job, I would like to find a way to moor this boat near a seawall yet keep the boat OFF the seawall. I have been thinking about mooring whips or something similar.

The boat will be moored in a canal with limited traffic but about 2 foot tidal change and occational winds. It is fairly protected from wave action. I can pull up next to pilings or a concrete seawall... Obviously I want to stay off both. Any suggestions? What about some sort of rod or rigid dock line that would hold the boat off the dock with spring lines to keep her centered? HD PVC pipe maybe???

[Boasun]

Lash a plank to two or more fenders and lower it over the side. The fenders should be inboard toward the hull. You may want two of these.
Another method is after you moor, set an anchor off shore of you about amidships, using heavy chain to keep the catenary as close to the bottom as possible. Then secure it to an amidship's cleat. This will hold you off the pilings, quay wall and whatever.
Have your mooring lines going to the pilings on both sides of your slip with you vessel held halfway in the middle.

Does this help??

[scottyt]

how about fender boards on the seawall, or the big round 18 inch fenders that look like a ball. the fender boards are probably the best way sense you have pilings, just run a 2by 8 pressure treated board between the pilings, with a fender on the board every foot.

i dont know how well the whips will work on any boat over a few thousand pounds when the wakes do come in.

[newpbs]

I have used fender boards for many years. You provide the lumber, (2x4) any length you want. They don't roll around like a round fender can. I carry one with me at all times.

West Marine: West Marine Search Tool

If the above link does not work go to WM and search for fender board.

We added a rub rail to our 1969 Irwin. The Irwin did not have any protection either. I was an issue every time we fueled up or pumped out. Dock hands always wanted to cinch the boat up tight the the dock. We sold the Irwin a few years ago. It worked out well. We wished that we had done it sooner.

There are lots of sources for add on rails. You pick the place where you need the protection and mount it there. It will make life a lot easier.

Good Luck

Paul

[SiXeVeN]

I can't use the midship anchor idea (would work great) because it would put a line into the canal center. It would be a potential nav haz for other boaters.

If I understand the fenderboard concept correctly. You place the cushioned ends of the 2x4 against the boat then the board becomes a temp rubrail... I guess you could also then use fenders between the board and the sea wall. OR, I guess you can nail a long board between the pilings and then conventional fenders won't roll off...

The only issue is this will be a 24-7 mooring so any prolonged contact to a fixed rubber/foam cushion will ultimately wear down the paint. But it sounds like the first option may prevent that., if I could keep the fender board from moving Hmmmm. That just might work.

Anyone see a negative to a using a semi rigid rod to hold the boat away from the wall and then using triangulated dock lines to keep the boat centered???

[Boasun]

A semi rigid rod may work for a dinghy or under 18 ft. Have seen them in use.
That may be something you can experiment with.

[jjablonowski]

Your boat may be too big for some whips, but it wouldn't hurt investigating.

[Wayne25]

I have a similar dock as you.
Buy a set of properly sized (Read over sized) mooring whips. Buy the type that retract to vertical when not used so they don't hit the rigging when you depart. Also install rubber bumpers on the pilings or a fender board to the dock for when high winds blowing toward your dock overcome the mooring whip's tension. Higher that normal tides will also reduce the mooring whip's tension.

[puddinlegs]

Fender boards...

[klem]

Originally Posted by SiXeVeN

I can't use the midship anchor idea (would work great) because it would put a line into the canal center. It would be a potential nav haz for other boaters.

If I understand the fenderboard concept correctly. You place the cushioned ends of the 2x4 against the boat then the board becomes a temp rubrail... I guess you could also then use fenders between the board and the sea wall. OR, I guess you can nail a long board between the pilings and then conventional fenders won't roll off...

The only issue is this will be a 24-7 mooring so any prolonged contact to a fixed rubber/foam cushion will ultimately wear down the paint. But it sounds like the first option may prevent that., if I could keep the fender board from moving Hmmmm. That just might work.

Anyone see a negative to a using a semi rigid rod to hold the boat away from the wall and then using triangulated dock lines to keep the boat centered???

The idea behind a fenderboard is to use fenders on your hull as normal and then have the fenderboard bear against the piling. The reason that you do this is so that the fender will not pop out of the way of the piling. Generally, there is one fenderboard forward and one aft. You first hang your 2-3 fenders vertically. Then you take your fenderboard with a line through each end and hang it down so that it is halfway down your fenders. Fenderboards need to be at least a few feet long to be effective and get to over 15' long on larger vessels. There are no fenders between the board and the pilings, it is wood on wood contact.

In the case of a concrete wall, a fenderboard is not useful. Fenders will tend to chafe against something like this. Probably your best bet is to use large fenders. Also, there is a decent chance that there will be camels which must be dealt with differently to prevent your bottom paint from being taken off.

The other thing to do is look at the other boats around you. Someone has probably figured out a good solution for your situation.