Midship Mooring Cleat

[Peter Cockerton]

Never occurred to me to order midship cleats on my new order BR20 probably because most of my sailing I had someone to help when coming alongside the pontoon. As I’m doing more solo outings at the moment and the local reservoir has a pontoon which more often than not has a cross wind over it (also the windward side of the pontoon has obstructions I’d rather avoid) makes coming alongside this short (no hammerhead) pontoon tricky. To add to the difficulty the two outermost cleats on the pontoon have no horns on them (probably to deter members from mooring up on the pontoon). The pontoon is predominately used by flying fifteens (two crew).

Has anyone rigged a midship jury rig method of aiding shorthanded temporary mooring alongside a pontoon I guess using the two standard fore and aft standard cleats, as I cant drop a loop over the two hornless cleats I could put a loop through the center opening of the cleat just temporarily whilst I’m on the water and remove it when I come off, I could hook the loop and attach a line with a carabiner then  or I could risk aiming for the two cleats further along the pontoon which have horns, and risk entering shallow water where my escape plan would be limited.

Peter C

[Graham W]

Peter,

The gap between the sheaves in the wooden oarlock base is useful for all sorts of things - a ratchet block on a strop for the spinnaker and somewhere to attach a mainsheet “traveller” and a midships fender.  You could temporarily cow hitch a mooring line there too, particularly if the oarlock base has been reinforced.

[Peter Cockerton]

Graham

Good point on the oarlock base but i'm not sure if the base has been reinforced or not, it does take considerable strain from the jib and mizzen sheets so the short term strain on holding the boat into the pontoon with the windage from the boat should hopefully be ok until the strain is taken off with normal mooring lines. I'm going to try the method described below, just need to sort out how to secure the loop using the oarlock base.

 Have you got midship deck cleats? I use a loop of line threaded through a
plastic tube tied back on itself to make a loop about 18 inches diameter,
although I suppose it could be bigger if you want. Come alongside, drop the
loop over a bollard and tie off as tight as possible on the cleat. The end
of the boathook fits in the end of the tube if necessary. Move forward to
take the strain on the line, and then turn the wheel to hold the stern into
the quay or pontoon. Keep the engine running slowly ahead and the boat will
sit there quite happily while you fix the bow and stern lines. It has never
failed for me yet (my boat is 37 feet).

[Sea Simon]

I've purchased a couple of light-duty folding cleats off EBay to serve as midships cleats
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Marine-Boat-Flip-Up-4-1-2-Folding-Cleat-Dock-Stainless-Steel-w-Fasteners-Silver/233613137984?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

I think I had two for appx £20.
They seem OK for the price, and for light duties? Perhaps a little sharp in places, so I intend to fettle with a Dremel before fitting.
Decided to use folding cleats to minimise snags for sheets etc.
I plan to fit to the coaming in the mid ships area, probably on the coaming lip/upstand?
Wouldn't dream of using for "proper" moorings.

I plan to use for fenders and breast ropes (careful how/where you Google for this!) which I always find handy on our pontoons and the local quayside.
During these COVID times, we have also now been frequently rafting up with friends, while at anchor; should also be convenient for this?

I'm not yet sure which "way up" to mount them? ie to fall open, or fall closed, once the cheap clip that keeps it folded disintegrates...

Any thoughts?

[Sea Simon]

Graham

  use a loop of line threaded through a
plastic tube tied back on itself to make a loop about 18 inches diameter,
although I suppose it could be bigger if you want. Come alongside, drop the
loop over a bollard and tie off as tight as possible on the cleat. The end
of the boathook fits in the end of the tube if necessary. Move forward to
take the strain on the line, and then turn the wheel to hold the stern into
the quay or pontoon. Keep the engine running slowly ahead and the boat will
sit there quite happily while you fix the bow and stern lines. It has never
failed for me yet (my boat is 37 feet).

Some of the local boatmen herabouts that run foot-passenger ferries/water taxis seem to do something similar, especially when operating singlehandedly.
Breast rope with hook for use on quayside eyes/rings, or with a "spreader loop", like you describe  to drop over bollards etc. Both secured to easily accessible midships cleats.

Your technique sounds good.

[Ray S]

Midship cleats really really useful tying up a dinghy alongside the BRe on its mooring or for fenders as highly accessible from cockpit. Mine are just the regular ones already used fore and aft with a backing plate under the deck. Highly recommended - should be standard fitment!

Whimbrel BRe047

[Peter Cockerton]

The folding cleats with screw fittings could be worth considering as against the type which have studs which require washer and nut fitting below the deck where I have no access to. Any photos of installed cleats on a Bayraider would be useful and description of how you secured them. Would have been so much easier if I had specified before the build, they should be standard fit or at least on the extras list.

Peter C

[Sea Simon]

Peter,

On my BRe, i managed to install eye bolts, for cow-hitching my spinni ratchet blocks, with studs and nuts under. Located very close by the midships cam cleats for the mizzen on the BRe, there is a cut away in the cockpit coaming, with a small flat section of deck.
I did this by lying inside the side lockers. With a helper to pass tools etc, this is not as bad as it sounds?
The underside access is manageable, imo.
I hope to be able to do similar with these cleat fastenings.
I'm not sure I would want to attach these cleats to the coamings using just screws?
As an Engineer I prefer bolts to screws! Big penny washers needed.

PS I'm 5'9" and about 85kg, but aged 60, so won't be doing this for very much longer!

[Peter Cockerton]

Simon

Many thanks for your informative feedback, next time I’m at the boat I will have a look inside the locker and get my head around the possible fixing points for a midship cleat, I’m 5’10 90kg and 69 and I really don’t want to be upside down inside the locker trying to focus with varifocal glasses which without wearing all would be a blur.

Must pick a grandchild to put inside I think.

Peter C

[Sea Simon]

I found the trick was to embrace the discomfort, get in the locker, and lie down properly inside; and then it's far easier than leaning in.
That way, you don't need to be upsidedown.
Make sure lid is well tied open, and don't do it when alone!
You'll be glad of some help to get back out again.

[Graham W]

Very slightly off topic but there’s a story about an early BR20 shipped to Wales from the GRP subcontractor in Poland.  There was evidence that someone had secretly concealed themselves in one of the boat lockers and successfully crossed the Channel.

[Peter T]

Going back to the original question, in these circumstances I use an old webbing safety line with a big snap shackle at each end.  I clip one end to the shroud and hook the webbing to whatever is available on the pontoon (cleat or a line or whatever) and then back to the shroud to clip on the snap shackle at the other end.  The shrouds are quite a good balance point and this holds the boat steady and allows me to hop out and attach whatever else is necessary.

[Peter Cockerton]

Peter

Many thanks for that post, I do have an old safety strap as you described so will try your solution. The fitting of a new cleat is not straight forward and if your saying the shrouds provide a good pivot point brilliant.

Thanks

Peter C

[Peter T]

Hope it works Peter, it does for me.  It also works when coming alongside another boat of a similar size and then you can clip it on the other boat's shroud.  I used to use this where I was moored until recently  in a crowded harbour where you need to use four connected mooring lines and a pick up buoy.  The tender will always sail around and tie everything up in knots so this allowed me to stop and calmly try and untangle everything.  In this situation I would use the full length of the strap (rather than doubled back) which gave me the room I needed to pick up the mooring lines.

[Sea Simon]

I found the trick was to embrace the discomfort, get in the locker, and lie down properly inside....

Ah!
it's not just me then? The experts do it too!

See
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVNUU8eDmGE