TIE ONE ON / LINES AND FENDERS

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TIE ONE ON 

 

USE THE RIGHT SIZE LINES AND FENDERS

Why is it every year I see boats get damaged from the docks and other boats simply due to the fact that the owner doesn't invest in the right lines and fenders for their boat? Your boat is only as safe as the way you tie up and the fenders that you protect it with.

I hope you are not one of those boaters who rummages around only to grab whatever you can find to use as a line. Perhaps you have seen that boat, the one that is tied up with yellow nylon line available at your closest hardware store. The most ridiculous is the boat that is tied up with one long line, the owner has usually robbed the anchor locker and ties the boat up from front to back all in one long mess of loops and knots. Your boat is an investment, so you need to invest in the correct size of line and the correct length of line. To tie up your boat, oh yah and your fenders to have to be the correct size and type for the mooring application.

If you want to be fancy and tie chain knots please learn how to end the knot properly. It is mind boggling the amount of damage to boats caused by these problem. Bad knots, crappy lines and fenders for a row boat on a 32 foot cruiser. There are plenty of guides out there to help you choose the right lines for your boat and a standard rule of thumb to measure them.(so they do not get tangled around the prop of your boat or your neighbor's boat). You got to love it when your neighbor's boat has twenty feet of spare line dangling in the water from a cleat right next to your out drive.

When you tie up your boat follow the above picture. You must have aft and forward lines complete with two spring lines, one facing forward and one facing aft.

Here is a little advise for power boaters who want to have the swim platform backed right up to the dock.

When you first get your boat in the correct position at the dock .The first two lines that you set are the aft or stern line this is the line that holds the stern of the boat to the dock and generally controls the distance from the hull to the dock. The next line is the forward spring line, this is the line that determines the amount of backward motion the boat will have. If you are tight up against the dock with the swim platform this line must be tight to prevent the platform from hitting the dock. Once these two lines are established it is time to tie the rest. Starting with the bow line. You must allow the bow to find its natural position. Tying this line to tight will pull the transom away from the dock and add unnecessary load on the aft cleat. The boat needs to sit with the center line of your boat parallel to the dock

The last line you set is the aft spring line. This line controls the amount of forward motion the boat will have. It is the spring lines that do all the work to keep the boat in place the aft and bow lines simply set the distance from the dock. If the cleats on the dock and your boat cleats will not line up to allow for the correct line set up, (In other words the aft or bow lines end up too long or the center cleat on the dock doesn't allow you to balance the length of the spring lines) then you should ask the marine to move the cleats on the dock in your slip. If they cannot do this find a better slip for your boat to live in. Your boat will get damaged if you do not have it tied up right.

More tie up tips

When you buy lines buy two sets. One set you will fix to your dock at the marina, so all you have to do is slip the loop end of the lines on the boat cleats every time you come to home port. This way the boat is always in the same place and time to tie up is reduced. These lines will have to be adjusted time to time as the motion of the boat or changing water levels will affect the lengths and you will find yourself against the dock at the swim platform.

If you have the boat with the swim platform against the dock it is a great idea to add another line from the aft cleat on the off the dock side ran to a cleat on the dock that is behind the boat and to the same side as your off the dock cleat this will add stability when getting on and off the boat.

 

Fenders Boaters Fenders

Spend some money and time at this it will pay off. If you cannot find a location to tie the fenders to cleats on your boat then purchase fender accessories. The ones that hang on the rails are great. Take a picture of the boat in the slip and go to your marine parts store they should help you sort out the fittings you need.

If you have posts or any other obstruction on the dock you can always tie fenders to the dock. Manufacturers make a multitude of screw down fender variations to accommodate your needs. Just remember if you are a seasonal boater to take them with you in the fall. Always keep fenders on both sides of your boat as your neighbor may have a problem one day and use your boat as a spot to stop or turn his or her boat on (this happens more than I care to admit). if you are in a tidal body of water you must remember that the fenders may be set for high tide but at low tide they may be all together in the wrong location.

Something almost all boaters used to do but you don't see this anymore, I assume it is due to fender design. Lifting the fenders while running today requires a person to go around and pull the fenders up onto the deck. What used to happen was a small line was tied to the bottom of the most forward fender and with the fenders hanging vertical the line was then attached to the bottom of each fender running aft. From the bottom of the last or most aft fender the line was long enough to tie to the aft corner cleat. This way one person from the aft cockpit could raise all the fenders on the one side by pulling on the rope the fenders would swing aft and up. When they reached the position that was up far enough you simply tie the line off to the aft corner cleat and away you go. Easy for the captain or help to do, and so easy to let them back down. This system did a double duty. It also prevented the fenders from rolling up and ending up on the dock.

 

As with every thing else you get what you pay for, cheap out and you will be paying for it in repair bills.

Author RP 

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Some sobbering numbers for you Canadian PWC Owners

 

 

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PWC Stats in Canada, will the numbers of injuries be reflected by the number of PWC's in the market? There are now an estimated 60,000 PWC in Ontario alone and these numbers are growing every month. Is it time to consider something other than a boaters card, I am not a fan of over regulation however these machines are faster and more dangerous than ever.

 

Figures from RED CROSS

 

There were 68 fatalities involving personal watercraft (PWC) during 1991-2008, including

33 immersions and 35 trauma deaths (Tables 3a). Traumatic incidents frequently resulted

in head injury, which contributed to at least 32% of PWC trauma deaths. Other injuries

included spinal injury in 18%, fractures in 12%, and major lacerations in 26%. Victims often

sustained multiple injuries

Overall, 19% (13/68) had head injuries, 10% (7/68) spinal injuries, and 16% (11/68)

major lacerations. This compares with 4% (67/1,788) head injuries for other powerboats

and 2% (17/979) for unpowered boats; 1% (11/1,788) spinal injuries for other

powerboats and 0% for unpowered boats; and 2% (28/1,788) major lacerations for

other powerboats and 1% (5/979) for unpowered boats.

PURPOSE

 96% of PWC victims died during recreational activities, 1% during occupational

activities and 3% during other/unknown activities . Only recreational

fatalities will be discussed here.

 

RECREATIONAL FATALITIES

There were 65 recreational fatalities involving PWC, including 31 immersion deaths and

34 trauma deaths (including 3 cases where the person was being towed by a PWC). PWCs

accounted for 1% of all immersion deaths, 2% of powerboat immersion deaths, 25% of all

trauma deaths and 28% of powerboat trauma deaths

Given the small number of immersion fatalities and the large proportion of trauma victims,

this section will combine discussion of immersion and trauma deaths.

TYPE OF INCIDENT

 

 Overall, 34 victims died following a collision (52%), 21 fell overboard

(32%), 4 capsized (6%), 1 was swamped (2%), 1 had other causes (2%); circumstances were

unknown for the remaining 4 victims (6%). Immersion deaths most often resulted from

falling overboard, while nearly all trauma deaths resulted from collision. 65% of PWC

collisions involved another boat, whereas for other powerboats, only 29% of collisions

involved another boat.

28

PERSONAL FACTORS

AGE & SEX

 Males accounted for 85% of PWC fatalities during 1991-2008, with those

15 to 24 years at highest risk for both immersion and trauma. Females and children were

overrepresented in PWC trauma deaths. While females accounted for only 3% of PWC

immersion deaths, they represented 26% of trauma deaths; similarly, children under 15

accounted for only 6% of immersion deaths but for 18% of trauma deaths.

ALCOHOL

 Alcohol was present or suspected for 51% of PWC victims 15 years of age and

older, possibly more since alcohol was unknown in 7% of cases. Alcohol was present or

suspected in a higher proportion of immersion deaths than of trauma deaths.

SWIMMING ABILITY

 Swimming ability was unknown for 74% of PWC victims. For the

remainder,

 35% were weak or non swimmers, 29% were average or strong swimmers and

35% were swimmers of unspecified ability.

 

BOATING EXPERIENCE

 Boating experience was unknown for 60% of PWC victims. For the

remainder, 38% were experienced boaters, 58% inexperienced and 4% occasional boaters.

In comparison, only 7% of powerboat victims for whom boating experience was known

were inexperienced boaters.

ETHNICITY

 Although aboriginal peoples were over-represented in most categories of

water-related fatality, they accounted for only 3% of PWC fatalities, roughly equivalent to

the proportion they represent of the Canadian population.

 

EQUIPMENT FACTORS

FLOTATION

 26% of immersion victims were properly wearing a flotation device

, while 50% of trauma victims were doing so.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

BODY OF WATER

 68% of fatalities occurred in lakes, 20% in rivers, 9% in the ocean, 2% in

other locations, and 2% in an unknown location .

WIND AND WAVES

 Wind conditions were unknown for 80% of fatalities. For the remainder,

wind was described as strong for 8%, breezy for 54% and calm for 38%. Wave conditions

were unknown or other for 71% of victims. For the remainder, it was rough for 16%,

choppy for 37%, calm for 42% and other for 5%; no stormy weather was reported

.

 

LIGHT CONDITIONS

8% of PWC fatalities occurred in darkness, 12% in twilight, and 72%

in daylight. Light conditions were unknown for 8% of deaths..

 

MONTH AND DAY

 All fatalities occurred between April and October, 97% between

May and September. July and August accounted for 65% of deaths, compared with 33%

for other powerboats and 30% for unpowered boats. 71% of deaths took place between

Friday and Sunday.

REGION

 The highest proportion of PWC fatalities were seen in Quebec and Ontario,

followed by the Prairie provinces and British Columbia. There were no PWC deaths

identified in the northern territories during 1991-2008, but there were 6 immersion deaths

in NWT where the type of boat was unknown .

ACCOMPANIMENT

14% of PWC victims were alone, while 60% were accompanied by at least

one adult, 9% only by minor(s) and 11% by someone of unknown age; an adult bystander

was present in 6% of cases.

TEMPERATURE*

 

 

WATER TEMPERATURE

Water temperature was unknown for 71% of PWC immersion fatalities.

For the remainder, it was reported to be extremely cold (<10°C) for 44%, cold or cool

(10-20°C) for 33%, and warm or hot (>20°C) for 22% .

 

 AIR TEMPERATURE

 Air temperature was unknown for 77% of PWC immersion deaths.

For the remainder, it was ≤15°C for 29%, and >15°C for 71% .

ICE AND COLD WATER

 Based on the criteria used in Module 2 of the 1991-2000 series (Ice &

Cold Water), it is probable that cold water was a factor in 16% of PWC immersion deaths.

 

SALES NUMBERS FROM NMMA 2015

The NMMA reports that retail sales of new boats and engines reached $2.1 billion in 2015, a 3.8 percent increase over 2014 while pre-owned boat sales totaled $1.06 billion, maintaining the industry’s healthy contribution to the Canadian economy. In addition, personal watercraft, including brands such as Jet Ski, SeaDoo and WaveRunner, experienced a sales surge in 2015 with unit sales of new personal watercraft jumping ten percent from 2014. The pre-owned category also experienced a strong increase in 2015, rising seven percent. What’s more, Canadians’ participation in recreational boating has remained stable at 43 percent of the adult population, up from 35 percent in 2011-2012, the last time it was recorded.



The bottom line is that the numbers from Red Cross will be a direct reflection of the volume of PWC's in the market. So Please be carful on the water!

 

Copyright 2015 © Boat Nut Media, Toronto, Ontario. All rights reserved. No part of this information/publications may be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or reproduced in any way, including but not limited to photocopy, magnetic, or other record, without prior agreement and written permission of the publisher, Boat Nuts Media ©™ No liability is assumed with respect to the information provided