CANAL JOURNEYS
Cleats, bollards and bits
When I moor, I much prefer to take my
mooring ropes to an established mooring
point and bring the end back on board.
That way I can always control how my
boat lies without having to go ashore to
tighten or slacken my lines. It also saves
me from having to hammer in and later
remove mooring stakes.
Casting off is also easier: just walk along
the boat and take your lines off as you
need, without getting wet or muddy
walking on the towpath.
Many new boats only have mooring
cleats at bow and stern. If you are able to,
fit a further two or three along each side- you’ll find these midships cleats
invaluable. Many continental pontoons are
quite short, so being able to use a centre
cleat ensures the boat is held in tighter
than just using bow and stern lines.
If someone offers to take your lines as
you come alongside a pontoon or
mooring, don’t throw a bow line because
if they pull too hard on it, you lose all
control at the helm. Instead, throw a line
tied to a cleat midway along the side of
the boat, so you maintain control as the
boat is pulled in.
This central cleat is also very useful in a
lock: if the centre is tight, then neither the
bow nor stern can drift out as the lock is
filled or emptied. In the much larger locks
the water volumes can be considerable,
so it may still be beneficial to secure your
bow and your stern.
Make sure that a very strong mooring
point with a large backing plate is set in
your bow, so if you ever need to be towed,
it should stay fixed. The same applies to
your stern: you may need to be pulled off
the putty yourself one day, or need to tow
someone else.Stakes
Waterside banks are very often just soft
earth, so mooring stakes need driving in a
long way. Even then it is surprising how
often they come loose, so check them
regularly until you are sure your lines are
really secure.
I consider a minimum of four stakes
essential but I carry several more. I buy
twisted steel used for concrete
reinforcement and just grind a point on
them. Proper mooring stakes can be
bought, but I prefer the lower cost of mine.
A decent heavy hammer to knock these
into canal banks is essential, I normally
use a ‘lump hammer’ but also carry a
much larger sledgehammer.
The movement of a larger boat or barge
can quite easily loosen the most secureMost locks have a ladder that you can use to hold the boat
alongside, saving you having to run ropes to bollards far overhead.
INSET LEFT Avoid polypropylene lineIn small locks a
single, amidships
line may be all
that’s needed to
keep your boat
steadyFast-moving, heavy barges on a narrow
waterway create suction that can rip
mooring stakes out of the ground and set
boats adriftNavigation on the Canal du Midi
between Carcassone and Beziers, a
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