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Post by Mr Stabby on Oct 27, 2019 14:58:37 GMT
Planning to renew my centre line before next year's cruise, just wondering what diameter/ length/ material folk here prefer?
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Post by JohnV on Oct 27, 2019 15:46:19 GMT
I use a three strand 10mm Marlow polyester for all my general purpose ropes on Shapfell and for all my heaving lines and general purpose light lines on Sabina.
10mm because smaller is hard on the hands and larger is over the top for strength
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2019 16:35:20 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2019 17:42:52 GMT
I've always used staplespun polypropylene until I discovered this "Rombull" 12mm 4 core nylon rope. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nylon-Rope-4-strand-twisted-8mm-10mm-or-12mm-/322627723372It's nice to handle. A little bit of stretch to it which is quite handy for a centre line. Also not too strong so it should part before anything on the boat breaks off. I've used it on my 16 ton steel inspection launch for canal and Thames locks never broken any of it and I do fill locks fast. It seems to have fairly poor abrasion resistance so I think repeated strapping would take it out quite fast. Not particularly expensive stuff so get a coil and have some spare. I keep the spare coil in my bed with my spare oars. It's £1 a metre shipped for 50 metres. I originally bought some as I like bowhauling boat into locks and for that you need quite thin stretchy comfortable stuff. Now I use it for mooring lines as well on that particular boat and would do for a narrow boat. It's quite fluffy when you cut it and awkward to splice so cut it with a red hot knife then did the ends with glue lined heat shrink tubing for a couple of inches.
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Post by naughtyfox on Oct 27, 2019 18:45:29 GMT
We use the tails of rats we find lurking round the unemptied CRT bins, all knotted together.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2019 18:52:11 GMT
We use the tails of rats we find lurking round the unemptied CRT bins, all knotted together. Are they flexible ?
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Post by naughtyfox on Oct 27, 2019 19:00:58 GMT
Of course. And if any lengths drop off, we just look in the Pearson's guide to see where the next boaters' bins are, they are invariably overflowing. Just set a few rat traps up and Hey Presto!
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Post by phil70 on Oct 27, 2019 19:20:11 GMT
I have always used HEMPEX 14mm seems to suit Phil
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Post by rockdodger on Oct 27, 2019 19:20:49 GMT
We use the tails of rats we find lurking round the unemptied CRT bins, all knotted together. Ratlines? 😁
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Post by naughtyfox on Oct 27, 2019 19:27:31 GMT
Bit like Ratners jewellery, cheap.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2019 20:17:37 GMT
Once took some rubbish to the bins near Harefield - feck me there were about 20 rats having a party - dropped the bags and ran away like a rat up a drainpipe - sorry CRT for not locking the gate after me.
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Post by Telemachus on Oct 27, 2019 20:26:18 GMT
We replaced our single centre line, which kept breaking where it goes through a fairlead after 6 years or so, with polyhemp. We got one line from a rope place in Bristol when we were there. It was a cheap off-cut, great value but rather thick. We decided to get a second line for the other side later, and it was a bit thinner (but still relatively thick). I prefer the thicker one, Jeff prefers the thinner one. But either would be fine. Our boat, being deep drafted with a big prop, responds to being put in reverse when coming alongside a lock landing etc, by deciding it prefers the other side of the canal. Therefore I often stop it using the centre line around a bollard. I think it is easier and safer (to the fingers) to do this with a nice thick rope, not a thin one.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2019 20:40:03 GMT
Polyhemp is great stuff, it doesn't rot like the natural type, is half the price of other more modern lines, and perhaps most importantly, it can be easily spliced by hand so a chafed or cut line can be quickly repaired. Braided rope can also be spliced, but the process requires some tools and a bit of practice.
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Post by quaysider on Oct 27, 2019 21:08:19 GMT
I've got 2 14 foot long, 16mm centre lines now that pass through a 19mm sections of tubing where they "fit" in the fairleads either side in the middle... stops them wearing out (like their predecessors did) - plenty long enough to keep hold of the boat AND shut the lock gates when single handing....
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Post by Jim on Oct 28, 2019 6:45:54 GMT
I've got 2 14 foot long, 16mm centre lines now that pass through a 19mm sections of tubing where they "fit" in the fairleads either side in the middle... stops them wearing out (like their predecessors did) - plenty long enough to keep hold of the boat AND shut the lock gates when single handing.... Do you mean 14 metres long? I have polyhemp too. Bought a 100m bobbin for £115 of 16mm. Splices up a full set of ropes. As others have said it does chafe easily, so one of my centre lines wore where it goes over the lock coping stones, I just cut and spliced it.
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