Best knot for tying stern line to rocks when med mooring

[acunningham]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

What’s used here in Greece is almost universally a polypropylene hollow braid yellow or orange line , it’s lightweight and floats and colour stops idiot jet skiers running into it

It’s a bit “stretchy “. So for 50 footer recommend a minimum of 20mm dia

Available in most chandlers fir €2-3 euros a metre. Haggle

Thank you, that's very helpful!

[RaymondR]

You need one half hitch then another two half hitches about a foot further down the line. To undo it you grab the double line between the two and the one half hitch whilst you work the two half hitches out then feed the end back through so you can whip the first half hitch out when you release the grip on the doubled line.

[requiem]

I guess I'm in the round turn and two half-hitches camp.

One that wasn't mentioned was the tensionless hitch; simply take five turns around the object and then tie the working end back to the standing end using a bowline or other method as you like. It's easy to undo and retains 100% of the line strength.

If attaching to trees I'd prefer to use nylon webbing around them to help reduce damage to the tree.

[Anjin San]

Use a sling or chain around the rock with a clevis securing the load - bowline to the clevis. Slack the line - ease the sling or chain of the holding point. Easy.

[supermarin]

2 cents:

- The absolute fastest and easiest to explain to someone tying to a rock is to give them a line with eye - loop at the end, or pre-tie a bowline onboard. The line handler lands on shore, puts a hand THROUGH the bowline loop and grabs the line. The result is a self tensioning loop. You can freely adjust it no matter how bit it needs to be, and there's no tying.

- You never undo the shoreline under load. You always release the cleat first, and when boat is safe, come & pick up the shoreline. So - boat first, then the rock.

- You should always tie the bitter end (the end of the line on your boat) in a way that you can quickly release it if something happens. Cleat hitch is better than eye loop or bowline on your boat.

Source: this is shared knowledge across Croatia. We sailed the whole Adriatic, Ionian, Aegean sea and shorelined in some super tight spots (see a couple of photos attached)

[EnriSilentWings]

I have been sailing Med more than 30 years hence I am Spaniard.

Thinking the shore can be a boulder/corroded iron/tree/sharp rock/under water/over the water/etc.

Anchoring with anchor-chain from the bow and with rope to the shore from the stern.

The stern rope must be a mooring type rope of 20/25/30 meters long, with the appropriate section thinking the boat, ending knoted to a inox standard shackle or a strong big ring and from the shackle/ring a piece of 2 meters of inox chain of appropriate section ending in a easy release shackle. The chain will go around the mooring object and get secured with the final shackle to the shackle/ring.

And to sleep...

[MovingAir]

Two half hitches is not a reliable knot. They can literally pull out under high load. I have had 4 half hitches completely pull apart under high load with a dynamic nylon rope. I have used a "slippery bowline" to secure a rope towing 3 Zodiacs and a 24 ft aluminum boat. I used two turns to reduce tension on my knot. I tied a conventional bowline, except that I brought the free end back through the main loop of the bowline, with the line for that free end ending up in the middle of the loop at the side of the bowline away from the standing rope going to the load. Pulled free end to release.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by kas_1611

Round Turn and 2 Half Hitches - KISS!

Yes, both the approach and the justification, simple.

[Rufduck]

I’m a foreigner and not in the Med. PNW North America. The water temp is 8-9C and I’m getting a bit lazy. So, I choose a tree. Have about 90M of 15mm poly on a drum. Lead one end to shore, bend around tree and back to stern. Make off to starboard cleat. Having already set the bow anchor, I back down and secure the end on the reel to the port cleat…have glass of wine or take nap.

For a rock, Bowline in one end and take to shore. Lasso the rock and make spool end off to the port cleat.

For a ring. Secure one end to port cleat. Pull enough slack to take the bite to shore. Lead the bite through the ring two times and a half hitch around the standing part of the line. Secure the loop with a series of chain hitches. Keep the spool end slack at all times. To release, pull the spool end which unravels the chain and it all pulls free.

Cheers, Rufduck
Mahe cat

[dreaman]

I use floating lines with bowline knot to heavy-duty sling straps around the stones.

[Yellowbay]

Take the line and go around the rock snd back to the boat to a cleat or stern bridle. Many locations have a cable or eyebolt. Only need to go as shore once. Also use a large plastic box to store the line snd pour off the water once done

[goboatingnow]

Here in Greece two lines ashore are commonly needed to stop you yawing into the next boat

[Rightbrainer]

I agree that there are better knots and rigs for the job that have been detailed in this thread, but if you need a bowline that will release under tension, you need a slippery bowline.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8L5weqhgOM

This method works for many knots. For instance, a sheet bend.

[robertevans]

Same subject but an easy way to connect to shore.
When we were tieing to trees and rocks in the med,
1.my wife kept our boat out to sea.
2. I whent ashore tryed line flaking line out as going out to sea with a fender secured on the end.
3. Back to boat, drop anchor while reversing towards the fender, pick up fender secure or winch in/ pull anchor chain in depending where you want to be.
I hope this is understandable.
If you do it you will find it's a piece of ****

[Sailing Heaven]

I have done this several times and, especially for an overnight stay, I wouldn’t trust anything other than the classic bowline knot. In addition, other knots can delay or perplex you as you have to act fast. Simply, the other person on the boat should loosen the anchor chain and move stern-to towards you (and stop somewhere away from you so that you won't be at danger from the propeller) as you try to tie or untie the stern line. This way you will have less distance to swim each time :-)