Long term mooring in small slip

[Teacherman70]

This is my first post so please don’t yell at me if I do something wrong

My wife and I just moved onto our Gibson 50 foot houseboat. We are full-time live aboard. The vessel is 50 ft in length with 14 ft beam. The only slip available is 46x16 ft. So, we have 4ft of stern sticking out and 1 foot between the dock and the boat on three other sides. We have plenty of fenders but the marina is VERY exposed to wind and boat traffic. We bounce around a lot.

Because the distance from my bow and stern cleats to the pilings is less than 2 feet, we don’t get much shock absorption from the line. Lots of stress on the cleats and uncomfortable. The distance is too short for bungee or elastic shock absorbers inline.

My thought is to secure a turning block to the piling and then run the mooring lines from the cleat perpendicular to the deck over to the piling, pick up a turning block and run up the piling 6-8 ft to a cleat and secure the line there. This increases my standing line length 4-5 times and allows for more shock absorption while keeping pull on cleat and piling in the correct direction. I could even put another turn in block up top and run down to a cleat near the deck adding another 6-8 ft dynamic rope.

Has anyone ever tried this? Any tips? Any alternate solutions to this problem?

[AndyEss]

Great solution until the tide moves the boat relative to the fixed piling. The docks are free floating for a reason, you know.

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by Teacherman70

This is my first post so please don’t yell at me if I do something wrong

My wife and I just moved onto our Gibson 50 foot houseboat. We are full-time live aboard. The vessel is 50 ft in length with 14 ft beam. The only slip available is 46x16 ft. So, we have 4ft of stern sticking out and 1 foot between the dock and the boat on three other sides. We have plenty of fenders but the marina is VERY exposed to wind and boat traffic. We bounce around a lot.

Because the distance from my bow and stern cleats to the pilings is less than 2 feet, we don’t get much shock absorption from the line. Lots of stress on the cleats and uncomfortable. The distance is too short for bungee or elastic shock absorbers inline.

My thought is to secure a turning block to the piling and then run the mooring lines from the cleat perpendicular to the deck over to the piling, pick up a turning block and run up the piling 6-8 ft to a cleat and secure the line there. This increases my standing line length 4-5 times and allows for more shock absorption while keeping pull on cleat and piling in the correct direction. I could even put another turn in block up top and run down to a cleat near the deck adding another 6-8 ft dynamic rope.

Has anyone ever tried this? Any tips? Any alternate solutions to this problem?

Can you cross your now and stern lines (port line goes across to the opposite side piling and vice versa) and then rig spring lines from the bow and stern pilings to amidships cleats?

Also, I think your spell checker made an unfortunate substitution in your title!

[Dsanduril]

We frequently have the same problem with our catamaran. As redneckrob suggests, we cross the lines behind the boat, so the port line goes to the starboard dock and the starboard line goes to the port dock. You have to have a little care where the lines cross so they don't chafe on each other.

Also like you, our boat extends past the end of the slip so you can't cross the lines at that end. In that case, if suitable, we take our line across the dock to the far side. Since it is at the end no one is walking out that far. Depends on where the piles are in relation to the cleats and your vessel. Also requires a bit of cooperation from the marina and your neighbors. If you can't do that, can you attach your block (or better, a low friction ring) to the end cleat on the dock and then make your line fast to a midships cleat on the dock? That will give the extra length without worrying about changing dock vs. piling levels.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Teacherman.

[grahamj]

I have seen a number of "liveaboard" houseboats fixed to one side of the dock. They can move vertically but not laterally or longitudinally, relative to the dock.

You do have to install fittings and unbolt prior to going boating.

[JPA Cate]

Hello, Teacherman.

Let me preface this with saying that I only have ever tied up sailboats, and therefore not had to deal with so much windage, so this could be a bit off. If possible, take the stern line to the forward-most cleat, and the bow line to the aft-most cleat. You may need to place a fender between the line and the boat. You may have to install cleats on the houseboat for them. Install a midships cleat, if one is missing. Take that line to the cleat at or near the center of the slip and use it to keep you off the other side of the berth, close enough to get on and off easily.

If your slip is somewhere there are big winds, you may want to make up some dyneema soft shackles, because large diameter line takes up so much room on the cleats, and go through them. Use chafe gear to protect the nylon.

Sometimes, the guy next to you will let you use his center cleat and you, his, so the lines can be longer, but they will then be tripping hazards.