Options
Tying Up to a pylon?
aero3113
Member Posts: 8,799 ✭✭✭✭✭
There are a bunch of pylons that we can tie up to at one of the spots we go to. If one is available, I'd rather tie up to a pylon than drop anchor. The problem I have is when we do tie up to a pylon it seems like the boat likes to sway back and forth with the wind.When I look at the other boats tied up it looks like they are sitting still in the direction of the wind. What am I doing wrong?
2008 330EC
Comments
On the hook, I have seen our boat swing as much as 60 degrees each direction. A big Sea Ray was doing the same thing on one instance. So I was satisfied that this was the physics of the thing. I can not imagine that it would be any different on a pylon unless you had a stern anchor deployed. Just my 2c.
Tony
Salt Shaker 342
PC BYC, Holland, MI
Aero, there's no pilings for us to tie to down here and usually it'd only be a channel marker sticking up which is absolute taboo to tie to and the USCG will remind you too. A mooring ball is typical if anything so you swing with the fleet and never set a stern anchor or risk upsetting the natural drift of the whole field.
As to excess swing at anchor, GSL is absolutely right about the excessive freeboard of our roomy cabins causing our sway at anchor. We owned a sailboat that had a mile of freeboard and it would hunt all night long but our very tall 270 is even worse. It's enough that the anchor is tested in consistent oscillations every few seconds(chaffing with every cycle) but this can be a real problem overnight or in a storm if the wind shifts even further and your ground tackle doesn't reset absolutely 100% consistently (the 1st thing that came off of our 270 was that wimpy plow day anchor).
Cruisers who deal with this will use a few techniques to stabilize this, most often by using a bridle, or even rigging a stay sail at the stern like a classic lobstah boat from NE that acts like the feathers of an arrow. Really.
If you're going there, you might just go all the way and add a 6' keel and a mast amidship
i'm still waiting for someone to post a picture of what this means....
Well, I didn't post a picture, but gave quite a bit of detail. Use the Prusik knot (google it) on the rhode in the middle of a 25 ft line, then tie each end to each of the forward cleats. Let the rhode out until its loose from the windlass. That's it! You can even do this with a regular line (instead of your anchor line) that is tied to the piling (notice I didn't say pylon
)
Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express
i remember your write up, which was detailed as you said. but my brain couldn't process everything even after googling. i'm a dummy...
Tiki Mike, how long are you in town for? Weather is supposed to clear up tomorrow if you want to meet up for a few....
I was an HRST master (helo rope suspension technique) in the Corps (a lifetime ago), and we were always working with different anchor systems... it's pretty easy on a bird, you just tie an anchor knot and clip it on the point, but when climbing, rescuing, or rappelling, it's a little different..
below is a two point self equalizing anchor system.. you can use a three point, too.. it's really easy to rig- you just have a line tied with a line to line knot forming a loop- hang the loop over the anchor points (in this case a cleat), and then adjoin the line from between the cleats to the line exterior of the cleats to form sub-loops, if you would..
the image below shows a water knot fixing the line, in step five- which can, in our cases, be abandoned.. that would allow full 'float' of the self equalizing activity..
Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express
it would require two lines at a minimum- one for the system and the other 'clipped' to it to set to the pylon.. My notion was to pass through the closed loop bottom of the cleat on either side of the bow, with the attachment loop at least ten or so feet in front of the bow, so as to allow free movement, and so that it won't 'slip' off..
this would basically take the anchor/rhode out of the equation, an use a line to the pylon, instead..
anyway...
do the pylons have attachment points in your area or are they just poles? I've seen both, here- which is curious- because if you want a ticket from the popo, tie off on a stick and see how quick that happens! :-) .... I was down in the Keys last season, and they were about aplenty.. I reckon it comes down to region, how those things are intended to be used, huh? Here, it is a supposed sign of distress for a disabled rig.