tying to the bull rail: request for initiation

M

marco422

New member
I usually leave the loop in my mooring lines attached to my boat cleat and when I dock I fake some sort of secure knot to the bull rail, but I am curious about the proper technique. I saw a tour boat operator in Hot Springs Cove tie a secure knot to the bull rail in half a second (his hands were a blur) but before I could overcome my male reluctance and ask him how, he had untied and departed again.

Can someone enlighten me on the secret technique?
 
Marco,

I was taught a very secure, yet easy to release, technique at Lagoon Cove last year. A little complicated to try to explain. I'll see if I can find a photo.

Another methor, employed by friends with a Grand Banks, is to put the loop end of the dock line ashore. A wood piece about 10" long & round is placed into the loop after it is passed under the bull rail. The wood round is pulled up tight to the rail and is about 5" in diameter to preclude going under the rail. This works well and anyone on shore can comprehend what to do with it if it is tossed to them.

Don't use your best dock lines on a bull rail as they will soon be in tatters!
 
The dock at our cabin only has bull rails, as does the dock that I often tie up to on Mercer Island. Typically, I loop the line around the bull rail at a place where it attaches to the dock (if that makes sense) and tie it off to a cleat on the boat. This has always worked fine for me...
 
We have used several methods to tie to bull rails: 1 line from the boat cleat loop around the bull rail and back to the cleat. 2. Line from the cleat around the rail, and then when doubled back two half hitches on the standing part back to the boat. 3, a clove hitch around the bull rail, using the doubled line. 4, a tug boat hitch around the bull rail.

I'll put up some photos of the various ways tomarrow.
 
Quick and easy....
Start with the mooring eye of your line secured to your vessel's cleat.
When next to the dock, make a bend in the mooring line and pass the bend under the bull rail.
Then pass the working end of the mooring line through the bend and either secure that to the standing part of the line, or return the working end back to the vessel's cleat for the traditional figure eight on the cleat.
By using this method you can easily eliminate the majority of chafing that occurs when securing your line to the bull rail.
Can be accomplished in under 10 seconds from the time you first touch the bull rail.
 
I guess I like a bit more "perment" type of mooring to a bull rail. All of these can be easily untied, but the best under load is the tug boat hitch (often used for mooring very large vessels to pilings and bull rails etc).
Nov_2009_tootsie_flowers_020.sized.jpg
one turn around the bull rail and two half hitches around the standing line to the boat. Lines are doubled, to take less time and make easier to cast off.

Nov_2009_tootsie_flowers_021.sized.jpg

Clove hitch

Nov_2009_tootsie_flowers_023.sized.jpg

Clove hitch with two half hitches--more secure than just two half hitches or clove hitch alone.

Nov_2009_tootsie_flowers_024.sized.jpg

Tug boat hitch, one turn around the rail, and then back over the standing line to the boat.

Nov_2009_tootsie_flowers_025.jpg

Tug boat hitch with second turn in the opposite direction.


Nov_2009_tootsie_flowers_027.sized.jpg

Tug boat hitch with two turns and two half hitches to secure it.
 
Fairbro":1xr77yy8 said:
Go on the internet and check out a knot called the highwayman's hitch.
Click to expand...

I watched the video and it seems to me that the drawback of this knot is that you tighten it by pulling on the standing part, so the distance between the bull rail and the boat would change by the amount you pulled to tighten.

Warren
 
Yeah, about an inch or two if you're sloppy. I use it for tying fenders on my rails while locking. Quick release even those lubbers who insist on "helping" can understand
 
Warren,

I look on it as a quick and simple tie that you (or the admiral) can do to get the boat "stabilized" at the rail giving you time to evaluate, set up and adjust your final docking configuration which will depend on many factors.

Great idea for fenders :idea:

Roger, can you depict the "Broughtons" tie? I have forgotten it :oops:

Merv
 
Merv,

The Broughtons Tie from Lagoon Cove is like the Tugboat Hitch illustrated by Dr. Bob. The difference is that it's tied using a loop of line instead of the single strand. Right? :? :?
 
A good thing about the tgboat hitch: it is one of the few that can be tied while it is under load, and around a good-sized rail it can be used to exert considerably more tension. It's a little awkward for a bull rail unless there is a lot of room between the rail and the dock's deck.
Rod
 
We do often use a loop of line with the tug boat hitch, as we do with the clove hitch or standing single loop, because of the narrow space between the bull rail and the dock (often only 1 1/2", when a 2 x 4 is used to space the rail off the dock). You can actually tighten up a line under load with the tug boat hitch.
 
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