Mooring methods

Now we're no expert at this yet and still have many a time that we need a second... or even third...  go at it.  But, I've had a couple of people ask what we tie up to when we moor the boat so I took a few photos before we came into the marina so I could show them.

We received a little Christmas gift from complete strangers!  Blog readers Angie and Dave from nb Lady Esther - a pair of bright orange mooring pin covers.  I thought it would be a good time to write about mooring.

After a little Google research I discovered Angie is rather well known for her crocheted mooring pin covers - made from recycled shopping bags.  There are times when your selected mooring spot may not have rings or bollards or even piling.  When there is no mooring method provided you just have to hammer a couple of long "pins" (the source of the saying "pull pin") and tie up to those.  Many people tie a plastic shopping bag to each pin so walkers don't trip over them.  In grass they can be hard to see.  So the little orange pin covers from Angie will get good use.  Much nicer than a flapping shopping bag.  Thanks very much Angie.... glad you enjoy the blog!

Usually before a lock, or at a water point, there will be bollards to tie the ropes to.  At designated visitor moorings there are usually rings in the ground.  A lot of other popular mooring places - perhaps just beyond 24 or 48 hour visitor moorings there will be metal piling on the canal edge.  When we hired a narrowboat, and also on nb Parisien Star when we bought her, there were "nappy pin" shape mooring hooks that you hook onto the piling and tie your ropes to the hooks.

One day in our first couple of weeks cruising we saw someone using chains with rings on the end.  We thought that looked like a good method so we now have a couple of those.  We have quite a bundle of mooring stuff.

Erin, I haven't forgotten your question about the little door in the bridge... and I also have "lock",  "fenders" and "bungs" on my list of things to explain with pictures.  Answers to these questions on the way soon.

Photos :
1. Canal edged with piling (and bollards too in this case)
2. Tied to a bollard
3. Mooring sign
4. Tied to a ring
5. Tied to chain through piling
6. Mooring ring
7. Mooring bollard
8. Mooring hook (you hook it through the piling)
9. Mooring pin or spike
10. Mooring chains (threaded through piling then small ring through big ring)
11. Mooring pin covers from Angie