Mooring Rope Selection Guide

The Main Factors to consider in selecting your mooring rope

Stretch Factor – mooring lines need to absorb snatch loads and maintain the capacity to elongate and recover without suffering premature stress failure. Polyester has the required amount of working stretch for mooring and the ability to absorb surge loads can be enhanced with mooring compensators. Polypropylene stretches a little more than polyester. Nylon is the most elastic of the three materials, approximately 5-10% more elongation than polyester.

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Strength and Durability – mooring ropes need to manage the substantial strain experienced in securing a yacht in your chosen configuration (the number of ropes that effectively divide the load) so relative diameter and break load are important factors. Nylon is initially the strongest mooring rope but it is a widely held belief that it loses 10-15% when thoroughly wet which brings it back to relative parity with polyester. Polyester has better UV resistance than nylon which means that it builds a small advantage each season resulting in a longer working life. Polypropylene is not comparable to the other two materials and should not be considered unless stepping up in diameter.

Abrasion Resistance – depends on what the rope is made from, how it is manufactured and to a lesser extent, the finished construction. Polyester and Nylon have comparable performance with Polypropylene, again a distant third. LIROS employ heat setting technology and special twisting techniques on the fundamental filaments and yarns to enhance wear performance.

Nylon shrinks when it is wet resulting in a tightening of the rope strands creating a harder, stiffer rope. This can be of benefit for permanent single purpose warps.

Comfort – rope construction and diameter make a difference to comfort, especially for more delicate hands. Braided Docklines are commonly regarded as the most flexible, luxurious handling rope for mooring. Octo (Anchor) plaited ropes are also flexible and comfortable to handle. 3 strand rope is generally regarded as less kind to the hands but is probably still the best all-round choice for most mooring applications.

Handling, Coiling and Hanking - rope construction dictates how you should hank a rope into a coil for stowing and throwing/heaving. 3 strand rope needs to be rolled around your thumb to keep the lay in regular form. Braided and Plaited ropes should be allowed to form a figure of eight shape, to ensure that you are not imparting twist into the rope.

UV Resistance – Everything degrades in the sun. The speed at which the deterioration occurs depends on what the rope is manufactured from. Polyester is best, with nylon a reasonable second and polypropylene a distant third. UV stabilising techniques help but don’t significantly alter the general comparable resistance values of each substance. Counteracting UV deterioration should be a major consideration for yachts in the Mediterranean and the Tropics.

Buoyancy - Polyester and Nylon both sink. Polyester is slightly heavier than nylon. Polypropylene floats. There are some applications where it is important that a line floats on the surface, but otherwise Polyester and Nylon are more durable fibres in terms of strength and resistance to abrasion and UV.

Summary - Polyester is the best all round fibre for mooring applications. Nylon has additional elasticity and can develop a harder finish which is of benefit for certain solutions. Polypropylene isn't really comparable and should only be selected to take advantage of the fact that it floats.

Single Purpose Mooring Lines

Single Purpose Mooring Lines are ropes made up to a specific measurement, spliced and finished to fit your home berth mooring configuration. These lines tend to be for more permanent arrangements, also known as Permanent Warps:

Mooring Strops and Mooring Bridles

Design Considerations and Plus Factors:

• You can select your preferred optimum rope for each purpose: base material (rope type), construction, diameter and exact length.
• Spliced loops to conveniently drop over cleats or bollards, remember to allow just enough extra to pull the loop to the furthest extremity of the horn, before it drops over and sits neatly around the cleat base. Spliced loops can be ordered with anti-chafe webbing fitted.
• Spliced thimble eyes for connecting shackles to rings, or other fixed attachments on the pontoon or harbour wall. Stainless steel connections reduce the chances of abrasion.
• Mooring Compensators threaded onto the lines before splicing, to add extra shock absorption where it’s most needed.
• Chafe Protection threaded onto the lines before splicing, to protect the most likely wear points.

Multi-Purpose Mooring Lines

Multi-Purpose Mooring Lines are generally longer lengths that can be deployed for varied tasks and tend to be for more temporary arrangements.

Design Considerations and Plus Factors:

• You can select one rope type suitable for all your mooring requirements. This may help the crew to become more proficient at critical moments.
• Spliced loops on one end can be very helpful when trying to secure your yacht in difficult wind and tide conditions.
• All non-spliced rope ends should be heat sealed and whipped to prevent fraying.
• Bow and Stern lines can be made off and doubled back to make a spring.
• Longer lines can be deployed to attach directly to the pontoon, when your yacht is outside several others on a visitors pontoon.

Rafting Out and Towing Warps

It’s generally good practice to have two long lines in your rope inventory for when you’re rafted out on a visitor pontoon. It is not advisable or the done thing to rely on your inner neighbours to keep you securely moored to the jetty, by simply tying up to next door’s cleats. You will create extra load on their lines and fittings which will not be appreciated and in any case, may expose their lack of strength and suitability.

It’s also a good idea to consider a towing line for emergencies. Stowage room and extra cost may lead you to designate an existing mooring or anchoring warp for this purpose. Just bear in mind that the rope ends need to be finished in a versatile manner so that the line is genuinely multi-functional. A towing warp needs to be long and fairly stretchy so is reasonably compatible with doubling up as rafting out, kedge or drogue warps.

Compare the three main choices of Mooring Rope Construction:

Select the most suitable mooring rope to meet your requirements from the comprehensive range below.

Custom Build your rope selection into a finished mooring line, ready to use for your intended purpose

What is a mooring rope?

Mooring ropes are used to securely fasten a boat to a jetty, quay wall, pile mooring or bollard. These ropes are also known as shore ropes or boat ropes. Whenever your boat is not moving, mooring ropes ensure that it is held securely and undamaged at its berth. It is therefore crucial that your mooring ropes reliably support the weight of your boat and are of high quality.

The company is the world’s best mooring products supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

Below you will find important expertise to help you choose the right mooring ropes. At Premiumropes, we manufacture your mooring ropes to your desired dimensions in 1-2 days and ship worldwide.

How can I recognize good mooring ropes?

Elongation

High elasticity in the mooring rope is crucial to compensate for the natural forces of waves and wind. Sufficient stretch prevents the boat from buckling into the mooring ropes. This protects the cleats on deck. In addition, being on board is much more comfortable when the boat moves more smoothly and less jerkily.
Tip: Additional integrated shock absorbers protect the attachment points, increase the stretch in the mooring rope and increase comfort on board.

High breaking load

The right mooring rope also has a high breaking load in order to withstand the loads even in extreme weather conditions and to keep the boat safely moored. It is important to pay attention to the correct breaking load. Undersized mooring ropes are not secure enough and oversized mooring ropes do not stretch sufficiently.
Note: The safety of the crew and boat is what matters here, not making any compromises!

Good abrasion resistance

Mooring ropes are generally exposed to high abrasion loads. A high abrasion resistance in the mooring rope is therefore very important. Polyester fibres are known, among other things, for their particularly good abrasion resistance. Polyester mooring ropes are very suitable for securely mooring a boat.
Not every fastening point on land is flawless. There is always a burr on cast iron, a sharp edge on concrete, a rusty ring/nail or rugged wood at the mooring point.
Tip: An additional spliced-in protective cover increases the abrasion resistance and thus increases the service life of a mooring ropes.

UV resistance

Although polyester fibres have particularly good resistance to UV light, these synthetic fibres are attacked by the sun's rays. Good protection against UV light is therefore essential. An average season in Central/Northern Europe lasts around 160-180 days. Depending on the time of year, there are months with up to 300 hours of sunshine. This illustrates how important the UV resistance of mooring ropes is. 

Flexibility

If a rope is very soft, flexible and pliable, it is described as having a high tenacity. This property is particularly important to ensure that the mooring rope can wrap well around tight bends on cleats and rings and does not loosen and come off when the load is removed. Sleek cordage also makes splicing work and coiling easier.

Just three steps to the right mooring rope

How long should a mooring rope be?

A mooring rope must not be too long or too short, but must be exactly the right length. It is best to have four mooring ropes of the same length and two slightly longer ropes that can be used as a spring rope or towrope, for example. The following rule of thumb has proven itself over time: Boat length in metres x 1.5 = length of the mooring rope in metres.

What diameter must a mooring rope have?

Rule of thumb (for boats under 60ft/ 18m):
Boat length in metres + 2 = diameter in millimetres
Example: 10 m (33 ft) + 2 = Ø 12mm

In order to determine the correct diameter of the mooring rope, the length of the boat and the fibre of the rope must be determined. Polyester mooring ropes have a higher breaking load than polypropylene mooring ropes of the same diameter.
If you are outfitting a boat or yacht that is significantly heavier than average, make sure that you select mooring ropes one size larger.
The table below shows our guidelines for the diameter of mooring ropes.

In the event of prolonged absence and/or storms, all mooring ropes should always be doubled.

Select rope construction, type of fibre and make-up as required

Choose a rope and the desired length and splice from our 8 mooring ropes. That's it!
We also stock ready-spliced and ready-to-use mooring ropes. Just choose the diameter and colour.

How to care for mooring ropes properly?

Sun, salt, sand and dirt leave clearly recognisable marks on the cordage. It is therefore advisable to check the mooring ropes and the rest of the running rigging at least once a year for damage, chafing and soiling. To get clean and supple mooring ropes again, you can simply put the ropes in the washing machine at 30°C without spinning with mild detergent.

If you don't want to put the washing machine through this level of soiling, you can also do the same by hand in a large tub. The important thing here is that all the detergent must be rinsed out of the cordage so that the surface of the cordage does not remain soapy and slippery.

When do mooring ropes need to be replaced?
 
Rule of thumb: The mooring ropes should be replaced after 10 years of use at the latest. If the ropes are damaged or defective, sooner of course!

Mooring ropes must be replaced if they no longer fulfil their purpose, i.e. if they can no longer hold the boat securely at the mooring in extreme conditions. How long a mooring rope lasts depends on various factors. Usage, load, damage, weather and neglected care have a negative impact on the breaking load and service life of a mooring rope.

All mooring ropes should always be checked for damage, functionality and safety. Check all mooring ropes regularly by running them slowly through your hand and inspecting all sides thoroughly. This will allow you to detect hard, brittle areas and protruding fibres.

Tip: Extremely stressed areas such as the inside of the eye splice or the point of contact with the cleat must be checked particularly carefully.

Note: Are you unsure how damaged your mooring ropes really are and how long they will last? Send us a photo via . We'll help you further!

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