Mooring of narrowboats

I HAVE noticed over the last two or three years, an increase in the number of narrowboats which are moored not only by the usual method of a rope fore and aft, but in addition with the boat's centre line tightly attached to a ring or mooring pin, writes Ray Fincham. I now regularly see hire boats, their crews presumably having copied this form of mooring practice. Surely, they have not been shown this technique during their brief period of instruction.

Question the stance

However, I have always held the view that the method boaters use to secure their craft is up to them, but an incident I suffered some months back while cruising the Trent & Mersey Canal has made me question this stance.

I had as usual slowed my boat well in advance of the moored craft. I had plenty of time to note that this was one of those boats moored with the addition of a taut centre line attached to a mooring pin. As I passed the moored narrowboat at what I estimated to be two mph, I was surprised to be admonished by a lady who had rushed to the front of her boat to accuse me of passing too quickly. She claimed that I had almost knocked her off her feet!

Unjustly blamed

I did not reply to the woman, but have since concluded that I was unjustly blamed for my behaviour because of the silliness of mooring utilising the centre line.

It takes very little understanding to appreciate that any forward or backward movement caused by the displacement of water as a craft passes will induce a significant rolling motion to the moored boat if a centre rope is held taut from a high point, the roof, to the bank. Does this mean that the considerate boater must slow to say one mph when passing such a vessel in order to mitigate the undesired effect?

Believe is necessary

It seems odd that an ocean going ship displacing many thousands of tonnes can be moored with a combination of ropes fore and aft, and yet, there appears to be a growing number of people who believe a rope from the roof of a tiny narrowboat is necessary to moor securely.

I can find no guide, source or reference which advocates this method of mooring, can someone explain the perceived advantage? Perhaps it is used only by those who have found no other use for a centre line?

[Canaltime at Sawley teach their clients to use a centre rope in addition to the fore and aft ropes to secure its boats, as I have seen on numerous occasions. And this is even on a river, that gives the additional danger of being pulled over if caught in a flood—Editor.]