Cleat placement,toerails and line chafe

[jtm]

My H28.5 is in a new marina and the aft tie-up posts are beyond the length of the boat. In the old marina the post was located about midship.- and the line running to the aft cleat didn't chafe the toerail.

The new marina post location creates a bit of a problem- because the line has only about a 3~4 inch "arc" area to head for the post - between the aft end edge of the toerail and the eye loop anchoring the backstay.


There is some tide, 1 to 3 feet, so I have to have enough slack in the lines and it causes some chafe. But I'd hate to have the line chafed/cut by the toerail-end abrasion or break,crack or bend the the backstay loop.

Cris-crossing aft lines never seemed to workon this boat because the stern cage rails were always in the way. In this case posts are not beneficially angled for the cage and cleats.

Question: What have others done in dealing with this situation? I'd hate to move the cleat and re-mount it inboard and higher on the "molded in" coming "pad" . BTW In the original H28.5 brochure there was a jenny/jib turning pulley mounted on that pad. Turning the boat 180 in the slip is not a benficial option either.

Have other modified the toerail in this situation? What have you used to trim back the upright portion of the toe-rail a couple inches to open up the "arc" area. Might this trimming reduce the stiffness of the deck/hull mating in that critical area. I've seen a neighboring H28(see picture) with his "upright" toerail portion eliminated the last 12~15 inches allowing for better line play. I don't know if this was an original Hunter design or his modification.

I've attach a couple pictures to illustrate the area and the other boat (H28or H29)with the rail trimmed away from the aft cleat.

 

[Paul F]

You might buy some chocks and feed the lines through them. I keep my ground lines at the slip. They are of a set length to secure the boat correctly. With tide variations it normally takes me about a week to get it right. Because the same lines are used everytime a chaff protecting hose can be placed over the lines and used to keep the lines from chaffing.
http://www.iboats.com/Seachoice-Bow-Chocks/dm/cart_id.316296500--session_id.391655385--view_id.2964

 

[Ed Schenck]

Chafing docklines.

I have a similar problem, the two aft pilings are behind the boat. But they are tall enough that I tie off high. Then the dock lines angle up and do not chafe on anything.

I have lines going from those pilings forward to the mid-point pilings. These give me or crew something to grab and keep the boat from going into adjoining slips. But they also prevent the dockline from sliding down the post(picture). The other picture is what happens when not tied off correctly. It was too loose and the coaming went under the dock at low tide. When the tide came and with stern stuck under the dock the water came in through the door to the swim platform. In the picture it is sitting on the bottom.

 

[jtm]

chocks and cleats

the chocks I didn't think of. I installed them on a teakblock at the bow just behind the forestay in order to "steer" my forward cleat lines. While I might be able to mount them into the toerail bolts, I still have to deal with the tidal issues which may lift the line out of the chock. ;<

And what a picture of getting caught under the dock!.I feel yer pain. I have safetylines between the slip too- and I worry about getting my life line getting caught under them when coming up after we had very low tide just before Xmas. I had tied a line up from the midship stantion base, over the stantion top over to the boom and back down on the other side stantion. Just to ensure it didn't get caught under the safetyline. The very low tide caused added slack/play in the slip and it was really close.

It seems nobody has trimmed back/cut the upright portion of the aft toerail.

BTW -Sorry about the BMP picture format exercising you-- only have bmp option on my screen capture software.

 

[s sauer]

Sorry I can't open your files, but I have a 28.5 and have kept it in a short slip where I needed to cross my stern lines from the stern cleats under the pulpit on the opposite theside and up to pilings. I had 2' lengths of clear plastic 5/8" ID water hose on 1/2" nylon dock lines. We could handle a 2' typical tidal range and the chafe protection was held in place with thick wraps of duct tape outboard of the hoses on the dockline itself such that the line could move within the hose. Crossing the lines and taking tham higher than the toe rail to the pilings worked well. Check out photos of Celebration ll in the Photo Gallery in www.huntertwentyeightfive.com

 

[Steve Dion]

Cannot open your files either.

Try JPEG format.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Wonder why you can't open .bmp Steve? When I select them they open in Windows Photo Gallery. One picture is off his dockline rubbing the toerail. Another is of a boat where the toerail was shortened near the aft cleat. It was shortened on the vertical, the part bolted to the coaming remains. That should not be a problem. But I think there are better options as have been pointed out.

About the sunk fishing boat. I was working on Ladylove across and down the dock. I see a woman taking pictures so I look. It was the owner's wife taking pictures for insurance purposes. We worked an hour with a pump and weights on port before we realized there was a door in that starboard corner. She should have known but it was under water and I could not see it. Insurance paid and they bought another boat a week later!

 

[Rich M]

JT:
I I have an 85 28.5 and I did "cut" the last 12 inches (approximately) of the toe rail . I basically cut it with a hacksaw / sawsall and then ground the base as smooth as I could get it. What it presents is a smooth surface that the line goes over, but I have added leather to the lines to reduce any chafe in a storm. I found that the aluminum rail was reasonably easy to cut and I just took my time, taped the surrounding fiberglass and it worked out well. I made the cut in all 4 positons. I'll have to check my files or see if I can get a photo.

 

[Rich M]

I stopped by the boat and took the following 2 shots before the snow, that didn't come. Perhaps this will help. Good Luck.

 

[Warren Milberg]

Jim: Not sure this will work on your boat, but I mounted 8" horn cleats on the forward winch pads (I only have winches on the aft pads). This served two purposes for me: it raised the height of the cleat above the deck/toe rail, and moved the cleating position forward of the aft pilings I tie up to so they also serve as spring lines, as well.

 

[jtm]

sorry - been away a few days... shoveling snow up to my waist out of the cockpit. another 18 inches coming today! I checked my forward cleats and found that with all the wind we've had the 5/8ths line was 1/2 eaten thru where it goes over the toerail. Ran new line thru a vinyl hose o'er toerail as protector.

Yes "windows picture" shouldl open .bmp's up.

Rich- you did what I am thinking about- thanks for taking the effort for the photos!. even a 3 inch reduction in the upper flange would alleviate the situation. Did you do it manually with a hand hack saw (handle on outside of boat) or from inside. I have a 90degree grinder to smooth out what it left. The mod then seemed to work in your situation.

Warren- Can't do your fix,as my winches were factory mounted on the forward "pads"- I wish they were mounted on the aft coming pads- cause I single-hand so much. I have to lassoo and un-lasso the winches from behind the wheel when coming about.

Thanks to all.

 

[Rich M]

Saw position

Get ready to shovel again. We missed it last time, but it is coming down gang busters now. As far as saw position I did it from the "outside" with a long blade mostly using a sawsall. As I mentioned I put tape over the fiberglass to protect it in case I slipped. The aluminum is relatively soft and I was not able to get it totally flat, probably left 1/8th of an inch which I then ground to be smooth, not sharp. I use leather wraps on my dock lines and make sure they are positioned over the toe rail. If I remember (and I did this back when I first bought Harmony in 1990) the whole process was done in a day during my spring clean up.

 

[jtm]

Thanks- I have a Ryobi 18V sawzall- will get a longish "fine" hack blade and cut slow at a 30 degree angle to minimize the chance of hitting the coming. maybe a thin piece of wood or plastic could be the coming safety material. Just got down from my family room roof 1/4 ish slope shoveling 15inches of heavy snow. Boat is next.