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Hermitage rules
Weather
FAQ
How long and strong should mooring ropes be?
ES-TRIN has a (minimum) requirement for 20m+ boats:
- Length+20m
- 2/3 of (1) and
- 1/3 of (1)
For a 20m boat this is: 40m, 27m, 13m.
The last two lengths are ideal for springs and breast (bow/stern) warps respectively, so two of each is sensible.
The longest is probably only useful for towing.
The shortest length should be about right for most locks and for bow & stern ropes when mooring.
The middle length is ideal for springs to stop the boat moving back and forward on a mooring and for deeper locks.
So, a good starting suggestion for all boats is two each of (2) and (3), with the option of (1) for boats under 20m.
Larger boats that are covered by ES-TRIN standards are required to have a minumum of three mooring ropes of a strength at least
6 + (Length*Beam*Draught)/100 Tons (L/B/D in metres)
For a 20x4x1m barge that is about 6.8 ton . Typically 22mm 3-strand polypropylene will be in the order of 7 tons strength and 16mm about 3.5 tons
Useful links
- Port of London Authority (PLA)
- The speed limit here is 12kn. Check the speed of any vessel passing within the last 24 hours using the ‘playback’ function on www.myshiptracking.com.
- To report any excessive wash, use https://www.pla.co.uk/Safety/The-Harbour-Masters/Houseboat-Wash-Report
Tide levels
- GOV flood services: Thames Tideway at Tower Pier https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/station/7391
- PLA: http://www.pla.co.uk/hydrographics/ltdetail.cfm?id=1071 (embedded below)