Use and Care of Strops.

One of the conditions of the mooring rental contract is that boats be secured to their moorings in a seamanlike manner and that there be an adequate facility provided for that purpose. FHC recommend the use of strops similar to those pictured below with the following considerations borne in mind. � The Strop should either be shackled into the top ring of the swivel or into a

link of the riser chain underneath the buoy or to the shackle on top of the buoy. Where the strop is shackled to the top of the buoy, the fitting of an additional swivel between the top shackle and strop is recommended.

� If rope is being utilised, chafe guards should be fitted over the areas that

run through fairleads etc. � All shackles should be seized. A quick, cheap and effective solution is to

use plastic cable ties.

Strop shackled underneath the buoy

Strop shackled on top of the buoy

� The length of strop should be about twice the freeboard of the boat. It should be borne in mind that, on a swinging mooring, the longer the strop - the greater the swinging radius.

� All chains/shackles used should be galvanised or stainless steel to reduce

corrosion, and be of a good quality. � All pick up lines should be constructed of leadline. � Separate pick-up buoys should be used for fore and aft moorings. Floating

line near the surface of the water and secured between two mooing buoys is not acceptable and can lead to fouled propellers.

� At the completion of the season, or if the mooring is not being utilised for a

long period of time, the strops should be removed. This reduces wear on the mooring and the strop.

� Regular inspections of all parts of the strop should be carried out

throughout the season. � It should be remembered that the number of boats which break adrift due to

strop failure far outweigh those due to mooring failure. Care of your strops must be near the top of your boating maintenance lists.

� Whilst using a painter/head rope through the top shackle of a mooring buoy

is sufficient for a visiting yacht and overnight stays, it is certainly not sufficient for long term usage. The motion of the boat will soon cause any rope running through a metal ring to chafe through and part.

Although the strop remains both the property and responsibility of the mooring

licensee, FHC offer a range of strop related services. This includes the manufacture

of new strops through to the care of existing equipment. A full price list follows,

along with a description of the services on offer.

Serviced strops in storage at Brazen Island.

Strop Manufacture and Service Charges 2011 1. Strop Manufacture Single strop for a swinging mooring £112.00 Double strop for a fore and aft mooring £225.00

• All strops manufactured from British Standard nylon with chain tails where necessary.

• All shackles either galvanized or stainless steel.

• As all our strops are tailored for individual boats, it helps if the boat is lying to the mooring on temporary lines for measurement.

• Strops are delivered fitted to the mooring and ready to use

• Price includes pick-up buoys, leadline, plastic chafe guard and VAT.

• All new strops recovered, serviced and stored for the first year free.

2. Strop Servicing Standard service £40.70

• Once you have informed us that your boat is off the mooring, your strop will be removed by our staff, pressure washed, inspected and stored.

• Give us at least a week’s notice of when your boat is going back in, and we will make sure your strop is securely shackled to the mooring and ready for that date.

• We will include the bill for your service in January during the mooring renewal period