Mooring Ropes and Recent Innovations in them Star at CMMI Meet

Padmesh Prabhune

The Company of Master Mariners of India (CMMI) held its monthly meet on Thursday October 26, 2023, with a session on Mooring Ropes and Recent Innovations by Mr Kishor Darda, Vice President, R&D, Garware (Technical Fibres).

The session was a hybrid one with most members joining online. Capt Sasi Kumar made his opening remarks virtually, welcoming everyone for the session, while Capt MP Bhasin, Chairman, introduced the domain expert, Mr Darda.

Darda in his elaborate presentation made the fundamentals very clear, explaining right from the basics saying, “The ropes or wires that are used in the process of mooring a boat are referred to as mooring ropes. The main objective of a mooring rope is to enable a boat to be secured to a stationary object while also withstanding the effects of water movement, such as waves, currents, and winds.”

Further he explained about the various materials like Nylon, Polyester, Polypropylene and High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) used in manufacturing ropes.

Darda mentioned that all these materials have their pros and cons and one must ideally consider factors like the sagging / elongation of the element for it is the critical element in any rope. HMPE is the most used rope with the brand name Dyneema DS M, whereas Garware has its Plateena brand.

He also elaborated on types of ropes like 3 strand rope (made by gathering fibers to form 3 twisted strands and twisting these strands into a rope), 4 strand rope (A four-strand rope is wound more tightly, and the ridges of each strand are closer together), 8 strand rope and 12-strand rope (created by braiding 12 strands together in a maypole fashion to create a hollow, tubular structure) braid on braid.

Ideally the 8 strand rope is usually used in shipping, however it is the opening up of the ropes that decides its utility value. Moreover the factors like Breaking load, elongation, fatigue and creeping of rope is also to be considered. He stressed on the fact that for a ship the rope has to be defined by SDMBL of ship and MEG 4 guidelines.

Darda also cautioned about mixed mooring / towing for mismatch in rope material might lead to untoward incidents including breaking of rope as different materials behave differently because of their properties( Physical & Chemical).
The session was well appreciated by everyone and Darda was at ease clearing the doubts among audience those on technical and utility aspects of rope.

Capt Vivek K Bhandarkar , Secretary General concluded with the vote of Thanks.
-Marex Media

BOX
Innovation from Garware

X2 Ropes: Lighter Ropes for Unmatched Performance

Made from blended of polymers and processing techniques, the X2 ropes are designed with special care which delivers unmatched performance beyond strength with zero weight addition. 80 percent of ships are using it since 2013.

Features include: Torque free and balanced construction, Better abrasion resistance, Excellent shape retention, Chemically inert

Application: These ropes are ideal for all marine applications: Mooring Lines, Towing Lines, On board Oil Rigs Oil Exploration SPM Hawser.

X2 Rope Property Benefit Result
Light Weight Higher strength to weight ratio Less tug joining time Easier to handle Possibility of downsizing Time saving
Higher TCLL value Higher Rope Life Better safety
Low Energy Absorption Excellent shock absorption capacity, Low snap-back Safer Ropes
Doesn’t absorb moisture Retention of the original weight Easier to handle when wet