Bow - to - Stern Line attachments to boat, halibut anchoring

[CohoJoe]

I have a choice between attaching the bow-to-stern line to the launching bracket right at the bow of the boat or to a cleat above and behind the bow (but directly in the centre). The cleat is much easer to reach but technically not the actual bow.. does this matter?

Also, what means to attach a the bow-stern line to the boat and do you run with the bow-stern-line in place? If so perhaps a simple bowline is best because there would be less is less rattle and abrasion when running to and from anchoring location or stainless shackles/carabiners.

The rest of the setup seems clear to me and includes the emergency release.

Boat is an 18.' Silverstreak.

Thanks.

 

[ReelSlim]

I personally prefer it being closer to the waterline for the bow. I’d be worried that the higher clear location could cause a hang up if you ever needed to get off your anchor in a panic. My bow to stern line is cleated off at the rear cleat in the proper position for anchoring and then I just flip it up behind the middle cleat. That way it easily flips down when needed or out of the water when running or netting. Just my preference....

 

[Bent-Tip]

I run my bow line from the bow cleat forward and through the bow eye and then down the starboard side to the starboard aft cleat. It too can be flipped on and off the midship cleat while running. Which I usually forget to do..... cue slapping sounds

 

[Sea lyin’]

So if you can flip it up behind the midship cleat, I take it you guys are leaving some slack In the bow to stern line? How much?

 

[Gear'n'beer!]

Attach at winch attachment point using a spliced eye, run tight to a stern cleat. Stays tight so doesn't slap against the hull. Never even notice it until I'm using it.

 

[Bent-Tip]

So if you can flip it up behind the midship cleat, I take it you guys are leaving some slack In the bow to stern line? How much?

Mine drops 8 to 12 inches below the top of the gunnel but above the water line at rest.

 

[CohoJoe]

Attach at winch attachment point using a spliced eye, run tight to a stern cleat. Stays tight so doesn't slap against the hull. Never even notice it until I'm using it.

On the stern cleat do you use a 'biner or simply a cleat hitch? Being a worrywart, I worry the cleat hitch might work its way loose when trolling or running to hali - grounds.

 

[CohoJoe]

I personally prefer it being closer to the waterline for the bow. I’d be worried that the higher clear location could cause a hang up if you ever needed to get off your anchor in a panic. My bow to stern line is cleated off at the rear cleat in the proper position for anchoring and then I just flip it up behind the middle cleat. That way it easily flips down when needed or out of the water when running or netting. Just my preference....

Thank you; I'll keep it low. At the bow did you simply splice an eye? Originally I was thinking of shackle but that will be noisy and could wear, being steel against soft aluminum. You run your line off the port side, correct?

I appreciate everyone's comments.

 

[ReelSlim]

I have done both to be honest. I have a SS eye so the SS shackle isn’t an issue. With the tension on the line the shackle doesn’t bang around at all on my boat. I hate rattles and noises on my boat too so I get your concern...lol. I have my bow to stern line just above the waterline when it gets flipped off the midship cleat. I also find having the connection point to your anchor line lower on the boat rides nicer on bigger swells. I’m sure every boat is different though.

 

[Rain City]

I have done both to be honest. I have a SS eye so the SS shackle isn’t an issue. With the tension on the line the shackle doesn’t bang around at all on my boat. I hate rattles and noises on my boat too so I get your concern...lol. I have my bow to stern line just above the waterline when it gets flipped off the midship cleat. I also find having the connection point to your anchor line lower on the boat rides nicer on bigger swells. I’m sure every boat is different though.

Does anyone make up bridles to go around the two bow cleats? (if that's their setup).

 

[CohoJoe]

I have done both to be honest. I have a SS eye so the SS shackle isn’t an issue. With the tension on the line the shackle doesn’t bang around at all on my boat. I hate rattles and noises on my boat too so I get your concern...lol. I have my bow to stern line just above the waterline when it gets flipped off the midship cleat. I also find having the connection point to your anchor line lower on the boat rides nicer on bigger swells. I’m sure every boat is different though.

Thank you.
For the Silverstreak I will splice the eye on the fore eye directly then. Still unsure about the connection to the rear cleat. To complicate matters, there is also an eye further aft; on the back of the stern that I can easily reach from the dance floor. Perhaps I should affix the aft bow-to-stern line end to it, rather then the cleat?

Am I overthinking this?

Thank all, for your input.

 

[scott craven]

As long as you can reach it from the back it doesn't matter much.
As you clip off on the tag line the boat moves back in the current and the clip slides to the bow.

 

[Saxe Point]

Thank you.
For the Silverstreak I will splice the eye on the fore eye directly then. Still unsure about the connection to the rear cleat. To complicate matters, there is also an eye further aft; on the back of the stern that I can easily reach from the dance floor. Perhaps I should affix the aft bow-to-stern line end to it, rather then the cleat?

Am I overthinking this?

Thank all, for your input.

You might be overthinking it a bit. I have a line with a spliced eye. I loop that through my bow eye, pull it very tight to a rear cleat (port side in my case) where I wrap it around the cleat. The remaining couple of feet I just tie to the rear eye of the boat. It stays there all year. It’s never in the way of anything. I pull the boat once a year and will detach the line to clean any moss etc. that may have grown on it.

The most important thing is to have a knife nearby when halibut fishing so you can cut this line if you run into difficulty.

 

[Gear'n'beer!]

On the stern cleat do you use a 'biner or simply a cleat hitch? Being a worrywart, I worry the cleat hitch might work its way loose when trolling or running to hali - grounds.

Simple cleat hitch.....over and under. No need for anything else and certainly not a knife

 

[Rain City]

Simple cleat hitch.....over and under. No need for anything else and certainly not a knife

I've never done it so I'm just following along. But this is what I was thinking. Why is there any concern of it coming off or not coming off? You guys own boats right?

 

[Saxe Point]

Simple cleat hitch.....over and under. No need for anything else and certainly not a knife

If things go badly and you have time to undo the knot, and the knot is not under pressure or jammed, then you are right, no knife required. But if things go badly and you can’t undo the knot, that’s when you use the knife.

 

[ReelSlim]

I've never done it so I'm just following along. But this is what I was thinking. Why is there any concern of it coming off or not coming off? You guys own boats right?

If it comes off then it’s just a matter of going and retrieving the tag end you had attached to your bow/stern line. Most systems have 50-100 feet of floating line from the 2nd ring at the bouy and also a small float. The issue that everyone is talking about is if things go south quickly then you want to be able to untie/release or cut the line so the boat slips off the anchor and you can go back and retrieve it after you change your shorts...lol

 

[Thunder21]

If you’ve got a glass boat, a few extra wraps around the rear cleat is nice. It keeps the metal caribiner that is normally at the boat end of the floating line off the boat when you are pulling the anchor . With a few extra wraps the metal sits on the rope instead of the boat. Cut it short enough that it won’t end up in the prop
If it comes off though.

 

[fishin solo]

I have a splice at the bow end of the line I loop it through the tow hook, tow eye whatever it’s callled haha then I have it measured to where it would be easiest to release and put one of these quick releases there and there’s about 4’ of rope from it that then goes to my stern cleat which I just wrap just in case I needed to release it there etc simple to adjust where the line sits etc or tighten it up so it doesn’t bang when running.much faster then the sharpest knife out there

 

[wolf]

Every year I do a special charter fishing for halibut and its a chance for people to go fishing and alot of new guys who have questions about and what to do with anchoring etc , Ill be doing it again this year (didnt because of covid last year)
Anchoring in current and getting unhooked is the scariest part of halibut fishing especially with wind and current, simple is best when it comes to it ...
Wolf