We had a particularly roly night in our berth a few weeks back with strong winds and a swell and Skipper had had enough of the creaks and groans of the warps. (A warp, or mooring line, is a rope that ties the boat to the quay or pontoon.) Every time the warp slackens and then tensions again it creaks. At 4 am, in the dark, in our cabin in the bottom of the stern of the boat, it sounds like we’re living on a big old wooden galleon rather than on a modern fibreglass powerboat.
So Skipper we
nt out and bought rubberised shock absorbers that compress and minimise the snatch when there is a swell. They are attached to a cleat on the pontoon with chain and then the warp is attached to the other end of the shock absorber. They work a treat: lovely silent nights.
It is really noticeable when you walk along the pontoon on a swelly day how much creaking goes on. Several of our neighbours have come to see what the English Captain has done to achieve blissful silence. Now all we have to do is persuade them to do the same thing.
Galley Girl Tales 
I love reading your blogs! Have seen many different versions of these over the years – they make a huge difference – although, as you say, you have to persuade your neighbours to use them as well to truly benefit. Keep the blogs coming – they are great.
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Thank you Kath, and thank you for commenting. That’s high praise and I’m delighted that you’re enjoying my posts. I’m enjoying writing the blogs and it’s great to know I’m connecting with people out there.
As you say, there are many versions of devices that can minimise the snatch that causes the warps to creak. I think these are the de-luxe version of warp silencers – they work up to 100 tons of pressure and didn’t come cheap. We are lucky to have an owner who values his sleep 🙂
Today has been a day of adventure and misadventure: a 6 am get-up, failed anchor winches and good old fashioned strong-arm stuff to recover 40 metres of chain being the first hiccup…and then the misadventures just kept coming. Finally sitting down (actually lying prone) in the cabin at 10.30 p.m.
All good stuff for the blog 🙂
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