float plane mooring ropes

[tazin river]

Hello there

How long should the rear rope on the floats be on a Cessna 180? The rope that stay attached to the bottom of rear float strut in flight? Just short of the water rudder?

[North Shore]

I've always worked with what I've been given; that being said, I've found that if the ropes extend much past the end of the float/rudder, they beat themselves to sh!t, and end up looking like dreadlocks on a bad hair day..
If i want a longer rope on the rear, I'll try and toss it forward of the front strut after I cast off, and get the extra length that way..

[BGH]

I ‘ve always tied a rope on the front strut that was long enough to go past the rear strut & the rear rope was long enough to go around the front strut & sit on the inside of the strut just past the rear float strut mount,both ropes having a knot on the end.I always grabbed the rope tied to the front strut to secure the plane to the dock then grabbed the rear rope to finish the job.

Daryl

[bring me the horizon]

I always grabbed the rope tied to the front strut to secure the plane to the dock then grabbed the rear rope to finish the job.

I always thought you'd wanna grab the rear rope first in case the wind grabs the tail no?

Like others have said, just long enough to the water rudders otherwise not only do they get buggered up but they also have a tendency of getting tangled in the water rudders themselves.

[valleyboy]

What's wrong with keeping a rope coiled where you can grad it as you leave the aircraft. I could never understand why anyone would want to leave a rope flapping in the breeze.

[phillyfan]

Well Valleyboy. Try jumping out of an Otter with an offshore wind with your rope in hand and see how it works out.

Guess what. There is a reason why every float plane has ropes dangling from it. The only ones I have ever seen without them are American Private pilots and Transport Canada when they had the C-206 on Amphibs.

[valleyboy]

I guess we were more skilled back in the day. No one would ever have ropes hanging from an aircraft in flight.

[BGH]

Only floatplanes with no ropes I ever saw were never tied to docks & always stored on land.
In 1983 when I bought my 185 my dad told me to get ropes on the float struts or I’ll regret it- he was on the Otters in the Canadian military.

Daryl