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The trawler yacht is a descendant of its working cousins, the tugboat and the trawler fishing boat. Maybe it is tradition, maybe preference, but these yachts are often equipped with Bitts and / or Bollards just like their relatives. Just like other boats they still have cleats, but Bitts and Bollards are there to do the big jobs.

Now if you have a trawler yacht, you might want to know the correct way to belay a line to one of these babies. Well, first let’s look at them because there are many styles. If your boat doesn’t have all of them (and I have never seen one that does) then you should pay attention anyway because chances are the docks that you pull up to will sooner or later present the other styles, especially if you travel around the world as trawler folks like to do.

Bitts and Bollards are heavily built devices and are used for belaying lines where great strength is required. Bitts come in single, double, H-Bitt, Cruciform Bitt as well as other styles. Bollards too may have a single post, double posts (either vertical or angled outward from center), Cruciform, staghorn, and other styles. Bollards are sometimes called Bitts and vice versa.

Friction is necessary to keep lines attached to Bitts, Bollards, Cleats, Lines, or other things. Friction increases as the “normal force” increases. The normal force is the perpendicular force between two objects. When the load on a line increases, say by the boat drifting away from the dock with the line tension increasing as a result, the normal force between the line and the Bollard increases and therefore the friction increases. The connection will hold if the total friction between the wraps of the line and the Bollard is greater than the force on the line to the boat, otherwise it will slip.

One can make a line connection to a Bitt or Bollard for quick release or of a more permanent nature. A boat tugging on a line can cause it to become undone with the quick release method. On the other hand, when a line is positively tied off it may be hard to undo when required or when in a hurry. If a pre-tied loop is to be used determining its size ahead of time is difficult when the intended bollard is on a dock yet to be reached. Dropping a loop is not a positively secure way of attaching a line to a Bollard. A loop may be used, however, as a Lark’s Head on a double cruciform Bollard. In my opinion this would be a very secure attachment, and if it does not have a load on it, can be released quickly. However, If loaded, it cannot be easily released. A way to more securely attach a loop to a single post Bollard is to first place the loop over the Bollard and then do a half twist in the loop behind the Bollard to form another loop and then bring the resulting second loop back over the Bollard toward the front. This method requires a larger loop, which is a simple thing if the result is a more secure way than just dropping a loop over the Bollard.

The bowline has been called the king of knots. Nothing can jam it. It will never slip if properly made. It can be tied in the hand forming a loop that may be dropped over a cleat, Bitt, or piling or formed around a mooring ring.

A Clove hitch (or ratline hitch) is an easy knot for making a line fast to a Bollard, the standing part of another line, to a piling, or to a spar. However, this hitch must be watched as it might undo if slack and is only used to temporarily fasten a line. If a Clove hitch is under a strain it will not slip but if under a hard strain, it may get so tight that it will be difficult to undo.

The usual methods of securing a line to a double Bitt is to make one turn on the first post and then wrap the line in a figure eight pattern over both posts of the Bitt. This arrangement may be removed quickly when necessary. Belaying the bitter end of the line coming off the Bitt on a cleat can further security. On a single post Bollard the usual way is to either tie several hitches to the Bollard or to slip an appropriate sized loop of line over the Bollard or as described earlier. Cross pieces on the Bollard can help keep the loop from slipping off the Bollard, but I prefer to ensure that the line will not accidentally come off.

A well known method is the Lighterman’s Back Mooring Hitch which may be used on a single post Bollard, on a piling, or for heavy towing. Tugboats use this method and it is called the Tugboat hitch and sometimes the Backhanded Mooring Hitch. It is a trusted attachment method and, like the figure eight described earlier, can be undone even with a great pull on it. Once this hitch is learned it’s great when you wish to moor to a Bollard (maybe whilst waiting for a lock or taking on water etc.) and can be tied or untied in moments.

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