How many dock lines?

[bayview]

Minimum six but I carry 8. Two are 10' longer than the boat to allow 3' loopl for unusual piling arrays.


I never use pre spliced always use bowlines for ease of undoing lines in marinas.

 

[dhays]

I never use pre spliced always use bowlines for ease of undoing lines in marinas.

Can you elaborate on this?

 

[cardude01]

I think he's talking about using a bowline knot to make a loop.

 

[dhays]

I think he's talking about using a bowline knot to make a loop.

OK. Not sure how that is easier in a marina...

So often it is hard for me to visualize what boaters do in other parts of the country since it seems as if their docking situations are so radically different than those here in the PNW.

 

[GFC]

Dave,

If you ever go through the Ballard Locks you will need at least one 50' line or the lockmasters will chew you up and spit you out like old tobacco.

I probably have 8-10 lines that we take with us and they vary from 1/2" to 3/4" and from 15' to 30' long. I've never needed a line as long as the boat and can't imagine where I would use one.

In the slip, I have 9 lines that I leave on the dock when we pull out.

 

[BruceK]

Dock lines are a bit like torches, hard to have too many on board.
I keep on board the reel we take 3 strand from to make up our lines, just in case. We do our own splicing, but the bowline knot is handy.
The chandlery chain "Whitworths" has cut pre-spliced docklines on special once or twice a year, an opportunity to stock up, usually the soft flexible black variety.
We have fixed docklines, but rig a couple of lines onboard in case of the unexpected while docking.

 

[psneeld]

Bowlines are easier at places where people will put their loop over yours without dipping it.

 

[bayview]

Can you elaborate on this?

Many marinas use pols between two boats. The second to arrive often puts his loop over the first. If the first wants to leave his line in buried under the loop of the second and difficult if not impossible to lift over the top of the pola. Using a knot to form a loop means tht you simply untie the knot then can work the line out of the tangle without dealing too much with the other guys line.

Smart people will clain you can dip your line through the other guys loop but that isnt always easy to undo if there is tension on his line pulling in an awkwayd direction.

 

[bayview]

PS with a bowline I have great flexability. Small loop or big, tight loop snug to the pole or big loose one. Aslo eithe end can do for any use.
For those worried about bowlines loosening under streach relase conditions I always tie a half hitch with the tail on the loop side of the bowline.

 

[psneeld]

PS with a bowline I have great flexability. Small loop or big, tight loop snug to the pole or big loose one. Aslo eithe end can do for any use.
For those worried about bowlines loosening under streach relase conditions I always tie a half hitch with the tail on the loop side of the bowline.

I agree that bowlines are better in many situations.


For tying to pilings I usually try one complete round turn around the pole and two half hitches. I find it stays put better than a bowline (or fiddling with the bowline till tight enough) and doesn't work so tight like a clove hitch that you struggle to get it undone in a hurry.

 

[koliver]

Dave:

I have 4 that are always at the ready, 2 long, 30', 2 short, 20'. Then, in rafting, when there is a current or a strongish wind, 2 longer, 50', usually end up in the spring position.
Then the line locker, where all sorts of extras can be found.

I prefer 5/8, as the 3/4 are often too big for the cleats on boats I raft to, or dock cleats.
I usually use the longer lines bow and stern, for first lines ashore, but I prefer the longer lines as springs for rafting, short ones for bow and stern.

I used to run the dock lines through the laundry once a year, but now that those lines have been in use for 15 years or so, the laundry doesn't soften them much, so I will likely replace them within the next 10 yrs.

 

[bilge53]

Minimum of 6. I keep mine all the same length.
Bow/Stern both sides and two springs (face dock or slip with outside pilings). I also carry one old rope anchor rode. In addition, I have several small lines for a dinghy, tool retrieval magnet or for tying down deck chairs.

 

[dhays]

Many marinas use pols between two boats. The second to arrive often puts his loop over the first. If the first wants to leave his line in buried under the loop of the second and difficult if not impossible to lift over the top of the pola. Using a knot to form a loop means tht you simply untie the knot then can work the line out of the tangle without dealing too much with the other guys line.

Smart people will clain you can dip your line through the other guys loop but that isnt always easy to undo if there is tension on his line pulling in an awkwayd direction.

Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense. That is not a common situation around here.

FWIW, one of my long lines used to have an eye splice, but the PO either cut it or it failed. So I have one line with no splice loop.

 

[ranger58sb]

FWIW, one of my long lines used to have an eye splice, but the PO either cut it or it failed. So I have one line with no splice loop.

Once, at a nearby marina, the (likely very new) dockhand told us the loop we passed him wouldn't fit over his pilings. He hadn't yet been given a clue about pulling the standing end through the spliced eye... to make a bigger loop.

Since then... I just used a bowline to put a BIG (BIG!!!) loop in a heavier, longer line that had no splices... and that kinda comes in handy catching either a pile or sometimes a cleat on the dock, without leaving the boat. I'd call this our main line, since it's usually the first we deploy, usually as a forward spring.

The loop is large enough so it'll slip all the way down a pile if not fixed up afterwards, though. Not a problem, just a factoid.

To the original question, we always have two bow, two forward spring, two aft spring, and two stern lines on board. Plus some older lines for doubling in case of really heavy weather (like TS or hurricane).

-Chris

 

[johnrupp]

I carry 6 lines. 4 white dock lines and 2 longer blue spring lines. I do the 2 colors so I grab the needed length line.

 

[ranger58sb]

I could mention colors, too. The heavy "main" line is gold, easily recognized from the others. (This is one we often put strain on, and apparently white and gold lines are "stronger" than other colors.)


Bow, stern, and one set of spring lines (used aft, when necessary) are black. We often use white as the other (forward) spring lines, so if necessary we can direct un-tutored crew to "put the white line on that cleat and that pile" -- without having to use boat jargon like "forward spring" and so forth.


-Chris

 

[gaston]

My boatyard provides a bottle of wine or length of rope after each service. Now having sufficient lines, I choose the wine. I get a charge telling my guest that this bottle of wine cost $8,000, :lol:

Did you say $8000 for a service ? What do they do for 8k ?

 

[CPseudonym]

Did you say $8000 for a service ? What do they do for 8k ?

Anything he asks them to is my guess

 

[SHASA III]

You need two 50 footers for the locks -- bow & stern...low tide in the big lock will use all of that. The "chewing up" part is not fiction!

-Vic

Dave,

If you ever go through the Ballard Locks you will need at least one 50' line or the lockmasters will chew you up and spit you out like old tobacco.

 

[Poach]

We are 43'LOA and about 28K weight. We carry (6) 35' double braided with spliced eye, 2 65' lock lines with spliced eye, and 2 15' double braided storm lines with snubbers (1" ). We have permanent mooring lines at our home slip.

 

[Nomad Willy]

I like a short midship line for innitial tie.
Then two long for springs and a bow and stern.

With the bull rails in Alaska I like to make the first line quick and fast to the rail. Then stern and bow in that order. Lastly springs tight w some give left.

The Willard has curved sides so I like to tie the stern in close for boarding ease and that leaves the bow out about a foot off CL.

I like the option of deciding where to tie my lines and bull rails are perfect for that but cleats are very problematic. May only be two and however many they frequently are in the wrong place. So flexability is golden requiring lines to be longer than the ideal tie would require.

 

[kelbylinn]

We have six cleats on our 42' GB and have a 5/8" 35' and a 50' hanging on the rail at each cleat. If tying up to pilings we like to toss over and bring back to boat for easy removal when we leave. We also carry two 300' anchor lines in the lazarette for use during emergency anchoring such as for hurricanes or tying off stern to trees in rivers, etc. Left at our dock are permanent 3/4" lines pre-tied to the pilings with loops ending up at the boat cleat which makes for easy docking and exiting as well.

 

[Ski in NC]

I carry six, I think. 5/8 soft three braid white nylon. I hate stiff line. And the black stuff has no give. A couple are about 20', a couple 30', a couple 40'.

Six for a slip with no floater and just piles. Two bow lines, two stern lines, two springs. If a floater, only need four, or even three if spring goes cleat to boat to cleat.

 

[TDunn]

I have three. Two are about 20' and are used as bow and stern lines. The third is about 10' longer than my boat and is my spring line. I made it up with an eye located in the approximate middle of the line so the the ends of the line extend a few feet past the bow and stern when the eye in on a midship cleat. The result is that the single line acts as both my forward and aft springs.

 

[High Wire]

We carry on deck split between port and strbd aft cabin rails:
2- 40' 3 strand 3/4" with 2 ft eye splice on one end (these come in handy when the only slip available is around 60'.)
2- 30' 3 strand 3/4" with 2 ft eye splice on one end
6- 25' double braid nylon 5/8" with 1 ft eye splice on one end (Brand new leftovers from the PO)

I stored below anything 15' or less below because my wife had a bad habit of always grabbing the shortest line first off the rail. In nearly every case it was too short for the task.