Tieing up to posts in your slip

[sdowney717]

For years, I have bought 3/4 inch 3 strand nylon rope and created a loop with an eye splice. Then passed the line around the pole and back thru the loop, other end tied off on the boat.

I have been thinking, why bother making an eye splice. How about this
Water Bowline Knot | How to tie a Water Bowline Knot | Boating Knots

or simply wrap the pole twice around and tie it like this
Round Turn and Two Half Hitches | How to tie a Round Turn and Two Half Hitches | Boating Knots


I have noticed one bow line eye splice wears on the line at the post where the line passes through it's eye loop. Since It has a wind coming in on that side. So now one of my lines is worn half through. I think I will have to splice the line if I want to keep using it.

 

[psneeld]

My goto...Two or three round turns and 2 half hitches.

Usually easier to take off once the line becomes hard as opening up the bowline can be a struggle....possible...but much harder than the round turns.

 

[Panacea]

For years, I have bought 3/4 inch 3 strand nylon rope and created a loop with an eye splice. Then passed the line around the pole and back thru the loop, other end tied off on the boat.

I have been thinking, why bother making an eye splice. How about this
Water Bowline Knot | How to tie a Water Bowline Knot | Boating Knots

or simply wrap the pole twice around and tie it like this
Round Turn and Two Half Hitches | How to tie a Round Turn and Two Half Hitches | Boating Knots


I have noticed one bow line eye splice wears on the line at the post where the line passes through it's eye loop. Since It has a wind coming in on that side. So now one of my lines is worn half through. I think I will have to splice the line if I want to keep using it.

I do the same, but it makes it pretty hard coming and going if I'm taking my lines with me. It is much easier to make a biiiiiiiig bowline loop, like a couple feet big. This is assuming the pile has one of those hook things (forget what its called) to keep your lines hanging.

Another thing to consider is the "hook thing" is often times too high causing your forward lines to be slack on high tide. Put your lines on the pile at the same height as your cleats.

 

[Steve]

Splice a BIG, 3 maybe 4 foot eye in the three strand line, it will fit over the piling easily and be quite easy to toss over a piling after a bit of practice or with the help of a boat hook. easy to place over cleats as well.

 

[jleonard]

My goto...Two or three round turns and 2 half hitches.

Usually easier to take off once the line becomes hard as opening up the bowline can be a struggle....possible...but much harder than the round turns.

This is how I do it also.

 

[psneeld]

For permanent lines....yep round turns and half hitches...

For cruising lines, either a big loop, or bowline.... but if I can, I will just pass the line around the pole and back to the cleat....easy to depart then. If it wants to slide, then a single round turn back to the cleat.

 

[caltexflanc]

We used a combination depending on circumstances such as distance to pole, height of pole, tide range, is the a stopper or cleat of some kind on the pole. . We had one line made up with a big 3 foot eye in that came in very handy. When the pole was easy to access, we use double or triple clove hitches: easy and fast to throw over. When pole not so easy, we used our extendable boat hook and the line through the eye technique.

 

[ranger58sb]

FWIW, for home dock... I use the eye splice to form a loop that goes over our forward piles.... and then I usually do a bowline at the other end -- adjusted to the correct length -- for our bow and spring lines.


Essentially that just means we've got a loop at one end over a pile, and a loop at the other end over a cleat... with the lines pre-adjusted for tides. Easier to adjust for length using the bowline at the boat (cleat) end. Usually there's some left-over tail at the bitter (bowline) end in case tides or floods cause us to temporarily require longer lines.


Those lines stay home. For traveling... whatever is appropriate to the situation.


Haven't had significant wear problems, partially (maybe) because the lines are rotated every year, washed, etc. Usually by the time we have enough wear to worry about, the lines need replacing anyway.


-Chris

 

[mbevins]

For permanent lines....yep round turns and half hitches...

For cruising lines, either a big loop, or bowline.... but if I can, I will just pass the line around the pole and back to the cleat....easy to depart then. If it wants to slide, then a single round turn back to the cleat.

Mine too!
2-3 wraps and a couple of hitches. Done. Easy off at end of season.

 

[caltexflanc]

have noticed one bow line eye splice wears on the line at the post where the line passes through it's eye loop. Since It has a wind coming in on that side. So now one of my lines is worn half through. I think I will have to splice the line if I want to keep using it.

By the way, when I had new lines made up, I had them put chafe protection on the eye. Helped a lot.

 

[psneeld]

Wi the round turns, no chafe and no loss of strength from slice or knot.

 

[sdowney717]

I do like the round turn half hitches. It seems that would create less wear on the line.
And saves the trouble of making the eye splice.
I may have not used that knot in the past since I think it uses up more line than the eye splice..

All the lines are in ok condition except the port side bow line.

 

[bilge53]

I try to always make all lines on the dock side adjustable from the dock and from the boat. A loop on a dock cleat just doesn't give you any purchase in the event you return to the boat, a strong wind is blowing it off the dock and you need to hold it close for the Admiral and the pup (and my short, old legs).

 

[psneeld]

Not sure why not?

Who disconnects lines to pull a boat closer?

 

[No Mast]

I don't get it. Why undo the line. Just pull on it to get the boat closer

 

[caltexflanc]

The issue in a transient situation is that one or two round turns are sometimes difficult or impossible to execute due to height of post and distance from boat. For a line you are leaving behind in a more permanent slip, they are great. I happen to think it is one of the most useful knots of all BTW. I have found that between that, a rolling hitch, clove hitches, a bowline and a figure 8, I could achieve about anything I needed on a power boat.

 

[High Wire]

I used to always use a clove hitch on the dock end and a eye splice on the boat end for the home slip lines. This year we've been pounded with several hard blows from the North. The lines at the clove hitches took a beating so I switched to 2 round turns and then 2 half hitches. Seems to wear much less.

 

[bilge53]

If you are on a floating dock and a 20k wind is blowing an 18000# boat off the dock my old ass cannot hold it long enough for everyone to safely board. With a tail I take up at every slack period and get the boat cleated close and manageable. Board. If it is such that even I will have a problem I get on the boat and ease from on board cleats and take up on leeward if necessary.

Clear?

 

[markpierce]

If you are on a floating dock and a 20k wind is blowing an 18000# boat off the dock my old ass cannot hold it long enough for everyone to safely board. With a tail I take up at every slack period and get the boat cleated close and manageable. Board. If it is such that even I will have a problem I get on the boat and ease from on board cleats and take up on leeward if necessary.

Clear?

What the heck? Surely it's easier to demonstrate than to explain.

 

[psneeld]

If you are on a floating dock and a 20k wind is blowing an 18000# boat off the dock my old ass cannot hold it long enough for everyone to safely board. With a tail I take up at every slack period and get the boat cleated close and manageable. Board. If it is such that even I will have a problem I get on the boat and ease from on board cleats and take up on leeward if necessary.

Clear?

Just hang another line you can pull on...even put a loop in ut....untying in those conditions seems a bit crazy to me.

 

[kulas44]

My plan eventually, if I ever get to it, is to build sliders with permanent lines. Just pull into the slip and put line loops on cleats. Someday.