Dock lines-- how tight?

rwidman · Aug 3, 2016

cardude01 said:
I left the boat the other day, and it was pretty windy-- blowing about 15-20mph. I have a spring line on each side, and two bow and two stern lines on my boat, but they are not tied all that tightly to the dock so the boat kind of floats around maybe 6" from side to side with the wind.

I looked around at some other boats on my dock and some of them have the lines tied very tightly to allow no slack or boat movement. Is there a correct way to do this to reduce chafe and stress to the lines? I'm on a floating dock.

You left out the most important information:

Are you tied to a floating dock or a fixed dock? Are you in a location where tides (or the wind) raises and lowers the water level? Are there wakes and waves or is it a calm, protected location?

You can tie up pretty tightly to a floating dock. but not to a fixed dock if the water level fluctuates or there are waves or wakes. You have to allow for the lowest and highest expected water levels. In some cases, you have to use extra lines to make sure the boat doesn't end up under the fixed dock at low tide and get trapped there as the tide rises.

Look at how your slip neighbors secure their boats and talk to them. Figure out which ones are the smartest and most experienced and secure your boat the way they do.

Northern Spy · Aug 3, 2016

WesK said:
Look at how your slip neighbors secure their boats and talk to them. Figure out which ones are the smartest and most experienced and secure your boat the way they do.

LOL. Half of the people in my marina don't even know how to hitch to a cleat properly. Just keep winding and looping until you run out of line.

A portion of them use old threading rope from a paper machine (a very unique braid)or old prawn trap rope for mooring lines.

That said, I've only seen one boat adrift in a winter storm. He was using 1/4" yellow polypropylene...

It is a good idea to walk around marinas and see how others do it. To see how not to do it as well as how to do it.

Maybe I'll start a photo thread on worst tie-ups when I get back home. That could be fun.

psneeld · Aug 3, 2016

Northern Spy said:
LOL. Half of the people in my marina don't even know how to hitch to a cleat properly. Just keep winding and looping until you run out of line.

A portion of them use old threading rope from a paper machine (a very unique braid)or old prawn trap rope for mooring lines.

That said, I've only seen one boat adrift in a winter storm. He was using 1/4" yellow polypropylene...

It is a good idea to walk around marinas and see how others do it. To see how not to do it as well as how to do it.

Maybe I'll start a photo thread on worst tie-ups when I get back home. That could be fun.

When I worked for a Sea Ray dealership, every fall we would go up and down the coast retrieving customer boats for winter layup.

By the time freezing weather came, we would carry hacksaws to get some of the abominations surrounding cleats apart.

It was cheaper to replace the guys docklines if he whined enough than spend the time trying to get the frozen blob apart.

rwidman · Aug 4, 2016

Perhaps I should have suggested asking the dockmaster. There is no "one" way to tie a boat correctly to a dock. It depends on many things.

rclarke246 · Aug 4, 2016

Caught! Tying for major storm?

I know, I know, if a major storm like a hurricane is imminent get the hell outta Dodge!

But what if my only option is to hunker down in a semi-protected harbor in a half-mile wide bay? My marina has floating piers.

I heard a "respected" local captain say that it's best to tie very tightly to the docks. Not sure about using fenders in this scenario as I can envisage disaster, with the boat hopping up on the pier in the space formerly occupied by the fender.

I've heard others say to double-line solidly in the exact middle of the slip, away from the docks. Fenders may make sense here in the event lines stretch or break, or something else allows the boat near the pier.

Anyway, if I ever get caught in this situation I'd like to have some ideas on how to prepare.

Thanks!

tallswede · Aug 4, 2016

I'm in a well protected covered Non-floating dock. I have my spring lines set so I can just drop a loop on the center cleat while I'm backing in so I don't go too far back and hit the dock. The rest, 2-bow and 2-stern I keep fairly loose as the rings on the tide risers don't slip too easily and I don't want them getting too tight on a lower tide. I have fenders that I'll probably convert to fender board setups to keep the rub rails from hitting the center pilings on the dock (my beam is 13+ feet and the slip is only 16' wide).

Kevin

Pgitug · Aug 4, 2016

rclarke246 said:
I know, I know, if a major storm like a hurricane is imminent get the hell outta Dodge!

But what if my only option is to hunker down in a semi-protected harbor in a half-mile wide bay? My marina has floating piers.

I heard a "respected" local captain say that it's best to tie very tightly to the docks. Not sure about using fenders in this scenario as I can envisage disaster, with the boat hopping up on the pier in the space formerly occupied by the fender.

I've heard others say to double-line solidly in the exact middle of the slip, away from the docks. Fenders may make sense here in the event lines stretch or break, or something else allows the boat near the pier.

Anyway, if I ever get caught in this situation I'd like to have some ideas on how to prepare.

Thanks!

First of all do not assume that you can even stay at the dock during a hurricane. By that I mean some docks make all vessels leave the marina before a hurricane strikes. Make sure yours lets you stay.
Second, tie your vessel between two slips, away from the floating docks. During a hurricane your fenders will be up in the air, not lying along side your boat.
Third, tie your vessel tight to floating docks. Double/Triple your lines. Floating docks rise with the water, why would you give the boat room to lunge against the lines? Get rid and stow any and all items on deck that you can. Do Not Leave Your Dingy strapped to the stern or upper deck.
Fourth, it's a boat. Not your child. Tie it the best you can and find a hotel.

rclarke246 · Aug 5, 2016

Pgitug said:
...
Second, tie your vessel between two slips, away from the floating docks. During a hurricane your fenders will be up in the air, not lying along side your boat.
Third, tie your vessel tight to floating docks. Double/Triple your lines. Floating docks rise with the water, why would you give the boat room to lunge against the lines?...

Thank you, but I'm a bit confused as the two suggestions above look contradictory.

psneeld · Aug 5, 2016

rclarke246 said:
Thank you, but I'm a bit confused as the two suggestions above look contradictory.

Reread Pgitugs post, it really doesn't conflict as he is not saying tie tight "alongside", but tight in the middle, no slack in the lines as some have suggested....at least for more mild conditions.

I too would tie the boat in the middle of the slip, but as tight as humanly possible with as much chafe protection as possible.

My experience main experience is at a marina for the last 15 years that gets beat up by noreasters every year. Some are bad enough that you have to get down on all fours because you can't walk upright on the docks at times. Chafe is what breaks the lines and fender rubbing will take your gel coat off.

mbevins · Aug 6, 2016

I used to tie on a wall with fenders to protect the boat. Would leave about 4" so the fenders wouldn't rub all the time.
When a storm or winds exceeding 20-25knts came up I'd have to go down and tie the boat as tight to the dock as I could get it. Otherwise she surged against the dock and beat herself and the dock up.
Boat weighs 45000#
I discovered this the hard way the first year I owned her. A storm came up over night, went down in the am to check on things and found half the dock post missing along with a ground up section of rubrail.
Watched the weather for the 9 years I was there.

Dock lines-- how tight?

rwidman

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Northern Spy

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psneeld

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rwidman

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rclarke246

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tallswede

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Pgitug

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rclarke246

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psneeld

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mbevins

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