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Dock Lines

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pegasus
1st Mate

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USA
65 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/08/2007 : 09:55:43

Hi Folks:

I have a couple of questions regarding dock lines. I'm in a slip with dock acces (and cleats) on both port and starboard sides of the boat. Inland lake with typically light winds, but ocasional storms with strong gusts. At present, I have eight lines securing the boat; fore and aft spring lines and two lines on the bow running to cleats on their respective sides, and a similar arrangement at the stern cleats.

I'm beginning to think I don't need all those lines - what do you folks do? Also, my lines are pretty slack. I've got two fenders on each side and enough slack for the boat to rest against the fenders without pulling hard on the deck cleats when the wind blows the boat to one side of the slip. The spring lines are pretty slack. In fact, in calm winds, the spring lines are in the water - are these too slack? Do I need to tie the boat to both sides, or just one side of the slip?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2007 : 10:21:48

Strictly opinions... You can get away with one set of springs to position the boat fore-and-aft. The other four (bow and stern) you want, but I generally keep them just short enough to keep the fenders off the dock and, with one set of springs, to keep the bow or stern from swinging into the dock. All should be slack in dead calm.

You can tie off on one side only, but I prefer to keep the hull and fenders away from the dock, except for boarding.

This is all a bit more complicated in tidal areas where some lines are made to pilings or non-floating docks--you don't have to deal with any of that, but if your lake rises and falls, you should run your stern lines across to the opposite-side cleats to reduce change in the vertical angle, and adjust all lengths to prevent "hanging".

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 03/08/2007 10:24:32

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2007 : 10:28:17

We have 2 lines each for and aft starboard and port for a total of 8 dock lines. They are doubled so the boat is still secure when you go to adjust its mate. Each are ½ or ¾ inch. I also have two redundant spring lines for and aft. They are redundant because the 4 other lines tie me off to a 44 foot dock and the bow and stern lines are the equivalent of spring lines. I could probably get by losing these but its just habit at this point. 1 mid-ship line also exists to pull the boat to the dock. No fenders.

The spring lines are way too slack if they are in the water and the boat really shouldn't be resting against the fenders - ever. If they are and a fender slips out of place you'll soon be doing fiberglass repair work. This can easily occur with a good wake from a dufus neighbor.

Ideally you want your boat to sit in her slip and not be able to hit anything while tied up but still have enough movement to keep plenty of scope in the line.

For most locations we would be considered overkill in terms of our line diameter and quantity. Normally we would dock 2 bow lines a spring or two and a stern if it was a single finger slip

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2007 : 14:10:03

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by pegasus
 At present, I have eight lines securing the boat...I'm beginning to think I don't need all those lines - what do you folks do?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Chuck,

Currently, I use only 5 lines to secure my boat; port and starboard bow lines, fore and aft spring lines, and one stern line, but I only have a finger dock on one side of me and my neighbors boat on the other. If I had finger docks on both sides, I would at the very least add another stern line.

As to dockline slackness, my docklines are slackened enough to allow my boat the freedom to move up and down with the tides and to allow it to move about somewhat freely within my slip area yet will prevent my boat from touching the dock forward and the boat a couple of feet abeam of me.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2007 : 17:03:33

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Duane Wolff
 ...Each are ½ or ¾ inch.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
3/4"??

I'm surprised you can cleat it on a C-25! That'll hold a 60-footer (and gives zero shock absorbtion to a 25-footer).

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 03/08/2007 17:10:16

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2007 : 17:11:21

Actually I think it' 5/8ths . A bosun's mate or some other nice sounding technical title on a lake freighter used to frequent the bar I worked a good number of years ago. He came in one day and said I have a bunch of line, you can take it or pitch it but my wife wants it out of the basement before I shove off again.

I took it. That was over 10 years ago and I am finally at the end of the spool.

It is some big stuff - but it isn't much more than an 1/8 off what the club recommends for the storm surge - but lets not lead this down that path again.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5932 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2007 : 17:25:33

3/8" dock lines are virtually universally recommended for a 25' boat, and I used 3/8" dock lines on my C25 for 22 years without one failure. I used one line at each corner of the boat and one spring line.

My current boat is 35', weighs over 13,000#, and I use 1/2" docklines on it, which are recommended for a 35' boat. (One on each corner and one spring line.) Last summer it went through a tropical storm one kph shy of a hurricane, and the 1/2" docklines held. I have no doubt they weren't even close to their maximum stress. There's no reason to use grossly oversized dock lines (Unless, of course, you get a whole bunch of it for free!).

Edited by - Steve Milby on 03/08/2007 17:50:38

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2007 : 18:01:33

or it is recommended do to huge storm surge....

Edited by - on

pegasus
1st Mate

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USA
65 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2007 : 18:15:03

Hmmmm, as always, a lot to consider. I left the lines slack so the boat wouldn't constantly tug on the deck cleats and thought it was better to rub against the fenders. Guess I should snug them up. I also guess it might make sense to use spring lines on the predominantly windward side of the boat as they're just for fore and aft movement, right? Lastly, it sounds like I should use bow and stern lines to keep her centered in the slip?

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2007 : 20:12:59

Sounds like you've got it. When you have the capability to put a spring on both sides, do it.

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atgep
Master Marine Consultant

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1009 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2007 : 20:17:17

You only have too many lines until you have the boat break free! I only have half a pier to tie up to. I use 2 long lines that are left on the dock. I have them marked for the cleatposition. The stern line goes from the dock to the rear cleat, and to the forward dock cleat as a spring. The bow is reverse. It takes about 5 seconds to tie/untie each line. This setup would still give you 8 points and quick setup.

Tom.

Edited by - on

DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 03/09/2007 : 08:07:41

In a salt water 2 1/2 ft. tidal area I only use 4 lines on half a pier. A Bow, a stern and a forward and aft spring to account for tide and wind. I double up the bow and stern in high wind/storm conditions. Seems to me on a non-tidal with four posts 4 lines at the correct length would easily do the job in fair conditions. As far as 1/2 inch or larger lines go, my problem with them is with standard dock lines larger stuff tends to want to jump off small cleats.

Edited by - DaveR on 03/09/2007 08:16:53

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 03/09/2007 : 09:21:21

IMHO comments: 3/8" dock lines are plenty big... short of preparing for a hurricane.

Not sure why you would need double spring lines on a freshwater lake in a double-finger floating slip unless you were getting lots of wave action straight into the opening. In my single-sided slip I have a bow line, stern line and a pair of forward spring/aft springs led from a midship cleat on the dock. WOTAM has been through 40-50 kt winds quite a few times... and one storm with up to 100 mph gusts. No problems in any of that... but this slip doesn't have much fetch.

Edited by - on

atgep
Master Marine Consultant

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1009 Posts

Response Posted - 03/09/2007 : 17:57:30

I use 3/8 dock lines. They give a little to provide shock protection. I would always use line over fenders to keep the boat off the dock. Storms can provide damaging winds in no time flat.

Tom.

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