Do you have enough dock lines?

Blueone

Well-Known Member
SILVER Sponsor
Jan 24, 2007
13,695
Lake Erie, Ohio
Boat Info
2004 420 Sundancer
Engines
Cummins 6CTA 450's
I thought I did until Friday night... Stern in starboard side tie dock... just 2’ from aft wall. And 30kn beam winds coming in and waves on port side.
I have been going here for years and never seen anything like this.
My wife wakes me up at 1:30 and says she heard a crack. We are up against a 4x4 with a 2x8 fastened to the front of it with a steel channel supporting the 4x4 and a bumper in between the Post and the boat. I go outside and the post is broken off... my ropes are holding up the post
The boat is violently going forward and back and side to side.... starboard side is pushing on the posts that are remaining. At this moment I have 3 posts working for me. Then within minutes my spring line breaks a second post then a few minutes later one of my stern lines snaps in the center. Not good.
So I needed to tie to the adjacent dock to get the boat off the broken poles and the only thing I had was a tow rope for a tube... it ended up working but not ideal. I managed to rummage around and find pieces to get two more ropes across to the other dock but they were springing like crazy... at 2:30 in the morning this was not a good situation. I ended up staying up all night to keep an eye on things and a 6:00 in the morning a neighbor offered two 50' 5/8" lines that worked perfect to stop the spring and keep us off the broken poles. In the end I had to cut two lines to get them off the posts.... they were dug into the wood the thickness of the ropes....it was crazy... but in the end no damage to the boat

When I started I had 7 - 5/8" 25' braided lines. This obviously was not enough especially when you consider breaking and cutting and getting over the 35' to the other dock.

I am thinking 10-25' lines and 3-50' lines

The pics were taken after the wind storm...you can see the two broken posts and gap to the adjacent dock

Just curious what you guys carry and where you buy good quality lines?

rope 1.jpg

rope 2.jpg
 
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besides the 5 lines kept at my slip
6 25'
2 50'

Blue, those were some pretty intense conditions, i assume that's outside what you normally see?
 
I carry 5 25 foot and 2 35 foot. May add 2 50 foot to the mix.

I always carry a back up anchor with line That could be re-purposed for additional dock lines and of course if the situation were dire enough you could always cut up the anchor line.
 
Topknot Mooring Lines, makes lines any size length etc. has a excellent product. I think go first class told me about them.
Google them.
 
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We always had 12 lines on board. Every year I would buy two new ones and give two away while cruising to people who came unprepared. Sometimes you need to tie off someone else's boat so it does not break loose and damage your boat. Leland Harbor Is famous for water coming over the wall in a blow in the middle of the night. I learned the lesson years ago to double up the lines there when the weather was acting up. We would stay in bed while others were up running around in the middle of the night looking for extra lines. Four way tie with springs fore and aft, doubled as necessary saves the boat helps you sleep.
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I have 4 double braid dock lines that stay on the dock. In the boat I have 6 double braid dock lines but nothing longer than 25'. A couple are 1/2, and a couple are 3/8 (rafting or fuel stops. I have 2 more 3/8 double braid lines, probly 15' each. Besides 2 dedicated anchor lines, I have another 100' + of 3/8 3 strand and 100' of slightly thinner double braid.

I could probably stand to get at least 2 more 1/2" dock lines, 35' or better, just in case. When shit hits the fan is not the best time to be cutting my long line into dock lines.

I do have 6 Taylor Made 8" fenders, center hole, so hopefully thats enough of them.
 
Is that dock the norm up there? Meaning, I'm used to seeing pilings (aka utility poles) driven into the bottom. Minimum 10" diameter, but usually 12". When I read that you broke 2 posts, I'm thinking holy cow, the boat is toast!

Glad you made it through.
 
Is that dock the norm up there? Meaning, I'm used to seeing pilings (aka utility poles) driven into the bottom. Minimum 10" diameter, but usually 12". When I read that you broke 2 posts, I'm thinking holy cow, the boat is toast!

Glad you made it through.
Yes it’s common around ohio... mostly just a 4x4. Not so common everywhere else....

here is a pic of my home marina.... 4x5 only

938C6D96-9739-4BD4-825E-599063802231.jpeg
 
Yes it’s common around ohio... mostly just a 4x4. Not so common everywhere else....

here is a pic of my home marina.... 4x5 only

View attachment 88241

those 4 x 4’s on that floating dock looks very weak to me. Maybe that is why on our side of Michigan heavy duty fixed piers are much more common. I typically see either the big wooden poles described above or steel piers welded together on our side of the lake.
 
those 4 x 4’s on that floating dock looks very weak to me. Maybe that is why on our side of Michigan heavy duty fixed piers are much more common. I typically see either the big wooden poles described above or steel piers welded together on our side of the lake.
Same on St Clair.... some how the message got dropped here in Ohio... the other odd thing here is in a double well they don’t put poles in between boats... very strange
 
Same on St Clair.... some how the message got dropped here in Ohio... the other odd thing here is in a double well they don’t put poles in between boats... very strange

In Racine Wisconsin they have floating docks and don’t even have 4 x 4’s, they just have cleats down on the floating dock and no poles in between. I was thinking that if the guy you share your well with doesn’t tie his boat up right you’re going to get the heck beat out of you.
 
Glad there was no damage to your boat!

I carry 6 5/8” lines - 4 25’, 2 35’ and also 2 1/2” 35’. I have 2 5/8” 50’ lines still in the boxes that I was going to return.... until I read your post!
 
I Carry 4 5/8 X20 with snubbers, 4 5/8 X 20, 2 3/4 X 20 and 2 5/8 X 15 along with a few odd short 5/8 lines for short tying off the stern cleats. I always use at least one snubber line of I'm in wind for the spring and on all four corners if Im in a bay marina with surge. I was thinking of getting some longer lines but tend to just link two together when I occasionally need a longer line.
Glad your boat made it through the night un damaged.
At home side tie I only use three lines, stern at lower cleat to dock then to high cleat. One spring line and then a bow line with a snubber. The prevailing west wind keeps the boat off the fender attached midship.
CD
 
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I use 11 lines to secure Beachcomber in the slip. 5 on the stbd side where the prevailing winds hit, three additional across the stern and three on the port side which is the lee side in the prevailing winds. All are 5/8" x 25' except the stern lines which are 1/2" x 10' and 12'.

In addition to those I have about an equal number and size that I carry for when we're away from the home slip.
 
4x4's would never let me sleep.... I have seen telephone pole moorings snap here in Florida
 
Is that dock the norm up there? Meaning, I'm used to seeing pilings (aka utility poles) driven into the bottom. Minimum 10" diameter, but usually 12". When I read that you broke 2 posts, I'm thinking holy cow, the boat is toast!

Glad you made it through.
Ditto - I couldn't imagine being tied up to a 4 x 4 with a boat your size. We too are used to seeing pilings
 
All big pilings here in CT. 4x4's would make me very nervous. We had pilings pull over, lines snap and even a couple boats sink in our marina just last year. I secure the boat with 5 lines and double up during storms. When travelling I carry 6 5/8" lines and 4 1/2" line . The 5/8 lines are 2 50' 2 35' and 2 25'. The 1/2" are all 25 footers.
I hope I dont need more because with all the crap on my boat I'm not sure I could even fit another single line....
As for brand I have all Eagle double braided. Defender carries them and they are just down the road. I have never broke a line.
 
Damn. Talk about a rude awakening! Interesting layout at your home marina as well.

My 37' is tied up with 10 5/8" lines (and I have 2 new spares onboard). Two on each corner and two spring lines on the port (dock) side, one fore and aft. There are two center pilings between my boat and the boat next to me. I have a snubber on each primary bow line, the second line on each corner is just a tad looser than the primary, in the rare event it snaps. I'm right on Lake Michigan and a stiff north wind pushes me away from the dock. Even with the occasional seiche, she is secure and I sleep well at night! Your post has me wanting to upgrade my travel set (1/2" lines - we've used them once this season at a protected marina and maybe once more this season).

I'd really appreciate it if the water levels dropped a bit though...you can see how little of the breakwalls are showing. Add in a stiff wind and my boat's a rockin...but you can't beat that view!

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