Do you have enough dock lines?

MonacoMike said:
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.
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Thats the way it is here as well, nothing between neighbors I deploy fenders on the inside just in case
 
slip
We have two ¾ x 35’ for springs, ⅝ x 35’ bow, three ⅝ x 25 stern,

Travel

Two ⅝ x 35, four ¾ x 35 , four ⅝ x 25

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I guess if lines snapped its not the 4x4 posts problem, but.... I have not seen posts attached to the dock like that. Not a surprise they would potentially snap off. Our marina is in a more protected area, and our docks are floating, with dock cleats bolted to the wooden deck framing (lag bolts into the cross beams) for the lines. The guys on the outer docks use snubbers on their lines, because they are more exposed.
 
Our marina has concrete docks and pilings. Not real comforting when trying to hit the slip in a crosswind. I am always tied with 5 5/8 25’ double braided lines, i also carry another set of 5 5/8 25’ lines as travel lines. Last year I added a 50’ 5/8 in the boot as a means to double spring In a gale
 
Blueone said:
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

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I prefer the marinas with the pier posts but not to tie lines on them. Just about half have them in the places I've been. Center pilings or any pilings at all...some have them some don't. I dislike marinas with no center pilings and no pier posts even more so since I bought a colored hull boat because you have constantly rubbing fenders as the main protection from the dock.

And it makes it harder to protect against this guy, ya I know...I forgot to put fenders out before I left.
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After boating for 45 years, I have about 500' of lines in various lengths in a basket. And I just bought new anchor line with chain, so add 100' to that. I can't even carry them all, so I keep about 150' on board in various lengths to be cut as needed.
 
Dock lines, at home marina I use 3 strand lines, they got a little more give in them. I also use snubbers in two locations where the lines are short. I normally use 6 lines there but have 4-5 more if needed, I think I have two 25' and all the rest are 35-40'. My traveling lines are a mix, mostly double braid, 35-40 footers, about 10 of them. I also carry 2 3/8x50' lines for who knows what and one special 5/8"x35' line that is known as the Admirals 'throwing line'. Her throwing line is only used for that, never a dock line or anything else.
 
Blueone said:
@Woody ...I try to avoid marinas with that many sticks in the air :)
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It's hard to get away from them in the Apostle Island area. They scurry around in packs, darting back and forth between the islands, usually within a few miles of the marina. Then they go back to the marina and talk about the days great sailing.:p
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My slip neighbor in a 50ish Blue Water secures his boat with 3/8 inch cotton cord from Home Depot; it's a mess. His comment when we get storm warnings is "why should I do anything?". To prevent his boat from breaking loose and possibly damaging mine I use some of my lines to better get his secured even though he isn't there. A complaint is always provided to our marina so I'm not holding the bag. Twice now my lines used to secure his boat have mysteriously disappeared after the storm. So I always end up buying some more lines but always double up the order - I have probably four complete sets of lines on the boat now....
 
I was there last tuesday when a cell came through about midnight. We had 1' waves rolling over the pier on C dock, Its been years since I've seen anything that bad out there. Fortunately I had 18" balls out between us and the boat we were rafted to. I'm fairly sure that is what saved us! I keep an assortment of 5/8 lines from 25' to 50' and we used most of them that night!
 
Woody, you have to explain what we are seeing. Does that snailboat have no stern lines tied? They swung over and hit your boat?
Woody said:
And it makes it harder to protect against this guy, ya I know...I forgot to put fenders out before I left.
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Woody said:
It's hard to get away from them in the Apostle Island area. They scurry around in packs, darting back and forth between the islands, usually within a few miles of the marina. Then they go back to the marina and talk about the days great sailing.:p
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I used to do that with my small 1978 O'Day 22 sail boat. We'd sail around the harbor tacking back and forth\, trying not be set downwind too much. It took most of an outing to get anywhere, then come back.

A couple times we ventured into the LI sound for a sail. We quickly found that the boat was usable only in a VERY narrow wind speed range. Winds too light and we made no progress. Winds too heavy and the boat would heel over and we'd be set down wind so much we'd make no progress. The issue was the keel design. It had a stubby shoal draft keel with 700-800 lbs of lead and no centerboard. If heeled over in a decent breeze, there wasn't enough keel left to stop from being pushed down wind.

Mainly because of the terrible performance, I knew I needed to either get a much bigger boat for the sound or a much smaller one for the harbor. My wife ended the debate when she said she loved me and loved boating but hated sailing. We soon moved to a power boat.
 
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The docks in this pic that our 370 is tied to are typical of the marinas in the North Channel. We used big round fenders floating between our hull and the dock to protect our boat. Notice the total lack of pilings. Things get dicey up there during thunderstorms. Hate those docks.
 
I am obsessive about the number of lines I have... Keep the slip lines at the slip permanently. Carry enough lines to handle multiple types of tie up situations when traveling. Plus just got 4 more 60' lines in prep for hurricane season.

Those 4x4's would be scary to tie up with any inclement weather...
 
I sue 5/8 inch line with snubbers at our home dock and carry 5/8 inch line in lengths of 25, 35 and 50 feet and 3 snubbers. One thing to be prudent about is when to retire your lines and purchase new. they do not last forever and the time they will fail is when you need them most!
 
My home dock is a side tie with pilings every 6’ on a well protected canal.
I typically use four 5/8” lines at my home dock and leave them in place when we leave the dock.
One for the bow, one for the stern, and two spring lines for fore and aft movement.
I keep four extra lines available at the dock and add them if we expect really bad weather.
I typically travel to transient marinas where we back in to slips that have pilings on either side.
I usually use 6 lines in those slips. Two bow lines, two stern lines, and a spring line on each side.
 
b_arrington said:
I used to do that with my small 1978 O'Day 22 sail boat.
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My Grandfather had a 22 O'Day when I was a kid. He had it for about a week or less before trading it for a 25. He traded that for a new 1984 28, which is still in the family.

He never mentioned why got rid of the 22 so quickly. That explains a lot!
 
After taking the lines home, washing them and inspecting.... All failed in one way or another. I just bought all new... That was a little pricey.... Expensive sleepless weekend
 
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