The shallow spot seems to be just outside the dolphins. Once I was in the slip I was floating at low tide.
Moving boat to new slip. Dockline Questions.
- Thread starter pateco
- Start date
My guess is low tide canal traffic made the "hump".
I have the same type "hump", at low tides, in the non traffic areas from the boat launch ramp. [gunning their engines to pull up on a trailer]
I was backing into my berth at low tide and my rudder seemed to not turn my boat.
I later found the "mud hump" that my keel was sliding through.
Amazing how the rudder does nothing, if your keel is sliding through a mud hump!
Jim...
OK, I have been at this new dock for over two months now, and love the location. Motoring time has been cut by at least 75% Now I have to solve a slowly recognized issue.
This is a picture from when we first moved to the new dock (I will try to take a new one this week).
I am trying to figure out a way to keep my boat centered in the slip. The dolphin pilings are so close, that if I leave enough slack to handle the tides, at mid tide I am rubbing one or the other. You can see from the wear, that I am not the first person to have this issue. I can add bumpers to the pilings, but was looking for something easier.
This is a picture from when we first moved to the new dock (I will try to take a new one this week).
I am trying to figure out a way to keep my boat centered in the slip. The dolphin pilings are so close, that if I leave enough slack to handle the tides, at mid tide I am rubbing one or the other. You can see from the wear, that I am not the first person to have this issue. I can add bumpers to the pilings, but was looking for something easier.
How about weights, either in the middle of the lines or on turning blocks as counterweights?
Your spring lines should do it for you, but if you still need more stretch, weight the center of your dock lines to add enough pull to center your boat. A really strong wind may stil be a problem, but that's true of any stretchable line.
- Will (Dragonfly)
Your spring lines should do it for you, but if you still need more stretch, weight the center of your dock lines to add enough pull to center your boat. A really strong wind may stil be a problem, but that's true of any stretchable line.
- Will (Dragonfly)
I was thinking of making something like this.
But maybe using 1/4" stainless cable with turnbuckle, standoffs, and a stainless pulley instead,
But maybe using 1/4" stainless cable with turnbuckle, standoffs, and a stainless pulley instead,
I had the same problem, although not as drastic as the piling in your photo.
I screwed some old heavy brown carpet to it.
Along with properly adjusted lines, it solved my problem.
I screwed some old heavy brown carpet to it.
Along with properly adjusted lines, it solved my problem.
Those Tide Slides work great, until the day that they don't. When they hang up, bad things happen fast.
Over in Italy, I have seen them tension power lines by using a rope that goes through a shiv on top of a post & then down to a free-hanging weight. A similar set up, with a stop knot, may be an option here.
Over in Italy, I have seen them tension power lines by using a rope that goes through a shiv on top of a post & then down to a free-hanging weight. A similar set up, with a stop knot, may be an option here.
The brown lines in the drawing below are the ones I am having issues with.
They are so close to the pilings, that I need to leave too much slack for the tides to keep the stern centered between them. The tidal slack allows the boat to rub one piling or the other during mid tide.
I have run the barrier lines, and they help center the bow of the boat, but I have not tied the bow lines to them. (I will try to get new pics this week.)
I have not installed the mid-ship cleats yet, but a spring-line from the starboard bow to a cleat at the end of the pier prevents me from hitting the seawall.
Possibly, but they might interfere with the lifelines and/or the bimini frame, as the tide changes.
At first blush, your anchor on the bow may be the key to the issue.
The forward movement of the bow to the bulkhead at mid-tide needs to be known.
If you have bow room, the stern Brown lines should keep your boat off the bow/bulkhead too.
You might consider the "weights on the lines" method on the Brown stern lines, for mid-tide centering.
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I would install something like this...
https://www.westmarine.com/buy/taylor-made--removable-post-bumpers--P005_157_006_005?recordNum=2
On all 3 bollards/posts.
The main reason for those bumpers would be for entry/exits, especially in high beam winds. Also they will assure that your starboard fender is not the only chaffing preventer, as you board the boat.
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Have you considered berthing, by stern in first?
Jim...
I can't really draw the perspective right, but the cable slides would be on the seawall facing side of the pilings so that they would not interfere with (bump or scratch) the boat.
Use spring lines to keep the bow off the dock. Add a fender board with very large fenders hung off the starboard side where the boat meets the finger pier piling. Let the board rest against the piling when the wind is strong. Make sure the stanchions won't hit the piling as the boat will heel is extreme conditions.
Two sets of stern lines (brown).
One set is the lower set. They are attached low on the pilings and pull tight at high tide to center your stern. The other set is the upper set, they are tied high on the pilings and pull tight at low tide to center you at low tide. Each set will go slack when the other set is tight. You can tie or splice them together so there is only one eye to loop over a cleat on your stern for each side.
If you have issues at mid-tide, a heavy bungy from mid-line to a near stanchion post or stern pulpit, like an anchor snubber, will take up that little bit of slack.
- Will (Dragonfly)
One set is the lower set. They are attached low on the pilings and pull tight at high tide to center your stern. The other set is the upper set, they are tied high on the pilings and pull tight at low tide to center you at low tide. Each set will go slack when the other set is tight. You can tie or splice them together so there is only one eye to loop over a cleat on your stern for each side.
If you have issues at mid-tide, a heavy bungy from mid-line to a near stanchion post or stern pulpit, like an anchor snubber, will take up that little bit of slack.
- Will (Dragonfly)
So I finally got around to building and adding the fender boards last night. I shopped arround and found a guy selling used fenders/bumpers for $5 a piece on Craigs List, and the pics showed some nice ones. I picked up 6 nice ones for $30. I think they were salvaged in the Keys after last years storm.
I mounted them to the rail with bronze spring clips, so they are easy to remove and hang from the pilings when taking the boat out.
I am interested in how well the PVC will last. If I find it crack or breaks too quickly, I will probably switch to PT lumber. but the weight of the PVC is easy enough to handle with one hand.
A slip next to mine, the guy used plumbing pipe and fixtures to do the same thing like post #93. It held up through Isabell, but Florence will probably not be a test. /// I doubt those PVC pipes will survive a heavier thunderstorm, so I suggest you put another pipe or wood rod or something to reinforce the PVC pipe.. UV will weaken them and they will fail when you need them most. Goes with the wood cross-pieces. /// On the port-side spring line in post #96, I suggest you make about a 2-foot lung loop of line to put around the righthand stanchion and support the spring. Otherwise, the spring will chaffe the gel coat off the hull from up and down wiping action. Trust me on that one.
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