Attaching Dock Lines to Pilings

[arknoah]

I have what I am sure is a question that’s been on here before, but after a search, I just couldn’t find it. I apologize for how simple this question is. I will be moving my sailboat to a marina in a couple of days. Most of the folks there have their boats attached to the piers and pilings (I think that's the term: if not, you probably know what I mean) in the way you would expect: by dock lines. I will be attaching bow lines both starboard and port, two criss-crossing stern lines, and a couple of spring lines. There is nothing particularly difficult about the stern lines or spring lines. However, I am trying to figure out how to permanently attach the dock lines to the pilings. My objective is to attach all the lines in such a way that even if the bow lines are taut, the stern won’t hit the dock, and if the stern lines are taut, the bow isn’t jutting into the channel. But, how can I easily attach the lines to the pilings? There is a one foot loop on the dock line which certainly isn’t large enough or secure enough to attach to the column. I could try to throw a lasso over the column using the bitter end of the line, then use the loop to attach to a deck cleat on the boat, which seems right, but I wonder how easily it will be able to tie it securely on one side and then the other side of the bow.

As I said, I know this is elementary, but I had to ask somewhere….

Thanks for all your help, (and a minimum of snickering).

 

[zeehag]

I Found Horizontal Fenders And Spring Lines Work Nicely-- But I Dont Have Pix....

 

[Ron20324]

Are you leaving the lines on the slip when you take the boat out? To get in a nautical frame of mind you could make eye splices in the other end of the dock lines- big enough to go over the pilings, that is. The purpose of the spring luines is to stop fore and aft movement, they should keep the stern off the dock.

 

[Steve Dion]

http://www.sailorsams.com/mall/tideminders.asp

 

[Alan]

You want to be sure that the dock lines are not in contact with the wood pilings. This will only chafe the lines through. Drill a hole through the piling and through bolt a galvanized eye bolt in place. Attach your dock line to the eye with a shackle. When leaving the slip hang the eye splice on a hook attached to the piling for easy retrieval when you return. Adjust the bow line length to prevent the stern of your boat from touching the dock.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Four point tie offs are a) a pain in the ass and b) really nice for keeping your boat from touching anything. But I prefer my Ohio slip with the boat tied to a 40' dock.

Steve's link is nice but I don't think you have enough tide to need that. In one place where I expected not to stay too long I went from boat cleat, around the piling, back to the cleat. When I backed out the docklines simply slid off and were pulled into the boat. The pilings had "keepers" that kept the dock lines high and dry, just a big 'L' shaped lag screw basically.

In Florida where I had expected to be awhile I put the docklines permanently on the piling. The trick was to come in close to the windward side to catch that line. Then a spring line to stop the boat. I almost always single-hand(no friends) so it took practice.

 

[Mike Turner]

One alternative: You can feed the end of your line through the existing eye in the other end, to make a big loop that will fit around the piling. You'd then either use a cleat hitch to make down to the cleats on board, or splice in a second eye to attach to the cleat. The cleat hitch option allows you to change the length of the line as needed if you have occasional extreme tides.

Second alternative: Use the existing eye at the boat end, and tie a bowline around the piling with the other end. Disadvantage is that there's not a simple way to change the length of the line if you need to.

Regardless of the method you use, you may want to think about chafe protection for the line as it passes around the piling. I'm currently using 1/2" 3-strand nylon line, tied in a bowline around the piling with cleat hitches at the boat end. I used about a 24" length of cut garden hose, slightly bigger than 1/2" inner diameter, that I fed the line through before I tied the bowline, to provide chafe protection at the piling. I use shorter lengths of the hose to provide chafe protection at the chocks (and, on my boat, also where the lines pass over the whisker stays at the bowsprit). I put whippings on the line at each end of the hose to keep it from moving. The hose at the chocks, also provides a point of reference when I come in to dock - put the middle of the hose, in the chock, cleat off, and the line is the lenght I need to keep me off the finger pier and bulkhead.

My current dock lines are a year old and are showing signs of chafe at some points where I didn't use the hose, so they're going to be replaced. This year, I bought some mid-weight canvas that I plan to sew into tubes to go over the line, instead of the garden hose. I'm going to carry some additional strips of the canvas on board for chafe protection on lines when I tie up at transient docks.

Mike Turner
Lazyjack 32 schooner "Mary'Lis"
Mobile Bay, Alabama

 

[THECUSCUS]

Ok, I'll try to explain how I have my V25 in her slip. My slip arrangement sounds just like yours ( 2 pilings out and the dock perpendicular). I enter my slip bow first (I have my rudder folded up and can't get close enough to the dock). First, on the pilings, I tie a line loosely around it with a bowline (with a long tail). Then take the tail and make a bowline loop at the right height to slide over the wooden hook (you do have some kind of hook on your pilings???) The working end of the line is then used as my spring line. I then take another line and tie it loosley around the piling (under the vertical part of the other line) with a bowline, and this is my stern line. This allows the stern lines to rise and fall with the tides, but not fall too low (they are stopped by the lower loop of the first line). On the bow, I just tie off each bow cleat to the dock. To make it easier to dock singlehanded, I tie a knot in the working end of the springlines, right after it exits the cleat when the boat is the desired distance from the dock. Then when entering the slip, I grab a springline, and quickly cleat it off upto the knot. This keeps the boat from hitting the dock! I hope you can understand my ramblings, it would be much easier to show you! If pictures would help, let me know and I'll take some this weekend.

 

[rpell1@msn.com]

Hi,
At my Club's Marina, we have a similar set-up with two pilings out from the main dock. We simply place a car or truck tire over the piling to float on the water. We then attach two chains on each tire. One for a bow line on each side, (I back in) and one for a spring line on each side. If you bow in, then your piling lines become your bow lines. At the dock, we attach two stern spring lines which gives us a total of 6 lines per boat. The tire and chain set-up will hold beautifully during storms and provides enough give to deaden and prevent any line snaps.

Good Luck and Happy Sailing...

 

[Ross]

I know that this is terribly archaic but service is the original chafe protection. Get a serving board or mallet and serve the dock line where they chafe the pilings. Hard tight service lasts for two seasons with no damage to my dock lines, it is easily repaired when it needs and the cost is for a pound of #36 nylon seine twine and a few ounces of beeswax melted into the roll.

 

[Merlin Clark]

Lots of good ideas here.
I've always used a short length of old ganvanized chain around the pilings and the dockline eye in the shackle that holds the ends of the chain together.
The chain takes all the chafe and the lines last forever.
This is for a slip that is yours at least for the season.

 

[Prime Time]

A galvanized pipe thru bolted to piling with a standoff with rings on pipe. Shackle lines to rings. This set up allows for change in tides. Aft end of line to dock. Tie a figure 8 loop into line to go over your winch. Sprung fore and aft this way.

 

[Deadhead]

Eye Splice w/ Chafe Protection

Here is my solution . . .

I am backed in along a full length fixed dock along the port side and at the stern. There is no dock on the starboard side. I use fenders boards outside of 2 vertical fenders at 2 locations where pilings support the dock along my port side. The starboard bow line (pictured) is around a stand alone piling.

At the bow I use a 3/4" - 3 strand nylon line with the fire hose to protect against chafing. (The double braid in the picture is the boat next to me.) At the bow I have one line around a piling on each side with the running end secured to the bow cleats. I have crossed stern lines and a single spring line on the starboard side. The boat lays about 1 foot off the dock on the port side.

Normal tide range is 2 feet but we have had some outrageously high tides here on the Sassafras over the past week. I have not needed to adjust my lines.

 

[arknoah]

Great! Thanks for the great suggestions and perspectives, especially how the spring lines help with forward and backward movement. I'm going to figure out a way to attach some kind of chafe preventer on the dock lines, so I think I may have enough to get going.

Thanks!