got a nasty surprise yesterday

Oct 29, 2005
2,362
Hunter Marine 326 303 Singapore
I always struggle to understand this, should docklines be tight to limit boat movement or loose to allow boat to move freely with surge/waves?
Advise please.
 
Jan 25, 2011
2,439
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
I always struggle to understand this, should docklines be tight to limit boat movement or loose to allow boat to move freely with surge/waves?
Advise please.
The question you ask is pretty wide open. One would need to know the usual prevailing winds/current and dock circumstances. I will tell you my situation. I have a 36’ boat in a single slip. A pier on both sides. Everything floating. We get quartering winds from the bow in the winter. Sometimes up to 70kt gusts with steady winds around 50kts. This only happens several times/yr and I have walked the (floating) dock with some trepidation to check on the boat. Up and down...you would think I’m drunk walking the dock! So here is my tying lashup to the piers. I use 5/8” three strand nylon lines. They stretch! I do a four pt tie to both piers. I tie it pretty loose so the boat can move around but not much jerking on the lines. I have two springs fwd (each side) and two springs aft (each side) both from mid ship to cleat at ends of pier. The springs are long and stretchy. That’s what they are supposed to be and it works. Short springs and lines in strong winds are not good as they pull cleats out..The boat stays in the middle bouncing around and is happy. In the spring, I just tie it to a pier and not use the “other” side lines as we don’t have such strong winds. The important thing is I let the boat bounce around but not so much as to pull cleats etc and use stretchy lines. It takes me twice as long to tie up in the winter months to get all lines “just right”.
 
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Jul 7, 2004
8,496
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
Interesting. I'll have to contact my friends who keep a Hunter at Grand. They live in Wichita.
Which marina?
 

DougM

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Jul 24, 2005
2,242
Beneteau 323 Manistee, MI
I always struggle to understand this, should docklines be tight to limit boat movement or loose to allow boat to move freely with surge/waves?
Advise please.
It doesn’t seem to make much difference where I am...
I have a seawall tie with 2 pilings 20 feet away from the wall. I tie up with some slack in the lines, but not enough to allow the boat to contact the seawall (also have fenders on the seawall).
I use a bow line and a stern line to the outside pilings, and bow, stern, forward spring, and aft spring lines on the seawall side. The boat rocks and rolls in stormy conditions bit hasn’t sustained any damage or pulled out any cleats (yet).

My neighbor immediately aft has his dock lines so tight that the boat seemingly cannot budge, but it does move around. It looks as if the water flowed out of the marina, the boat would just hang frome the dock lines. He hasn’t experienced any damage either.

My boat is a Beneteau 323, the neighbor’s is an Oday 34 so they are somewhat similar.
 

RoyS

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Jun 3, 2012
1,742
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
Could be that the waves rocked adjacent boats such that the mast tops entangled. Nasty.
 
Aug 13, 2012
533
Catalina 270 Ottawa
There is a HUGE cost difference between a rigid vang and a boom kicker.
I would not say so. I have a Boomkicker, but if I were to do it again, I would, probably, buy a rigid vang from Garhauer. Keep in mind that regardless of what you do, you would need a vang for Boomkicker (and if you don't have one already, it would be an extra cost).

The Boomkicker is probably easier to install and to maintain. And since yours is a First 285, it might sway your opinion to know that @Jackdaw has a Boomkicker on his boat.
 
Jul 23, 2009
916
Beneteau 31 Oceanis Grand Lake, Oklahoma
JRacer, I'm at Scotty's Cove.

I called the only marina around that does sailboat rigging work that I am also familiar with. I left a message and am awaiting a return call.

A BoomKicker is probably in my future. I can install it myself and not have to risk hauling someone aloft. It also won't break the bank. The boom vang needs replaced/upgraded so I'm still considering a rigid vang.
 

JRacer

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Aug 9, 2011
1,365
Beneteau 310 Cheney KS (Wichita)
Ahh, Had a friend that kept his J30 there several years ago. I would think Port Carlos has riggers available. You might also check at Arrowhead YC, in Duck Creek, their crane is way above the water as I recall. Terra Miranda has service people on site but they are way at the other end of the lake from you. FYI, I have a Selden Rodkicker on my First 310. Works well.
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,988
O'Day Mariner 19 Littleton, NH
I always struggle to understand this, should docklines be tight to limit boat movement or loose to allow boat to move freely with surge/waves?
Advise please.
Use lines with plenty of stretch. The bow and stern lines hang loose but short enough to keep you off of the pilings or dock on the other side. Long spring lines hold you to the side you board from and allow for the rise and fall of the tide. Bow spring lines go aft and stern spring lines go forward. The shorter bow line and stern line also keep the boat from swinging out at one and or the other ends. If there is room, like along a seawall, you can run extra spring lines forward from the bow and aft from the stern, if hard winds or big waves are expected. The more tidal range, the longer you want your spring lines, the looser you want your bow and stern lines. Spring lines should be as tight as practical. Tidal ranges get larger in storms, so accommodate.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
Jul 23, 2009
916
Beneteau 31 Oceanis Grand Lake, Oklahoma
I got the labor rates from a marina near me, but on a different lake. I used to have a boat there so I am familiar with them.
$100 trip charge.
$200 up the mast charge.
$125 hr. labor rate.
That's not as bad as I expected. Still a BoomKicker would be cheaper, but then I would be missing a line to the top of the mast that could come in handy later. It might be a good time to get the anchor light fixed and wire a new wind speed sensor.
 
Jan 11, 2014
13,013
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
then I would be missing a line to the top of the mast that could come in handy later
Will that line be worth $500? Topping lifts are typically small diameter lines good for holding up booms and not much else. The main halyard can serve the same purpose.
 
Jul 23, 2009
916
Beneteau 31 Oceanis Grand Lake, Oklahoma
Dream client, maybe. I usually do all my own work, but I am afraid of heights and I do not have all the safety equipment.
There isn't another marina within 100 mile that works on sailboat rigging that I know of.

No, the topping lift isn't worth $500. I do have other maintenance items at the top of the mast thought.
 
Jun 23, 2013
271
Beneteau 373 Newport
I’m lucky to have a son that likes to go to the top of the mast to inspect/check/etc every spring. Suggest checking around the marina for other knowledgeable boat owners who might be willing to assist.
 
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