I have a slip that's about 5' wider than my boat. I've seen boats tied up with the lines "pre-rigged", which is to say tied in such a way that the crew just jumps out and puts their lines through the cleats. It looks pretty slick. Is it advisable to leave one's boat in their own slip at the marina with just the basic tie-up(the looped line through the opening in the cleat and then hooked over the ends)or is it better to tie up with the un-looped end and just keep winding around the cleat. I would rig it so that the boat would be equally spaced between the sides of the slip. It's sometimes 2 weeks between visits to the marina. I know the correct way to tie-up but it takes me quite a while to do it. If there is a reference on the internet showing such techniques, please point the way. Thanks.
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Cleating
Vern, Cleating your boat with pre-spliced lines isn't a bad idea. Ideally, if you're using a loop to fasten your line to a cleat you should push the loop through the hole in the base of the cleat & then pull it around over the bars of the cleat. I hope that's clear. It's kind of hard to describe if you don't know what I'm talking about. One thing you're DEFINITELY going to want to do is NOT "keep winding around the cleat" to tie your boat off. If you don't know how to tie your lines off properly you should take a boating course from either the US Coast Guard or the US Power Squadron before heading out again. I'm not saying you need to do celestial navigation, but a cleat hitch, bowline & 1/2 hitch are minimal skills any sailor should know & be able to execute without thought or effort. Navigation, rules of the road & more are also on the short list. I'm not trying to preech to you...I'd just hate to see you, your family, crew or boat have an accident. There are a lot of great programs out there...check out the "US Power Squadron" to see if they have any classes in your area. Good Luck, Allen Schweitzer s/v Falstaff C-30 Hull# 632
Vern, Cleating your boat with pre-spliced lines isn't a bad idea. Ideally, if you're using a loop to fasten your line to a cleat you should push the loop through the hole in the base of the cleat & then pull it around over the bars of the cleat. I hope that's clear. It's kind of hard to describe if you don't know what I'm talking about. One thing you're DEFINITELY going to want to do is NOT "keep winding around the cleat" to tie your boat off. If you don't know how to tie your lines off properly you should take a boating course from either the US Coast Guard or the US Power Squadron before heading out again. I'm not saying you need to do celestial navigation, but a cleat hitch, bowline & 1/2 hitch are minimal skills any sailor should know & be able to execute without thought or effort. Navigation, rules of the road & more are also on the short list. I'm not trying to preech to you...I'd just hate to see you, your family, crew or boat have an accident. There are a lot of great programs out there...check out the "US Power Squadron" to see if they have any classes in your area. Good Luck, Allen Schweitzer s/v Falstaff C-30 Hull# 632
Vern: I don't think there is really any right way. It is more what you are comfortable with to assure to yourself that the boat will stay in the place you leave it. My dock lines were preset and left at the dock when I departed the slip. In other words, I wraped one end around the cleat on the dock and the looped end attached to the cleat on the boat. I also used a set of spring lines. One very important point - I see a lot of sailors bringing their boats into the slip and they just jump off and try to hold the boat by the safety lines. I call it "doing the dock dance" and it is a very unsafe practice. The best way is to step off the boat with your bow and stern lines in your hand. The way I did it was to rig the bow and stern lines in the turning basin and I losely tie them to the safety line where I intend to step of to the dock. I normally dock single handed even if I have people on board. It is just easier than trying to explain the process to someone. With the bow line in hand, I can easily snub the line on a cleat and stop the forward movement of the boat. Once I get the boat under control, I just attach the permenant lines and that is it. The whole thing takes less than 5 minutes.
I was always taught
...that you never want to put a line on a cleat in a way that can't quickly undo under load. If you've ever tried to gert a loop off a cleat under load, well, it doesn't work so well. I am a total idiot with knots (didn't do well in geometry either) but a cleat knot is one even I can tie. It's quick, easy, and you can get it off the cleat surely and safely no matter what is going on. That's my 2 cents!
...that you never want to put a line on a cleat in a way that can't quickly undo under load. If you've ever tried to gert a loop off a cleat under load, well, it doesn't work so well. I am a total idiot with knots (didn't do well in geometry either) but a cleat knot is one even I can tie. It's quick, easy, and you can get it off the cleat surely and safely no matter what is going on. That's my 2 cents!
Here's what I do
In my slip I have dock lines that are attached to the dock cleats at just the right length so that the pre-spliced eyes can simply be hooked over my boat's cleats (not through the "eye" of the cleat and over the horns as you suggest). I've never had one come off of the cleat. The lines are attached to the dock cleats in a figure 8 with a half twist-locking loop fashion. When I'm docking away from home, I generally attach dock lines without eyes to both my boat and to the dock cleats in the figure 8 w/locking loop manner. That way I can easily release or adjust from either end under load.
In my slip I have dock lines that are attached to the dock cleats at just the right length so that the pre-spliced eyes can simply be hooked over my boat's cleats (not through the "eye" of the cleat and over the horns as you suggest). I've never had one come off of the cleat. The lines are attached to the dock cleats in a figure 8 with a half twist-locking loop fashion. When I'm docking away from home, I generally attach dock lines without eyes to both my boat and to the dock cleats in the figure 8 w/locking loop manner. That way I can easily release or adjust from either end under load.
More mooring lines
Thanks, guys, for the responses. I use the cleat hitch on the dock. My reference to wrapping around the cleat referred to the extra several feet of line I have left over after a couple of cleat hitches. Re-phrasing my initial question, what I'm trying to accomplish is having the lines permanently adjusted to the required lengths. Bob in reply #4 has his lines at the correct length. How did you (Bob) accomplish that? Cutting and splicing?
Thanks, guys, for the responses. I use the cleat hitch on the dock. My reference to wrapping around the cleat referred to the extra several feet of line I have left over after a couple of cleat hitches. Re-phrasing my initial question, what I'm trying to accomplish is having the lines permanently adjusted to the required lengths. Bob in reply #4 has his lines at the correct length. How did you (Bob) accomplish that? Cutting and splicing?
tying up
My dock lines are always at a specific length. I will not drop a loop over a cleat as I consider this unsafe. I imagine my boat in a surging situation where water level may quickly change within seconds. A loop can convievably slip off a cleat as a boat dips and moves fore and aft as well as side to side. I tie my boat so that this scenario cannot happen.
My dock lines are always at a specific length. I will not drop a loop over a cleat as I consider this unsafe. I imagine my boat in a surging situation where water level may quickly change within seconds. A loop can convievably slip off a cleat as a boat dips and moves fore and aft as well as side to side. I tie my boat so that this scenario cannot happen.
just coil the extra
line neatly beside the cleat. It doesn't have to be exactly the right length. Actually,you want extra line if you intend to move one side of the boat at a time closer to the dock for cleaning/waxing etc. My boat stays in the slip year round although it doesn't get used in the winter (nov-april). The eye spliced ends are around the cleats on the boat and the whipped ends are on the cleats on the dock. When I leave, I just walk around the deck and toss the eye sliced ends onto the dock. When I return to the slip, I stop the boat with the engine, step off or use a boat hook and put the eye splices back onto the boats cleats.
line neatly beside the cleat. It doesn't have to be exactly the right length. Actually,you want extra line if you intend to move one side of the boat at a time closer to the dock for cleaning/waxing etc. My boat stays in the slip year round although it doesn't get used in the winter (nov-april). The eye spliced ends are around the cleats on the boat and the whipped ends are on the cleats on the dock. When I leave, I just walk around the deck and toss the eye sliced ends onto the dock. When I return to the slip, I stop the boat with the engine, step off or use a boat hook and put the eye splices back onto the boats cleats.
2 forward lines and sternline on portside
are left on dock and cut to length (line cutting gun, solder gun with a blade)with eyesplice around cleat on boat. Do not cut the lines too short, just so you can get them all neatly onto the dock cleat. When docking I step off starboard with stern line which I keep attached at boat end, walk calmly to the forward cleat and drop the loop over cleat on boat to stop it if it's not gonna stop right there on it's own. When I go somewhere I have the 1 sternline starboard, a line twice as long as the boat, and 2 regular 15' dock lines that are always aboard anyway. Even when the knotmeter reads 0.00 you can still be moving, try to get the boat where it stops where you want it and don't have to try to "catch it" before it hits something. BTW this is 10.8 ft wide boat into 12 ft wide slip.
are left on dock and cut to length (line cutting gun, solder gun with a blade)with eyesplice around cleat on boat. Do not cut the lines too short, just so you can get them all neatly onto the dock cleat. When docking I step off starboard with stern line which I keep attached at boat end, walk calmly to the forward cleat and drop the loop over cleat on boat to stop it if it's not gonna stop right there on it's own. When I go somewhere I have the 1 sternline starboard, a line twice as long as the boat, and 2 regular 15' dock lines that are always aboard anyway. Even when the knotmeter reads 0.00 you can still be moving, try to get the boat where it stops where you want it and don't have to try to "catch it" before it hits something. BTW this is 10.8 ft wide boat into 12 ft wide slip.
Calif. Ted
Does the line left of the dock have a cleat hitch or have you used a knot? If it's cut to length and not knotted, is that so you cut down on the coiled excess?
Does the line left of the dock have a cleat hitch or have you used a knot? If it's cut to length and not knotted, is that so you cut down on the coiled excess?
2 cleat hitchs actually, line goes inside dock
cleat, 1 round turn on cleat base then figure eight, cleat hitch, figure 8 the rest and a cleat hitch at the end to hold the bitter end. Yeah, it's mostly just so it looks nice and neat, no ends sticking out and no excess coiled on the dock. I end up taking maybe 5 ft. off a 15 ft. line. I'm not graceful anyway so if there is something on the deck I'll trip or step on it. Also 3 docklines are always attached at the dock and are correctly adjusted, I cleat the 3 to the boat and the fourth at starboard, aft is only one you have to get the right length when you return.
cleat, 1 round turn on cleat base then figure eight, cleat hitch, figure 8 the rest and a cleat hitch at the end to hold the bitter end. Yeah, it's mostly just so it looks nice and neat, no ends sticking out and no excess coiled on the dock. I end up taking maybe 5 ft. off a 15 ft. line. I'm not graceful anyway so if there is something on the deck I'll trip or step on it. Also 3 docklines are always attached at the dock and are correctly adjusted, I cleat the 3 to the boat and the fourth at starboard, aft is only one you have to get the right length when you return.
Ted
Thanks for the info. That sounds like a good simple solution. I'm going to give it a try. In the upper midwest, the season is still an agonizing 2 months away!
Thanks for the info. That sounds like a good simple solution. I'm going to give it a try. In the upper midwest, the season is still an agonizing 2 months away!
I eye spliced my lines.
The eye goes over the bow and stern cleats, I tie off the lines on the dock cleats and flemish coil the extra line on the dock. Easy to adjust, and nothing to trip over, looks good too. Tom s/v GAIA
The eye goes over the bow and stern cleats, I tie off the lines on the dock cleats and flemish coil the extra line on the dock. Easy to adjust, and nothing to trip over, looks good too. Tom s/v GAIA
We've had a very wet year, there's a wet
raincoat hanging in the head right now, but I really love being able to sail all year. Really looking forward to some warmth, supposed to be in the 70's. Last week I woke up in Avalon (thought I was cold at 52 degrees) sailed to Dana in light showers, drove 90 miles to home in mountains where it was snowing. I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. HURRY SUMMER !
raincoat hanging in the head right now, but I really love being able to sail all year. Really looking forward to some warmth, supposed to be in the 70's. Last week I woke up in Avalon (thought I was cold at 52 degrees) sailed to Dana in light showers, drove 90 miles to home in mountains where it was snowing. I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. HURRY SUMMER !
Sorry for you Ted
Ha! It's sunny and warm here again today. But take heart, the are predicting rain for tomorrow. But then CNN always has a storm front shown poised off of the Washington coast no matter what the weather is here. I just love global warming.
Ha! It's sunny and warm here again today. But take heart, the are predicting rain for tomorrow. But then CNN always has a storm front shown poised off of the Washington coast no matter what the weather is here. I just love global warming.
I kind of wondered if maybe you folks in
"Cascadia" hadn't put Bill Gates to work on a device to alter the jet stream so the rain came down here Fred. I have seen sunny days in Washington but one of the locals told me to never mention it back home cause you already got too many ex-Californians.
"Cascadia" hadn't put Bill Gates to work on a device to alter the jet stream so the rain came down here Fred. I have seen sunny days in Washington but one of the locals told me to never mention it back home cause you already got too many ex-Californians.
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