Stupid Question Friday - Dock Lines at Pilings

[Ward H]

For the past two years I've been using dock lines that I spliced in eyes that fit my cleats well. Easy to just slip the eyes over the boat cleats when docking.
Adjusting the bitter ends at the dock cleats to position the boat is no problem but adjusting the stern lines around the pilings while hanging off the transom isn't fun and kind of hard on the ribs when laying across the cleats to reach around the pilings.
This year I am thinking of abandoning the eye splices on the stern cleats and just tying the line to the piling and doing a cleat hitch on the stern cleats. Once adjusted a permanent marker will let me always set the lines the correct length.
Here is the stupid question.
Is there any use for the eye splice when tying that end of the line to the piling?
I'm thinking of cutting off the eye splices and using a round turn or two and two half hitches.
What do you guys suggest?

 

[Ron20324]

Why not just make the lines tied around the piling, and make them the exact length you need to secure the boat properly. All 5 of my lines are like this- no adjustment necessary. It is one of the things I have do because I get so many lees-experienced people on my boat and I have to K.I.S.S. .

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Different strokes for different folks...

I was always reluctant to do what Ron suggests as I always wanted to make sure the lines were longer than necessary in case of a wind shift of other unforseeable circumstance (like pilot error .
I find it easier for me to throw a wrap around the piling and snug it up through an eye splice and have the bitter end free to tie the cleat wherever comfortable.

 

[Jacktar]

Put the eye splice through the boat cleat, loop it around and piling and bring it back to the boat cleat. Put a wrap of black electrical tape at the spot you like crossing the boat cleat of the bitter end for usual tieup. This allows adjustment if needed and you get to take that stern line with you when you go out.

 

[jssailem]

Line length can be a problem. On the boat the rigger I'm using suggest the line be just long enough not to reach the prop. So on my 35 ft boat if I hang a line over the edge it can run back to just short of the prop - about 28 ft. Makes an adequate spring line. Keeps me safe if the line handler drops the line in the water.

 

[Davidasailor26]

We've always tied a bowline around the piling at the right length to put the pre-spliced loop on the cleat. Yeah it's a pain to get the bowline at the right length while hanging off the boat, but that's only once a year, and it makes it so much easier to grab the loop and get the boat tied up coming into the slip. The only exception is the one line that we adjust to let the boat closer to the finger pier while we're there. For that we put the loop at the piling and cleat hitch on the boat. To mark the location of the hitch I would recommend sharpie over electrical tape for its durability.

 

[jssailem]

If marking a line for durability, try a line whip with colored twin . Takes a couple of minutes to wrap stitch the line. The coloered thread becomes part of the line. It is dyed and will be color fast, likely for as long as the line is usable. And it looks salty. This sailor knows seamanship skills.

 

[David in Sandusky]

Good question. The real question is how do you use your boat. Specifically, do you cruise to other locations, or do you only dock at one home dock?

Ron20324's solution may be the easiest - all lines are permanently tied in place at your home dock with the spliced eyes easily available to loop around the cleats on your boat. You leave the lines there, and pick them up by hand or with your boat hook when you return.

The problem is, what do you do when you want to tie up somewhere else? What about tieing up to take on fuel or pump out? In our case, we are cruising the Lake Erie Islands, and often destinations in Lake Erie and beyond. Unless we are anchoring out, we need to be able to tie up anywhere, to docks, walls, with or without pilings, or even raft up to other boats. And we need to be ready to dock in whatever transient spot we are assigned as we arrive. Also, we need to be able to tie up anywhere if we are seeking shelter from a storm.

Our solution is four 25 foot lines made up with their spliced loops to our two bow, and two stern cleats. When tieing up at a dock, they are long enough to double as bow/stern lines, and then run from the cleat ashore to our midship cleat as a spring line. When we are assigned a slip with pilings, we loop one of the lines around the piling, and bring the end back to tie around its cleat, so it's easy to adjust, or cast off when we leave. We Flemish any unused line because, as Senior Chief Bosun's Mate Jeffcoat taught me, "It looks shipshape, and you always know where the bitter end is."

If we had one or more pilings at our home dock, I think we would use Ron's solution, at least for the stern pilings, using a line permanently tied to the piling and just the right length to loop over the cleat on the boat. But our bow and stern cleats would still have their dedicated lines attached for use away from the home dock.

 

[woodster]

you can always use the eye for the piling end making a noose that will tighten up on the piling and let the bitter end be on the boat cleat .....that way you can adjust from the boat the length you need to be tied where you need to be ...always have control of your boat when on board

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Not sure but I think we have as many different answers as people...

Line length can be a problem. On the boat the rigger I'm using suggest the line be just long enough not to reach the prop. So on my 35 ft boat if I hang a line over the edge it can run back to just short of the prop - about 28 ft. Makes an adequate spring line. Keeps me safe if the line handler drops the line in the water.

One question on this advice which I've heard before - how long is/are your stern line(s)?

 

[Ron20324]

[QUOTE..."]... ... But our bow and stern cleats would still have their dedicated lines attached for use away from the home dock.[/QUOTE]

Is that to say your "traveling" lines are always attach to the cleats? I wouldn't think so.

 

[David in Sandusky]

Well, Ron, we have done it that way for 17 years, cruising to most of the ports in Lake Erie, up the Bruce Peninsula, across the North Channel, and down the east coast of lower Michigan. In addition, it was the system on charters in the Apostles, the San Juans, the British Virgins, the West Coast of Sweden, Côte d'Azure in France, the Florida Keys, Newport, the Vineyard, the Trent-Severn and Erie canals, and the Bay of Islands in New Zealand.

While they are not permanent, we will put them on the cleats next Friday, and take them off in October.

 

[thinwater]

My dock lines are preset. I only touch them about every 8-10 years, when they are replaced. Bow, stern, and continuous springs on both sides, fore and aft. Only takes a minute to secure what are effectively 8 lines. I can adjust the stern lines at the dock (cleats) and the springs, but only do that for hurricane prep.

I have a second set for travel. In that case, the solution matches the situation.

 

[Ron20324]

While they are not permanent, we will put them on the cleats next Friday, and take them off in October.[/QUOTE]

Well, that probably expsoses them to alot of UV wear, but if that works for you, okay... YMMV I'm sure others have agreed you should not have to adjust the piling ends of the lines every time you come in.

 

[BudGates]

I leave a set of lines pre-adjusted at the slip and have other lines that I take with me. When I go to another dock I'm ready to tie up however needed. When I return to my slip it's as simple as slipping the preset lines over the boat cleats.

 

[David in Sandusky]

As I said, Ron, if my home slip had pilings, I would use lines of preset length tied to the pilings, with the loop for cleats on the boat. The piling loops would easily attach to the cleat over the traveling lines.

UV has not been the issue on our mooring lines. After 8 years, we replaced them due to the effects of chafe and heating in wind storms while we were away from the boat.

In researching the UV issue, I came across this article, which has me considering polyester for my next mooring lines, and anchor rode!

http://www.bethandevans.com/pdf/dashew-right-rode.pdf

Note the predicted reduction of sailing on the anchor with polyester.

 

[woodster]

As I said, Ron, if my home slip had pilings, I would use lines of preset length tied to the pilings, with the loop for cleats on the boat. The piling loops would easily attach to the cleat over the traveling lines.

how would you adjust the line from your boat for tide fluctuation

In researching the UV issue, I came across this article, which has me considering polyester for my next mooring lines, and anchor rode!

nylon will give you more spring action in a blow

 

[centerline]

if you have to tie to a piling, and you have to do it ALL the time, why not take a rope, and tie a loop in the middle of it with a thimble inserted... then wrap the line around the piling a couple of times and tie it off.... then you have a thimbled pendent hanging there for whenever you need it.. just run the line from the cleat thru the thimble and back to the boat to tie it off

the line has to wrap the piling at least 3 to 4 times to keep it from slipping down over time.

 

[Pat]

Why not buy a sheet bag from WM and attach it to the lifeline(s) and keep 4 docklines in the bag for use at
other marinas / clubs where you may visit....that way you always have your lines ot your dock, ready for use, and you have an extra set of 4 lines with you for locations where you visit....plus, this setup gives you instant access to lines in case of an emergency near your slip where you need to toss someone a line...and your not messing up your own boats security. Great for raft-up's as well.

 

[David in Sandusky]

Woodster, I'm on Lake Erie so tides are less important. Sietches can move the water 3-4 feet up or down. Our home port has floating docks.