Spring lines keep the boat snugly near the dock, preventing it from moving fore or aft, while allowing for the rise and fall of the tide. Unless your boat is unusually heavy or will be subjected to severe conditions, a bow line, stern line, and at least two spring lines are recommended. The shortest should be approximately the same length as your boat. You should have lines of various lengths available to use depending on the circumstances as you come alongside a dock and the pilings and cleats on the dock. This is an art in itself, but very important. You may need to pay the spring line out to ease your boat to a stop in the right position and as the helmsperson brings the boat alongside. You will need to be able to use these to bring your boat alongside while docking. Spring lines should be considerably longer. How Long?Īs a general rule docklines should equal two-thirds of your boat's overall length. If your boat is heavier than average, or has greater windage, you may want to choose the next larger size. For laid line, splicing is simple, but braid requires a special fid and some practice. It cannot 'undo' as can knots used to form the eye. The splice, formed by interweaving parts of the rope, creates a permanent eye while sacrificing little of the line's inherent strength. They're often available in a selection of colors Pre-Splicedįactory-spliced eyes make sense. However braided lines are more likely than laid line to catch on piling splinters or other snags and thereby become damaged to some degree. These small strands wear evenly, making braided line more resistant to chafe from pilings and cleats-the greatest threat to healthy docklines. It runs smoothly, will not kink or rotate, and is easier on the hands. This is frequently sold in hardware stores, is relatively very inexpensive, and is usually not marked for marine use.īraided line is composed of many small strands, making it extremely strong and flexible. But some stranded nylon is quite soft in isn't very suitable for use aboard. Although it can kink, making it awkward to coil, and stretch more than braid, three-strand twisted line is very strong, resistant to abrasion and snagging, and offers good value. Laid line is composed of three or more twisted strands, a design that has withstood the test of time. You will commonly see it in either Laid or Braid Construction. Nylon is a strong, durable synthetic and is exceptionally well suited for docklines. It helps to have two sets of docklines - a temporary set to use while you are away from your permanent slip and a set for your permanent slip, unless you're concerned about someone taking those lines while you're away. It's important to consider the type of docking and rafting you do. There are quite a few choices out there when it comes to selecting docklines.

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