Preferred knot to make fast to a rail?

[sailaway21]

I'm inclined to support Knotty's suggestion. Many do not realise that every hitch or knot can be tied with a bight nearly as well as single part. It sure eliminates a bunch of fussing around with reeving the working part around.

[Cruisingdreamspress]

Here's an off the sea wall idea. Carry with you a lenght of small chain that is long enough to form a loop aound the rail by using any kind of a clip at one end of the chain. To protect your line from chaffe, cover the chain with a flexible hose. When docking and with bow, stern or spring line in hand, after you have stepped on the dock, haul in as much line as you need to position your boat alongside the dock. Loop the chain around the rail and fasten it together with a clip. Then form a loop in say the bow line and pass that through the chain loop. Tie two loop half hitches, snug them tight and coil the extra line on the dock.

[sailingdog]

Unfortunately, the chain would probably damage the rail if there's any serious wind. The owner of the dock would probably not be too happy about that.

Originally Posted by Cruisingdreamspress

Here's an off the sea wall idea. Carry with you a lenght of small chain that is long enough to form a loop aound the rail by using any kind of a clip at one end of the chain. To protect your line from chaffe, cover the chain with a flexible hose. When docking and with bow, stern or spring line in hand, after you have stepped on the dock, haul in as much line as you need to position your boat alongside the dock. Loop the chain around the rail and fasten it together with a clip. Then form a loop in say the bow line and pass that through the chain loop. Tie two loop half hitches, snug them tight and coil the extra line on the dock.

[djodenda]

Originally Posted by sailaway21

I'm inclined to support Knotty's suggestion. Many do not realise that every hitch or knot can be tied with a bight nearly as well as single part. It sure eliminates a bunch of fussing around with reeving the working part around.

I really hate those rails "bull rails" that we have all over the place here in the PNW for the reasons outlined above.

That's why I do what is suggested above, I think, and make a bight with the mooring line, and tie a clove hitch with the bight to the bull rail.

A clove hitch works real well to keep the line from moving sideways along the rail, which is important to keeping your boat in place.

God, I hate bull rails. Nasty.

And don't get me started on the "Grappling Hook Thingy" again.

David

[jimbee]

You might try tying a separate line around the dock making a loop. Then pass your dock line through this. In the event you needed to cast off --- cut the loop!!

[DrB]

How long are your dock lines and do you need them that long?

How much extra line are we talking here? All of my dock lines are about 30 feet (my boat is 33 ft). So fore and aft springs are about 25 to 28 feet tied off with about 2 to 5 feet of tail. Bow and stern will have about half of the length as a tail. Not a big deal for me.

If you often tie up at docks like these, why not make a set of specific sized lines? Color code them to differentiate them.

I would use a clove hitch with a bite, Works and easy to untie. Coil the excess.

DrB