[hp1xbg]

Well, not entirely, but new using a larger boat. I am moving up to a 30' and had a couple of questions.

When you are leaving the slip, do you usually take all the lines from the pylons on board, or do you leave them on the pylons for when you return to the slip?

I always see empty slips with the lines still hanging from the pylons.

 

[davidpm]

If it is your own slip many folks leave the lines on the dock as that way they are pre-set and it is easier to tie up.

It is always a good idea to have spare lines on the boat though in case you day doesn't go as planned.

If I don't have two sets I take them with me. I would never be on the boat without dock lines.

 

[sidney777]

Certainly like the above post. Also, have you had anyone tell you HOW they think you should tie to the Cleats on your boat or to the Dock? .... When I started sailing there were a lot of different opinions. a("big ships tie this way, you should not, that is a Hatchet knot, you'll need a hatchet to get it loose, little boats tie this way")... Then, I was docked near a Marine Surveyor & Racer that eventually almost drove me nuts with how & should do EVERYTHING. It seemed to be the culture of sailboaters in this marina to tell everyone how stuff should be done to the extreme. A lot of us were New and we needed telling.

 

[paul323]

Personally I take the bow and stern lines with me, I leave the springer lines on shore.

How you rig the mooring lines depends on whether you tie up to a single side, or both sides. I tie up on one side, using 5 lines
- Bow and stern line
- 2 springer lines - one to bow, the other to stern
- Additional bowline to a cleat forwards, opposite the other bowline.

All the lines are tied to the cleat with a normal cleat hitch (Knot Illustration (cleat Hitch) clip art Free Vector / 4Vector), Bowlines go through the forward horn first, stern lines through the aft horn first. I finish it with a flemish coil (Panoramio - Photo of Flemish Coil) - there are pros and cons for this, but it's neat. Oh, yeah, chafe guards are good, and I always run my lines though a fairlead to the cleat on the opposite side of the boat - ropes don't like tight bends.

 

[Stumble]

I leave all my lines. But I have them spliced around the piling with straps in place to keep them from lifting over the piling in a storm. On the boat they are all marked for normal position so anyone even those un familure with the boat can tie up quickly and easily.

As mentioned this does require I carry an extra set of dock lines aboard, but I think of the second set as my hurricane lines anyway.

 

[nolatom]

some of this depends on where your pilings and dockside tie-up points are. Typically I see "permanently" made fast to the pilings and dock, I like that method (with a boathook for me of course).. Why? Both casting off and tying up are quicker. and coming in, you can snag a line and use it (within limits) to correct you course or speed for those last ten feet in or so, or to stop the boat if engine stalled, etc.

How to arrange them?? Well, the ships typically don't tie up on both sides (docks, not slips, for them) so forget that. Basic principle is lines running fore and aft are "springs", to dampen/prevent longitudinal motion. Breast lines run out at right angle from side of boat to prevent lateral motion. And bow and stern lines run way forward and way aft, to points far ahead and far astern (on ships anyway). Forget this in a marina because the slips aren't long enough. So you have to compromise

Typically for our boats and slips, we have four lines out, at an angle outward from bow and stern, to the pilings or dock--they are a "spork" if you will--part breast lines, part spring lines in function. Works fine. We call these our bow lines and stern lines because thats where on the boat they are fastened. Some add "real" spring lines from (say) midship cleat to dockside fastening points fore and aft (which may be the same as where your bow and stern lines go). These "really" prevent forward and aft motion.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but I can't draw one here. So look at others' setups, imitate, and adjust to fit your individual situation. And yes, you'll get lots of advice--average it out..

 

[trav365plus]

Am new to using it too and found some great tips here. Thanks guys.

 

[socal c25]

Leave them at the dock and keep a spare set on the boat plus you should always have extra line with you for a tow or a raft-up etc...

 

[arknoah]

If it is your own slip many folks leave the lines on the dock as that way they are pre-set and it is easier to tie up.

It is always a good idea to have spare lines on the boat though in case you day doesn't go as planned.

If I don't have two sets I take them with me. I would never be on the boat without dock lines.

Yep. What he said. My theory is to have all the lines pre-measured so that all I have to do for some lines is to place the loop around my boat cleat, and to mark the bow lines and spring lines so I know approximately where to tie them off. It really takes only a few minutes to tie up even when I singlehand, which is most of the time.

 

[capecodda]

Good idea to have a second set of lines if you leave your lines on the dock, just incase you don't make it home

At the home dock, we take 2, leave 2. I take the stern and spring line lead aft and back out. Coming home, if I get those same 2 lines cleated off, and power forward slowly, the boat stays put while I tie the bow and forward leading spring.

 

[azguy]

I have the outboard idling in reverse and I take the two bow lines off and throw them on the fore deck, later they go in the anchor locker. Then I get on the boat and throw the motor in neutral and unhook the two stern lines and back out and later stow those in the portside seat locker.

 

[Robbyn]

I went from a 25ft To 32.7 so I hear ya...

I have two full sets of lines.

I keep all my lines, hoses and power in place as I
personally feel its a lot of work to set each time ( and I often find myself docking
a lone).

It also lets people know my slip is not available, as its never fun
to return to your slip and find a boat in it as my slip is downtown.

I have my travel set in a duffle bag

 

[MarkSF]

I undo all the lines on one side, and the springlines on the other, leave them on the dock.

Then when ready to leave, I can release the two remaining bow and stern lines.

Then I rotate the boat in the slip so as to anticipate the reverse prop walk. Jump on, put it in reverse. The boat will straighten up as the prop walk kicks in, put her in neutral when backing straight out.

 

[Minnewaska]

Presumably, your marina is okay with you leaving lines, if you see others doing so. It's rare, but some don't like it.

It's common for marinas to rent your slip to a transient, if you will be gone overnight. Transients are not supposed to use your lines. I do leave mine, but recognize they probably will, if I'm not there. Not a big deal. This bigger issue, whether they use them or not, is they won't really be where I left them. Sometimes, they even try to put them back where they found them and, because they look right, it takes a min or two to figure out why they are short by a foot, here and there. Worse, if you rely on a spring line to keep you from hitting something and they tie it long! For day trips, they are always where I left them and big advantage.

 

[Adele-H]

Same here, I leave all my lines at the slip, I have a spare set on the boat.
The line that gets grabbed first (since I back in...) is a bow line, after a couple of years trying to say the port or the starboard side, I finally got one green, one white...now I say "grab the green" or "grab the white" depending on wich way the wind blows.
The second line that gets grabbed is a spring line, the eye just gets dropped on the stern cleat, it stops the boat from backing into the dock. at that point a boat hook gets all the other lines from posts to boat.
All my lines end up with eye on cleat. just makes it easy and fast to tie, untie. Harder to set up, but well worth the effort.
On my slip, there are 6 posts.
2 at each end, and 2 at the beam.
On my boat there are no midship cleats just 2 bow and 2 stern cleats.
The springs run from the beam posts to the bow cleats and also to the stern cleats, the stern lines cross behind the stern, the bow lines go to the 2 outermost posts.
to bring the boat to load/unload, I take one of the sternlines and put it on the otherside, then I can bring the boat in to close the gap.
Very effective, clean and easy to use.
of course shaffing gear is a must, the lines will always rub in the exact same spot.

 

[Donna_F]

...

It's common for marinas to rent your slip to a transient, if you will be gone overnight. Transients are not supposed to use your lines. I do leave mine, but recognize they probably will, if I'm not there. ...

If we're leaving for an extended weekend or longer over a holiday I usually let our marina know the slip will be empty and we take our lines. We have multiple sets of lines but I'd rather not take the chance that someone may decide they like ours.

We also stopped leaving our hose at the dock even when the boat is in the slip. For some reason someone decided they liked our cheap hardware store nozzle and took it. They replaced it with one that leaked. There's plenty of room in the cockpit locker so we just drop it in there when we're done.

 

[Tim R.]

I take my lines and power cords with me. My marina will rent my slip to a transient and things do disappear occasionally. My hose I have torqued down so tight that a would be thief would need tools to remove it. The next guy's hose is much easier to steel. My hose nozzle is $1.99 so not worth worrying about. I have had one disappear but at $1.99/ea I keep a few spares in the dock box.

Power cords have disappeared from neighbors slips.

 

[Robbyn]

If we're leaving for an extended weekend or longer over a holiday I usually let our marina know the slip will be empty and we take our lines. We have multiple sets of lines but I'd rather not take the chance that someone may decide they like ours.

We also stopped leaving our hose at the dock even when the boat is in the slip. For some reason someone decided they liked our cheap hardware store nozzle and took it. They replaced it with one that leaked. There's plenty of room in the cockpit locker so we just drop it in there when we're done.

I am in a Private Gated Marina Downtown - I have my grill, dockbox and lines, electrical run to my boat. You have to enter a KeyCode just to get on and off the dock, buildinigs, and Parking. There is no tansient or rental of any slips by our maina.

BUT adjacent to the concerts downtown & have had boaters pull into our
Marina, docked and leave. They come back to the boat being towed but still!

This SETUP works for me - Maybe not everyone else. I Sail often by myself or with my kids and it makes docking much easier with a new bigger boat and sailing daily.

 

[Ward H]

At our marina almost all boats leave their lines. Most set their lines to the length needed so they just drop the loop over the boat cleats when they return. Transients use empty slips signified by no lines hanging off the pilings.
Even thought the Admiral is on board, leaving and docking is done single handed so leaving the lines and having them pre set to length works best for me.

 

[Group9]

I leave mine on the pilings, but I have lots more of them. I have two main reasons.

1. It's a lot more trouble to tie up when you have to attach lines to the pilings when you come back in.

2. My slip is near a public restaurant, and the tradition here has always been its okay with the harbor master to tie up in an unused slip near the restaurant to grab something to eat. I'd hate to come back from a sail and find someone in my slip. People know not to use one with lines hanging from the pilings.