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Most take lines with them to dock somewhere else. From what I've been seeing it's getting harder and harder to find docks with cleats. They seem to be moving towards running 6x6 beams with plastic sheathed posts every 6ft or so. With this setup you see some wild knot configurations come to the surface when all that really needs to be done in to go around a post and back to the cleat on your boat. These setups are a PITA as you have to get off and feed you line under the running post and back to your boat making it harder to dock single handed.

yukonbob wrote:Most take lines with them to dock somewhere else. From what I've been seeing it's getting harder and harder to find docks with cleats. They seem to be moving towards running 6x6 beams with plastic sheathed posts every 6ft or so. With this setup you see some wild knot configurations come to the surface when all that really needs to be done in to go around a post and back to the cleat on your boat. These setups are a PITA as you have to get off and feed you line under the running post and back to your boat making it harder to dock single handed.

Yea, if you are a transient boater, makes sense to tie up the easiest way which may mean loop on the dock.
In my other life when we would travel up to long island sound to Nantucket, we rarely ever stayed in a marina. Dealing with those crazy tides is a PITA at a transient marina. In our old marina back east, we had no cleats on the docks, just pilings to loop around.

I can imagine the wild knots on those 6x6's. If folks have trouble figuring out a cleat, how do they manage that?

In our marina, we pay for the season. Same boats in the slip all season. Why do they take their dock lines off the dock when they go out for the afternoon? There are no other marinas to visit. Why take fenders with you when you are just coming back to the same slip. Attach them to the dock, not the boat. My slipmate has these cool fender holders that he stores the fenders in while he goes out for a short put put. Big honkin' fenders hanging off his pulpit (which is better than over the side). He never ties up anywhere else and the fuel docks have fenders on them already. *shrug*

--Russ

RussMT wrote:I can imagine the wild knots on those 6x6's. If folks have trouble figuring out a cleat, how do they manage that?

"If you can't tie a knot, tie a lot!" Or, "If you can't tie knots, tie lots!" And nowhere is that more obvious than when walking the docks.

RussMT wrote: I can imagine the wild knots on those 6x6's. If folks have trouble figuring out a cleat, how do they manage that?

In our marina, we pay for the season. Same boats in the slip all season. Why do they take their dock lines off the dock when they go out for the afternoon? There are no other marinas to visit. Why take fenders with you when you are just coming back to the same slip. Attach them to the dock, not the boat. My slipmate has these cool fender holders that he stores the fenders in while he goes out for a short put put. Big honkin' fenders hanging off his pulpit (which is better than over the side). He never ties up anywhere else and the fuel docks have fenders on them already. *shrug*

--Russ

They don't and I've had to get the harbour master on several occasions as well as track down captains. I'll leave a fender or two at my slip only if I know for sure we're going to be back and not ending up somewhere else, which is really quite rare.

For what its worth, I have a season long berth for my and I usually use 4 dock lines. When I'm out, 3 are left at the dock, tied to dock cleats, with the spliced end going to the cleats on the boat ( 2 at the bow, 1 at the transom). The 4th one stays on the boat with the spliced end looped around the aft most port station. The free end gets tied to a dock cleat after docking. This allows me to dock without constantly re-adjusting the lines but leaves one on the boat that I can throw to other boaters who often come and assist when pulling in. I also keep a spare set of 3 in a storage cubby to be used for raftups, emergencies, or the occasional kid that wants to be towed in the water on a hot summer day.

I use 3 port side fenders that are left tied to the boat at all times and they travel with the boat. I hang the from the lifelines when they aren't being used. They also come in handy for raft ups and emergencies. Once when my son flooded the outboard when he was out with his friends he used them to protect the boat from rubbing against a rock wall he had drifted toward.

Hear in Buffalo, my boat is docked near Canalside. During the summer there are a dozen or so outdoor rock shows at Canalside where its not unusual for 50 or 60 boats to anchor or raft up close to the venue. Dock lines and fenders come in handy. Bikinis, cocktails and cookouts are usually the order of the day while enjoying the show. Nothing like having your Brats with a side of live Alice Cooper.

This is the way we left the boat docked while we kept it in a slip at Ballena Bay in SFB.



Obelix

Obelix wrote:This is the way we left the boat docked while we kept it in a slip at Ballena Bay in SFB.



Obelix

Wow I wish I had a single berth. There is always another boat next to me.

RussMT wrote:In our marina, we pay for the season. Same boats in the slip all season. Why do they take their dock lines off the dock when they go out for the afternoon? There are no other marinas to visit. Why take fenders with you when you are just coming back to the same slip. Attach them to the dock, not the boat. My slipmate has these cool fender holders that he stores the fenders in while he goes out for a short put put. Big honkin' fenders hanging off his pulpit (which is better than over the side). He never ties up anywhere else and the fuel docks have fenders on them already. *shrug*--Russ

Curious, when you leave you dock lines behind, is it always in a slip dedicated to your boat? I have been places where it is first come first serve and there is always someone who claims a spot by leaving their dock lines.

RobertB wrote:Curious, when you leave you dock lines behind, is it always in a slip dedicated to your boat? I have been places where it is first come first serve and there is always someone who claims a spot by leaving their dock lines.

In my case it is always a dedicated slip. Still I wouldn't consider lines left at the dock any kind of claim. Is that the policy?

If that is the policy, I do not follow it. Still, I leave their lines on the dock

Ditto, dedicated slip.

paul I wrote:

RobertB wrote:Curious, when you leave you dock lines behind, is it always in a slip dedicated to your boat? I have been places where it is first come first serve and there is always someone who claims a spot by leaving their dock lines.

In my case it is always a dedicated slip. Still I wouldn't consider lines left at the dock any kind of claim. Is that the policy?

We are also in a dedicated slip. When ever we take off even for a few days I let the HM know so he can fill our slip with transient boats if he needs. We often get the same courtesy in other harbours and often get someone's slip while they are gone rather than having to stay on transient dock space.

RobertB wrote:

RussMT wrote:In our marina, we pay for the season. Same boats in the slip all season. Why do they take their dock lines off the dock when they go out for the afternoon? There are no other marinas to visit. Why take fenders with you when you are just coming back to the same slip. Attach them to the dock, not the boat. My slipmate has these cool fender holders that he stores the fenders in while he goes out for a short put put. Big honkin' fenders hanging off his pulpit (which is better than over the side). He never ties up anywhere else and the fuel docks have fenders on them already. *shrug*--Russ

Curious, when you leave you dock lines behind, is it always in a slip dedicated to your boat? I have been places where it is first come first serve and there is always someone who claims a spot by leaving their dock lines.

It's our dedicated slip for the season. I also added dock guards along the side and in front so the boat is cushioned all around. I have 3 fenders "permanently" attached to the dock. I'm on the end of a pier and have to tie up on 3 points (aft starboard, forward starboard, forward port). I'm thinking of rigging up something like this guy did to keep the boat from getting dock rash from the fenders.



I also have 3 nice fenders I keep below in case I need them. But they are stored below because I never need them.

This has gone way off topic but I also keep three fenders on the opposite side of the dock in case someone wants to raft up or comes in hot. Two years ago a guy in the marina bought a new 34' bayliner. Came in on a slightly windy day and blew into the next boat over, took off rod holders, antenna and scrapped up both boats pretty good. He was good enough to take responsibility, but I know there are lots out there who would have just powered away. Thankfully the marina installed cameras last year. Everyone slipped there are really good people, but its the weekend warriors that are half cut trying to dock their boats and have no insurance is what worries me.

So getting back on topic ( ha ha) does it matter the size of your rope or what material your rope is made up as far as holding a knot? I have the rudders and ropes off right now as i am fixing and painting them up so if I am going to replace the ropes on the rudder now would be the best time. The rope that I have is probably the stock rope that comes with a 98 Mac? looks like a half inch cotton kind? I only have one rope per rudder that circles around and you pull the top part to pull up the rudder and gravity helps the rudder fall down? So new kind of rope or size of rope or just stick with what I got and learn how to tie a simple dam know dam it:)