Docklines and How They Work.
Do you look at other boats tied up the marina or yacht club and think ‘How come there boat sits nicely in there pen in all conditions’.
This is a common theme among boaters, we place all our concentration into docking our boat and tend to forget about the importance of securing our vessel to suit the situation.
Some things to consider before docking your boat are:
- Is it better to be ‘bow-in’ or ‘Stern-to’ the dock.
- Should I have fenders out one or both sides
- Are my dock-lines ready to go.
Once your boat is in the pen your ideal dockline configuration would let your boat move slightly in the breeze from any direction while also allowing for waves, chop and fetch from the water.
Your boat should not rub constantly on one part of the dock and you will need to consider ease of accessibility for boarding and un-boarding.
Offcourse this is in an ideal situation and is not always the case.
Many factors can determine how your boat will be tied up such as:
- Weather – Restricted you from your preferred docking method.
- Ability - You may only be comfortable docking ‘bow-in’ etc.
- Ropes – You do not have enough ropes aboard.
- Cleats – The cleat set up on the dock and on your boat make in difficult.
The number of docklines can very depending on the pen or berth but generally 5-6 lines are ample. The configuration of these lines will depending on where your cleats are located on your boat to the dock.
The configuration should consist of at least the following:
Bowline: The line runs from the bow to the dock.
Sternline: Line runs from the stern cleat usually above the transom back to the adjacent dock.
Springlines: The two most common methods entail 2 separate lines from amid-ships, with one running forward from centre and the other running aft from centre. Alternatively you can have 2 separate lines with one running from the stern cleat to the amid-ships cleat on the dock while the other runs from the bow cleat back to amid-ships.
When all lines are secured they should follow the form of a ‘W’ or an ‘M’ when looked from side-on.
The most important part of your tie-up is the tension of each rope. If the marina is a floating dock then the lines can be fairly taught but if the marina or dock is fixed then obviously the lines would need to allow for tidal movements etc.
Ideally the boat will sit a few inches away from the dock with an even space along the side. To test if the boat is sitting correctly push the stern into the dock to see how easily it will hit and if the boat will rest back into the appropriate position.
If the boat hits the dock too easily then your spring lines are to loose, if you are happy with the tie-up then the last thing to do is adjust or move your inflatable drop fenders in the best place to stop any unwanted bumps or nocks to the hull.
This is a general guide to docklines and will not work with all boats and vessels, as long as you understand the technique of springlines and how they work you will not have a problem.
Written For ~ Leisureboatsales.com.au
