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Conference unifix::sailing

Title:	SAILING
Notice:	Please read Note 2.* before participating in this conference
Moderator:	UNIFIX::BERENS

Created:	Wed Jul 01 1992
Last Modified:	Mon Jun 02 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	2299
Total number of notes:	20724

264.0. "Dock lines and Spring lines" by SUMMIT::THOMAS (Ed Thomas) Fri Mar 21 1986 17:58

    What is the traditional rule of thumb for the length of dock lines
    and spring lines? My recollection is that dock lines should be the
    length of the vessel and spring lines 1 1/2 times the length of
    the vessel. Is there a factor for height of tide?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Ed

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
264.1	Decorate the dock with the excess	GRAMPS::WCLARK	Walt Clark	`Fri Mar 21 1986 18:18`	12
	Ed, I have never heard of any rule of thumb that could be applied universally. For my part, I have had all 35' lines on my 34' boat. The bow and stern lines are 50% flemished on the dock, the springers are tight because I have no midship cleat. By the way they are all now 50' thanks to Gloria. A new set is in order for me too. I plan to make up 435' and 250' this time around, which pretty much approximates your estimates. ...to an early spring. Walt
264.2		PULSAR::BERENS	Alan Berens	`Fri Mar 21 1986 19:01`	19
	I vaguely remember reading a suggestion that dock lines should be the length of your boat and spring lines twice the length of your boat. It seems to me that, within reason, the lengths should be independent of boat length and are more or less determined by the spacing of whatever (cleats, pilings, etc) you are tying to. Any excess can always be coiled up, but a too short line can be a real problem. The length you allow for tide obviously depends on the tidal range where you are sailing and the type of dock you are tying to. In Shelburne, Nova Scotia, we tied to a large fixed dock where our deck was several feet below dock level even at high tide and the pilings were quite a ways apart. At low tide it was a 15 to 20 foot climb up to dock level. Here 50 foot dock lines were necessary. For spring lines we used an anchor rode. For this of dock, fender boards were essential. Even with two we got some creosote on the rub rail. I think that our dock lines are 20 or 25 feet and the spring line 50 feet. These have been mostly adequate and are an acceptable compromise between length and ease of handling.