Gary wrote:
Is there a general rule of thumb for determining how strong your dock lines
should be?

Yes, The problem is that there are several rules of thumb and give
conflicting results. It also depends on what type of line you choose
(braid or laid).




I have a 34 foot boat that weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of 19,000
lbs.

You should have 1/2" or 5/8" liness... personally I'd get 1/2" laid
(3-strand), check them often, and count on replacing them sooner, rather
than 5/8" left in place forever.

Get white dock lines, or at most white with some colored patern. They
are much more visible. Don't get the black ones, they look cool but they
are hard to see at night or in the rain. It's also more difficult to
evaluate them for chafe.

BTW I also put spliced loops in BOTH ends of all my dock lines, so that
when coming in to a dock, if a stranger wants to "help" I can hand him a
loop and not have to trust my boat to his unknown knot-tying skill.

Lines that are too thick are stronger, but they are also heavier and
more awkward to handle.

... I want to buy some dock lines to carry onboard for tying up at fuel
docks or the occasional restaurant etc. when I'm not in my slip.

Umm, yeah. It's a safety issue... you need decent lines. Decent ground
tackle too.

... I really
don't want to have to untie the lines at my slip every time I leave, since
I'd have to find just the right adjustment again every time I return.

This isn't particularly good reasoning. You should have a good set of
dock lines, you should check them often. Re-tying them is not so much
trouble, think what a PITA it would be if your boat broke free.

If you don't want to tie it up properly, then you should get a lift.


There are LOTS of sizes and strengths of line out there. What should I
really be looking at?

You need 6 dock lines. 2 can be shorties, 20' or so. These will be used
for bow & stern breast lines, which don't need to be too long. Then you
need 2 spring lines, which need to be *at least* the length + the beam
of the boat. You won't always use all that length, but the times when
you do need it, there is no substitute (other than expensive fiberglass
repair & increased insurance rates). Then you need 2 more emergency
lines the same as your spring lines, or one double length one + a third
shorty. If you tie up in a slip to two outer pilings, with crossed stern
lines, you'll need two intermediate length lines for the stern, but they
will be of less use elsewhere when tying up.

This is probably more than you want to know, but less than you really
need to know. Got a copy of Chapman's?

Fair Skies
Doug King