wrote in message
oups.com...
I don't know if this topic has been done to death, but I am interested
in finding out what various boaters use for dock lines. The
information on the internet can be very confusing, and I have seen web
sites that recommend completely different rope sizes for the same size
boats. The rule of thumb is 1/8 inch diameter for every 9 feet of
boat. This is also what West Marine says in their literature. Other
sites say that boats over 25 feet, for instance, should use 1/2 rope.
I have moored my Bayliner 2859 all winter with just 3/8 inch lines, but
it has been in a protected slip.


There are no hard and fast rules. You want nylon or something else with some
stretch, of course. High quality 3/8" line may well be stronger than cheap
1/2" line. And the slip environment of course makes a different - what's the
worst you can expect? Are you in a protected cove on a lake or on the ocean
in hurricane country?

--
Peter Aitken