Cordage - 3 strand vs Braided Dock Lines
HK wrote:
Tim, braided line has a nice "hand" to it, but when it snags on
something, it can tear out a little, and the deterioration continues
until you have a bit of a mess. I keep two sets of dock lines aboard,
one set twist, one set braided, and use the line appropriate to the dock.
Used to carry an anchor with braided line in Florida. It's much easier
on the hands when pulling up the line, but the rough shell bottoms
ripped it to shreds in short order. When I bought son of Yo Ho, the
dealer tossed in a kit that included a Danforth-style anchor and 200' of
3/8" line. I replaced that line with 1/2" twist because it is easier on
the hands (the palms, mainly) than 3/8". Now, the 3/8" is attached to my
back-up anchor.
Well, I'm a trailer boater so I don't really have much need for the
finest of dock lines. But even when temporarily looping to a dock, I
use ski line and that's about it. But I do have a braided tow line
kept up in the bow. The tow line is much more flexable, and easy ont
he hands.
When I had my 27' Chris Craft, though. it was moored on the lake for a
summer. I used braided for it. I will agree that braided is more
tender and if you snag it on something it can pull and tear, but the
docks were new and in great shape then, with nothing to snag of any
signifigance. So, I would suppose it is to each their own.
6 one way and half a dozen the other.
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