Jere Lull wrote:

On 2008-07-20 19:08:46 -0400, "Capt. JG" said:

"Hanz Schmidt" wrote in message
...
What is the best way to clean dock lines (3-strans nylon)??

And how to make them 'softener??

Hanz

Don't bother. You'll just ruin the line. They're not that expensive to
replace compared to the cost of damage if one or more breaks.

I tend towards this answer for different reasons, though many of the
other answers are technically correct.

Most don't replace dock lines often enough. A roll of 3-strand isn't
that expensive and it's a great time to practice your marlinspike work.
(You *do* splice loops in both ends of your "home" lines so your crew
simply has to drop the lines on, don't you?)

Bob has the loops on one end. Our home lines (of which there are 14)
have the loop end on the dock with chafe protection sewn on at the
spot where the line goes through the chocks or hause holes. So when
we dome back to the dock, we pick the line up from the piling where it
had been looped as we left and bring it aboard and tie it off in the
boat.

When Bob puts lines out for visiting another marina, he puts the loop
end on the boat, runs the line out through the hawse hole, and brings
the line back over the life lines so that I can toss the end to a dock
person. Or occasionally loop the line around the piling and bring it
back aboard so that when we leave, I just have to pull the line off
the piling.

It has been suggested to him that he needs to give the loop end to the
dock person because the dock people often don't tie off correctly, but
he has not listened.

If you have loops on both ends, how do you adjust the length? When
we leave the boat, we leave it adjusted to the middle of the slip
(with spring lines) so when we come to get on the boat, we slacken the
lines on one side so that the boat can come over to the pier and we
can get on. How can you do that with loops on both ends?