I have an unusual (I think) docking situation. Because of the very awkward
inside corner slot I'm in, and because my the forward pilings are beyond the
length of my boat, I find that all 4 docking lines must be at a precise
length to avoid damage at multiple points. If my stern lines are too long,
my bow may hit my neighbor's boats (my port side neighbor is parallel to me,
starboard is perpendicular). If my bow lines are too long, my outboard
motor will hit the dock. The docks do not float; so if any of the lines are
too short, I risk damaging either my boat or the dock in exceptional tides.
After hours of watching and adjusting, I have the lines set to the right
lengths for average tidal changes (i.e., my boat is horizontally centered by
the four lines, with just enough slack to allow for normal tides). Quite
literally, these lines cannot be changed more than a few inches from current
lengths.
I am, however, concerned about those exceptional tides. I am wondering if
anyone has seen/heard of a spring-device that could be installed in-line, so
that the working length of a line does not change unless a certain force is
brought to bear upon it (i.e., the wind won't stretch the spring but the
weight of the boat will). In effect, this would give me a fixed line length
for normal situations, but the springs would stretch before ripping out
cleats., etc.
I don't know if anyone has the answer, but I know I'm sure to get a few
bruises/laughs!
Thanks in advance.
Scout