You don't want to tie off to the dock hard enough to prevent rolling.
You'll break something.

Get a couple pieces 3/4 inch plywood 2 to 4 feet square (depending on
size of boat) and embalm in epxoy. Drill holes and make a bridle for
four lengths of rope coming together so that the sheets are held flat
when suspended by a single rope. Attach a heavy weight to one side of
each plate. Then weight the opposite side so that it just barely
sinks level when lowered into the water.

Tie one of these to amidships cleat on each side. When the boat
rolls, the weight heavily weighted side will let the plywood tip and
sink easily. It will then be pulled flat on the return roll. With
one on each side, there will be enormous roll damping. The weights
should be heavy enough that you can just lower them to the bottom and
tie the ropes off when leaving the slip.

One of these bow and stern will also damp pitching. A refinement is to
incorporate those dockline snubbers into the side of the bridle
opposite the heavy weight to soften any slight shock.

--

Roger Long

On Sat, 12 Nov 2005 16:40:01 -0500, "Joe Grassi" wrote:

Oh hehe, why didnt u say so in that case ya like what you said would work
with like pivots

I keep off the beach that way, by staking down a gang plank. The boat floats
in about a foot of water, saving the bottom from rubbing against the sand and
rocks for days at a time. But that's hitting the rear end of the boat, and these
waves are hitting the starboard side. Then again, the gang plank is staked in
sand but this would be steel to steel.

but also what you could do is why not just some good ol
wire rope, measure what u need to make it nice and tight and get some loops
of wire rope made put them on crank it down and ur set it wont come loose
and there is nothing to worry about...

Maybe wire rope and springs. That's what I'm thinking about right now, but
haven't found the right ones yet. Maybe 150 pound springs about 6" long
on the wave side, and maybe on both sides, with wire rope to attach it.

Or the other thing u could do is get
two cheap winches from Harbor Freight install them on the deck of your house
boat and have a loop in the end of the wire rope and put them over the
cleats at the pier and winch your self nice and tight to the pier and u
could do the same for where ever your house boat travels take u.

Joe

It seems like that might cause something(s) to break.