Those recommendatins aren't far apart. West would recommed
3/8" to 27'. The other site to 25'. You have a 28' (I'd guess from
the model number). Those differences are in the noise level.

Me, I use 3/8" to tie up a 17' Boston Whaler for the five minutes it
takes me to park the truck. But I've seen people using 1/2" on 14'
inflatables.


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.