No better advice than from an ole salt who been there and done it. Thanks Capt. Never to old , or smart to learn a better way. How many boaters are guilty of buying the smallest fire extinguisher that will make you legal. If you ever have a fire aboard boats usually have a larger fuel tank (s) , are made of combustible materials and an escape isn t always possible , safe or in best interest. A full size extinguisher inshore and two offshore may save your day. Please be safe and considerate to others out there. Tight lines. 😊
I would say you would be shocked how many people I see every time on the water that could use the last two videos, but you wouldn't be. Great video again guys!!!
Just thinking about hearing that noise like 💅 on a chalkboard.... ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!.... from a fiberglass boat with no bumper rubbing against the wooden dock.
I find it hard to believe that it is not an automatic procedure to always use fenders when docking, on any size boat or material it is made of. Even if leaving a foam or inflatible collar RIB for a long time.
Fenders are difficult when you have big ass pilings outside of the dock. On some boats I have used “Bang Boards” which are 2”x8” or wider boards and long enough to be hung outside of two pilings located at the widest part of the boats beam. Dock Fenders can then be secured to dock or boat and hung over the Bang Boards. I have been very lucky to be able to use a bow and stern Spring Lines to keep bow pointing into open water with the bow slightly pointing away from the dock. In bigger waves the boat rides the waves outstanding and actually tries to twist the stern Away from the dock. But, I always have and use the biggest and most Dock Fenders possible. Boats name is clearly marked on every Fender.
Great video. Not sure they teach this most places. I learned quickly on the NC/SC coast 20 years ago. Luckily no damage. Local teenage help was offered. Thinking I knew better I politely refused. A probable mistake. Cut a couple of nice lines to get my boat to float properly in the middle of the night (low tide), but learned a valuable lesson! Local knowledge is great!
I tie up a a finger pier slip all season. I also use clip on shock cords on my bow and stern lines. I place a prusik loop at two points on the line then clip each end of the shock cords to the loops. It really keeps any play in the lines to a minimum and with the prusiks you can easily adjust the tension. The long spring lines are also essential!
Quick question. I’m no expert but it seems to me that crossing the lines at the stern of the boat could potentially damage the engine or prop or the prop could straight up cut through the rope. Am I wrong? If so can someone please explain why? Edit: the cross tying method is shown at about 7:06 in the video.
Not usually, there's flex in the line and the water and the boat will move around, so it usually doesn't damage the prop or cut the line. But depending on how long the boat is in the water, and what the current, tide swing, and frequency of storms situation is, it could rub a mark on the chaps or the back of the driveshaft housing. But it's the safest way if the boat lives in the water, to keep it from hitting the dock, or getting stuck, or anything else :)
Thanks for the tips...good knowledge to have. We cut sections of pool noodles and slipped them over the lines crossing the engine, after the paint was rubbed off, unfortunately.
I am from the British Columbia, Canada coast where tides can very as much as 20 feet on a king tide. There is really no fixed docks to tie up to. They are all floating! Thank goodness
My NY neighbor sank a brand new Bayliner 21 foot cuddy at the dock. They had been drinking and forgot the 'spring lines'. The tide rose - the bowsprit moved over the dock - the tide dropped - the anchor dug in - the stern dropped - the tide came in and the boat went under. Fried wiring was just part of the rest of the story. Always look back and study your boat from the dock before you walk away. Always !
In addition be sure the rub rails on the dock or pilings are secured properly, no nails or screws pulling out, (at one point in the vid there is a rusty nail sticking out on a piling rub rail ) they can ruin the gell coat on a boat in no time, I had a bad experience at a marina with a floating dock.
It would be great if you could do a video on how to properly set up mooring whips and then the right and wrong way in which to utilize them. They are obviously something you do not see at most docks and would make great, useful knowledge for the inexperienced boaters should they encounter mooring whips at a marina.
I have been calling a clove hitch a half hitch for more years than a care to mention. I wasn't familiar with your half hitch. I would suggest some knot practice before going to the dock. You want to be proficient rather than fiddling with the ropes when you are ready to secure those lines. Others will be watching! I have been making a loop and adding clove hitches by dropping them over the top of the piling. Louisiana Inshore doesn't get large tidal ranges, so the pilings typically aren't tall. I did notice at 6:42 in the video that 300 Mercury doesn't look like there is a castle nut on the prop. It does look like there is some kind of sleeve covering the threads, so how is that prop secured? I have watched the video twice, looked all over, and I can't find what the weekly Technician Tag is. Can you give me a clue?
Excellent. Only improvement could have been naming the lines...spring line, offshore line, onshore line, stern line, forward spring, etc. Also, what type of line not to use....poly, etc.
Great tutorial. Inland/Wisconsin boater here. Can’t even imagine having to deal with big tide-level changes. Crazy. And love when I’m standing on the public or restaurant piers, offering to help tie up someone, and they “throw“ me a 4 ft. line. Or the lines are still stowed. 🙄
There is one more way to tie up a boat when docking a boat single handed. If I'm just going to be at a dock for a short time and not worrying about tides etc, I will sometimes just loop the line around the piling and bring it back to the cleat on the boat. That way I can release all the lines from the boat myself after I'm back on and ready to go.
Good stuff. After hurricane Matthew hit St Augustine, I recall seeing most of the sinkings (25 sank) at one popular marina were still tied to the docks after they sank.... It was the failure of the floating cement docks that sank the boats. The lines should of been equalized on both sides of the docks....Yes, this means you need longer lines and have to step over them at times when you need a hurricane level tie up.
Go over on the first turn of the clove hitch. You should have the load crossing the second turn, or it can ride down the pile (especially on those covered with plastic sheath)
We had short dock posts (3ft above the deck of the dock). I always made a bite with the working end over the standing end, like in the video, then slide the resulting loop over the top of the round dock post, do that two more times and you have a clove and a half. It won't pull off or slide on the pole (you can get the knot tight this way). Then when you want to remove the rope, you grab the whole thing and slide up, it will come right off the post. On round dock posts if you start your bite with the working end under the standing end, like you described the boat can pull and rotate the line on the post undoing half your hitch and loosening the line if you only did a single clove hitch. Personally I never use just a clove hitch, I'll always use at least a clove and a half, more if the top of the dock post is low enough. You can throw a clove hitch in 3 seconds on waist high posts. IMO, it's better than any other knot for mooring a small or mid sized boat.
Surprised you didn't mention the huge difference in stretch between the braid,(sometimes as low as 2%), and the 3 strand nylon, witch will typically stretch 15 to 18% under load. I much prefer the twisted nylon for that reason, that extra stretch is kinder to cleats, boats, etc.
Excellent review for me who’s been away from it all a few decades. It would have been nice to see the technique for multiple vessels’ looped to the same bollard or cleat so that each can undo their loop without undoing the others. Handy also for hanging multiple back scrubbers in the shower from a single hook. Land o’Goshen!
I remember the first time i tied my boat up out at captiva, never before have i had to deal with tides. I was so worried i was checking on my lines every few hours. I couldnt sleep lmao. I didnt want to be the guy who's boat is under the dock.
Nice tips! Question. If you tie to dock for longer than a few days, is it better to tilt outboard out of water or leave it down? Or does it really matter? Thanks
Our new docks were delivered with rings instead of cleats. It's a tight fit so I need all my lines tight or an unprotected corner may hit the dock. But the rings are loose so the tension changes enough to make it tough to control. Any tips when using rings?
Where I dock, I've put safety hand-rails on my dock poles and tie off to these. If the water rises (usually in the spring) the rope rides right up the handrail. If the water's low (windy days especially), the rope rides down the handrail, ensuring I always have enough play in my lines to compensate. It also lets me tie in tighter so I don't drift in the well. Probably the best $40 I've spent. They're also super easy to untie from, and make carrying the dock poles a cinch when we need to remove them.
At 10:13 nice nail sticking out of the piling to scratch the hell out of your boat. In that case, tie the line around the dock owner's neck and shift the throttle lever into forward.
If in doubt of tidal range ask the marina guys and many times they will if not busy take a look at your tie up . Take a look at other boats BUT don’t use boats tied up with three feet of line wrapped over cleats or just really bad looking setups they don’t know what they are doing an easy way is to see if they cleared off using a figure 8 line Wrap on a cleat and neat line set up they know how this dock and tide work . When crossing aft lines make sure it does not hang up on motors or shore power Speaking of shore power Always keep power cords Under lines if the line is under the power cord it will rip the cord out of the socket and fall a live power cable into the water if the circuit breaker does not trip you will kill anyone going into the water nearby yes it has happened ....
I tied up a 32ft Lafitte Skiff that made it through a hurricane with a 20ft storm surge. Of course I found a set of pilings that was almost 30 feet tall. I looped the ropes around the pilings and tied them back to the boat. The boat went up with up with the storm surge, then back down. It was the only boat that made it in that area.
Sometimes, with floating docks even in no wake zones, be careful how tight you tie the boat in. Since sooner or later you will have someone going too fast making wakes and your boat will be rocking and the dock rocking not in the same way.
With the growing popularity of the multi-outboard engine boats, I can see a decrease in the use of the crossover stern ties, especially with some of the custom paint jobs! The MAIN reason for that mooring method is increased leverage correct? As well as an increased range in tidal/wave swing I'm presuming. It's been more than a few years since I've been involved with more than a canoe so I'm _slowly_ recovering what I was taught by Uncle Sam!
Just go to the dollar store and get a few pool noodles and feed your stern lines through them. Keeps those engines looking good. Also taking the extra 2 minutes to throw the cowling cover on really does help with lines and the paint getting beat up by the sun.
Don't forget to have courtesy towards other boat owners by learning the simple technique of how to properly and safely keep the extra dock line out of the way and off the dock. You can do this by just simply looping the lines around the piling or the cleat, wrapping the line up in its own circle(the coil technique), or learning the daisy chain to make your tie job look nice and neat and easy to handle going in or out. Using these simple things can keep an injury or conflict from happening, as some people can be clumsy or hard to deal with.
Good advice, plus it makes the person who runs that boat look to not be a "squared away," knowledgeable, courteous, competent and well skilled boater, not a newby landlubber who doesn't know or much care about proper and courteous boating skills.
Well done thank you I very much appreciate that spent a lot of money putting in my Moorings and I left them public on purpose I have posted slack requirements and tying requests and I post failure photographs being scheuer to disguise the name of the boat I only wish either everybody heeded my warning or knew how to tie up properly. As it would save me defending myself in court.
I find it surprising that almost everyone thinks you need a half-hitch on a cleat to secure it. That is true if your lines are too short or your cleats are too small, but no crew member in the Coast Guard would get qualified if they used a half hitch. It requires that you get your hands and fingers into the line to remove it, which means you can't do it from the boat, you risk getting your fingers pinched in the line, the line can jam and even fuse together with a lot of movement, and you can't make up or undo the line while standing at a distance from the cleat. The Coast Guard requires that a line go under each horn once, followed by two figure eights, followed by two wraps around the base. This will hold in any condition without the dangers involved with a half-hitch. It might look nice and salty to recreational boaters to use a half-hitch, but the CG method is much more useful and safer with no downside.
Also Dan , the method you had mentioned Is only good for medium stay (4 hours) at the most due to the tidal cycles, but is not really suitable for overnight use as it is not considered secure in the case of someone trying to put their line on top if the remaining exposed part of the bitt, technically people who come as a secondary user to that bitt should have some decent/solid knowledge of how not to DISRUPT someone else's berthing lines but unfortunately almost any fool with a few dollars in his bank account can go out and buy some boat for a few thousand dollars and cause havoc/damage/deaths in and around the waterways....
Pro Tip: Never secure your boat with the stern facing open water or where waves or boat wakes can come from. I have seen experienced Boaters wake up in the morning to find their boat swamped! Personal Tips: Buy proper Dock Lines and longer lines than you think. I think Bow and Stern lines can be up to the length of your boat. The two Spring Lines should be more than the length of your boat. If you have two sets of bow and stern dock lines, you can be ready to approach a dock from either available side. Then you only need to place Boat Fenders on the dock side. I like my Spring Lines to have more “stretch” than the Dock Lines. They then act as shock absorbers when the waters get rough. After securing your boat just the way you want it, sit in the boat or stand on the dock and let the boat settle down and you will feel and see how well it is riding. If near open water or in tidal waters, visit your boat often to see how it is handling the changing water levels. I have been in places where the docks are submerged at high tide! Never ever trust someone else to secure your lines to your boat. Cool if they assist you in docking but You must verify all lines every time. Be well.
When coming on to a piling you can use a bowline to secure it quickly by having the bowline ready using the 'slip knot' method. This means that you have a slip knot tied far back enough form the bitter end to make it around the piling, wrap the line around the piling, and then put the bitter end through the slip knot and pull tight it, will turn over onto a bowline. This knot can be done in 2 1/2 seconds if you have a good slippery line..
It would be nice to see how you attached the two eyes on the cleat at the aft corner of the boat at the dock. And it's a common mistake to call a pile a piling. A piling is more than one pile. I know it sounds odd. You think: a pile of what?
Most of this doesn't really apply to my boat, we only have two cleats front and back. We use compensators on our ropes and don't have that high tides and most docks have rings instead of cleats.
I encountered several owners who moor with little more than “kite string” and pose hazard to other boats when their boats break free. I’ve been on the Great Lakes ten years and witnessed five boats break mooring due to worn or line capacity exceeded.
Regular floating dock tie the back first snug with a bumper and pull the bow on next , I didnt watch your video but it came up I liked it and commented, later
I am here because yesterday I expected to tie up at a floating dock but the only dock was a non-floating one. I came back and the front of my bow rail was caught under the dock from the rising tide. Luckily the boat was not crushed because the dock was so high up.
Hi, Im a new boater. I read an article of stored the boat in the water by you. I live in Puerto Rico and I have a outboard mercury optimax 200 hp. I am thinking on leaving it in the dock since I am using the boat 2 to 3 times a week. My question is ..... what should I do to take care of my boat leaving it in the dock? It is really bad to leave the boat in the dock for moths?? (I will be continuously using it at least 4 times per month) (caribbean sea)
Should be ok if you are going to use it that often. I'd pay attention for storm warnings and change plans doing something to make my boat more secure until the storm passes.
My favorite is watching people tie off their boats where the rope is only 16in long with a touch of slack and saying it's ok because the line stretches. I've seen a lot of cleats ripped off around here when the wind starts up and the waves rock the boats.
I have had to replace my rub rail due to the up-and-down movement of the boat against vertical dock fenders like the ones in this video. How do I prevent that from happening? I noticed that you didn't use any fenders to address this.
John, vertical fenders are always going to be tough on rub rails if this is a permanent dock for your boat. Generally vertical fenders should only be used for short tie up.
@@JohnJohn-wr1jo That's where it got damaged - while at lunch for less than an hour. Of course, it was in the ICW, with lots of boats doing by. But I think I've found a solution: tie my own fenders horizontally to the dock fenders to keep the rub rail from even touching the vertical dock fenders.
I should add also make sure that the rope you used to tie it to the dock it’s up to the task because if you buy a dock rope from Walmart, you’re going to have to fix it
One thing you forgot to mention when setting your lines for the season, The best time to set your lines if you are in tidal Waters Would be at either full high or full low tide! If you are setting your lines during low tide all you have to do is make sure you have enough slack so the boat is not hanging, And if it is High tide Make sure to move your boat in all directions without hitting the dock or any of the pilings! Also don’t forget to check your lines during a full moon due the tides being higher and lower!
"enough slack so boat isn't hanging at max low tide" - (parsed) and I realize you also include of course, so that fore-aft lines won't allow trapping motor or boat down when tide rises. But I'll bet you some non diligent boater will drown his boat that way. Sternfirst.
Can you please do a video on how to repair a hose that is impossible to access lol. I have a 1901 century with a port side scupper hose leaking, its literally impossible to reach
In my opinion, never have the fixed loop on the boat: 1) don't leave a mess on the dock that is a hazard for other people, 2) so not to have to cut line in the event you need adjusting and can't reach the far end in adverse weather, 3) with all running ends on the boat, all adjusting can be made from boat. If possible never have multiple lines on the same cleats. Except for very small boats try to have lines work in unison so that the boat never "hangs" on a single line. Use proper line that stretch to absorb shocks. For permanent lines (left on the dock), I suggest non-floating line (so if kicked off the hanger will drop straight down and not mess with the props) - for temporary lines, I prefer floating lines; a dropped line can be easily recovered.
Learn tons of Tricks & Skills like this with Step-by-Step courses @ BornAgainBoating.com
As far as mooring to pilón, would be best to go from the cleat to around the pilón then back to the cleat with figure 8's. Usn ⚓
Should be required viewing for every boater, great simple instructions!
No better advice than from an ole salt who been there and done it. Thanks Capt. Never to old , or smart to learn a better way. How many boaters are guilty of buying the smallest fire extinguisher that will make you legal. If you ever have a fire aboard boats usually have a larger fuel tank (s) , are made of combustible materials and an escape isn t always possible , safe or in best interest. A full size extinguisher inshore and two offshore may save your day.
Please be safe and considerate to others out there. Tight lines.
😊
I would say you would be shocked how many people I see every time on the water that could use the last two videos, but you wouldn't be. Great video again guys!!!
No fender? I always put them between the dock and the boat. Just to prevent damage from the waves caused by the wind or some boat.
Just thinking about hearing that noise like 💅 on a chalkboard.... ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!.... from a fiberglass boat with no bumper rubbing against the wooden dock.
I find it hard to believe that it is not an automatic procedure to always use fenders when docking, on any size boat or material it is made of. Even if leaving a foam or inflatible collar RIB for a long time.
Fenders are difficult when you have big ass pilings outside of the dock. On some boats I have used “Bang Boards” which are 2”x8” or wider boards and long enough to be hung outside of two pilings located at the widest part of the boats beam. Dock Fenders can then be secured to dock or boat and hung over the Bang Boards.
I have been very lucky to be able to use a bow and stern Spring Lines to keep bow pointing into open water with the bow slightly pointing away from the dock. In bigger waves the boat rides the waves outstanding and actually tries to twist the stern Away from the dock.
But, I always have and use the biggest and most Dock Fenders possible. Boats name is clearly marked on every Fender.
Man i don't even have a boat, but your channel is very interesting. Great videos
To slide the lines, even very short ones, up and down the poles the portion of the rope in contact with the pole is covered with a rubber tube.
Great video. Not sure they teach this most places. I learned quickly on the NC/SC coast 20 years ago. Luckily no damage. Local teenage help was offered. Thinking I knew better I politely refused. A probable mistake. Cut a couple of nice lines to get my boat to float properly in the middle of the night (low tide), but learned a valuable lesson! Local knowledge is great!
We run the line around the pilings and tie off both ends at the boat cleats. Sometimes using a spring line.
I tie up a a finger pier slip all season. I also use clip on shock cords on my bow and stern lines. I place a prusik loop at two points on the line then clip each end of the shock cords to the loops. It really keeps any play in the lines to a minimum and with the prusiks you can easily adjust the tension. The long spring lines are also essential!
Got any pictures of your setup?
Quick question. I’m no expert but it seems to me that crossing the lines at the stern of the boat could potentially damage the engine or prop or the prop could straight up cut through the rope. Am I wrong? If so can someone please explain why?
Edit: the cross tying method is shown at about 7:06 in the video.
Not usually, there's flex in the line and the water and the boat will move around, so it usually doesn't damage the prop or cut the line. But depending on how long the boat is in the water, and what the current, tide swing, and frequency of storms situation is, it could rub a mark on the chaps or the back of the driveshaft housing.
But it's the safest way if the boat lives in the water, to keep it from hitting the dock, or getting stuck, or anything else :)
Thanks for the tips...good knowledge to have. We cut sections of pool noodles and slipped them over the lines crossing the engine, after the paint was rubbed off, unfortunately.
I am from the British Columbia, Canada coast where tides can very as much as 20 feet on a king tide. There is really no fixed docks to tie up to. They are all floating! Thank goodness
Great video. A must for every boater.
My NY neighbor sank a brand new Bayliner 21 foot cuddy at the dock. They had been drinking and forgot the 'spring lines'. The tide rose - the bowsprit moved over the dock - the tide dropped - the anchor dug in - the stern dropped - the tide came in and the boat went under. Fried wiring was just part of the rest of the story. Always look back and study your boat from the dock before you walk away. Always !
good video, this is exactly what the old guy taught me.
we have a bulkhead to put in and haul out, tie boats all day.
Your cut-away clips are the best ! Very nice editing and videography ! Oh yea, the content is tops too....
In addition be sure the rub rails on the dock or pilings are secured properly, no nails or screws pulling out, (at one point in the vid there is a rusty nail sticking out on a piling rub rail ) they can ruin the gell coat on a boat in no time, I had a bad experience at a marina with a floating dock.
Saw that nail and had heart palpitations
It would be great if you could do a video on how to properly set up mooring whips and then the right and wrong way in which to utilize them. They are obviously something you do not see at most docks and would make great, useful knowledge for the inexperienced boaters should they encounter mooring whips at a marina.
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I have been calling a clove hitch a half hitch for more years than a care to mention. I wasn't familiar with your half hitch. I would suggest some knot practice before going to the dock. You want to be proficient rather than fiddling with the ropes when you are ready to secure those lines. Others will be watching! I have been making a loop and adding clove hitches by dropping them over the top of the piling. Louisiana Inshore doesn't get large tidal ranges, so the pilings typically aren't tall. I did notice at 6:42 in the video that 300 Mercury doesn't look like there is a castle nut on the prop. It does look like there is some kind of sleeve covering the threads, so how is that prop secured? I have watched the video twice, looked all over, and I can't find what the weekly Technician Tag is. Can you give me a clue?
Been there done that. Fixed dock fixed line wet boat. Luckily we had a tractor to retrieve it
Great video 👍🇦🇺
Thanks for this great video. Been boating my whole life but learned alot
I just tie off to the boat next to me and drop anchor. Worked for years
Excellent. Only improvement could have been naming the lines...spring line, offshore line, onshore line, stern line, forward spring, etc. Also, what type of line not to use....poly, etc.
Polyester?
Great tutorial. Inland/Wisconsin boater here. Can’t even imagine having to deal with big tide-level changes. Crazy. And love when I’m standing on the public or restaurant piers, offering to help tie up someone, and they “throw“ me a 4 ft. line. Or the lines are still stowed. 🙄
There is one more way to tie up a boat when docking a boat single handed. If I'm just going to be at a dock for a short time and not worrying about tides etc, I will sometimes just loop the line around the piling and bring it back to the cleat on the boat. That way I can release all the lines from the boat myself after I'm back on and ready to go.
Exactly consistent with the CG way comment made earlier, safer releasing from the boat without having to reach for the dock.
Yep, just makes sense
Good stuff.
After hurricane Matthew hit St Augustine, I recall seeing most of the sinkings (25 sank) at one popular marina were still tied to the docks after they sank.... It was the failure of the floating cement docks that sank the boats. The lines should of been equalized on both sides of the docks....Yes, this means you need longer lines and have to step over them at times when you need a hurricane level tie up.
Go over on the first turn of the clove hitch.
You should have the load crossing the second turn, or it can ride down the pile (especially on those covered with plastic sheath)
We had short dock posts (3ft above the deck of the dock). I always made a bite with the working end over the standing end, like in the video, then slide the resulting loop over the top of the round dock post, do that two more times and you have a clove and a half. It won't pull off or slide on the pole (you can get the knot tight this way). Then when you want to remove the rope, you grab the whole thing and slide up, it will come right off the post.
On round dock posts if you start your bite with the working end under the standing end, like you described the boat can pull and rotate the line on the post undoing half your hitch and loosening the line if you only did a single clove hitch.
Personally I never use just a clove hitch, I'll always use at least a clove and a half, more if the top of the dock post is low enough. You can throw a clove hitch in 3 seconds on waist high posts. IMO, it's better than any other knot for mooring a small or mid sized boat.
Excellent video. Thank you for all the great info.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great videos! They are clear and very easy to learn.
Thank you
Glad to hear that!
Surprised you didn't mention the huge difference in stretch between the braid,(sometimes as low as 2%), and the 3 strand nylon, witch will typically stretch 15 to 18% under load. I much prefer the twisted nylon for that reason, that extra stretch is kinder to cleats, boats, etc.
Excellent review for me who’s been away from it all a few decades. It would have been nice to see the technique for multiple vessels’ looped to the same bollard or cleat so that each can undo their loop without undoing the others. Handy also for hanging multiple back scrubbers in the shower from a single hook. Land o’Goshen!
Tuesday!! We need a full walk threw video of the ocean master!!!! That boat is soo sweet. I love the open plan.
I remember the first time i tied my boat up out at captiva, never before have i had to deal with tides. I was so worried i was checking on my lines every few hours. I couldnt sleep lmao. I didnt want to be the guy who's boat is under the dock.
When I need a slack line a hang a weight center line to act as a suspension
Gotta have spring lines ! 😊
Ive never seen that many dock whips in my life in that one shot
Nice tips! Question. If you tie to dock for longer than a few days, is it better to tilt outboard out of water or leave it down? Or does it really matter? Thanks
Tilt the outboard up to avoid algae growth, etc. The algae will only grow on the skeg underneath the L.U Gearcase
instead of the whole lower unit and props
@@dresynculmer692 Makes since! Thank you.
No fender --- use an life jacket type 1 or 2 even throw coushing
Or use the wife panties made from lace to reduce rubbing against the outboard engine cowling.
I recognize that Classic Mako 254. Glad it's still around.
Excellent info as always, thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Our new docks were delivered with rings instead of cleats. It's a tight fit so I need all my lines tight or an unprotected corner may hit the dock. But the rings are loose so the tension changes enough to make it tough to control. Any tips when using rings?
Where I dock, I've put safety hand-rails on my dock poles and tie off to these. If the water rises (usually in the spring) the rope rides right up the handrail. If the water's low (windy days especially), the rope rides down the handrail, ensuring I always have enough play in my lines to compensate. It also lets me tie in tighter so I don't drift in the well. Probably the best $40 I've spent. They're also super easy to untie from, and make carrying the dock poles a cinch when we need to remove them.
At 10:13 nice nail sticking out of the piling to scratch the hell out of your boat.
In that case, tie the line around the dock owner's neck and shift the throttle lever into forward.
Agreed, I was going to say the only tip he missed was to carry a hammer on board to knock those nails in.
Love the content in your videos!!! Keep up the Awesome work you all are doing!!!
Thank you! Will do!
If in doubt of tidal range ask the marina guys and many times they will if not busy take a look at your tie up . Take a look at other boats BUT don’t use boats tied up with three feet of line wrapped over cleats or just really bad looking setups they don’t know what they are doing an easy way is to see if they cleared off using a figure 8 line Wrap on a cleat and neat line set up they know how this dock and tide work .
When crossing aft lines make sure it does not hang up on motors or shore power Speaking of shore power Always keep power cords Under lines if the line is under the power cord it will rip the cord out of the socket and fall a live power cable into the water if the circuit breaker does not trip you will kill anyone going into the water nearby yes it has happened ....
I tied up a 32ft Lafitte Skiff that made it through a hurricane with a 20ft storm surge. Of course I found a set of pilings that was almost 30 feet tall. I looped the ropes around the pilings and tied them back to the boat. The boat went up with up with the storm surge, then back down. It was the only boat that made it in that area.
Sometimes, with floating docks even in no wake zones, be careful how tight you tie the boat in. Since sooner or later you will have someone going too fast making wakes and your boat will be rocking and the dock rocking not in the same way.
15 miles into Everglades, 10,000 Island Region, canoe not properly tied, next morning..
Upside down canoe. This video is important.
The mooring platform which DOES NOT rise and fall with the tide is called a PIER .
Thanks I am now running a 24ft toon set up for night catfish, my buddies have no idea, the ropes and steering
With the growing popularity of the multi-outboard engine boats, I can see a decrease in the use of the crossover stern ties, especially with some of the custom paint jobs! The MAIN reason for that mooring method is increased leverage correct? As well as an increased range in tidal/wave swing I'm presuming. It's been more than a few years since I've been involved with more than a canoe so I'm _slowly_ recovering what I was taught by Uncle Sam!
Just go to the dollar store and get a few pool noodles and feed your stern lines through them. Keeps those engines looking good. Also taking the extra 2 minutes to throw the cowling cover on really does help with lines and the paint getting beat up by the sun.
Don't forget to have courtesy towards other boat owners by learning the simple technique of how to properly and safely keep the extra dock line out of the way and off the dock. You can do this by just simply looping the lines around the piling or the cleat, wrapping the line up in its own circle(the coil technique), or learning the daisy chain to make your tie job look nice and neat and easy to handle going in or out. Using these simple things can keep an injury or conflict from happening, as some people can be clumsy or hard to deal with.
Good advice, plus it makes the person who runs that boat look to not be a "squared away," knowledgeable, courteous, competent and well skilled boater, not a newby landlubber who doesn't know or much care about proper and courteous boating skills.
Been boating my entire life. Never knew how to properly tie up. Never lost a boat though so.....
Well done thank you I very much appreciate that spent a lot of money putting in my Moorings and I left them public on purpose I have posted slack requirements and tying requests and I post failure photographs being scheuer to disguise the name of the boat I only wish either everybody heeded my warning or knew how to tie up properly. As it would save me defending myself in court.
I find it surprising that almost everyone thinks you need a half-hitch on a cleat to secure it. That is true if your lines are too short or your cleats are too small, but no crew member in the Coast Guard would get qualified if they used a half hitch. It requires that you get your hands and fingers into the line to remove it, which means you can't do it from the boat, you risk getting your fingers pinched in the line, the line can jam and even fuse together with a lot of movement, and you can't make up or undo the line while standing at a distance from the cleat. The Coast Guard requires that a line go under each horn once, followed by two figure eights, followed by two wraps around the base. This will hold in any condition without the dangers involved with a half-hitch. It might look nice and salty to recreational boaters to use a half-hitch, but the CG method is much more useful and safer with no downside.
Also Dan , the method you had mentioned Is only good for medium stay (4 hours) at the most due to the tidal cycles, but is not really suitable for overnight use as it is not considered secure in the case of someone trying to put their line on top if the remaining exposed part of the bitt, technically people who come as a secondary user to that bitt should have some decent/solid knowledge of how not to DISRUPT someone else's berthing lines but unfortunately almost any fool with a few dollars in his bank account can go out and buy some boat for a few thousand dollars and cause havoc/damage/deaths in and around the waterways....
Pro Tip: Never secure your boat with the stern facing open water or where waves or boat wakes can come from. I have seen experienced Boaters wake up in the morning to find their boat swamped!
Personal Tips:
Buy proper Dock Lines and longer lines than you think. I think Bow and Stern lines can be up to the length of your boat. The two Spring Lines should be more than the length of your boat.
If you have two sets of bow and stern dock lines, you can be ready to approach a dock from either available side. Then you only need to place Boat Fenders on the dock side.
I like my Spring Lines to have more “stretch” than the Dock Lines. They then act as shock absorbers when the waters get rough.
After securing your boat just the way you want it, sit in the boat or stand on the dock and let the boat settle down and you will feel and see how well it is riding.
If near open water or in tidal waters, visit your boat often to see how it is handling the changing water levels. I have been in places where the docks are submerged at high tide!
Never ever trust someone else to secure your lines to your boat. Cool if they assist you in docking but You must verify all lines every time.
Be well.
Where was that tide sequence (3:50)filmed
That tide time lapse is from a lovely little spot in my home province Hall's Harbour Nova Scotia
Very helpful, thank you!
I didn't know fixed docks were so common in some places, crazy! Out west here I never see em
Yes never, because the tide fluctuates way to much
When coming on to a piling you can use a bowline to secure it quickly by having the bowline ready using the 'slip knot' method. This means that you have a slip knot tied far back enough form the bitter end to make it around the piling, wrap the line around the piling, and then put the bitter end through the slip knot and pull tight it, will turn over onto a bowline. This knot can be done in 2 1/2 seconds if you have a good slippery line..
How do you prevent the crossed stern lines from rubbing on the outboard cowlings
I now realize I've never put enough thought into tying up my boat. Never lost one though.
It would be nice to see how you attached the two eyes on the cleat at the aft corner of the boat at the dock. And it's a common mistake to call a pile a piling. A piling is more than one pile. I know it sounds odd. You think: a pile of what?
Long lines keep your boat safe. Never use short lines.
Use spring line if possible.
Most of this doesn't really apply to my boat, we only have two cleats front and back. We use compensators on our ropes and don't have that high tides and most docks have rings instead of cleats.
Excellent info, thank you
Thanks for another informative video. 😎🌴👍
Any time!
I encountered several owners who moor with little more than “kite string” and pose hazard to other boats when their boats break free. I’ve been on the Great Lakes ten years and witnessed five boats break mooring due to worn or line capacity exceeded.
Regular floating dock tie the back first snug with a bumper and pull the bow on next , I didnt watch your video but it came up I liked it and commented, later
Thanks for the content, another informative video.
Our pleasure!
I am here because yesterday I expected to tie up at a floating dock but the only dock was a non-floating one. I came back and the front of my bow rail was caught under the dock from the rising tide. Luckily the boat was not crushed because the dock was so high up.
Always great content! Question. What is the etiquette for tying up to a cleat with a line already on it?
Always seems easier said than done 🙂
Hi, Im a new boater.
I read an article of stored the boat in the water by you. I live in Puerto Rico and I have a outboard mercury optimax 200 hp. I am thinking on leaving it in the dock since I am using the boat 2 to 3 times a week. My question is ..... what should I do to take care of my boat leaving it in the dock? It is really bad to leave the boat in the dock for moths?? (I will be continuously using it at least 4 times per month) (caribbean sea)
Should be ok if you are going to use it that often. I'd pay attention for storm warnings and change plans doing something to make my boat more secure until the storm passes.
Great address of "slack".
People don't seem to know that lines have a stretch rating.
My favorite is watching people tie off their boats where the rope is only 16in long with a touch of slack and saying it's ok because the line stretches. I've seen a lot of cleats ripped off around here when the wind starts up and the waves rock the boats.
That tide swing was crazy
I'm so glad I'm a freshwater guy no tide to worry about here.
I have had to replace my rub rail due to the up-and-down movement of the boat against vertical dock fenders like the ones in this video. How do I prevent that from happening? I noticed that you didn't use any fenders to address this.
John, vertical fenders are always going to be tough on rub rails if this is a permanent dock for your boat. Generally vertical fenders should only be used for short tie up.
@@JohnJohn-wr1jo That's where it got damaged - while at lunch for less than an hour. Of course, it was in the ICW, with lots of boats doing by. But I think I've found a solution: tie my own fenders horizontally to the dock fenders to keep the rub rail from even touching the vertical dock fenders.
@@johnlewis6418 or invest in flat fenders/fender-boards
It seems everyone ties their boat too tight. Give the boat at least a foot of 'space' between it and the dock. I give it 16". Voila.
Do these tips count for a Jon Boat?
I should add also make sure that the rope you used to tie it to the dock it’s up to the task because if you buy a dock rope from Walmart, you’re going to have to fix it
Great tips 👍🏽
Good info thanks
You bet
That is an insane tide swing.
Awesome video for a boat rookie like me.
One thing you forgot to mention when setting your lines for the season, The best time to set your lines if you are in tidal Waters Would be at either full high or full low tide! If you are setting your lines during low tide all you have to do is make sure you have enough slack so the boat is not hanging, And if it is High tide Make sure to move your boat in all directions without hitting the dock or any of the pilings! Also don’t forget to check your lines during a full moon due the tides being higher and lower!
Plus you get BETTER VISION during the full moon.
"enough slack so boat isn't hanging at max low tide" - (parsed)
and I realize you also include of course, so that fore-aft lines won't allow trapping motor or boat down when tide rises.
But I'll bet you some non diligent boater will drown his boat that way. Sternfirst.
Hey what do u think about Johnson ocean runner 150hp 2 stroke 1998?
Are they good engine?
Another informative vid. Thanks
Can you please do a video on how to repair a hose that is impossible to access lol. I have a 1901 century with a port side scupper hose leaking, its literally impossible to reach
Loops are dangerous. All should be cut off. Cleat at both ends for total dock line contròl
certainly on the boat
Great video and education!🌬🌨🌨🌨🌨⛄️⛄️⛄️⛄️❄️☃️
Thank you 🤗
Thank you
praise the lord. execellant presentation high regards.
You said "use long lines" but didn't define what a long line is. Is that 15' or 25'?
what is that boat @7:04 i want it
Very useful thanks
Welcome 😊
In my opinion, never have the fixed loop on the boat: 1) don't leave a mess on the dock that is a hazard for other people, 2) so not to have to cut line in the event you need adjusting and can't reach the far end in adverse weather, 3) with all running ends on the boat, all adjusting can be made from boat. If possible never have multiple lines on the same cleats. Except for very small boats try to have lines work in unison so that the boat never "hangs" on a single line. Use proper line that stretch to absorb shocks. For permanent lines (left on the dock), I suggest non-floating line (so if kicked off the hanger will drop straight down and not mess with the props) - for temporary lines, I prefer floating lines; a dropped line can be easily recovered.
good video thanks 🤠
And also don’t forget your bumpers that will keep your boat in pristine condition😮