Dock Lines
Our dock lines are handmade in Bellingham, WA from high-quality 3-strand and premium double braid nylon rope. You can choose from our pre-made, stocked lines (we make these in the off-season) for quick shipping, or you can choose our made-to-order option to customize your lines. Custom lines ship in 3 - 5 business days depending on the time of the year. Stocked lines are available in popular sizes and lengths and in made-to-order lines you can select diameter, length, soft eye size, chafe sleeves and trim colors.
3 Strand
3 strand, or twisted, rope is ideal for dock lines, especially for those permanent winter lines you don't have to handle frequently. Nylon rope is inherently elastic, but 3-strand nylon is almost 50% more elastic than its double-braided cousin. While not quite as strong as braided line, it's plenty strong to handle dock loads. 3 strand is also about half the price of braided line and is relatively abrasion and UV resistant but it gets stiff and rough on the hands over time. These properties make it great for winter lines and you can keep your nice braided ones for the summer season when you're on the move.Double Braid
Double braid nylon line is not as elastic as 3 strand nylon but it's 10% - 15% stronger. It doesn't hockle like 3 strand and it's easy on the hands, even after prolonged exposure to the elements. Dock lines made from double braid nylon are ideal for transient summer lines when you're handling them frequently.Sizing Dock Lines
Diameter
Rule of thumb: 1/8" of diameter for every ~9' in boat length erring on the high side (see table). Oftentimes, folks size up one diameter for their permanent winter lines, but a better strategy would be to use the proper size lines and double up for redundancy. Example: Purchase longer bow and stern lines. Run the line from deck-to-dock, cleat hitch it, then run it back to the deck. The line returning to the deck should be cleated somewhat slack compared to the dock-to-deck segment. Sizing up in diameter reduces the elasticity and can stress the deck hardware and crack gelcoat.
Boat Length | |||||
10' - 26' | 26' - 35' | 36' - 45' | 45' - 55' | 55' - 70' | |
Diameter | 3/8" | 1/2" | 5/8" | 3/4" | 1" |
Length
Bow & Stern Lines - There are 2 schools of thought on length: 1 1/2 to 2 times the beam (shorter), or 1/2 to 2/3's the length of the boat (longer)
Spring Lines - Roughly equal to overall length of the boat
Feature Considerations
Soft eye size (loop for the boat cleat) - Cleat sizes grow with vessel length, so the industry standard 12" soft eye may not work on larger vessels. Soft eyes should easily fit over cleat horns with 2" - 3" to spare on both sides. Common soft eye sizes for given diameters:
Line Diameter | Soft Eye Size |
3/8" | 12" |
1/2" | 12" |
5/8" | 12" - 18" |
3/4" | 18" - 24" |
1" | 18" - 24"+ |
Chafe - Regarding chafe protection, summer and winter lines may need to be treated differently, especially if your boat is moored in an area that's subject to severe storms. There are 3 chafe points to consider:
- Deck cleat - Most vessels have polished stainless steel cleats, bitts or posts, and, while some rubbing occurs, the polished surface generally reduces friction and snagging. Chafe spliced into the eye might not be necessary unless you have an older boat where hardware is rough and pitted. This option should be considered for winter lines.
- Chock, hawse or rubrail - Chafe protection should be used where the line rubs the deck for all winter lines. Summer lines generally don't need protection here.
- Dock cleat - Most dock cleats are cast steel that's been galvanized. There's 2 problems here: surface finish and slag remnants from casting. The finish on galvanized metal is inherently less smooth than polished stainless steel so it has a higher coefficient of friction. As "galvy" cleats age, surface corrosion increases the friction. Further, dock cleats are usually cast so there's frequently a slag line from the mold and it's usually underneath the horns. We've seen many a line destroyed from slag, especially those made from double braid. On winter lines, chafe should be used on dock cleats. If you don't use it on your nice summer lines, you might keep a couple of pieces of chafe on the boat just in case.
Whipping - Whipping prevents the bitter end from fraying. We melt and dip the bitter end so whipping would be an aesthetical add-on. Customers frequently use whipping to color code lines for identification.
Care
Inspect your lines annually for fraying, chafe and dry rot; replace the lines if you feel the integrity of the line is compromised. If your boat stays in the slip over the winter season, replace the lines every 3 - 5 years regardless as UV reduces the strength of the lines over time.
We recommend washing your lines annually in warm water with a mild detergent like Woolite or one made specifically for synthetic rope. For top loading machines, you might try putting your lines in an old pillow case to prevent fouling on the agitator, however, you might have to wash them twice using this method. They can be thrown loose into a front loading machine. Air dry. If lines are stiff after washing, consider replacing them.