Tying up

Generally a professional will always put the loops on the dock and keep the bitter end on the boat so you always maintain control of the lines from the boat. Also for adjusting at night. The only time it's reversed is if that is the boat's permanent slip and the lines are left on the dock when you go out for the day so you don't have to adjust them everytime you come in.

Most boats have the set they leave on the dock, and they also have a travelling set. And, if you go on a long trip you bring both sets.....

Dock lines stay at the dock.

Boat lines stay with the boat.

It's only an extra set, cost wise

and saves a lot of energy while docking

at your more permanent dock,

especially if windy and busy.

This works for the average size boat.

Obviously, the megas do otherwise.

Helpers always help the situation.

I shall try this tomorrow! I like the practical idea of adjusting from on deck vs. on dock.
Not sure I like all the extra line hanging form the various stanchions or coiled on deck? This seems like a tripping hazard and certainly gets in the way of the boat washers, no?

But I will try it just the same. My wife prefers mooring line that are all the length of the boat so we end up with lots of bitter end tails.

Backing into the slip puts us on starboard tie up. We do a starboard bow line, starboard and port stern line, and a fore and aft spring line to starboard.

Every docking situation is different, so be prepared for all. I spliced 3' loops into my lines so they can easily go over most pilings. I don't like the push-through loops that many use as the line can jam. I also will generally put the loop end on the boat and send the bitter end to the dock. Going the other way does create a tripping hazzard on the deck and also leaves a dirt circle on your deck, or you have lines hanging from your rails which leaves you looking like a sailboat or tug. The main reason I do this however is that, you'll often find a closed end pipe or such to tie to, and the dockhand may not know what to do, or some docks just have a short post that a loop can easily slip off. Every dockhand knows how to do a cleat knot or clove hitch.
Now on large yachts which only go into large docks things are reversed. Then it's generally the loop end going to the dock.

As for which line to put on first when entering a slip, again every docking stiuation is different. If I come into a slip with a strong cross current or wind I'll want to get on an aft-spring first my stern doesn't slide into my neighbor's boat. If the wind/current are coming out of the slip I want my stern lines set first. Wind/current into the slip? Forward running springs.

I agree with keeping one set of lines set on your home dock, and a 2nd for travel. If you're on a floating dock life is easy. Set all lines tight. Tide doesn't matter. On a fixed dock where you're dealing with tide (assuming you're docked stern-to) I'll set my home lines at a mid-level. Then I'll adjust forward running springs at high tide so the boat won't bang the dock. I'll adjust my aft running springs at low tide so the boat doesn't hang up.

Depending on the size of your boat, what I find convenient for home lines is using a single line on each side running from the dock to an eye tied in for the aft cleat, then to a clove hitch at the piling, and then down to the bow where I'll make a bowline loop. I'll generally suppliment these with a pair of aft springs when I'm away from the boat in case high winds hit.

I like having lines made up with eyes two or three times larger than stock. When we stopped cruising full time and were coming back to a home dock (floating), we kept the lines on board; and in the case of the key spring line, left it rigged on the boat. That way if there was no one at the dock to help, we could just drop that line on its dock cleat. A 56MY Hatteras has a lot of freeboard so getting lines set can be tricky with no shoreside assitance on a floating dock. The boat (we were set up to go bow in) could be kept tight to the dock with on engine in gear in idle, and someone could then get off and take the bow and stern lines.

You never know what sort of help you are going to get from those on the dock. So when cruising we always preferred passing the eyes and telling whomever what cleat to put them on and do the adjusting ourselves.

When working or docking a big boat, with 3 or 4 people on lines, we always sent the loop to the dock so that the crew could adjust lines as we were docking. On smaller boats (53 carver) I am always docked at home starboard to. Springs stay on the dock cleated, so that I can just slip the loop over the cleat on the boat. Bow and stern come with me. However since I am always the only person crewing, I have to dock and tie up by myself, so there is no good way to tie the bow unless you have the bow line coiled on the boat, and the same for the stern. We always keep a second set on the boat.

This is what I have found works best for me. If I had someone else to help me dock, I would think about changing that, but solo on a boat that size it is the only efficient way to do it. Also, when casting off it allows me to free the bow and stern, then shift the boat forward and aft to take off the springs while being beside the starboard companionway door so I can run up to the fly bridge to leave the marina.

Perlmudder -And then there was the oddball cluster at Portage Landing!!! Putting 145' of boat on 50' of dock, utilizing really long lines and dolphin pilings all over the place.
Happy birthday, by the way

Pascal, I'm curious about your comment.
" Another sign that screams "amateur hour, stay clear" are guys who back into a slip and first secure the bow lines (or stern lines) before the springs..."

IMO I think a prudent skipper should do what best suits his needs/practices when using his home slip. When using a transient slip, it could make a big difference.

We put the spliced loop on our two bow and two forward spring "home" lines at the pile, and then adjusted those for length by adding another loop for the boat cleat using a bowline. It was more work to adjust for length with the running end on the pile...

OTOH our two aft springs have the spliced loops on the boat cleat, and we did the adjustments with the running end at the pile... mostly because those piles are much easier to reach. We don't actually need aft springs most of the time, but it's handy storage and I can quickly temporarily repurpose these to forward running springs (to a cleat in the cockpit) when returning single-handed and stern-to our slip. Usually, once I have one of these on, I'm docked. If wind or current is moving me out of the slip, I can use the as a normal aft spring instead, and I'm docked.

Stern lines are usually spliced loop on the boat, running end on the dock, crossed... but this is due to a special circumstance because of the way our transom dinghy mount works. When the dinghy and most of its mount isn't onboard, we change so the spliced loop is on the boat and the length adjustments are at the dock cleat.

And then we have a full set of traveling lines... where the situation rules the day. Usually it's a spring line on first, then whatever... Most often that means spliced loops on the boat, with lines around piles or cleats and back to the boat.

-Chris

Dockings can be almost as amusing as boat ramps. I find that one of the sure signs that entertainment is coming is when I see a wife on the bow with a boathook in hand.

You are right, and last year I used a camera at one such event, but can not show it in public I am afraid. But I can tell that after the lady was launched, the captain took a big lap around the bay before he returned to the wet wife at the dock...

ROFLMAO. Were it my wife I'd need to find another bay...one a long, long ways away.

Yep, having the wife and kids help usually adds to the chance of it going pear shaped.

We used to fish a lot, so I got pretty handy at getting in and out of the berth (twin diesels, no bow thruster). A case of fenders out, being gentle with the sticks when its calm, and confident when there is a cross wind, plus one or two guys to tie off quickly. In a strong breeze, as long as you get one line on, you can hold the bow or stern. Got pretty good at it.

Anyways, one day I have the wife and 2 young kids. Sunny calm day at marina. On flybridge, sunnies on, feeling good, looking good. Wife on the nose in charge of the bow lines mid ship line. I head down cast off stern lines, head back up, she casts of the bow lines, kids start screaming, she says all clear and heads back to the screaming kids. I kick her into gear, we move fwd, then stop, I look down and the ship line is still on. back to neutral. Wife shouts that one child has been sick, I race down to drop the line, knock the std engine into gear reverse without realising it, boat idles back into the wharf (minor ding to the marlin board) before I can get back up.

Get back up, neutral, look the wharf, and the guys who run the marina are just laughing at me.

A ding and the carpet needed cleaning. They never show that in the boat brochures.

Ask the wife to

Wonder what the rest of the post was going to say...