[Rhodes22-list] Docking lines and life jackets

[Christine Allison]

Contrary to much that has been posted here I am opposed to using heavy
double braided cord for dock lines.

Even though I use 3/8 line I am sure that the breaking strength of 1/4 inch
3 strand rope is more then adequate for long term docking in a protected
marina.  There are many good reasons arguing for the use of lighter NYLON
docking lines.  First and most important they STRETCH!  it's much easier on
the boat and the mooring hardware mounted on the slip finger.  Secondly 3
strand line is cheaper to buy and is easily spliced.  For those interested
it can be dyed in boiling water with little loss of strength

I also use 3/8 3 strand line as the rope component of my anchor rode.  It's
fascinating to watch it tighten and stretch (no jerking on the anchor or the
boats deck hardware) when a strong wind gust comes along.  I was anchored
out once when the wind was gusting to 35 kt's.  The line would stretch like
a rubber band to the point where it would ring the water out of itself in a
multitude of tiny fountains!  Incidentally I could and did haul the boat up
to the anchor in these conditions. This would imply a load in the ten's (not
hundreds) of pounds.

The down side of thinner line is chaffing and this can be a real danger.
For many reasons a thin line is going to chaff through much faster then a
heaver one.  However, any book on marlin spike seamanship will illustrate a
host of anti chaff schemes from whipping to adding leather covers at wear
points.  I whip my lines at each wear point with a hard tightly twisted
waxed nylon cord.  The whipping lasts a couple of years.  The dockline...
indefinitely.

I generally use long spring lines (at least 2/3 the length of the boat)
each component of my docking cordage is 25 feet long.

Perhaps Roger will comment (from his engineering background) on the breaking
strength, construction and proper working loads for docking cordage.

Richard Smith