[Rhodes22-list] V-lines and saftety line arrangements in slips

[Keyes, David]

Thanks, Steve.  I will add my ideas to the message that you were forwarding
to me from an earlier posting, quoted here:

"Some one here on the list (I forgot who) posted this idea:  Create a sort
of
safety net at your slip for when you're coming in too fast.  Fix a permanent
line from the left front corner of your slip to the right side of the slip
about half a boat length back.  Then another line just the opposite, from
the right front corner to the left side.  This makes the lines cross and
form a "V" several feet out from the middle of your finger peer in your
slip.  Then you can come in a little faster (without losing steerage) and
use the "V" to "catch" you and stop you from hitting the dock."


I already have a "V" safety line arrangement but will re-check it for
possible improvements.  My arrangement doesn't go back nearly as far as
half-way along the finger piers, and it is primarily designed to keep the
boat away from floating into the metal gears and cables in the front right
corner of my slip that are part of the floating dock system.  I have both a
permanent straight line going across side-to-side several feet from the
front of the slip, as well as a "V" arrangement with a snap shackle at the
apex (installed by Elton Spitzer when he delivered the boat in April 2001).
I just snap the shackle to the bow ring, and the bow is centered and
secured.  After that, the bow lines are used but are redundant protection
except being useful to cast off when leaving the slip with the shackle
already unsnapped.  Rather than readjust all the lines, I found it necessary
to add a spacer (a Caribiner--mountain climbing equipment) between the
shackle and the the bow ring to be able to draw the boat back enough with
spring lines so that it didn't ride up onto the permanent lines and rub off
my bottom paint at the water line.

It seems to me that unless someone is going to work on a really unique,
strong rope net type of contraption, such as using hawsers and fenders if
there is enough dock and finger pier elevation to secure such lines (not at
my dock), the V-lines we are talking about are only useful to prevent
floating or drifting into an object.  If one is actually sailing or motoring
too fast into a dock, I would think that the forces are such that the boat
would go right through or ride over the lines and into the dock or other
object.  I know that I wouldn't bet money on the protection that my
arrangement would afford to a boat with considerable momentum.

David Keyes

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Alm [mailto:salm@mn.rr.com]
Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 4:56 PM
To: rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Combination Of Sharp Turn To Port + Single
Handed Docking


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