Dock Lines

[wolverine]

I'm bad when it comes to having the dock lines adjusted properly. At our dock in the backyard it's easy because there is only 1 side tied up, when in our slip I can't get it right. Here in Oriental our tides are determined by the wind direction and strength. Last week winds were out of the north so the water was a foot above normal pool. Last night the wind started coming from the south and it was strong, driving the water out of the creeks into the Neuse and out to Pamlico Sound. Today the water is about 18" low with both boats sitting in the soft mud. However the Orion's bowsprit is uncomfortably close to the dock. Tomorrow I'm going to purchase some large diameter bungee cord and tie it to the aft piling on the portside. Then I'll wrap it around a winch and stretch it as best I can. When the water returns, it should pull the boat back from the dock. I'm also setting an alarm every hour so I can wake and check the water level. If need be, the boat is only 1/2 mile from the house and I can stay on it as it rises. If we had a moon tide, it would rise and fall at about the same rate each time, but we never know how much the water depth will change. If the finger piers were longer, I could keep her out further, but boarding is not easy with them so short.

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I usually have to step up to gain access to the Seidelmann at our dock.
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Orion sitting on the soft mud in our slip.
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I need to practice backing the Orion into the slip. The Seidelmann used to reside there and backed in the lines were easier to adjust and "forget".
 

[Frank]

Lots to consider tying off...
Not a easy dock to be on...

[s/v Faith]

Nothing to contribute (except maybe to extol the virtues of long spring lines)....
  But I gotta say she sure looks pretty sitting there. 

[wolverine]

I installed the bungee cord and it works great. The boat rests 3' from the dock, yet I can easily pull it over to climb aboard. If the bungee doesn't last long enough my next purchase will be a snubber.

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