Safely tying up your boat at a new marina means setting bow, stern, and spring lines to hold the boat off the dock and stop it from surging fore and aft, placing fenders where the boat will contact the dock, and leaving enough slack to account for the rise and fall of the tide. Capt. Scott Walker walked me through how to do it right at an unfamiliar dock. In this How 2 Tuesday Scott breaks down the lines, the fenders, and the tide planning that keep your boat secure and damage-free no matter where you tie up.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
Use a full set of dock lines: bow line, stern line, and spring lines. The bow and stern lines hold the boat to the dock, and the spring lines stop it from surging forward and backward. Set fenders where the hull will touch the dock or pilings, and leave enough slack in the lines to allow for the tide so the boat can rise and fall without straining the cleats or riding up on the dock.
Spring lines run diagonally from the boat to the dock, forward and aft, to stop the boat from surging back and forth along the dock. Bow and stern lines alone let the boat slide fore and aft with wind, wake, and current. Adding spring lines locks the boat in position so it sits quietly in its slip. They are the lines most newcomers forget, and they make the biggest difference in a secure tie-up.
Leave enough slack in your lines for the boat to rise and fall with the tide without coming tight. In areas with big tidal swings this is critical, lines set tight at high tide can leave the boat hanging or straining at low tide, and lines set tight at low tide can submerge cleats at high tide. Ask the marina about the tidal range, and rig your lines long enough to absorb the swing.
Place fenders at the points where the hull will contact the dock or the pilings, usually at the widest part of the boat and wherever a piling lines up with the hull. Hang them at the right height for the dock and adjust them as the tide changes. Good fender placement is what protects your gelcoat from rubbing against the dock all night.
Carry enough lines to rig bow, stern, and at least two spring lines, plus a few extra of varying lengths, since you do not know the cleat layout at a new dock. Have a good set of fenders too. Being over-equipped means you can tie up safely at any configuration of dock or piling you encounter, rather than improvising with too few lines.
Approach slowly, assess where the cleats and pilings are, and plan your lines before you commit. Get a bow and stern line on first to control the boat, then add spring lines and adjust fenders. When in doubt, ask the dockhands or nearby boaters how the slip is usually rigged and what the tide does there. A few minutes of planning prevents a damaged boat overnight.
Here is how Scott Walker secures a boat at an unfamiliar dock.
I walk through each of these in detail in the episode. Press play in the player above.
At your home dock you know exactly how to rig your boat, but pull into an unfamiliar marina and it is a different problem, different cleats, different pilings, a tide you may not know. Scott Walker has tied up at countless docks, and he breaks down a system that works anywhere. Press play in the player above.
Bow and stern lines hold the boat to the dock, but it is the spring lines, run diagonally fore and aft, that stop the boat from surging back and forth all night. Those are the lines most people forget, and Scott explains why they make the biggest difference in a secure tie-up in the episode.
Two things protect your boat overnight at a new dock: fenders placed exactly where the hull meets the dock or a piling, and enough slack in your lines to let the boat ride the tide up and down without straining. Scott walks through how he sets both in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Tying up at a new marina is one of those skills that costs you nothing when you do it right and costs you a damaged boat when you do it wrong. Carry enough lines and fenders, set your springs, plan for the tide, and ask the locals when in doubt. Do that and your boat will be secure anywhere you travel. Press play in the player above.
Capt. Scott Walker · docking · dock lines · spring lines · bow and stern lines · fenders · tide · marina · boat handling · Florida Keys · How 2 Tuesday · Saltwater Experience
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast's How 2 Tuesday series I break down one practical skill or lesson at a time, from fishing technique and gear to the habits that make you a better angler, in short, focused episodes you can put to use right away.
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