Tie Your Boat Up Right In That Boat Slip.

Tie Your Boat Up Right In That Boat Slip. 

When you are docking your boat in a boat slip, making sure it is safe and does not bounce and get damaged is a skill. You need to consider high and low tides as well as line chafe.

You want to position your boat centered in the slip, especially if it is a narrow slip. Set spring lines that absorb much of the shock and minimize the boat movement.  You need to consider the tides and adjust lines at low tide. When the tide gets to the lowest point, you need to adjust the bow and stern lines and spring lines so they are taut but with a few inches of give. Check with local people to find out when the monthly extreme low and high tides will be…you may have to readjust for these. 

Put out boat fenders where you think your boat could contact pilings or dock. Fender boards with fenders underneath lets the board take the scuff of slip piling,s not your boat. 

Install chafing guards to your lines. A line can become chafed in just a few days and I found replacing line is not cheap. Rope prices have almost doubled in the past few years. Simple chafe guards can be made from length of hose that are larger than the line.  It must be large enough for the line to slip easily through, but flexible enough to fit in chocks.

For more information try this link: http://www.skippertips.com/public/1818.cfm