Dock lines
Dock and mooring lines for sail and power boats: ready made with a spliced eye or stainless thimble, from 6 to 40 metres, and on reels up to 200 metres to cut to lengt...Read more
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Dock lines
Dock and mooring lines for sail and power boats: ready made with a spliced eye or stainless thimble, from 6 to 40 metres, and on reels up to 200 metres to cut to length. Three-strand, braided and double braid, in stretchy nylon (polyamide), polyester and floating polypropylene, from Liros, Marlow and Osculati, up to 40 mm diameter.
To pass a line over a bollard from a distance and pick it up without leaning out, there is our JAKE Mooring Kit: a floating telescopic pole up to 190 cm with a line-passing head, boat hook and QuickGrip to pick up lines hands-free.
What diameter dock line
Guide values from our buying guide:
| Boat length | Line diameter |
|---|---|
| up to 27 ft (8 m) | 10 mm (3/8 in) |
| 28-35 ft (8-10.5 m) | 12 mm (1/2 in) |
| 36-45 ft (11-14 m) | 16 mm (5/8 in) |
| over 45 ft (14 m) | 18-20 mm (3/4 in) |
Bigger is not always better: a line that is too thick is hard to handle and slow to dry.
How long and how many
Bow and stern lines should be about two thirds of the boat length, spring lines the full length of the boat. The minimum is four lines, bow, stern and two springs; six is better, with two spares for emergencies or rafting up.
Material and construction
- Nylon: stretchy, absorbs the snatch of waves and surge. The most common choice for mooring.
- Polyester: less stretch, better resistance to UV and chafe, fine in calm water.
- Polypropylene: floats, for mooring buoys and pick-up lines.
- Three-strand or braid: three-strand costs less and is easy to splice, braid is stronger, stretches less and is nicer in the hand.
If you do not splice yourself, buy pre-spliced lines: the eye is even and strong. Rinse them in fresh water, keep them out of the sun when not in use and replace them when you find hard or frayed spots. To protect the hull and fairleads from chafe there is the Rope Deflector.
For more detail read how to choose the right dock lines. Snubbers, springs and chafe protection are in Mooring lines and snubbers; for the topsides see boat fenders.
Frequently asked questions
What size dock line for a 30 ft boat?
For a boat of 28 to 35 ft (8 to 10.5 m) the guide diameter is 12 mm (1/2 in). Bigger is not always better: it is harder to handle and slow to dry.
How long should dock lines be?
Bow and stern lines about two thirds of the boat length, spring lines the full length of the boat. For a 30 ft boat: two 20 ft lines and two 30 ft springs.
How many dock lines do I need?
At least four: bow, stern and two springs. Six is better, with two spares for emergencies or rafting up.
Nylon or polyester dock lines?
Nylon is stretchy and absorbs shock loads, which is why it is the most common mooring line. Polyester stretches less and resists UV and chafe better: fine in calm water.
Three-strand or braided dock line?
Three-strand costs less and is easy to splice. Braid is stronger, stretches less and is nicer in the hand.
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