dock lines nylon vs cotton

P

preferred

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good morning
I am looking for advise on type and strength for a catcher rope my wife can pick up off the post and put on the middle cleat in heavy winds.
Nylon or cotton and the size?
45 ft Carver.
 
Are you doing this just to hold the boat closer to your finger pier?
 
I don't have thrusters, I have a very wide slip with no post in between my boat and my neighbour. I have used this system for years and have miss place the rope. looking at replacing with nylon or cotton ?
 
Double braid nylon. Better hand than three strand nylon. I would NEVER use a natural fiber line for mooring lines.

Edit: 1/2” diameter DBN is going average 8k WLL. For a mooring or maneuvering line you’ll want the strength to not risk parting, but not the size that brings inelasticity. What makes synthetics more dangerous than natural fiber is also what makes it far superior. You want sudden loading to shockload a cheap piece of cordage, not an expensive piece of deck hardware and fiberglass or metal.
 
quote:
Originally posted by JVM225

Three strand twisted Nylon for piling.

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If it was to put an eye on the piling I’d agree, as 3 strand gets stiffer and harder to handle after being loaded, soaked and exposed to sun a bit - making the disadvantage an advantage - but it sounds like he’s looking for a a line to be picked up off the pile and made to the boat. Calls for a line with a softer hand that won’t distort the lay of the line under a working load.

(I’ve been a Boatswains Mate for almost 20 years, so I’m always eager to nerd out on discussions about lines and rigging!)
 
As I recall some lines and I think they are nylon, are extremely slick and can pull out of a cleat even if they are wrapped correctly. They have a wide weave on the outside.
 
quote:
Originally posted by boatbum

As I recall some lines and I think they are nylon, are extremely slick and can pull out of a cleat even if they are wrapped correctly. They have a wide weave on the outside.

Click to expand...


Newer synthetics can - but we're talking the UHMWPE 12 strand type lines. You don't really see those on recreational boats, except in specialized applications on racing sailboats. I really like them for towing bridles, particularly Plasma, because they are size for size insanely lighter, stronger, and MUCH more resistant to chafe. Far easier to splice, too. There are still some people around believing the myth that they are highly susceptible to chafing "because Kevlar" - but I don't think anyone is even manufacturing Kevlar cordage in the last decade. I don't even carry wire bridles anymore. Plasma is damned near the same breaking strength size for size, but far lighter and won't damage a towed vessel like 6x19 wire rope will. No real stretch, so you'll feel your tow a lot better up close.

Downside of Plasma, and other UHMWPE and HMPE's is that like you said, they slip like snots on a doorknob. Your typical Sampson or Cortland nylon lines won't do that.
 
thank you all for your comments. its great to have so many knowledgeable, experienced boaters to give advise . great form thanks Don
 
I don’t know what a catcher rope is... is that a baseball thing ? :) since you mentioned the middle cleat I m assuming you mean spring line coming from a piling near the bow. In that case always use the eye on the boat cleat as this will ensure the boat can’t back into the dock. I don’t even think you can Buy cotton lines ...

Any decent dock line will do the job whether triple strand or double braid. For fixed at your home slip line it doesn’t matter if they get stiff with age. For take along lines I use the megabraid line which coils better
 
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