How To Tie To Floating Dock?

Yes, I will just have to see on the swim platform. I can probably handle a height difference of 15" if the platform is no more than 12" from the dock. More than that and my knees will not handle it.

As of today my temporary plan is to tie a line to the port fixed pile that is out from the finger. This will be used to fix how far back the boat can go in the slip. I will then put fenders over the side and tie tight to the dock finger.

George
As I have time, and more knowledge/experience, will being the fixed pilings on the starboard side into play.

George
 
Floating docks are the best! But at some floating docks with our dinghy on the swim platform the crossed stern lines can be difficult to set correctly.

When we leave our boat in FL at Marina Bay Marina which has floating docks during hurricane season, everyone ties their boat very tight to the docks with lost of fenders of course. Many people leave their boats at MBM through hurricane season because of the floating docks and protection, and the marina staff insist on having the boats side tied and very snug with the docks. Having been through a storm there I do believe this is the safest and most protective way to tie the boat.
 
As others have said, once you get there you`ll figure it out and be fine. I have 3 ft tides, reversing current, and serious wakes. My bow and spring lines are on fixed piles, floating dock at the stern with crossed lines to cleats, the platform is about 12 to 18 inches away from the dock and never hits it.
 
I will say it again:

Secure the boat to the floating dock. Not a post, not a piling, just the dock. The boat will move up and down with the dock. Bow and stern lines will hold the boat to the dock, spring lines, fore and aft will keep it in place fore and aft and keep the swim platform where you want it.

Use at least two fenders, sized for your boat. Hang the fenders vertically from the boat so they move fore and aft with the boat.
 
Personally i hate relying on fenders. They just cooking the sun, leave marks on the hull and have to be out away every time

I much prefer setting the lines so the boat doesn't touch the dock. With tides under 3' having a couple of lines on the piling has no effect
 
I don't think anyone else mentioned this. Don't worry about the pilings. Just tie your boat to the floating dock using two spring lines as Pascal mentioned. That way, you can adjust how far back the boat is relative to your swim platform.

Before you tie up for the first time, buy yourself three or four big, fat (12" - 16"), fenders. Use the ones that allow you to pass a line down through the center, not the ones with the ears at each end. Run a line down through the fenders and then space them to match the contact points between your hull and the dock. (The Admiral calls this her "string of pearls.") Tie a knot in the line as it exits each fender to keep it in position. Drop the string of fenders in the water and tie the ends of the line to the cleat farthest out on the finger and to one closest in. Your boat will rest against these fenders very nicely and the wind or current changes, you'll never notice the boat's movement against them. I've used this technique for years without a problem and that's through two hurricanes.

To make life easier, buy black fenders, because they do collect some scum, at least around here. After you install them, check their position within a week or so because the line that is holding them will stretch. Cleat them down as tight as possible. You're in the water year round, so you may want to pull the string up and scrape off any marine growth a couple of times a year. My cheapo fenders are on their 5th season without a problem.

Bill
 
quote:
Originally posted by PascalG

Personally i hate relying on fenders. They just cooking the sun, leave marks on the hull and have to be out away every time

I much prefer setting the lines so the boat doesn't touch the dock. With tides under 3' having a couple of lines on the piling has no effect

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I agree with Pascal.. I don't like our boat rubbing on fenders all season long.. we tie to the dock as Ron has mentioned.. Since we're non tidal, I use a line to the Pole - only to help keep the boat an inch or so off the uprights on the dock. That's my alternative to using fenders & avoid the squeak on the posts. (which have rubber cushions attached to them - annoying) We have enough distance to the pole to allow for some up/down movement w/o worry.. I've attached a couple pics from our first summer.. (minus the post in the middle)
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& yes, that's the wife in the dinghy.. which we can't do now.. as that is where the pole is on the new slip.

As noted, now I can loop the pole to bring the boat over just an inch or so off the dock.. while boarding we often step on the cross tie to bring the swim platform right up to the dock..(I have a little slack up front to allow this) so we can get the dogs on/off with little to no gap between the swim platform & dock..

Note, our cleats on the dock are so low I typically tie the aft spring line to the post.. so as to keep it up higher & less wear on my stripes.. seems like the dock cleats are never exactly perfectly where you need them, but this seems to work well for us. I hope the pics helps assist. :)
 
quote:
Originally posted by gcolton

quote:
Originally posted by JVM225
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With that much clearance on either side you should be able to suspend the boat nicely enough in the slip so that it will ride out almost anything.

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With the boat centered, how do you get on and off the boat?

George

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It's centered side to side in the slip so I step from the swim platform on to the floating dock behind the boat. The spring lines can be adjusted to keep the boat whatever comfortable distance you want away from the floater behind you. Adjust them to a distance that you feel comfortable enough steping across safely.
 
Your concern is on the Piling side, how to deal with the rise and fall of water level and what it does to your ropes. I.E how to know what's the proper length.

Easy fix.

Use Tideminders http://www.tideminders.com/ on the fixed pilings. Nothing permanent to install. Initial install in under 5 minutes if you can even call it a install :)

Once you have the lines right you won't have to change your lines as the tide goes up or down. Your other lines on the floater stay fixed as well. Once you have your boat positioned in the slip and your lines on, it'll stay in the same position in the slip regardless of whether the water goes up or down. You just need to make sure the piling is free of hooks, etc so that the rollers are free to travel the piling.
 
quote:
Originally posted by floydsfloat

Your concern is on the Piling side, how to deal with the rise and fall of water level and what it does to your ropes. I.E how to know what's the proper length.

Easy fix.

Use Tideminders http://www.tideminders.com/ on the fixed pilings. Nothing permanent to install. Initial install in under 5 minutes if you can even call it a install :)

Once you have the lines right you won't have to change your lines as the tide goes up or down. Your other lines on the floater stay fixed as well. Once you have your boat positioned in the slip and your lines on, it'll stay in the same position in the slip regardless of whether the water goes up or down. You just need to make sure the piling is free of hooks, etc so that the rollers are free to travel the piling.

Click to expand...


Those "minders" are good when you are the only one using the pilings. When you are sharing they do not work.

As Pascal says, normal tides are no problem anyway. As of now I do not intend to use those pilings for normal tie up. I will only use them if a hurricane type storm is predicted.

At that time I will center tie and then figure how to get off the boat.

George
 
Back in the day when we frequented Harrah's Casino/Marina we only used 4 lines while at their floating docks. Could not tie up to one side or the other as slips handled two vessels each. Ran one from bow to cleat dock. Another as spring line to floating dock. Then two across stern to dock. Never used or needed any fenders if lines were adjusted just right. BTW; never ran any lines to any pilings. Once lines were adjusted correctly; they were never touched again during our entire week end. Obviously, the tides changed several times during our stay. Another factor which may be why they shut down marina was its proximity to the inlet. When the tides were really flowing, you could water ski behind your vessel while it was tied up to dock. Made for interesting docking & never a dull moment with new boats coming in for the w/e.
 
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