Dealing with non-floating docks

M

matt_unique

New member
What are some of the C-Brat solutions to staying overnight at a non-floating slip?

In the past I would basically adjust the lines every few hours but would not leave the boat unattended for long. It's a pain in the a** of course. I thought I once found a track system that you could fasten to a pylon that would allow you to tie/fender up and the track system would allow for the tide changes.

Thanks for the suggestions.
 
Long spring lines are the solution--many boats cross the stern line to give a better angle. I have been dealing with this at my Florida homes for the last 15 years--but we don't have large tidal ranges.

There is a "Tide ride" slider, but this requires a rod to be installed on the pilings. Another way of handling this is to use counter weights thru blocks.
 
Another option might be to use a very stretchy line like the anchor buddy as a spring line. That would allow for a large tidal swing and if properly pretensioned, could keep you tight to the dock.

Bob- what's the downside to that? (I assume there must be one since you didn't mention it already).
 
I suppose the Anchor Buddy would work, but spring lines with a long cross will allow plenty of flex. Tie breast lines off the bow and stern that allow movement for the maximum tide swing (you don't want the boat to be hanging on the lines when the tide is all the way out or being pulled in too much at high tide. Then use as long of spring lines as reasonable (depending on how much tide swing)... they will hold the boat in at mid-tide, but still have enough "flex" to go through high and low. Protect the boat with plenty of fenders. Like Dr. Bob's situation, almost all the docks along our part of the Gulf are fixed... but we are generally dealing with only a few feet of swing.

The only drawback I see with the Anchor Buddy is the fact that the stretch in the line could also allow too much rotation of the boat in a strong wind.

HTH

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
When we were in the Chesepeake we would carry a folding ladder with us. Used it quite a bit. In some places, like Annapolis, to get on and off, in others to climb up so the attendant could hand down the fuel hose.
 
When we were cruising Europe there were a few ports which didn't have docks long enough for our 62 foot boat, so we ended up at "freighter docks"--often 30 feet high. We would use a true extension ladder, and hoist the dog to the dock using a spinaker halyard, and a canvas square with re-enforced gromets on each corner. The long spring lines were with breast or bow/stern lines were adequate, but if there is a clear piling, you can put a line around the piling. Putting short pieces of PVC pipe (we have used 1 1/2" PVC plastic conduit 2" long, rounded edges, threaded over a couple of lines which were taken around the pilings. We used 8 foot long 4 x 4 fender boards, to avoid damage to the boat. [/b]
 
I've found the real challenge is in setting the fenders if you're not carrying a fender board. It usually takes me a couple of tides to get it right

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The main issue for me is preventing damage from the pylons. Perhaps for those overnight trips I should rig up/carry a line of fenders that would cover the entire side of the boat (similar to the way a launch is rigged with fenders)....

Thinking out loud....in terms of keeping the boat at a constant distance....what about a rig that would go around and roll up and down a pylon? Perhaps a series of small pieces of PVC with some kind of wheels between the pieces all held together by line that I would wrap around a pylon? It would require a pylon setup where something like this could roll freely through the tide range. We have an 8-12' tide range depending upon the day....
 
For the rare times I leave my boat in the water I have four small blocks on each of the four corner pylons of my boat house. These blocks have lines passing through them to weights (4"X 12" PVC filled with concrete). The lines are attached to the stern and bow cleats. This setup also aides in centering the boat in the boathouse before I raise it in the lift slings. Years ago I had a similiar arrangement with a single pylon about thirty feet from my dock rigged with a block and weight attachment.
 
In my case I am dealing with pylons only on one side of the boat. It's basically a slip where you are tied up to two or three telephone poles. I can see the value of counter weights in a two sided arrangement.
 
Hmm, I had never seen pilings (a groupe of piles which support a pier) called "plyons". I described the PVC pieces of pipe in my post above yours Matt. The PVC pipe on the line will slide up and down fairly easily, even with some barnicles. The PVC will keep the lline from abaiding.

Fenderboards are better than using fenders, even those tide end to end. The fender boards are kept the diameter of the fenders away from the hull, so there is much less chance of the boat hitting pilings or other supports if the boat rolls. If I was regularly tying up at a wharf which had support piles that the boat might run into, I would carry several 2x4 or 2x6 fender boards.

At my home dock, I use 10 to 15 foot 2" PVC conduits at about 3 foot intervals. The rub rail of the boat can ride against this PVC fendering. Wlhen we owned a good sized trawler or motor sailor at our home dock, we put 16 foot pieces of 2 x 8 timbers horizontally between the pilings and the boat's fenders rubbed against these.

Bob Austin
 
this may sound silly but it works. Take a kids float looks kind of like pipe insulation. Make a loop with rope and wrap it with float. Tie it around piling. floats the mooring and prevents binding on piling. Tie boat to loop. Use fenders as needed to protect side of boat.
 
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