www.iFourWinns.com

On crossing the stern lines: I have the same problem, so I go from the stern port cleat with 2 lines going to two cleats left & right on the dock. The keeps the boat from going to far away from the dock & hitting the dock.

Like the line in Ghostbusters... don't cross the bow lines, that would be bad. As is clear from the cleat setup it's a bad idea. Just cross 'em at the stern.

That and use a spring line, possibly two, to keep the boat from moving back into the dock. We use one from an amidships piling back to the cleat on the port side transom. This keeps the boat from pulling back toward the dock. When docking elsewhere while traveling we'll sometimes use one from off the starboard bow to the starboard amidships cleat, as sometimes using a finger pier piling would present walking hazards.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

I dissagree. Having the lines crossed is a good idea for those that need to live bouncing due to boat waves, and changing tide levels (non floating dock).


This sounds like a good idea.

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"Knot Easy" 2000 Horizon 240 Volvo 5.7GS /SX
tow: 2017 Honda PILOT EXL-AWD
prev. boats:
'87 Chaparral 198CXL 4.3 OMC Cobra
'69 Jetstar 16ft Ski Boat, 115hp Yamaha
'68 Aluminum Jon Boat, 3hp Sears
'64 Water Wings

I'm in a fixed dock and do not cross the bow lines. I do cross the stern. Works out perfectly. It's the spring line that controls where the boat goes when the tide is higher. For a while I also used some rubber line 'snubbers' to control the amount of slack in the bow lines as the tide came up. But with fine-tuning of the rest of the lines they weren't really necessary.

The rubber insulation isn't going to hold up. Not with direct UV sunlight, nor the lines rubbing. They do sell line covers made out of UV resistant material. They're designed more to avoid having the boat chafe through the lines. But since you don't need to cross the bow lines, why bother?

For my stern cleated spring line I've put fleece tube around where it might rub the stern quarter of the hull. They're mainly intended as covers for bimini poles to avoid the heated metal burning clear vinyl windows. But it's worked a treat for the line also.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista