Dock line guides

[proline2550]

Aside from the very well engineered and just as expensive "tide slide" system, can anyone tell me where to get a prefabricated stainless guide that would be lag bolted to a piling or bulkhead for attatching a ring and dock line to? I am at a marina now that has a 6 ft tide difference and would like to install something that would take a little of the guess work out of line length. One friend told me to just use galvanized pipe but it's just too thin for my taste and would still rust quickly in the salt water environment at the places where the threads are cut into the ends. Any point in the right direction is appreciated. I know there is a name for what I'm searc hing for but I can't remember it.

 

[Richard Petersen]

Re: Dock line guides

I think you mean those stretchy rubber snubbers that are used on a anchor line. Most wrap several turns of the line around it. Some may handle the 6' movement. MAKE DAMM SURE YOUR boat cleats and chocks can take the strain. If it lets go at low tide, damage to next door boat is possible.

 

[islandboat]

Re: Dock line guides

My Dad used to fasten a strong pulley to the front pilings and run the front dock lines through the pulleys with a heavey weight on the bottom end of the rope ( old sb chevy heads). The weights kept constant pull on the front cleats no matter the water level in the marina. May or may not work in your situation but people use that system in a few marinas here and the cost is almost nothing.

 

[AJ168]

Re: Dock line guides

I've seen that before and it seems to work pretty well. I'd also suggest though that you attach at least one extra line directly from cleat to dock so that if for some reason the pulley system failed, you'd still have a boat.

 

[proline2550]

Re: Dock line guides

All good advice, although I would still like to find the stainless steel slides to attatch to the pilings, the boat is 25 miles from the house and I can't really baby sit it as much as I would like.