Best Mooring Lines

[Panamax.]

My wife and I are having a disagreement relating to mooring lines. We own a 36' sailboat which needs new dock lines. I have read that 5/8 nylon 3-strand is best in this application. She, on the other hand prefers braided nylon. In her defense, I have also found references pointing to braided line as equally appropriate. Sooooo.....who is correct?

[estarzinger]

There are various Pros and cons

Personally I put 8 strand nylon brait at the top of the list and 3 strand at the bottom, primarily due to flexibility and throw-ability. For fixed use where durability was most important I would use double braid, perhaps even Dacron unless your cleats are flimsy.

[Stumble]

I absolutely loath 3 strand. It does have marginal more stretch than double braid, but at the sacrafice of strength and handeling. My preference is plaited line, but I don't know if it is available in this size. Otherwise double strand nylon would be (and is) my choice.

[JPA Cate]

Panamax, if it's the black double braid nylon to which she's attracted, be aware that it is not as strong as the white.

For the last few years, we have used nylon 3 strand, but I like the "hand" of the 8 plait better. It's downside is it chafes easier.

Have seen boats using polyester double braid, jerking madly. It may be a scale, deal, where a very large boat will stretch the polyester without the snatching, where a smaller one snatches. With 3 strand nylon, it starts stretching sooner, and gives an easier ride.

Ann

[Panamax.]

Never an easy answer I guess. One thing that attracts me about the three strand is that I can easily splice it. Never tried splicing braid.

[Stumble]

Originally Posted by Panamax.

Never an easy answer I guess. One thing that attracts me about the three strand is that I can easily splice it. Never tried splicing braid.

The double braid is actually easier than 3 strand.

[Wotname]

Solution is pretty bludi obvious IMO .

Who ever does the splicing gets to choose; they are only dock lines after all and all the lines suggested will do the job. All of them splice easily!

On the other hand, who are you to disagree with your wife

[svmariane]

With apologies, but.... What are your docking parameters? I mean, if you're always located where winds nor tides nor waves/swell are a factor then heck, clothesline would suffice. But... And here is MHO....

If you've got to compensate for rapid stress, then 3-strand allows stretching without snapping under a changing load.

We always tie up using 3-strand for the shock absorption aspect - and in extreme volatile conditions use braided as secondary lines to "catch" the boat once the 3-strand has stretched out.

{And anyways.... For me, 3-strand is also much easier to work with to form a loop at one end and "back-braid" the bitter end to prevent unraveling. }

YMMV

James

[ryon]

I'll say "Hey, baby. Forget the clove hitch. Forget the bowline. You and me, we're making some round turns and two half hitches!" Later on, when she starts chafing for something more permanent, I'll talk about an eye splice, and see where things go from there.

[Panamax.]

Awesome.

[ranger58sb]

We prefer double braid because it seems "softer" and more flexible, but they do seem to pick up splinters easier than 3-strand. In any case, Wifey usually wears gloves for docking.

Size (diameter) also needs to take your cleats into account.

Color matters. White and "gold" seem to be listed as stronger than all other colors (last I checked). We usually deploy a different color for forward spring lines. Often so (visiting, sometimes unskilled, crew) crew can be told "put the _____ lines on the mid-ships cleat."

I haven't noticed enough cost differential between straight rope and pre-spliced lines to matter (to us), especially given our lines last for quite some time (barring damage).

For home lines, especially forward spring and bow lines, we often use two loops: the pre-spliced loop at the pile, and a bowline loop on our cleat. It's just easier when unskilled crew can be told to drop "the loop" over the cleat, and then we'll fix it correctly, afterwards.

-Chris