I have been using double braid unknown material
dock lines for years, they came pre-spliced and have held up to numerous storms and were fairly quiet. A little over a year ago a splurged and got nice three strand nylon lines (5/8”) and after much practice made beautiful eye splices in them to set them up as my
dock lines. I have
aluminum cleats on either side of my transom and cleat off my three strand lines around those (I am
med moored at my marina). As of late I have been spending some time in the
boat and there is a considerable swell going on outside the marina. Unless I significantly loosen my dock lines and let the
boat roam, the docklines are very loud! Very creaky. I have antichafe socks around the part where it goes through the fairlead but the sound seems to be coming from the line rubbing onto the cleat as it gets pulled.
I figued the stretch of the nylon would give the boat a gentler tug during the swells but I am afraid it is creating all this creaking
noise. Is this normal for nylon lines on
aluminum cleats? Any recommendations to quiet this down?