Protect your boat - Mooring/dock tying in waves

[Deephaven]

We have rented a couple cabins this year and I will be taking my boat.  Obviously if the weather looks like it is going to turn south I will pull the boat out of the water, but for days when it may not I would rather keep it in.  The properties we rented only have a single sided dock meaning if I tie direct and only to the dock and the wind comes up the boat will be constantly rubbing against the dock.  I have some large bumpers and am adept at tying, but wondering if anyone has better mechanisms.

 

My thoughts are:

1) Get some sort of mooring for out in deeper water.  This ought to be the safest.  The quesiton is what sort of mooring.

         a. Growing up we used cinder blocks and a buoy.  Can't say I want to bring 4 cinder blocks on vacation

         b. I have the anchor from my SeaRay Sundancer.  It is large and could be used...but I don't love that idea

         c. Could of course anchor and use a closeline anchor setup as well.  Just tenuous on the anchor.

2) Get a shore mooring pole.  This would allow two lines to the dock and the shore pole pulling the boat off the dock.  At $35 I could buy 2 and put one in the water as well for a 4 point tie.  Something like this:

 

I am totally open to other ideas.  Wondering if you all have dealt with this before.  My boat is glass and I am particular so yes pulling it out is best....but I'd like to be prepared to not have to.

 

[gim]

That's a tough one.  My preference, as you have already stated, would be to load/unload it every time you wanted to use it.  In addition to potential rub rail damage, when a boat sits in the water for a period of time, it often develops a nasty scum line on the side of the hull.  Maybe someone else will chime in with their suggestions on mooring/docking advice.

[Jigfishn10]

I have been mooring my boat in an ocean bay in Southern Maine since like 2010.

First I would ask if you can put in a temporary mooring. Where my boat is moored, I need a permit and you don't have many choices of a mooring system. In other words, I am not allowed to drop in concrete blocks to be used as a mooring. So you may want to check on that as well.

In my area, boats less than or equal to 15' need a minimum of 75 lbs above 15' to I forget what length needs a 150 lb mooring. Then you get into chain length which I believe need to be 1.5 times the water depth, 

Basically, you need to check to see if you can moor your boat and what's required. I can't imagine that there isn't restrictions in place.

3 minutes ago, gimruis said:

That's a tough one.  My preference, as you have already stated, would be to load/unload it every time you wanted to use it.  In addition to potential rub rail damage, when a boat sits in the water for a period of time, it often develops a nasty scum line on the side of the hull.  Maybe someone else will chime in with their suggestions on mooring/docking advice.

It does, but for a week, I'm sure he'll be fine. My boat gets bottom painted for protection because it's in the water from Memorial Day to Labor Day. 

[K1500]

Saltwater folks have this figured out. I would use some good fenders and make sure it is tied up properly. I don’t sweat a few rub marks on the boat rub rails, but everyone is different. One of the best thing about staying somewhere with a dock is just jumping on the boat and going. The video below is a bit long winded but the instructions are good. 
 

Tying up

[GaryH]

Mooring whips. That way if the wind or wave are blowing your boat towards the dock it won’t let it hit.

[Junger]

Ah - saw you're dealing with a wavy area.

 

Do you have cleats on your gunwale? If so, what about just some boat fender bumpers?

 

But I tie up to a dock often for launching/retrieving solo, and I plan to use these for my new boat: https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Rite_Hite_Marine_Best_Boat_Tie_Up_/descpage-RHB.html

 

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, K1500 said:

Saltwater folks have this figured out. I would use some good fenders and make sure it is tied up properly. I don’t sweat a few rub marks on the boat rub rails, but everyone is different. One of the best thing about staying somewhere with a dock is just jumping on the boat and going.

Great Lakes folks as well.  Before we got the hoist, the big bowrider was just tied off with fenders in the right places all summer long.  If you don't have an auto bilge pump, you're gonna want to watch out for rain. 

[Deephaven]

I should add that these are VRBO cabins...so we are renting for a week.  No way I will ask permission to put up a mooring ball, would just do it.  Likelihood of a problem is small in that regard.

2 hours ago, Junger said:

 https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Rite_Hite_Marine_Best_Boat_Tie_Up_/descpage-RHB.html

 

Not sure it'll be wavy.  Figured those weren't robust enough if wind comes up.

3 hours ago, GaryH said:

Mooring whips. That way if the wind or wave are blowing your boat towards the dock it won’t let it hit.

I've never seen temporary ones and being a short term rental not sure I can, love the idea though.

 

4 hours ago, K1500 said:

Saltwater folks have this figured out. I would use some good fenders and make sure it is tied up properly. I don’t sweat a few rub marks on the boat rub rails, but everyone is different. One of the best thing about staying somewhere with a dock is just jumping on the boat and going. The video below is a bit long winded but the instructions are good. 
 

Tying up

Good link.  My wakeboard boat is moored on a dock year round, but in a no wake bay. It's on a 16 boat neighborhood dock...I end up retying everyone elses as most don't get how to keep it from moving in and out.   For my trip, my biggest concern is implementing temporary bumpers that will keep the whole boat protected.  Mooring it off the dock so it can't rub would be ideal.

 

If I trusted my anchor or anchors I think I would do this:

Which maybe means my best approach is to buy a big ass anchor and a super long rope just for the weeks I am out.

 

[Scott F]

I’ve been tying up to docks at rental cabins for over 30 years. If you know it’s going to be windy, make sure you can point to boat into the wind if possible. Also try and use the side of the dock so the wind isn’t blowing the boat into the dock, but away from it. Inflated boat fenders and sturdy ropes are a must. Be sure you know the proper knots for tying up. Don’t over tighten the ropes. Makes sure there is just a little slack to give the boat a little bit of room to move with the waves. 

[Jigfishn10]

Not sure I would tie off that way should you get high winds but good luck. 

 

[Deephaven]

Obviously bow out and then you have to tie it on shore so that the distance to the anchor is not set, just untie there to bring it back in.  If the anchor holds the boat will.

 

I have a 15lb Digger anchor (for up to 40' boats).  It held my 30' Sundancer overnight in 35mph winds with no problem....but I wouldn't have posted here if I trusted it.  Also afraid I will get on a rocky spot and it won't be the right one.

 

Just thought with all the fishermen on here I wouldn't be the only one to want to tie a glass boat up in front of a random cabin overnight.  

 

[J Francho]

I've tied my boats off to a dock at a cabin many times.  I never thought about it this hard.

[J Francho]

I found a good video. Most of this is common sense, but it's all in one video. They even cover the OP's question. 
 

 

[Deephaven]

Perhaps some history on my question.  Growing up at our cabin my uncle tied his boat to our dock as shown.  Winds came up and it completely scratched up his hull.  Bumpers and tying weren't the problem, just not a great shape dock for tying a boat to in waves.  3 years later he tied his up to a mooring and the waves overpowered the anchor (3 cinder blocks) and smashed his new boat on shore.  Fast forward 15 years and while on a remote lake with a few buddies of mine I pulled my boat onto the trailer over night and my buddy left his tied to the dock.  Wind came up and sunk his boat.  It was a small enough aluminum boat that we managed to make it usable again, but it was dented to hell.

 

One thing in common in all three situations.  Bigger wind than expected came up.  Have had things overnight for 100's of other nights tied up to docks with no concern.  Heck my Malibu is moored and just tied to a dock on Minnetonka and it shows no damage ever from being in that situation outside of course of bottom wear from algae/scum growth.

 

Do I over think things?  Yes.  Do I have a reason to?  Yes.  I have a pristine boat and plan to keep it that way.  It does not stop me from using it, but I want to do what I can to preserve it.  The downfall of the anchor approach I have is that I will need to spend some real coin on both a wicked anchor and also one helluva a long rope.  I posted a question on here because I figured I wasn't the only one who wanted to keep their boat like new and rented on different lakes.  If there was a better way that worked and was cost effective I am sure I am not the only one who would benefit.

 

I appreciate all the responses.  Sorry I am long winded, just passionately looking for a solution that doesn't always require the trailer.

[schplurg]

If it's possible to attach some fenders or bumpers tight against your boat most of the rubbing would be against the dock.

 

[J Francho]

11 hours ago, Deephaven said:

Do I over think things?  Yes.  Do I have a reason to?  Yes.  I have a pristine boat and plan to keep it that way.

Trailer it every night.  Get insurance.

[Deephaven]

Hey now, that is my plan but I don't want it to have to be.  If it looks still for a night she can float.  

8 hours ago, schplurg said:

If it's possible to attach some fenders or bumpers tight against your boat most of the rubbing would be against the dock.

 

I have a variety but with some docks it is really hard to get them to stay in place and any rubbing in big waves will have a tendency to make it worse.  I find tying away from the dock but to it best.  Just looking for a way to do that.  I am really surprised no one here has had the same concerns and a solution.

[Jigfishn10]

I hope you figure it out. Lot of people gave you their opinion and you poo-poo'd on them. Heck, you won't even do your homework on weather you can drop a mooring in?

Good luck...I'm done here

[Deephaven]

Everything I was negative towards I already stated won't work in my original post.  As for the temporary mooring I said I would gladly use one whether or not it was ok.  A recommendation on what that mooring could be outside of cinder blocks would be stellar.  Completely ideal in fact.  Paddle board fits in my boat and can be the vessel to get back and forth.

[TnRiver46]

On 2/8/2021 at 1:00 PM, GaryH said:

Mooring whips. That way if the wind or wave are blowing your boat towards the dock it won’t let it hit.

These are very effective down here in the land of wakeboarding and double decker yachts 

[Jigfishn10]

4 hours ago, Deephaven said:

Everything I was negative towards I already stated won't work in my original post.  As for the temporary mooring I said I would gladly use one whether or not it was ok.  A recommendation on what that mooring could be outside of cinder blocks would be stellar.  Completely ideal in fact.  Paddle board fits in my boat and can be the vessel to get back and forth.

Look into a mushroom anchor if it's only a week. How big is your boat? A mushroom mooring would be a better,  more permanent solution, but back in 2010 I spent over $600 for my mooring system.

You'd want a galv steel chain tied to the anchor. That needs to be about 1.5 times the depth of the water you'll be in. From the chain you can transition to a sinkable rope. 

3/8" Steel Galv chain at minimum with same size sinking rope.

I would think a 75 lb mushroom anchor would work, but again, I don't know the size of your boat.

 

Hope that helps

[J Francho]

It's interesting to see this head toward the most impractical solution possible.  Maybe I missed it, but you could also put the fenders on the dock pylon itself.  This in combination with the fenders on the boat worked fine.

 

 

[Deephaven]

 

25 minutes ago, Jigfishn10 said:

Look into a mushroom anchor if it's only a week. How big is your boat? A mushroom mooring would be a better,  more permanent solution, but back in 2010 I spent over $600 for my mooring system.

You'd want a galv steel chain tied to the anchor. That needs to be about 1.5 times the depth of the water you'll be in. From the chain you can transition to a sinkable rope. 

3/8" Steel Galv chain at minimum with same size sinking rope.

I would think a 75 lb mushroom anchor would work, but again, I don't know the size of your boat.

 

Hope that helps

Found a 75lb mushroom anchor for $80.  Are you saying the chain needs to be 1.5x the depth?  I've always used a 10' section of chain and then rope that is 5x the depth or so....but that was for temporarily anchoring. Boat is a 20' Ranger tiller. ~3000lbs or so as loaded.

14 minutes ago, J Francho said:

It's interesting to see this head toward the most impractical solution possible.  Maybe I missed it, but you could also put the fenders on the dock pylon itself.  This in combination with the fenders on the boat worked fine.

 

 

There is a near 5 mile stretch of water that is open pointing at the boat.  Being I am in ice over country the docks aren't wood and don't have pilings.  Roller docks loaded with metal and surfaces that can scratch the crap out of fiberglass.  Exactly why I started the thread.  Your last post here made me realize for those South of the ice belt my question was nearly funny.  I wish it was a permanent dock like that as I wouldn't have even asked.  Most of the places will have some derivation of this, but usually without any vertical poles except at the end.  They are usually adjust to be below the rub rail as well so any touching is scratching.

I also don't find mooring a difficult solution.  I have a float buoy so the first day I just drop the anchor and the rest of the week if it is inclement weather at all possible tie up to it.  Water will be 75-80 so even swimming out to it is fine.  I've just watched moorings fail and don't want to be that guy.  And yes, I'd rather have a closer to shore solution.

 

[Jigfishn10]

13 minutes ago, Deephaven said:

 

Found a 75lb mushroom anchor for $80.  Are you saying the chain needs to be 1.5x the depth?  I've always used a 10' section of chain and then rope that is 5x the depth or so....but that was for temporarily anchoring. Boat is a 20' Ranger tiller. ~3000lbs or so as loaded.

Give me a bit and I'll look up the mooring weight...for a lake it should be fine.

If you want to moor your boat in 10' of water you'd want a 15' chain...rule of thumb. I'll look that up as well. Then you can use like a 10' rope to tie to the chain.

The rope protects your boat, the chain has heft to it and adds to the weight of the mooring. It also buries itself when the bottom get churned up, also helping with anchoring the boat.

The added 5' of chain is so when you get waves, the boat will be free to bounce up and down and not nose dive in the water.

I'll PM my findings tomorrow morning

[J Francho]

I'm on Lake Ontario.  We have both temporary docks, and permanent docks with both wood or steel pilings.  The dock where we tied our boats was the latter type.  Fenders and a smart tie off plan always worked.  Below is about a mile of shoreline - look at all those boats!  Some are worth well over six figures.  There's 1000s of miles of shoreline like this on the Great Lakes.  Your boat would be fine tied off to the dock, if set up correctly.  Still seems like the easiest answer may be to trailer your boat.