Last night a live-aboard friend FB-ed me about checking my lines - twice. I went down there in the rain and the wind and the surging harbor. He said in a dozen years oh his boat, this is the worst he's seen it. I've seen it worse. But last night, on my finger, the dock felt like the deck of my boat when underway.With the help of the harbor patrol my friend had laid on extra lines on both boats. I still found a couple of improvements to make. On my way back a guy rescuing a wayward dinghy fell in. It was so cold he, like, bounced back on the dock.
I'm not sure I should be posting this now, because I haven't yet seen the 3rd act. After the early morning sun (no rainbow!) the dark gray ugly meany is back, and this time with a little thunder and lightening. So I wanted to post this before I lost my Internet.
If I can find a semi-dry interlude, I'll try a dash down to dockside for a check. All my wet clothes are on the boat! This time I'll remember my sailing duds.
I just hope that bow painter around the piling holds....
Harbor and ocean flat and clear now. 100% visibility to islands. Snow down to 3,500 feet in the hills. I think it's over. Mostly.
ReplyDeletePainter........ Dad, is that you?
ReplyDeleteBow painter is holding but slip-mate Eric's boat broke free of its bowline and spring line and was kissing my beautiful blue hull. Good thing I found that out and good thing I had one of my beefiest bumpers on his boat. Now the water may be flat but it's looking like spinnache soup. I'm canceling my day sail planned for tomorrow; I'm no where good enough of a mechanic to risk running my motor in that!
ReplyDeleteThere it is again! Who says painter any more? He's coming to me through Doc.
ReplyDeleteBowline or Painter?
ReplyDeleteThey are used enterchangeably.
But a painter
is a towing or docking line at the bow of a dinghy.
If Bay Dog is making a distinction on usage here, it pertains to small boat vs keel boat application.
Personally, I like this bow line idea for my boat.
I think I used the term 'painter' advisedly. My bowline, attached to my bow and dock is very robust; my 'painter', just looped over the piling, is kind of like a weak-wristed clothes line. It's less a tether than a spring line. It was not intended to take massive yanks repeated. My only problem with it Friday night is that I could not tell whether the loop was a bowline knot or a slipknot. I preferred a bowline, and that's what it turned out to be when I saw it in daylight.
ReplyDeleteFor Bluesette, we use a hawser. ;^)
ReplyDeleteYou know, Panda, now that I think on it, I have to say I have never used a hawser! I'm thinking I might have a go at it!
ReplyDelete;-)