Tech Talk - How To Tie A Boat To The Dock

Jordan LoNigro

Video Producer / Content Creator

Since the year 2020 boat sales have skyrocketed for nearly every brand on the market. We know there are lots of new boaters on the water every day and there's things that everyone may not be totally knowledgable of. Our series Tech Talk is designed to help boaters of all skill sets whether it's your first time learning or a refresher. Docking a boat can be difficult for the first little bit and all the different ways of tying to a dock can be overwhelming. This episode of Tech Talk is going to help you understand exactly what you need to do once you get your boat on the dock, it's much simpler than it may seem at first glance.

A Guide to Tying Up Your Boat

In today's Tech Talk, Chase heads out to the lake with our Sportsman 247OE. Our mission for the day? To teach you the ropes, quite literally, on how to properly tie up your boat.

One of the first things we recommend is having your dock lines and poly balls ready and secured to your boat as you approach the dock.

Once you've pulled in, it's now time to tie up. Here's how it's done: Take the looped end of your dock line and thread it through the cleat on the stern of your boat. Cinch it down snugly to ensure the boat stays in place.

Now, as you step down to the cleat on the dock, create a simple cross pattern with your line. This will add an extra layer of security. Next, make a loop with the line in your hand and repeat this process a couple of times. The loop knot is a clever trick; it ensures that any stress from the boat trying to pull away from the dock tightens the line and secures your vessel in place.

With the boat firmly tied to the dock, it's time to think about protecting your hull. We recommend using poly balls or traditional round bumpers. Position them at the same level as the dock and then tie them around the same stern cleat where you secured the dock line. This extra layer of protection will safeguard your boat's hull from any accidental contact with the dock.

Now, the conditions today at the lake are pretty calm. In such scenarios, simply tying up the bow and the aft of the boat should suffice. But imagine a saltwater situation with tides and moving water. In such cases, we'd always recommend springing the boat into the current.

Picture the water pushing your boat forward from the aft. In this situation, head to the midship cleat and tie it off using the same configuration you used to secure the boat to the dock. This time, you're springing the boat backward into the current, which will help to keep the boat safely off the dock.

So, there you have it – there's multiple ways to tie up your boat at the dock and these are just a few simple tips and tricks from us here at Sportsman. With these techniques under your belt, you can confidently step away from your boat, knowing it'll be right where you left it when you return.