PDA

View Full Version : Need advice on tying up (without cleats)



jdalebroux
02-14-2004, 04:48 PM
I have an Outback with no cleats and no tower. What's the best way to tie up to a dock or another boat?

cola
02-14-2004, 10:05 PM
I'm assuming your boat is a direct drive. I had a '00 Mobius, direct drive, with no cleats and the following always worked well for me. The easiest thing is to use a line with a preformed loop on one end, pass the loop through the hand holds in the bow and back through itself, then tie off to a cleat or another boat. Do the same for the hand hold by the rear seat. The rope may rub against your gelcoat and upholstery, but it never did any damage to my boat. If your tying off in a slip you can use a longer rope, tie a clove hitch in the middle and slip it over your pylon and tie the ends to dock cleats on both sides of the slip. Then tie off the bow with the earlier method. I would caution against tying off to your bow and stern eyes with ropes with a carabiner/metal clip on the end. This may seem easy and quick, but you stand a real good chance of scratching your gelcoat with the metal. Bottom line, be creative and worry about function instead of form. Good luck!

jdalebroux
02-15-2004, 12:53 AM
Thanks much, Cola. It is a direct drive 02 Outback. I'll try your method. I read in a magazine awhile back (when I had my old boat with cleats) that there was a clever way to tie to inboards together with two ropes: one from pylon to pylon, and the other some sort of zigzag method which supposedly kept the boats tight yet apart. Anyone recognize this?