Association Forum - Dock Line Chafe Protection

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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Dock Line Chafe Protection

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Little Wind
1st Mate

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USA
27 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/18/2025 : 10:58:52

Anyone have any ideas/answers that they use for reducing chafe on dock lines? I know I can add sleeves or rubber hose over the lines but I was thinking that it would be nice to be able to adjust the lines without moving the chafe protection.
My bow is positioned at a concrete sea wall with cleats and the concrete easily induces chafe on my bow lines. So I'm wondering maybe... how to modify the concrete sea wall instead? Some type of covering or edge protector I can apply?
What ideas do you all have?

Hmmmmm... I just thought about maybe some plastic rain gutter material cut to length and folded over the edge of the concrete. It would have to be glued or siliconed in place. Gotta think about that...

Mark
Little Wind
1996 C250WB #206

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5893 Posts

Response Posted - 03/18/2025 : 14:22:41

Click on the link below. I'm not suggesting you buy these, but use the general idea. Perhaps you could attach something flexible, like cheap rubber auto floor mats, to the cleats on the sea wall and position them so that they hang over the edge of the sea wall and protect your docklines from the rough edge of the sea wall. You'd want to tie the boat with spring lines to prevent it from moving forward and backward. That would eliminate the need to screw or glue anything to the concrete. https://th.bing.com/th?id=OPHS.DYj%2b3IB56bdaaQ474C474&w=592&h=550&o=5&dpr=1.6&pid=21.1

Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore

Edited by - Steve Milby on 03/18/2025 14:27:41

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3435 Posts

Response Posted - 03/18/2025 : 21:14:29

If you are at a marina, they probably have restrictions as to what you can do in the way of significantly modifying the concrete sea wall other than placing a temporary/easily removable covering on the edge of the concrete wall. The issue would be how to firmly attach a plastic. etc covering without permanently defacing the concrete wall top or side.

Not sure exactly just how much chafing or interference the concrete wall creates to your bow line(s). I am trying to visualize the issue - Is it that the bow line(s) are at a slight down angle from the cleat on the concrete to the cleat on your bow? and it's this downward slope of the dock line that then scrapes/chafes along the concrete edge as it traverses down to one of your bow cleats?

Just how much chafing is occurring ? Like how long weeks/months before you consider replacing the dock lines? If you can get by for a couple of months or longer, then you may want to consider utilizing a fairly long line keeping the bulk of it coiled past the bow cleat. Then as the chafing becomes worse at the seawall, start using some of that excess coiled line and thereby retiring the chafed area to excess line past the seawall cleat (since it is no longer to be used). In this way, you can get more life out of a dock line.

Another possibility but this is probably not feasible but what the heck......I doubt there is room for this between the seawall cleat and the seawall edge but you could get either a cheap Harbor Freight wood dolly or an old skateboard and place it between the seawall cleat and the seawall edge (attaching a line to the front and back of the moving dolly or skateboard and attached to the cleat so the dolly/skateboard does not fall off the seawall edge) then when you dock, the dock line(s) from the seawall cleat to the bow cleat straddle the top/mid-section of the dolly or skateboard. Then any movement of the dock line hopefully will be high enough clearing the edge of the seawall and the dolly/skateboard wheelswill enable some rocking forward or back a bit with the dock line. Crazy idea ! I would just use new sections of a long dock line or use protective sleeves on the dock line. If you go with the dolly or skateboard....then you gotta post some photos!!

Larry
'89 Robin's Nest#5820, Potomac River/Quantico, Va
http://catalina25.homestead.com/olarryr.html

Edited by - OLarryR on 03/18/2025 21:21:25

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5344 Posts

Response Posted - 03/19/2025 : 11:41:54

This may or may not work out for you. Find a piece of 4x4 about 5 ft long and drill a few holes in it to run some dockline. Fasten the 4x4 using the dockline to the cleats embedded in the concrete bulkhead. Add a few of your own cleats to the 4x4 using some stout stainless bolts or screws. Tie your boat�s docklines to these cleats. The soft pine should be a lot more forgiving than the concrete.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3435 Posts

Response Posted - 03/19/2025 : 17:31:36

Another thought:

You could get a small diameter PVC pipe perhaps 2� long. On your dock line that goes to the Seawall cleat, tie a knot in the dock line below the seawall edge, then slip the PVC pipe onto the line - The knot should keep the PVC pipe in place so that the PVC pipe and not the dock line will be touching the concrete, That will then provide protection to the dock line from chafing.