Dock lines so loud

[kas_1611]

Do you have mooring line snubbers fitted?

We use mini ones, 3 per mooring line, that give the lines just enough snubbing to almost eradicate the creaks. I say almost as they still creak if the wind is strong and the boat moving around a lot. Plus these little snubbers also reduce shock loading on the cleats, which is always a good idea.

[jen1722terry]

We echo the water-treatment post, except that we don't heat the water. We do have chafe guards on each dock line (heavy fabric with velcro). We open the velcro at the high end of each chafe guard then just pour a few ounces of fresh water in the guard, which then keeps the water from evaporating too quickly. Seems to last all night, but does require application on any evening it doesn't rain.

We are particularly careful to keep the lines wet under the chafe guards in heavy winds, for the lines can heat up as they run through the chocks which, we believe, weakens the lines.

Best of luck. Noisy lines can be water-torture when you're trying to sleep.

Jenn and Terry

[jamhass]

In my case the squeek came from the fairlead, not the cleat, especially when using laid line. Anti-chafe gear (webbing, fire hose outer sleeve, rags) worked fine.

[TomThumb]

Assume you are berthed stern to, not med moored (with your anchor out forward, as that changes some of the loads and tension). In additon to a full initial trun around the cleats and 'scotchmen' / chafing covers like the webbing or firehose solutions suggested, you can also consider the various ways to manage surge like the stainless or rubber 'snubber' springs spliced inline on your dock lines. https://www.sealuxpro.com/SeaLux-Sta...eet-hull-Small. or https://www.overtons.com/mooring-snu...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

That shock absorber effect allows a bit more slack to be allowed most of the time and will take some of the rope stretching and might reduce the stretching and squeaking on the onboard cleats.

[Cpt Mark]

Originally Posted by hd002e

Interesting, where does the bag go exactly?

Not in the water!

[Hudson Force]

I have used the water and the soap plan; however, the spray on silicone lubricant always seemed to last longer for me.

[gonesail]

my lines squeak a lot when they get dried out. I sometimes take a container of water and soak them at the chafe areas .. quiets them down for a few hours or more. will try a bit of soap next time.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

I have used the water and the soap plan; however, the spray on silicone lubricant always seemed to last longer for me.

I have found fabric water repellent treatments (Nikwax etc) to be very effective, on running rigging too (mainsheets can squeak). Much longer lasting than soap or fabric softener.

[jharding]

What makes the noise is when line stretches against fairlead or cleat, I eliminated the stretchy line at those points with short pieces of dyneema with eye splices. never a bit of noise anymore.

[waterman46]

I have always found that braided polyester lines (standard running rigging type of line) causes very loud creaking/squeaking on any mooring cleat on the boat. And it doesn't matter if you let it out a bit more, since your boat will soon fetch up on it again, and with an even louder squeak since the boat got a chance to develop more momentum!

I use polyester braided lines for temporary mooring lines since the ones I have are just leftover halyards and sufficiently long for the initial tossing/carrying onto the dock. As soon as I'm in the final mooring position and have time to redo the dock lines neatly, I always use three-strand line and the noise goes away completely - and no need for any special treatment with lubricants or sleeves over the line. If I forget to change to 3 strand, I will usually regret it because I can't sleep with the loud creaking caused by braided line.

I enjoyed the video and the results agree with what I have noticed. BTW Everyone I know has always called this a figure 8 hitch. Use at least one complete round turn before doing the figure 8. Don't put more then the single layer of figure 8's onto the cleat since you may have to undo the hitch in a hurry if there was an emergency (fire on neighbor's boat).

In most parts of Central America whenever the dock hands and sometimes just good hearted locals who help tie up your boat they invariably use a kind of cleat hitch which is both ugly and hard to undo. They don't know to do figure 8s. Instead they tuck the final loose end under one of the round turns. So after your boat pulls up tight on the cleat all night that round turn becomes very tight and it can become very difficult to loosen the line from the cleat. This drives me nuts so I always have to re-do their work and use a figure-8 hitch like the ones shown in the video.
FWIW, personally I don't like having spliced loops in any dock line. Once you have the loop over a cleat, there is no way to let out a little more line on that end if you need to. And if the line is in tension you may not even be able to release it at all. Much better to cleat both ends, then you can adjust and release the line from either end. And the line will wear much longer w/o the eye, since you are always using a different part of the line each time you cleat it.

[BlackHeron]

I don't like eyes on the end of my dock linea either.

I prefer to run a line from the boat, through the hole in the cleat (or around the piling) and then back to the boat again to the same cleat, and not have any cleat hitches on the dock at all for the local hooligan kids to mess with, and if there is an emergency or hurry one can just let them loose and pull them back on board quickly from the other end. They can be quicky adjusted at any time from the boat without having to step ashore.

If I don't have enough line to reach around a piling and back, I will sometimes tie a bowline loop and then tuck the line through the loop of the bowline to make a choker loop to go around the more distant piling.

When it is time to leave I can use my boathook to snag the bowline and back off the choke loop to retrieve my line without leaving the boat. Not as easy as pulling one end from the boat but can be done from up to 10 feet away.

[GoneIsland]

Only two people suggested so far, wow. Can’t believe it. I’ve been using dawn for years. Works great, cheap and quiets it down instantly. So what If it only last a couple of weeks, next time she’s squeaking put some more on.
K. I. S. S. people 😁
John
Boatingmadeez.com

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by waterman46

..................
.................. FWIW, personally I don't like having spliced loops in any dock line. Once you have the loop over a cleat, there is no way to let out a little more line on that end if you need to. And if the line is in tension you may not even be able to release it at all. Much better to cleat both ends, then you can adjust and release the line from either end. And the line will wear much longer w/o the eye, since you are always using a different part of the line each time you cleat it.

"FWIW",- I'll say it's worth a whole lot! No spliced in loops for me either. I agree that it's important to be able to adjust a dock line anytime from on board or on the dock as waterman46 suggests. I also like to take a couple wraps around a piling before placing a clove hitch lower than this wrap. This will allow line adjustment in storm conditions by taking in line or releasing line between the surges. I'd say never fix your lines in a position where you can't adjust them under tension.

[hd002e]

I will definitely try the dish soap trick. Tonight there is no movement and no noise so I’m pretty happy. Do you squirt it onto the cleat? Water it down and pour a bit onto the line? Do you soak your line? I need details people

My eye splice is on the dock end, there is a thimble inside the eye and a 1/2” chain loops through the thimble to the dock. Reason being here at the town quay the dock only has a metal loop set in concrete and a sharp metal edge on the side of the dock. The dock is considerably higher than the boat so the edge could easily saw through any line with a bit of movement. This is pretty much my permanent spot for the season so I set it up for maximum safety and comfort. I obviously leave the line on the dock as I leave to go sailing and have separate line in the locker if I go to a different town.

We are expecting rain the next three days so I’ll try the dish soap trick once that blows over.

I really appreciate all you guys help! Love this community. Stay safe everyone.

[Lepke]

You can buy 20' or more of old fire hose on eBay for about $20. A lifetime of good chafing gear for most yachts.