Bob Doiron of Alberta sent in the following tip to share. He refers to it as a "Jamie Johnson special." Bob took a course with Jamie a few years back and has gone on to charter and then purchase a quarter share with One 4 Yacht Fractions.
SELF RELEASING LINES
We were taught to pass the lines through the dock cleat, rail or whatever mechanism is there and bring the line back to the boat cleat to tie it off. The trick is to pass it under the cleat or rail from the boat side so when it is released you flop the line on the dock and avoid having the end drop in the drink as you reel it in. If you pass it over the cleat or rail and fop the line on the dock
it wraps and binds. It works really slick and has the following advantages:
* It is simply easier and quicker to tie off.
* It can work well when getting assistance from well
meaning dock hands as you can control the degree to which the bow or stern
is pulled in because you get them to pass it back to you.
* It is safer for the crew because lines can be released
while on board; no jumping on.
* When you are checking your lines it can all be done on
board and easily adjusted. This is particularly true under windy
conditions. (New Years Eve 2008 tied up at Ganges with 60 - 70 KM winds on
our starboard beam the docks were rocking quite hard as was the boat.
Having our lines self releasing enabled us to check and adjust as needed
very safely.)
* It works equally as well with spring lines as others,
even with rails, as you are virtually always able to find stops all along
the rail to hold a spring in proper position.
* If you must do a bow 'spring off' it is virtually
essential to have a self releasing line unless you have someone on the
dock to assist.
In the five years we have boated there have been only a handful of times when we haven't been able to do this because of the dock or lack of cleats. Even if you don't have enough bow line you can release it while on the dock and then board and release the remaining lines in a safe and orderly manner. If there is a line that won't work It's usually the bow line because of the distance from the centre line of the boat to the dock.
THANKS BOB for your submission!
SELF RELEASING LINES
We were taught to pass the lines through the dock cleat, rail or whatever mechanism is there and bring the line back to the boat cleat to tie it off. The trick is to pass it under the cleat or rail from the boat side so when it is released you flop the line on the dock and avoid having the end drop in the drink as you reel it in. If you pass it over the cleat or rail and fop the line on the dock
it wraps and binds. It works really slick and has the following advantages:
* It is simply easier and quicker to tie off.
* It can work well when getting assistance from well
meaning dock hands as you can control the degree to which the bow or stern
is pulled in because you get them to pass it back to you.
* It is safer for the crew because lines can be released
while on board; no jumping on.
* When you are checking your lines it can all be done on
board and easily adjusted. This is particularly true under windy
conditions. (New Years Eve 2008 tied up at Ganges with 60 - 70 KM winds on
our starboard beam the docks were rocking quite hard as was the boat.
Having our lines self releasing enabled us to check and adjust as needed
very safely.)
* It works equally as well with spring lines as others,
even with rails, as you are virtually always able to find stops all along
the rail to hold a spring in proper position.
* If you must do a bow 'spring off' it is virtually
essential to have a self releasing line unless you have someone on the
dock to assist.
In the five years we have boated there have been only a handful of times when we haven't been able to do this because of the dock or lack of cleats. Even if you don't have enough bow line you can release it while on the dock and then board and release the remaining lines in a safe and orderly manner. If there is a line that won't work It's usually the bow line because of the distance from the centre line of the boat to the dock.
THANKS BOB for your submission!
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