Dock Line Maintenance

[Megabyte]

At the end of every season I remove the dock lines from my slip and launder them.
I bought a number of those mesh bags that are generally used for 'delicates' in the wash.

I wash my lines in these mesh bags in hot water with detergent and bleach, and a rinse with fabric softener.
The lines always come out of the wash clean and supple. :wink:

I noticed this year that some of my lines were looking a little rough on the ends where they were factory whipped, so I decided to fix that.
Went to my local hardware store looking for 'whip-and-dip', but it wasn't something they carried.
Almost bought some 'liquid electrical tape' but instead found 'Plasti Dip' which is generally used on tool handles.

Worked like a charm!
Need to do all of the 'transient' dock lines presently being stored on my boat this spring. 8)

 

[1801Steve]

Great idea. Thanks! I have done the fabric softener rinse, it works like a charm. But the tool dip is a new one for me.

 

[Megabyte]

On lines that I have needed to shorten, I've always slipped on a piece of shrink tubing, hit it with the heat gun, then slice with a very sharp knife to get a clean cut.
Sometimes, even tho you melt the ends with the heat gun, the line is never really totally sealed.
Now, with the Plasti Dip, it is totally sealed.

I will be going over all of my lines this coming spring. :wink:

 

[KETABUG0]

Plastic Dip will not stick to nylon, only to metal surfaces!

 

[Megabyte]

Plastic Dip will not stick to nylon, only to metal surfaces!

Well, as you can see it did, and it does. :wink:

 

[kidfreediver]

You must have a black lab?

 

[Megabyte]

Not exactly.

 

[kidfreediver]

Not exactly.

lol

 

[Megabyte]

Her name is Abigail and she sleeps on that towel on my desk. :wink:

 

[SBH2OMan]

Love that Plasti-Dip idea! In fact I'm going to do it right now with the new dock lines that just arrived UPS today.

FWIW, I found a good source for RTG dock lines on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XAD442

$8.40 for a 3/8" x 20 dock line in a variety of colors. Thats about 1/3 the price of my local West Marine for good spring lines. I use 1/2" for my main on the bow and stern, which are also a bargain

 

[In2Deep]

I tried both ideas shared on this thread,1 worked and the other was disastrous!
Thought Id save someone from having the same bad experience. The plasti dip was pretty straight forward. Laundering the rope on the other hand was a mistake.
I did as instructed put my 200' of 3 strand 5/8" nylon anchor rode into a mesh bag, some woolite a little detergent,threw it in the machine on the gentle cycle and the end result was disastrous. Frayed useless twisted ball of clean rode. Not sure what went wrong,but the last time I do that!

 

[Megabyte]

Without seeing the final product, I can't comment on what occurred.
However, I have had selected lines (stern lines that tend to rub on the dock boards) come out frayed where they were sun and rub damaged.

The lines looked a little chafed when going into the laundry (but appeared to still be serviceable), but they looked far worse when they came out of the wash.
I cut off the bad areas, re-sealed them, and re-purposed them as utility and fuel dock lines.

Again, without seeing yours I can't say for sure, but I suspect you might have had damage to your rode that didn't present itself until it was laundered.
At least that is what I have seen from mine over the years.

 

[Megabyte]

I re-read your post and noticed you were laundering your anchor rode.
My post concerned ~20' dock lines which were not as long as your anchor rode, even tho they were similar 3 twist lines.

One year while I had my old rode on deck to clean it (I scrubbed it manually) and to inspect it, I found the hockles you see in my first photo.
Not sure if it was just the rode or the swivel I was using at the time, but I replaced that rode with 8-plait rode and a new anchor swivel.

In the second photo you can see the difference in the 2 style of lines, and how I attached my new rode flags in the 3rd photo.
The old anchor rode was re-purposed as new dock lines once it was cut to size and sealed.

Hope some of this helps.

 

[gw204]

Plasti Dip is for kids and their 1997 Honda Civics you goof. :wink:

 

[Megabyte]

Don't you have a boat that needs to be cut apart? :lol:

 

[gw204]

Touche'.

 

[In2Deep]

I ended up upgrading to 8 plait rode. Expensive, hopefully worth it. Purchased 250' but having trouble fitting it and my anchor in the bow locker on my 2120. I know it lays down better but the additional 50' isnt helping. Any tips.
thanks
Jerry

 

[Megabyte]

Nothing concrete as I don't know the difference in size between the chain locker in your 2120 vs my 2520.
I was able to get 300' of 8-plait and 20' of chain in mine, tho I suspect yours might be proportionally smaller.

Does your locker have an access door in the front of the v-berth?
I was able to put about 100' of line in mine with the door open so I could manage the initial 'lay'.
Then I closed to door and just fed the rest in.

I put a clevis on the end of my rode and attached it to the inside of my chain locker just in case I ever need to let all of my line out.
FWIW - I've never come close to putting it all out, at least while I was boating in the Chesapeake.
Now that I live in deeper water, who knows.

 

[In2Deep]

Yes my 2120 has the hatch in the v berth. Mabey I'll lay down the first 100' and see if it helps.