“There’s going to be a big swell
coming into the marina, so you may
want to double up on your dock lines,”
Nylons for Your Boat
said the stranger as he took a line
from me as we pulled into Baha Naval
Use Nylon Webbing
marina in Ensenada, Mexico.
We’d just made the short, 65 mile,
for Surge Protection
trip down from San Diego aboard our
and Anchor Snubber.
Fantasia 35, Cetus. Coming into our
first foreign port of this voyage, we had
clearing customs on our minds and not By Heidi Kotas
major wave action, but his statement
got me thinking and, shortly after tying
up, we began downloading weather
information. galvanized chain hook attached to one several appropriately sized shackles,
We saw that a huge storm in the end. The other end, being a 10” eye, and with those a number of different
Gulf of Alaska was indeed going to loops over the bow cleat perfectly. The length combinations can be made.
make surfers very happy, which in strap has just enough stretch to make So, back to the problem at hand,
turn would make marina dwellers its use as an anchor snubber ideal. And securing Cetus for the incoming surge
here in Ensenada uncomfortable, since with a breaking strength of over 7,000 at the dock in Ensenada. My goal was
they are subject to surges in large swell pounds, it’s more than up to the task. to keep the boat from rubbing against
conditions. Now the question was, This proved beneficial while anchored the dock on the port side. I’d seen
do we stay in the marina and deal in the Tuamotu atoll of Makemo when a boats that had been in the marina for
with the surging conditions or travel blow came through over a large fetch of sometime that had the gel coat worn
on south to an anchorage which may water in the lagoon. The waves picked off from where their fenders would
be pretty uncomfortable – or possibly up and hobby horsed the boats on rub when pinched between the dock
dangerous? We chose to stick with their anchor chains. A nearby sailboat and the boat and I didn’t want that
the marina and just secure the boat as suffered damage as his windlass was happening. At first I tied a line from
much as we could. ripped off when his nylon line anchor the starboard side across to a cleat,
While working on the line snubber broke in the night. I was glad but soon saw that the line was already
configuration and tying to every cleat I had the higher strength anti-chafe stretching in the building surge. That’s
within reach, it dawned on me to try nylon strap. when I remembered my ace in the hole:
out a piece of gear I had stowed away in I stowed four straps aboard Cetus my nylon straps.
a dark, dank rope locker in anticipation many months before as we prepared I joined a 10’ and a 20’ nylon
of just such an occurrence. But first a for this, our third offshore cruise. I together using a ¾” shackle. One end
little background. carry two 10’ lengths and two 20’ of the strap was looped over a dock
I had worked in heavy construction lengths, all 2” wide with the breaking cleat off our starboard side, across an
for 30 years and almost daily I would strength of 6,500 pounds. I also have open slip. The other end came through
use nylon lifting straps, or “nylons” the midship hawspipe. I then bent on a
for short. True to their name they are length of old sheet line to the strap and
a tightly woven strap made from chafe lead that line to a fairlead block and
resistant nylon fiber. They come in a then onto the main winch. With this
variety of widths, lengths and strengths arrangement I was able to crank 18,000
from 1” to 6” wide and 1’ to 25’ long. pounds of boat a safe distance from
These straps have 8” to 10” eyes sewn the dock. Although we rocked when
into each end to accommodate large the swell came through, we weren’t
hooks on the cranes. The advantage crashing the dock with each surge.
to using these nylons for crane picks For over 24 hours, no adjustment was
is their high strength, low stretch needed because the nylon simply did
characteristics. Another plus is they not stretch out the way a normal line
are able to be rolled up like a fire hose would have. We slept well that night
for easy storage. These straps can be not having to worry about our lines.
purchased at industrial supply outlets I highly recommend that any
for about $2.50 per foot for off the shelf boat add at least one nylon strap to
lengths. You can also custom order in their rope locker. There isn’t a better
any size to fit your needs. anchor snubber (necessary if you use
Years ago, on our previous South all chain) and now that I know their
Pacific cruise, I had discovered these Over 24 hours, no adjustment was needed value in docking in surging conditions,
straps make a perfect anchor snubber. because the nylon simply did not stretch which can be encountered anywhere, I
I would use a 2” by 10’ nylon with a out the way a normal line would have. wouldn’t leave home without them.
48° No r t h , Ja N u a r y 2010 Pa g e 41
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