lines. They also allow the use of a shorter
line, for more control, less wandering of the
boat, and less risk of crew tripping over an
unnecessarily long line.
On the subject of cleats, some boats
have only a single cleat forward for securing
bow lines; if that’s the case on your boat,
make the necessary changes so each bow
line has its own cleat. The double-cleat
arrangement also proves practical use for
those times when you want to use two
anchors.
David and Zora Aiken have been liveaboards for
more than 20 years and are authors of Good
Boatkeeping and Cruising: The Basics. This
article first appeared in Mad Mariner’s DIY
Boat Owner Magazine. www.DIY-Boat.com
Midship cleats allow a better lead for spring lines.
Note the twin cleats for bow lines.
As the boat rises or falls with the tides, TideSlides move correspondingly on the pilings.
AirlineThirdPgAd-BoatUS11-09.qxd:Layout 1 11/24/09 6: 14 PM Page 1
