Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
A dock line is a rope that ties a boat or watercraft to a dock. The rope is made out of either nylon or polypropylene. These are the materials of choice for dock line because they do not stretch, and that is an essential feature of dock line. Ropes should be cleaned as needed to remove dirt, mold and mildew. Another reason people like to wash dock line is that it helps to soften the rope, making it easier to tie. When cleaning dock line, it's important to never use bleach, as bleach can weaken the rope.
Your dock lines need "tender loving care," just like your boat. While you might hear that dock lines get hard with use and exposure to the salt in salt water, it's actually a lack of proper maintenance that stiffens dock lines. Nylon lines tend to stiffen faster than polypropylene lines because the fibers of nylon depend on internal friction to keep their "lay." This internal friction also grinds the solids in salt water (it's more than simple salt) into the fibers, making them act like the hooks in hook-and-loop fasteners.
While many people love boating, one of the things they dislike is coming home from a day on the lake, river or ocean and having to clean their floating dock. But the alternative is coming back to a dock that is messy, slimy and slippery.
