docking a 196

[Whitetail15]

i have a 2005 196 boat. i will be taking several 1 week vacations and different lakes in the area that we rent a cottage on. they include a dock, it is just a simple rectangle dock with some plastic on the sides. normally we just tie off front and rear with a couple bumpers with my fathers (25 year old) boat and call it the day. the lake gets heavy traffic during day with some good waves. whats the best way for this boat. as of right now, it is ten inside and out not a mark anywhere. i was thinking of achoring from front away from dock in about 4 feet and wading out to everytime to use it, but that is going to get old quick , plus hard to put cover on at night and swim in. i need some help, any pics would be great.

[vr6mole]

We dock in downtown Pittsburgh and see heavy boat traffic daily. We leave the boat in for the majority of the summer and had zero issues.

We have LARGE bumpers. Our we park in sort of an L configured dock. Yours would follow the same method but not use the bow/port rope.

Brown would be the rope.

Blue is bumpers.

Green are shock absorbers. Basically prevents the lines from going taunt. They are pieces of rubber that have eyes on either side and you just wrap the rope around them a few times.

The lines connecting to the middle cleat on starboard side are 2 separate spring lines that just keep the boat in place.

[SkiTower]

at the place we rent, there is only buoy docking. However, the buoy is the right distance that I hook the front to it and loosely tie the rear to the dock. I small pain but I'm not wading out every time. I can step off the dock onto the swim platform and not get wet. When the inevitable storm comes through, I simply untie it from the dock and let it swing.

But I agree with vr6mole, a couple of good bumpers and you should be golden. Another place I go for weekends that's what I do.

[Nautiquehunter]

I never tie to docks, anchor it away from harm and pull it at night it will stay a 10 that way.

[j2nh]

If an anchor will hold in the bottom you might consider an Anchor Buddy. An Anchor Buddy is the line you put between the anchor and your boat. Nylon line with bungee in the middle so it stretches. Drop the anchor, attach the Anchor Buddy to the bow eye, reverse close to shore, toss a line to shore and have someone pull you in so you can jump off the platform. Let the line out from shore, old ski rope works great, and then tie it off to a tree. When you want to retrieve the boat, pull it in using the still attached old ski rope, put a buoy on the anchor and you are good to go. Just make sure that when anchored the boat can swing and not hit anything.
We do a road show every summer and leave our 196's in overnight using this system. We have done it for years and never had a problem.

Just a thought.

[teamseal]

Snap-Back Enterprises, Inc. Santa Clara CA 408-235-7788

Not sure if these guy's are still in business but we have been using the Snap-Back product for over ten years at Callaway to moor the boats behind the pavillion.

USA WaterSki had a number of them they were trying to move a couple of years ago.