A Curiosity

[gates_cliff]

Last fall when I had my boat hauled I had asked the yard to take all lines off the pilings and leave them with the boat. Well, maybe the guys didn't get the message or just chose not to remove them. There were two lines left on one piling, a stern line and spring line. I had intentionally got dark blue spring lines so it was easy to grab the spring and put it on the mid ship cleat.

The other line was standard off white, double braid ( both lines were double braid).

I had put new dock lines on my boat this year, so yesterday I retrieved the lines left on the piling. Both of them were hanging down in the water.

Now, here is the curiosity. The dark blue spring line was heavily encrusted in barnacles whereas the off-white line, although dirty, didn't have a single barnacle on it! Wondering if the color had anything to do with it. Just kind of strange.

[Steve Kuhar]

Cliff,

Were the lines the same length? possibly one was clear of the water at low tide, which would explain it, otherwise I have no idea.

By the way, I have always used three strand for dock lines, they are much less subject to chafing, retain more of their strength when chafed, generally have more stretch (read shock absorber), and are much easier to put an eye splice into. I suspect that this is one of those topics like locked or unlocked propellers though, so I would not argue with anyone who disagrees, just food for thought.

Steve Kuhar

[gates_cliff]

Steve,

No, both lines were hanging in the water.

By the way, my new dock lines are 3 strand, as I agree with you about the ease of splicing and the shock absorption.

[Neil Gordon]

What Steve Kuhar said.

Plus... <and are much easier to put an eye splice into>... right, because they're overall easier to splice... for a line that doesn't need to run through a block, two or more short lines (maybe you cut out or cut off a chafed portion) can be short spliced to make a longer line.

[Jeff and Sarah]

Were they in the water for the same length of time? Or did one fall off the piling hook just recently?

[gates_cliff]

Am 98% certain the same amount of time.