How to Secure Your Boat in a Marina Slip

Instructions

• 1

  Familiarising with the marina slip is one of the most important aspects of securing you boat in the marina slip. It will take you a couple of times before you can easily find your way to park the boat in the slip comfortably. One must head towards the marina slip head-on, as it will make easier to park your boat. Otherwise, little manoeuvres will make your life extremely difficult. Switch your engine to idle when you reach almost a boat length of your marina slip. Once you are inside the slip, make sure that you do not hit the end of the slip.
• 2

  Ask your friend or crew member to prepare the lines on one side of the boat. It is recommended that one prepare the lines at one side only at first, as the other side will be secured after you are done fastening the lines of one side.
• 3

  Throw a looped rope over the piling that is placed outside of the slip, as you glide your boat inside the marina slip.
• 4

  Step off the port side of the boat, and secure the rigging that is nearest to the bow to a cleat on the deck. Wrap around the rope multiple times to make sure that the rope does not loosen up. Repeat the process with the lines that are nearest to the stern. If you have a friend or helper already standing at the dock, you then do not have to step off the dock.
• 5

  Now toss a looped rope around a piling that is present on the starboard side of the marina slip. Gently pull the rope so that you can come closer to that side of the slip. Wrap around the ropes to the bow and stern riggings around the cleats that is present on the starboard side of the boat. It is recommended that one should rig the boat’s lines in the middle of the slip in order to prevent your boat from bumping into the marina slip.