There is one correct way and many wrong ways to secure a Rainbow to the dock. An improperly secured sailing vessel causes damage to the vessel itself. We have a fantastic Marina crew at The Annapolis Sailing School but let’s cut them some slack with a tautly tied boat!
Securing the Rainbow to the dock:
1) Hang your fender on the winch or jib sheet cleat before landing.
2) Secure the stern line first. Pull the stern so that is no more than one foot, 30 centimeters, from the dock and secure the stern line with a cleat hitch.
3) Pull hard on the bow line until the fender is bearing the load of the boat. Keep that line taut as you get it around the cleat.
When finished, the bow, beam, and stern of the boat should be clear of the dock and the fender is squished between the dock and the boat. With floating docks you want to tie the boats tight so the boats don’t move on the docks as they rise and fall.
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