Nothing will make you look like a rookie boater more than having docklines that are thrown haphazardly on the dock like a plate of spaghetti. Not only does it make the area look sloppy, but it's also a tripping hazard to folks walking down the dock to admire your boat. Proper dockline handling is easy and gives your boat that extra panache that will have veteran boaters nodding their heads up and down - rather than side to side - as they walk by your boat. Here are four methods to get you started.


Flemish Flake
The most common method of handling excess lines
on the dock is called the Flemish flake. To make one, first check to see that the line (sometimes called "rope" by landlubbers) isn't tangled or twisted by letting it hang down and wiggling it. Next, lay it down, and grab the "bitter end" (the untied end) with your thumb and forefinger, and rotate it clockwise as it lies on the dock. Keep turning it from the center, and the line will curve around in a tight circle, resulting in a disk that lies as flat and compact as possible. This handling
technique shouldn't be used for long-term docking since the top of the rope will become dirtier and more weathered than the underside of the line and may discolor the dock.









Figure 8 Flake
This method is an excellent way to decoratively store the loose line, but since it will stand taller than a Flemish flake, you'll want to use this technique in areas where there's less foot traffic and chance of people tripping on the line, such as behind a cleat or next to a mooring post. You start by making an S-shape with the first bit of line, followed by laying loops over the previous loops. The figure 8 flake is not only ornamental, but it also has several practical applications: It's a nice way to store a hose since it doesn't twist like it does when it's stored in a coil. It can also be helpful when laying the line on your deck prior to tossing the bitter end to someone on shore because it flows freely without tangling.










Chain Stitch
One of the flashiest ways to tidy loose dockline is the chain stitch method. Unlike the Flemish flake, which cleans up loose line from a dock cleat, this technique is useful when you want to reduce the amount of leftover line on the boat side. To begin, take the line coming off your boat's cleat and form a loop. Reach through the loop, and pull the loose line up through the previous loop to form another loop the same size as the first one, and then repeat until all the loose line is used up. When you get to the bitter end, pass it through the last loop to secure. This reduces the length of line by about two-thirds so it can be tossed over a bow rail, laid along the gunwale, or dropped down over the gunwale (if it's short and won't touch the water).










Dockline Coil
This coiling method is used for neatly storing unused dockline so you can be ready to use it without having to spend an unneccesary amount of time unraveling a rat's nest-like line. First, make sure that all of the tangles are out of the line, then form loops approximately 18 inches long, draping them over the upraised palm of your left hand. When you have about 2 feet of line left, wrap the end of the line around the coils two times, about one-third of the distance from the top. Using the leftover line, push a loop through the top loop of the coiled line, spreading it wide enough to fit over the top of the coils, slide it over and down, and then cinch the line tightly to finish.







Illustrations by Brian Buxton