Introduction to Spring Lines

Essentially, spring lines are just long dock lines.

Spring lines are incredibly useful in getting you into and out of a slip, onto and off the Tee-head, or making you look like an expert in a Mediterranean mooring situation.

The concept is pretty simple: You’re using the force imparted from a line to the dock against the forces from the propeller to position and turn your boat however you want.

The action of using a line to help maneuver the boat is called “springing on” or “springing off”—thus the lines used are called “spring lines.” But they are usually just plain old dock lines.

Essentially, you need to know how to apply and control the force in every scenario. Half the time, the wind and current will work for you or are of little effect so you don’t need a spring line. But the other half of the time, if you don’t spring on or off (or in or out), you’ll be putting your name on the amateur sailor’s list.

You can always tell if you’re doing it right in a busy marina. If people are getting up and putting fenders out and pointing and telling you what to do, they have already labeled you as an amateur. If they keep sipping their gin and tonics, you’re looking good.