Rate your marina and others you've experienced.

[Bob Chaisson]

Where is your Marina, what does if offer you, what would you like to see different about it, How much does it cost, how do they treat you and other customers. Are you staying or going? Share stories, good and bad of other marinas you have been at and the personalities that you found there. Also what its like to get in and out of.

[LOLA]

Hey Terri, Why can't you put a pipe in the hole, and it will become a cleat..in other words wrap your line around just like a normal cleat?

[verner j canatsey]

First thing I'd do is see if they would mind if you put a cleat on the dock in the center, front to back. I used the quick loop method for years out at Disney. And I was docking about40 times a night.

[Mike Brown]

Terri, sorry to repeat if you've already read this but my origianl response ended up buried in a previous page.

A marina we visit in Cape May NJ has the same set up. Surprisingly enough the lines through the holes don't seem to chafe. I think the wood eventually gets smoothed out over the years. Another option to running a line through the hole is to tie the end of the dock line around the post using a double wrap on a clove hitch. It's better if you use dock lines that do not have a loop on one end. Clove hitch to the post and the other end cleated off to the boat. I mark my lines with rigging tape to indicate where to place them on the cleats. Makes it quick and easy to get them set properly every time.

Using a spring line is a good idea. Not only will it pull you in towards the finger pier it will also act as a brake and keep you from bumping into the bulkhead in front of you. Once you have the spring line on you can put her back into forward at idle speed and she'll walk up to and rest against the pier until you grab a second line for better control.

I'd also place a dock line between the pilings on the far side of the finger pier. Set it at a height that will catch you under all different tidal heights. The line will keep you form drifting into the neighboring slip, too far away from your finger pier. In a worst case scenario you can pull into the slip and rest up against the line and pilings until the wind dies, extra help shows up or you get your wits about you. I'd use a 5/8 inch line.

Remember practice makes almost perfect. I say "almost perfect" because no matter how good you think you are there are days mother nature reminds you it pays to be humble.
Good luck
Mike