The 10 Best Docklines
This wiki has been updated 27 times since it was first published in February of 2017. It's not enough to simply draw your boat up alongside the dock, you have to secure it there with a sturdy line if you want to find your craft there in the morning. Since not every vessel needs lines of the same length and strength, we did our best to include a nice variety of options. All of these should resist rot, abrasion, and snapping under tension when used correctly. When users buy our independently chosen editorial recommendations, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
1. Norestar Mooring Rope
2. Kwik Tek Airhead Bungee
3. SeaSense Double Braid
Editor's Notes
December 17, 2020:
When choosing a dockline, there are some properties that every person will want in their rope, no matter what kind of vessel they have. For example, everybody needs one that is UV and abrasion resistant, not prone to snapping under stress, and, ideally, which has the ability to absorb some shock in rough weather as your boat bobs up and down. Since these are universal needs, we made sure to only include models that meet all of these requirements to some level. After that, you'll have to consider the size and weight of your vessel, as well as how big your cleats are, to determine which rope best suits your needs.
If you have a large boat, it is best to lean towards a line that is thick, and which has a high tensile strength. The 3/4th-inch thick Norestar Mooring Rope definitely meets these requirements, boasting a breakage rating of 19,100 pounds. The CordShop Marine Premium is also extremely strong, as is the Knotty Girlz Yacht Rope, both of which are made in North America and are 5/8th of an inch in diameter.
Those with a small personal watercraft would be fine with the Kwik Tek Airhead Bungee and Skog Å Kust Premium, the former of which has a tensile strength rating of 2,150 pounds, and the latter's is 2,200 pounds. It should be pointed out that the Skog Å Kust Premium is actually 3/4th of an inch thick, which just goes to show that you can't automatically assume that a thick diameter always equates to the strongest rope. The material it is made from and how tightly it is woven also play a huge role in this.
The only new addition to our list this year is the Amarine Made Reflective. Because docks are often dark at night, and safety is always important around water, we thought it smart to give our readers the option of a reflective model that can help reduce the chances of accidents. If you choose the bright blue rope, it will be highly visible during the day, too.
August 29, 2019:
As one can imagine, the most important properties when it comes to dock lines are abrasion, UV, and snap resistance. Anything that has the potential to compromise the integrity of your rope could potentially lead to it breaking, resulting in damage to your vessel. Because of this, durability was a top priority when selecting the best docklines. Of course, other factors also came into play, such as mildew and rot resistance, flexibility, texture, how well the ends are finished, and more, since all of these can affect the user experience.
The Norestar Mooring Rope claimed our top spot because it excels in all of those areas. Additionally, it is available in a wide variety of lengths and diameters, so it is easy to find the perfect one for your particular vessel. The CordShop Marine Premium is also an exceptionally high-quality line, but unfortunately it is only available in 30- and 40-foot lengths, which means its applications are limited.
When it comes to price-to-quality ratio, the SeaSense Double Braid, Shoreline Marine Nylon, and Attwood Double Braided are leading the pack. They all have relatively budget-friendly prices, but you wouldn't know that by looking at or touching the lines, making them a smart buy.
For heavier vessels, we recommend docklines that are a minimum of 5/8 of an inch thick, with 3/4 being an even better choice. Of the products on our list, the Norestar Mooring Rope, SeaSense Double Braid, CordShop Marine Premium, and Knotty Girlz Yacht Rope all come in options of at least the thinner of those two diameters. Those with small, personal watercrafts like jetskis or kayaks can look to the Kwik Tek Airhead Bungee and Skog Å Kust Premium. They don't have the tensile strength of many of the other options on our list, but offer some smart features that make for convenient use.
Special Honors
West Marine Prespliced Every boater knows you can't go wrong with West Marine, and their dockline offerings are no different. As with most things from their store, these ropes won't come for the best price, but you can rely on their durability and longevity to keep your vessel safely attached to the dock at all times. Many people will probably appreciate the wide range of colors and sizes available, too. westmarine.com
4. CordShop Marine Premium
5. Shoreline Marine Nylon
6. Regatta Marine Essentials Four-Pack
7. Amarine Made Reflective
8. Knotty Girlz Yacht Rope
9. Attwood Double Braided
10. Skog Å Kust Premium
A wandering writer who spends as much time on the road as in front of a laptop screen, Brett can either be found hacking away furiously at the keyboard or, perhaps, enjoying a whiskey and coke on some exotic beach, sometimes both simultaneously, usually with a four-legged companion by his side. He has been a professional chef, a dog trainer, and a travel correspondent for a well-known Southeast Asian guidebook. He also holds a business degree and has spent more time than he cares to admit in boring office jobs. He has an odd obsession for playing with the latest gadgets and working on motorcycles and old Jeeps. His expertise, honed over years of experience, is in the areas of computers, electronics, travel gear, pet products, and kitchen, office and automotive equipment.