What lines should I buy for my 310 Sundancer?

[craigwitt]

I need to buy all new lines for my 310 sundancer. Can you all please advise on the following?

-How many?
-What size diameter? 1/2", 5/8" etc.
-What lenght? 15', 20', 25' etc

Thank you!

 

[JimT]

I would go with the the 5/8". The length and number of lines would depend on how you will tie up. Some more information would help.

 

[Jack380AC]

Depends on a whole bunch of stuff related to the slip you will be in. But here are some thoughts to get you going.

How many? At minimum, 2 for bow, 2 for stern, 1 spring. 2 spring needed in some cases. Most slips can only reach boat from one side or the other. Double this if you want to be able to "double" your lines in a severe strom. Check with locals on the need. Also, if you are going places that do not have lines at the dock, you will need some for on board because taking your slip dock lines on and off all the time is not a good idea.

Diameter: I would go with 5/8 (bigger is better) braided but make sure these fit in your cleats. Smaller boats have smaller cleats. You can also check the charts on the back of the packaging of the lines you buy. They typically have guidelines for boat size.

Length: Completely depends on the slip. Remeber to criss-cross the stern lines, allow the boat to be pulled close to the finger slip and allow for high and low tides. You also need at least 3 turns around the piling to allow for adjustments. My starboard bow line is 3 times longer than the port bow because my slip is very wide and I position the boat in the slip to port where it can be reached from the finger slip. When in doubt, longer is better.

 

[fwebster]

A 310DA doesn't need anything more than 1/2" lines, however, a lot depends upon your slip arrangement and whether or not you need stretch in the lines. Braided lines last longer and tend to be softer, but don't allow much stretch, whereas, 3 strand nylon has a lot of stretch, but is cheaper. The length of the lines is totally dependent upon how you secure the boat in the slip and how the pilings are arranged, so any answer you get here on length is a wild guess.

 

[JimFromMD]

I need to buy all new lines for my 310 sundancer. Can you all please advise on the following?

Thank you!

For my 300DA I have the following (all double braided).

4 - 20' 1/2 inch lines for bow/stern lines.
2 - 25' 3/8 inch for spring lines.

I think the extra length comes in handy, as in a copule marinas i've been put into a wide slip for a much bigger boat. Not many of the marinas I go to have floating peirs. Having the extra length allows you to adjust as necessary. Maybe you want to be closer to the finger pier on one side vice in the middle etc. Also having a few of the 3/8" lines has come in handy on raftups, as some boats have smaller cleats than our searays typically do.

Also, I'm on a lift, but if I wasnt, I'd have a set of lines to leave on the pier, and a set to take with me. Not sure what your situation is.

Depending on when you need them, West Marine usually has a spring and fall sale where they are typically 20%+ off.


-James

 

[Gofirstclass]

I'm with Frank. 5/8" lines for a 310 is a serious overkill situation. I used 1/2" on my 330 for years without any problem and now use 5/8" on my boat.

Keep in mind, you're not trying to LIFT the boat, you're only trying to keep it secured in place in your slip or against a dock. Unless you're in an area where you're facing very high winds or very strong current, 1/2" will work well.

As to the number of lines to buy, I suggest you picture the directions you want to prevent the boat from moving. I like having my boat centered in the slip so it's not touching fenders on either side, and with the stern far enough from the dock that it won't hit the stern ball fenders but close enough that we can step on the swim platform. Here's my mooring line setup:

I leave my mooring lines on the dock so all I have to do when we come in is attach the loops to the cleats. They're all pre-adjusted for the correct length. I also carry about 8-10 dock lines of varying lengths with me for use when we're tying up away from our home slip or going through a lock.

 

[Art]

I, and I suspect most of us leave our home base's per-measured and optimized dock-lines behind when we depart. Thereby, requiring carrying a set of lines to tie-up at our destination. I carry 8 lines of varying length (but tend to error on the longer lengths) due to uncertainties in slip dimensions. GFC, beat me by 1 minute!!!!!

 

[Mike Blake]

Make sure you get the Sea Ray brand!!!!!!

 

[ArtWallach]

I have a 2000 310 DA and I carry 1/2" lines. the newer DA's have the bigger cleats with the SeaRay symbol. 5/8 would be too big for my cleats.
I carry 2 - 30', 2- 20' and 2 - 15' lines as my travel lines.