This is a neat idea. So is lassoing pilings, which construction crews and various commercial boat deckhands do all the time. Watch how the pros do it. It isn't difficult to learn, and can be practiced almost anywhere. Key are a large eye (3') spliced or tied in with a bowline, and the toss, using a coil of two or more loops of the same diameter, depending on the distance. The other device I like a lot is a Davis extendable boat hook. This extends to something like twelve feet, and makes it easy to get a 5/8" dock line over a piling by simply hanging the eye on the very tip. John "Seahorse" Charles Culotta wrote: I came up with a device , similar to that and very, very cheap and easy to make. THE WIFE calls it a GLOP-D Get Line Over Piling Device. There is a picture of it and an article on how it works on our web page. No knots are required! See GLOP-D on the left side.

> > This is a neat idea. So is lassoing pilings, which construction crews and > various commercial boat deckhands do all the time. Watch how the pros do > it. > It isn't difficult to learn, and can be practiced almost anywhere. Key are > a > large eye (3') spliced or tied in with a bowline, and the toss, using a > coil > of two or more loops of the same diameter, depending on the distance. John, For the DEFINITIVE article on docking and getting a line over a piling :-) See the August 2003 issue of PASSAGEMAKER magazine. If you dont have access to it read it on my web page in the file PUBLISHED ARTICLES. >From experience I have found that to have the eye FOUR FEET in diameter and spliced into the line allows the eye to remain open much longer, thus affording a better chance of getting it over the piling. My , unschooled, theory is that the line is more balanced without the knot. As always YMMV. CCC Charles C. Jr., and Pat Culotta M/V CCRIDER Patterson, La. http://www.geocities.com/charlesculotta