Dinghy Painters

Experienced cruisers always use two painters to secure their dinghies. Why? Because of their experiences. These seasoned sailors, who know how to cleat a line and tie a knot have had their dinghies go on a “walkabout” when using just one painter. It happened to me three times before I learned the lesson. It’s cheap dinghy insurance.

A neat way to do it is to have one line that you tie up or cleat to the boat and a quick release clip on the other line. We have an eye bolt on the stern just for this purpose. We use the quick release as the last line when leaving and the first line when returning.

It’s a good idea to use a line that floats so that you don’t get it drawn into the prop when maneuvering with the dinghy tied behind you. Those cheap yellow polypropylene lines don’t last long in the sun and because they are sort of “slippery”, they sometimes untie themselves.

A better line is the diamond braid version of this line. It floats, and seems to last a long time in the sun and water. It also doesn’t seem slippery. You can buy this inexpensive line at Home Depot or Lowe’s.

There also some companies that make these with a loop in one end. They seem to be a better quality too. Here is an example by Mooringlines.com