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| More Thoughts About Stern-Ties:
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As noted in the Waggoner and in another letter, we recommend carrying 600 feet of polypropylene rope for stern-tying while at anchor. The 600-foot length allows the stern-tie to be carried ashore, where it can be passed through a ring or around a rock or tree, and brought back to the boat. When departure time comes, simply by pulling until it snakes back to the boat, the stern-tie can be recovered without taking the dinghy ashore. This advice brought the following comment from reader Allen Rosenberg. We thought you should read it, along with our response.
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Feb. 14, 2000
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We've used a stern tie a fair number of times, often as part of a raft. Your advice is good, and that's pretty much how we do it. My cavil is that pulling the stern line back to the boat girdles the tree. I've climbed around a lot of shoreside trees that have substantial wounds and lots of pitch effusion.
We pass our stern line either around a rock, a snag, or a deadfall into the water--never a live tree. Of course, the tricky problem with rocks is that the line tends to snag under, so you may end up going back ashore to release it anyway.
--Allen Rosenberg
Kinnikinnick (and, formerly, Fiddler's Green)
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Response
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Allen, your point is very well taken. I have to stop short, though, of telling readers never to pass a stern-tie around a tree. Sometimes a tree may be the only termination point that works well, and the need for a secure anchorage may be more important. I suspect that the damage from any one boat is very slight. A damaged tree more likely is the result of a season or several seasons of boats using the same tree, because it is the best place to pass a stern-tie around.
Nevertheless, from here on, I'll do my best to pass the stern-tie around rocks where possible, and around dead trees if they are an option.
--Bob Hale
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