The Boat Line

The photo above shows a boat line (also known as an outhaul). It is a beautiful set up for a small skiff which allows the boat to move with the wind and tide with minimal strain on the line. The line is reeled in to board the boat, and then reeled out to start the engine and cast off.

This line is 5/8″ three strands run through two old style wooden blocks. The bow line is short with an eye splice and thimble. When a smaller boat is connected to the line, a longer bow line is used. The stern line is spliced to the main line and is sized up for the 17′ skiff that frequently ties up here. There is also an eye splice where the two tag ends of the line meet which acts as a brake when it is attached to the inner pole so that the boat cannot drift in.

My grandfather first built this line in 1955 or ’56, and I have maintained it since 1987. During that time, I have rebuilt the line three times with only minor changes to the original design. In the old days, we would drive our own poles with a home built hand pile driver that was used off of a tall step ladder. The outer pole is now a commercially driven piling which has required less maintenance.