Heaving a line ashore

Line handling · moderate · also called Throwing a dock line

Used for

Getting a dock line to someone on the dock when you cannot step off
Passing a line to another boat, for example to take a tow
Throwing a bight of line over a piling or around a dock cleat

How to tie it

Make the other end of the line fast on board before you throw.
Coil the line neatly, then split the coil into two parts, one in each hand.
Keep the coils nearest the free end in your throwing hand and hold the rest loosely in your other hand, palm open so it can pay out.
Move to the spot on the boat closest to where the line has to land, and stand side-on to the target.
Swing the throwing hand and let its coils go in a smooth, low arc, letting the other hand's coils run out behind them.
Aim beside and just beyond the person, never at their head; in a crosswind aim a little upwind.
Once they have it, tell them clearly what to do with it.

Check it: The line lands beside or beyond the catcher without tangling, within easy reach, and your end is still made fast aboard.

Cautions

Use a line long enough to reach easily; a line that only just gets there is hard to catch.
Do not throw lines with heavy knots, shackles or weights on the end at people. The Navy discourages weighted throwing lines near crowds, and the Coast Guard says not to put metal in a monkey's fist.
Keep lines out of the water near the propellers; a line that falls in can foul a prop.
If you miss, gather it, re-coil and throw again rather than rushing.
When you can, give the dock the eye and keep the adjustable end aboard, so you control the line from your own boat.

Sources (7)

waterwayguide.com · americanrope.com · boatingcompass.org · globalsecurity.org · navytribe.com · higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com · practical-sailor.com

General guidance for recreational boaters, researched from the sources listed and written in our own words. Your equipment manuals, local knowledge, the Navigation Rules and a qualified instructor come first.