When securing the boat alongside, which line should be led forward to form the bow line?

When securing the boat alongside, which line should be led forward to form the bow line?

• A. Line
• B. Painter
• C. Cleat
• D. Towline

Answer: (A)

When a boat is secured alongside, a line from the bow is led forward to a forward point on the dock to form the bow line. The term for that rope is simply line—the mooring line you run forward from the bow to a cleat or bollard ahead. The other terms refer to a device (cleat), a towing-type rope (towline), or a specific name for a mooring rope on small boats (painter), but the action described—leading the rope forward from the bow to secure the forward line—is performed with the line itself. Practically, you’d take a line from the bow, run it forward to a forward dock cleat, and secure it to hold the bow in position.

When a boat is secured alongside, a line from the bow is led forward to a forward point on the dock to form the bow line. The term for that rope is simply line—the mooring line you run forward from the bow to a cleat or bollard ahead. The other terms refer to a device (cleat), a towing-type rope (towline), or a specific name for a mooring rope on small boats (painter), but the action described—leading the rope forward from the bow to secure the forward line—is performed with the line itself. Practically, you’d take a line from the bow, run it forward to a forward dock cleat, and secure it to hold the bow in position.