Don’t forget the ladder

Securing against a high wall, one of the biggest problems is that the lines must be so long to reach the dock that, as the tide rises, the boat swings out awkwardly. Making use of a convenient ladder is good news, so long as you’ve given it a survey and it looks man enough for the job. You can reach it easily, so you can shift the rope’s position up or down a rung or two without hardly having to put down your mug of tea. In practice, because it’s attached at neither at top nor bottom the line may well not need shifting at all. A ring set into the wall is equally handy, and has the advantage of not upsetting a fussy harbourmaster.