Stow your lines carefully
You’ll want to keep your lines neat and in order. A good place to stow the end of the center line is in the life ring just forward of the rear hatch. The front line is usually easy to stow in the front well, tucked into a corner where you can’t trip over it. It’s the stern line that is the hardest to stow and also the most important to stow safely because a trailing stern line can be caught up by the propeller.
Step 1
Probably the easiest way to coil your line is to hold a few equal length loops in your hand. Slightly roll the line with each loop to prevent twisting.
Step 2
Wrap one or more loops around all the loops, just below your hand.
Step 3, 4
Next you’re going to pull a bight through the opening just below your hand and above the wraps you applied in step 2.
Step 5
To finish, pull the end of the line (the bitter end) through the loop of the bight. On a cruiser stern boat, you can hang the coiled line from the railing, using a clove hitch, explained below.
Be aware of where your lines are. Don’t place your foot in a loop because it will become a noose when taut. Don’t let your fingers or hand be trapped between the rope and a bollard, spike or ring.
Be especially careful of your lines when underway. We encountered a couple that had let their stern line dangle. When they put the throttle in reverse, it sucked in the line and tangled it around the propeller. Luckily they were able to open the weed hatch and free the line.