There are many ways to coil a mooring or anchor line on your boat, but if you do it improperly, twist can get into the line. Worse, you could reach for a line as you approach the dock, and discover a big, tangled mess. Use this technique to coil your line, and it will always be free of twist, neatly stowed, and ready for use the next time you need it.


Now that you know how to make a neat coil, you may want to learn about that Clove Hitch we mentioned. You can find out how to tie this useful knot by watching How to Tie a Clove Hitch and a Rolling Hitch.


And you can learn how to cleat a line, and to tie many other useful knots—like a stopper knot, bowline, spider hitch, and others—by visiting the How to Tie Knots playlist on the boats.com YouTube channel.

How to coil a line instructional video

Written by: Lenny Rudow
With over two decades of experience in marine journalism, Lenny Rudow has contributed to publications including YachtWorld, boats.com, Boating Magazine, Marlin Magazine, Boating World, Saltwater Sportsman, Texas Fish & Game, and many others. Lenny is a graduate of the Westlawn School of Yacht Design, and he has won numerous BWI and OWAA writing awards.