Dock Whips
 

i have always had my 26 ft 5000 lb boat on a lift. My dock is L shaped so I cannot tie off on both sides. i have been having trouble with my lift and am considering going to whips. I have used smaller ones for my jet skis and find them easy, cheap and simple. Its not the broads but it can get rough. I would of course make sure that I size them right. Downside to me seems to be my bottom may need to be cleaned occasionally. On the plus side I pay a lot to have lift put in and out each season. Anything else I should be aware of?

Whips are only as good as whatever they're mounted to; make sure the dock boards or posts are secure. You'll probably need through bolts rather than lag screws. Also be sure the whips and lines will not snag on anything as the boat rocks.

Just installed mine yesterday
 

I am docking my boat at a good friend's dock in Alton Bay. Although the dock faces north, and we are on the western shore, we are somewhat protected from the wind and waves. That being said, there is the need to have whips because of the boat wakes that hit the dock on a 30-45 degree angle, and can give the boats a pretty good rock and roll.

I have a 25 ft Mariah bowrider and he has a 26 ft Cobalt bowrider. We could have saved a little bit of money on the whips by just meeting our boat's weight, but opted to upsize the whips. We both have 14 ft whips from Overton's, with fixed bases (do not rotate up to verticle when not in use).

We installed the whips yesterday on an aluminum dock with a plastic grid walkway, requiring the use of support brackets that are 90 degree aluminum with gussets on the side for added support, and three holes drilled for matching the whip bases. The other side of the 90 is drilled out with four holes to go through the dock sides. Whips and brackets are secured with through bolts with washers.

It was amazing to sit back and admire the fruits of our labor. The instructions said to "load" the whips by pulling the tips down 1" for every foot of length of the whips. Also, take the time to set the tie down lines so that the boat is as close to parallel to the dock as possible, and make sure that a line from the boat cleat to the whip base is as close to perpendicular to the dock as possible.

As we sat there enjoying some libation, and watched the boats ride the waves created by several boats that passed by riding bow high and throwing pretty good sized wakes, there was little pull on the dock lines, and the whips did their flexing thing.

There are some other threads on this forum dealing with whips, and my friend and I actually had looked them over the winter in making our decision on what size to get and types of base. Thanks to all who contributed to those threads.

I am a fan of the whips! Boat lift would be ideal but thats a few seasons away for me. My whips and ropes have been going for 3 seasons now holding my 5600 lb boat no problem. Believe it or not too, your dock doesn't need to be as stable as you would think. The whips absorb most of the shock.

Dock Whips
 

If you have a Cuddy cabin you have to go with the more expensive whips that stand straight up or you will break them right off. I have done that myself. My boat is almost 6000 pounds and it is amazing how well they work.

Love my whips.......Boat lifts are great in salt water because you really need to wash down after every use but I've never understood why anyone would spend that much when in fresh water.

Looking For Whips?
 

In advance , please spare me. At least I posted them on this sites classifieds. If you are looking for the best whips ( as indicated in this thread) available. Check my classified under boating. Have stored them longer than I have used them, having been fortunate enough to get a covered and protected slip some years ago.