How to Inspect a Dock Line Eye Splice

The eye is where a dock line works hardest. A two-minute check tells you a lot.

What to look for

• Size: the eye should drop over your cleat horn or piling without forcing.
• Cover: no cuts, pulled strands, or glazed (shiny, melted-looking) areas.
• Throat: where the eye closes, the splice should be snug and even, with no gaps or slipping.
• Taper: the buried tail should taper smoothly into the standing part, with no lumps or exposed ends.
• Whipping or stitching: intact and tight.

When to retire a line

Retire it if you see core showing through the cover, cut or fused fibers, a splice that has moved, or the line has been shock-loaded hard enough to leave it noticeably thinner or stiffer in one place.

How we check ours

Every Carrick Bend dock line eye is inspected in Sarasota before it ships. See our Quality & Testing page.