T&T: Dock line elasticity

[Frank Timpano]

>(Snipped)
>A 5/8" line will probably rip the cleats out of an average sized boat
>or dock before it stretches to an appreciable extent.
(Snipped)

I've always used three strand twisted nylon for dock lines because it's 
usually less expensive than braided.  But its elasticity seldom comes into 
play under normal conditions. Except that one time when I witnessed a 
40-something sport fish attempting to leave his slip with a dock line still 
attached. I can't, for the life of me, understand why he continued to apply 
throttle when he experienced some resistance, until he stretched the dock 
line to the breaking point-at which the dock cleat became a dangerous 
missile that bounced off his transom as he shot across the fairway toward 
the facing dock. He's lucky no one was killed.