Do those of you who line your canoe have separate lines besides your painters? If so, what lengths work best? I use two 25’ ropes as painters/lining ropes. Considering going to 35’ lining ropes, separate 15’ painters.
long enough to be able to hold on to one painter but still reach the other end of the canoe to reach the other painter reefed at the deck plate. We'll carry an additional two 25ft lines if we are likely to be on a trip that would involve lining.
My painters are used regularly, not just for tying to a dock- I use them to anchor my canoe to a tree in camp, tie them together for a quickie cover if I've got partially packed gear in it and a storm blows up while leaving or getting to a site, or when using my cart with gear still in the boat, and have been used on occasion as bow/ stern lines while on my car, especially if I somehow come up short on straps (lost or torn)No ropes on a boat, only lines. I use lines to fit the country. Twenty feet is usually good for lining, tracking, and mooring at night. I use painters only for day trips. Twenty five feet might be the right length for big rivers with a lot of large rocks.
Lining is going downstream, tracking is going upstream.