I was wondering how many people use a strap (a fixed length dock line with eyes at each end) as their first line when docking? I tend to have a lot of different people on my boat and it helps to take the guess work out of tying up for these guests. I mark the cleat where it goes and they just step off the boat and put the eye on that cleat. Then I can work into that fixed line and I know I won't turn my swim platform into toothpicks. Once I'm flat in my slip, the other lines are easy. Of coarse it only works for slips that you have pre measured the strap for but all and all it works great. It does require splicing eyes so I use a heavy three strand.