40 | BOATINGMAG.COM | JULY/AUGUST 2018ILLUSTRATIONS: TIM BARKER; PHOTO: COURTESY WEST MARINETIP
INSTALL THE TRACK.
Secure the track using^1 / 2 -by-
6-inch stainless-steel lag bolts
(not supplied). A pneumatic
impact wrench can ease the
task of driving the lag bolts into
the dense timber, especially for
hard-to-reach bolts below the
dock. Recheck and tighten the lag
bolts after one week of use. Using
stainless-steel hardware (not
supplied), mount the “parking”
cleat on the piling where it can be
reached from the boat, just above
the top of the track and to the side
in order to hold the slide in posi-
tion when your boat is away from
the dock.MARK THE PILINGS.
The length of the tracks should
accommodate the greatest pos-
sible tidal swing, plus 18 inches.
Determine which two pilings to
use, ensuring that each will line
up directly with the stern and
spring cleats. (If not, see “Piling
Proxy.”) Mark where your boat’s
rub rail touches each at the stern
and spring cleats at dead low tide,
then measure 18 inches below
that point and mark it to indicate
where the bottom of the track will
install. The height of the rub rail in
the stern might be lower than the
height at the spring cleat, so the
marks on each piling might vary.ASSEMBLE THE SLIDE.
Insert the supplied^5 / 16 -inch stain-
less-steel bolts into the cleats and
mount on both sides of the pre-
assembled slide. Determine if the
cleats need to be installed in the
middle or top of the slide (based
on the vertical distance of the rub
rail to the top of the coaming).
Secure with the supplied locknut.
Attach a dock line to one of the
cleats. Lift the slide assembly to
the top of the track and slide it on.
Tie the line to the parking cleat to
hold the slide in place. Install the
supplied^1 / 2 -by-1-inch stop bolt in
the top track hole and secure it
with the lock washer and nut.DRILL THE MOUNTING
HOLES. Tie a safety rope
through the top hole of the track
in case the track falls into the
water. Install the supplied^1 / 2 -by-
1-inch stop bolt, lock washer and
nut in the lower track hole. Posi-
tion the track within the proper
operating range. Don’t remove
the corrosion- resistant backing
tape. Mark the top hole, remove
the track, and drill a^1 / 4 -inch hole
into the piling. Using the top hole
only, bolt the track snugly in place.
Ensure the track is plumb and
centered; mark all the holes and
remove the track. Drill^1 / 4 -inch
holes for each of the marks.If either the stern
or spring cleat does
not line up with
the SlideMoor, you
might need to in-
stall a cleat on your
boat that lines up
with the piling (visit
boatingmag.com/
how-to/installing-
retractable-cleats).
Another option is
to use a SlideMoor
Piling Proxy ($1,858,
slidemoor.com),
which is a robust
extruded aluminum
support bracket
designed to serve as
a proxy piling that
can be aligned with a
cleat and relocated
as necessary to
accommodate
various vessels.PILING
PROXY
When tying off, position your boat with each cleat directly
in line with the SlideMoor and pull the line tight before
tying off. Return the line from the deck cleat to the
remaining cleat on the other side of the SlideMoor. Once
again, tie off tightly. Also, always use low-stretch dock
lines to ensure optimum performance of the system.