Mooring Boats: Understanding Lines and Knots
When securing a boat to a pontoon or jetty, it's easy to think grabbing one or two lines and tying them with any knot that feels secure will do the job. And perhaps it will, a lot of the time. But there are good reasons that this isn't common practice, and certainly isn't recommended.
The lines on a boat are there for a reason, and knots have evolved over time to ensure vessels are as secure as possible.