Patent ID: 7325509

Claim:
A retractable mooring line device, comprising a housing comprising side plates a rotatable reel comprising sidewalls affixed in spaced relation to a hub, rotatably mounted to the side plates of the housing so that the reel is capable of rotating in two directions, the sidewalls each having a series of notches about its periphery, and a locking mechanism comprising a latching member comprising a latch positioned and configured to move axially relative to the reel between an unlocked position in which the latch disengages from the reel and a locked position in which the latch engages at least one of the series of notches about the periphery of each of the side walls of the reel engaging both side walls to prevent rotation of the reel in both of the two directions, the latching member comprising a latch plate having notches spaced apart a distance corresponding to a spacing between the sidewalls and large enough to allow the sidewalls to pass freely therethrough, whereby when the latch is engaged to the notches of both side walls the reel is prevented from rotation in both of the two directions, and when the latch is disengaged from the notches of both side walls the reel is capable of rotation in both of the two directions.