Patent ID: 7841287

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a housing; a spool with an axis partially enclosed within the housing, wherein the spool is mounted to rotate about the axis; the spool having a first ridge defining a first guide; a second ridge defining a second guide; and a core disposed between the first ridge and the second ridge, wherein the first ridge is hollow; a rope having first and second ends connected to the spool at the first end, wherein a portion of the rope is formed into a loop, wherein the loop is configured for slipping over boat cleats or dock cleats, and wherein the rope is wound about the spool; a spring configured to bias the rotation of the spool to resist the unwinding of the rope from the spool and to urge rewinding of rope previously unwound from the spool; at least a first member attached for rotation with the spool, wherein the first member comprises teeth or ridges; and a stop member with at least two positions, wherein in a first position the bar or blade engages the teeth or ridges of the first member and impedes the member and the spool from rotating, and wherein in a second position the blade or bar does not impede the rotation of the first member or the spool.