Slip Width

The new slip I'm considering is described by the marina as a "one-of-a-kind."  It's 10' x 50'.  It's wedged in between the bulkhead and where the real slips begin for the slightly larger yachts.

Can an 8' wide boat fit into a 10' wide slip?

The marina says it will fit, but I'm concerned they may be looking for a "one-of-a-kind" sucker to lease the thing.

Couldn't find anything in the archives or Google.

Typical tides here fluctuate less than 18" but we can get 4' changes with seasonal tides.

Since people cross their lines I assume the longer the lines the better, but I can't imagine that it makes much of a difference.  If it does, I'll tie her up in the middle instead of just using the front or rear half of the slip.  I could also tie the lines as high as possible on the pilings.

If I tie the boat so it uses the entire extra 2' at high tide, does that mean the tide could go down 2' before the lines start stretching?  That's not exactly accurate but it must be close.  How much do lines stretch?  If the tide drops 4', will the boat be hanging in mid-air or will the lines snap?  After lines stretch, do they have some memory to return to their original length or do they remain stretched out?

My big yacht neighbors seem crammed into their slips, but I don't want a slip so narrow that I have to worry about adjusting lines all the time.

If I take this slip, I'll definitely be investing in some more fenders.

Thanks for your help!

Lee
1986 Rhodes22  At Ease
Kent Island, MD