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 mooring balls?		  New Topic  Topic Locked
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cayugaboater
1st Mate

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50 Posts
Initially Posted - 09/24/2009 :  05:28:43  Show Profile
I hate it when the hard shell ball I have rubs and whacks on my boat. I was wondering about alternatives, I see there are ones that appear to be soft shelled. So, wondering what everyone else here who moors their boat uses? Any suggestions welcome as to what to buy, and where to buy it.
89 wingkeel;std rig.
Sail #5811
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JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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1520 Posts
Response Posted - 09/24/2009 :  05:53:21  Show Profile
Whenever I pick up a mooring, the boat drifts downwind on the mooring pennant and can not get near the ball. When the wind clocks around the boat swings, and also is nowhere near the ball. How does your boat happen to hit the mooring ball?

Do you have winds that start and stop from opposite directions several times a day?
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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5392 Posts
Response Posted - 09/24/2009 :  07:08:42  Show Profile
I'm not on a mooring (yet) so I have no experience, but I see a bunch of boats across the river on them and watch them to judge conditions. Could it be opposing wind & current?
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Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
10005 Posts
Response Posted - 09/24/2009 :  07:21:51  Show Profile
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Voyager</i>
<br />Could it be opposing wind & current?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">That'll do it! And tidal currents do indeed typically "start and stop from opposite directions several times a day."
Edited by - Dave Bristle on 09/24/2009 07:22:48
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cayugaboater
1st Mate

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50 Posts
Response Posted - 09/24/2009 :  18:45:05  Show Profile
Guess I wasn't clear as to my inquiry, I was looking for suggestions regarding soft-type mooring balls, if such are appropriate. I get why the boat rubs on it, but I wanted to buy a type of mooring ball that didn't actually scrape (i.e, a soft type if such exists and works) the boat during the times it did rub up against it.
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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5392 Posts
Response Posted - 09/24/2009 :  19:14:35  Show Profile
Like I said, I haven't ever been on a mooring, but my dock-mate has two spherical fenders for his boat. It's inflatable, and very soft to prevent chafe or scraping. My assumption is that since it is full of air, it floats.

There are plenty of different sizes. One ought to be big and bouyant enough. There are several different types available at west marine.
Tuff End Round Fender, 9" Dia., 28" Circum., 1-1/16" Hole Dia., White
Tuff End Round Fender, 12" Dia., 38" Circum., 1-1/16" Hole Dia., White
Tuff End Round Fender, 15" Dia., 47" Circum., 1-1/2" Hole Dia., White
Tuff End Round Fender, 18" Dia., 57" Circum., 1-1/2" Hole Dia., White
Tuff End Round Fender, 21" Dia., 66" Circum., 1-1/2" Hole Dia., White
Tuff End Round Fender, 27" Dia., 85" Circum., 1-1/2" Hole Dia., White
Tuff End Round Fender, 34" Dia., 107" Circum., 1-1/2" Hole Dia., White
Tuff End Round Fender, 34" Dia., 107" Circum., 1-1/2" Hole Dia., Orange

But now it only has one fastenable end, so you'd have to come up with a small floating pennant attached to where the anchor rode attaches.

That could do it, but I don't know - does the mooring ball have to support a lot of weight with the anchor rode, so would a floating inflated ball work?

I know it should not mar the hull regardless of whatever reason the current mooring ball does. But I don't know whether you have to check it from time to time in case it deflates.

It may also swell in warmer weather and shrink in cold weather.
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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts
Response Posted - 09/24/2009 :  19:21:32  Show Profile
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by cayugaboater</i>
<br />...I get why the boat rubs on it, but I wanted to buy a type of mooring ball that didn't actually scrape...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Sorry, Cayuga... Sometimes we get into little side-dialogs here. There are [url="http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|10391|638271|321915|321916&id=744553"]inflatable mooring balls[/url], exactly for this issue.
Edited by - Dave Bristle on 09/24/2009 19:26:39
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cayugaboater
1st Mate

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50 Posts
Response Posted - 09/24/2009 :  19:47:02  Show Profile
Thanks Dave, that looks like what I was thinking about. Anything particularly bad about them? I wonder why everybody doesn't use them instead of the hardshell ones?
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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts
Response Posted - 09/24/2009 :  19:49:58  Show Profile
Many yacht clubs and marinas in this area have changed to them... Like everything else, it's probably a cash-flow issue.
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aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts
Response Posted - 09/25/2009 :  12:38:17  Show Profile  Visit aeckhart's Homepage
I've been using the same soft Taylor-Made mooring ball since I bought my boat 21 years ago. There a certainly times when my boat has bumped or scraped on the ball, but I've been more concerned about floating flotsom and jetsom causing hull damage than my mooring ball. Frankly i can't think of how a hard shell could cause serious damage to a hull.
Anyway, my ball has given good service. It's well made with heavy duty hardware, and it's size (30"?) and color (white with blue stripe) make it easy to see from a distance. All hardshell balls I've seen gray-out after a few years and are practically invisble in the water. I believe I bought it from West Marine.
Edited by - aeckhart on 09/25/2009 12:39:58
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ruachwrights
Captain

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USA
258 Posts
Response Posted - 09/28/2009 :  13:10:25  Show Profile  Visit ruachwrights's Homepage
My mooring field just uses light weight buoys. The whole buoy gets lifts out when I hitch it on.
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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.