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Mooring for a Catalina 25

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BCG-Woodbury
Mainsheet Editor

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Initially Posted - 05/01/2012 : 14:33:24

Dear Forum -

I need to install a mooring for our new (to us) Catalina 25 SK for this summer. The boat will be in fresh water in a cove of our small lake here in Western CT. Does anyone have any suggestions of weight, chain size, or buoy size. I have a block of concrete that has a loop in it that weighs about 250 lbs. I figured I'd drop that to the bottom (about 15-20 feet and slide some cement blocks over the chain to increase the weight and make it easier to install. I was thinking about using a 15"-18" Jim Buoy. Let me know your thought on this matter.

Thanks,

Brian & JoAnne Gleissner
Knot So Fast
1984 Catalina 25, SR/SK
Traditional Interior
Lake Candlewood, CT

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glivs
Admiral

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Response Posted - 05/01/2012 : 15:59:17

I would query other mooring owners in your area. Do not know how protected you are but 250 lbs is borderline if you are exposed IMHO. Also depends on the bottom and your chain. Some places will only allow mooring anchors that will settle into the bottom. Your intended buoy is fine....just note that your boat will sail on its mooring pendant. Depending on the wind, you may need to fix a bridle.

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Joe Diver
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Response Posted - 05/01/2012 : 16:10:28

Unless the lake is your own private property....I would bet that there are standards for the location somewhere.....

Personally, I'd drop an old 454 block from the junkyard over the side with plenty of chain to the buoy, then configure the mooring pendent from there.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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Response Posted - 05/01/2012 : 16:37:45

Here's what seems to be a decent place to start: [url="http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/document.do?docId=1107&title=Mooring+Basics+-+How+to+Install+a+Permanent+Mooring"]Mooring Basics[/url]

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BCG-Woodbury
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Response Posted - 05/01/2012 : 17:30:43

David - Thanks for the website, it is perfect.

Hi Gerry - I was thinking around 500 lbs. total so that seems inline with the website from David. I will have to beef up the lower chain and add a swivel shackle. I might get away with a 12-15" buoy which will save me a little $$$. Most chain will last a long time in the lake. I have some already, probably need some 1/2" for the bottom.

Scott - I checked with the authorities that govern the lake and they have no guidelines on construction, just location. They only want to be sure you are not hurting the environment. I own a freakin' sailboat, don't you think I care about the envirnment. Anyway, rules are rules.

Thanks for the feedback,

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Voyager
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Response Posted - 05/01/2012 : 18:01:51

Brian
Glad to hear you're taking advantage of CT's Lakes. There are some beauties, however smallish. I've sailed almost all of them in my 16 ft daysailor. Those few with moorings are nice.
As several have stated, copy your neighbors' mooring techniques, look out for chafe and be sure to follow best mooring pennant practices as listed above. When I had Passage in the Housatonic river for two weeks on a mooring, the float hardware scratched the hull in a few places. Took a lot of work to clean it up.

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BCG-Woodbury
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Response Posted - 05/01/2012 : 18:30:05

Hi Bruce -

Do you think a soft inflatable buoy would be a better choice? I've been looking at either Jim Buoy or the Taylor Sur-moor, they make one with a recessed shackle arrangement. These have a thick shell with a foam core. The nice thing about the lake is there is no tide. I should be able to limit the swing but may need to increse the weight of the anchor. I'm only limited by what i can haul out there. We have property on the lake so I plan on locating directly in front of our location and as far out as the regulations allow. Where where you located on the Housie? Stratford?

Regards,

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glivs
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Response Posted - 05/02/2012 : 04:16:05

Brian...Don't forget that a x lb weight in air will only weigh about 59% of that in water.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> They only want to be sure you are not hurting the environment. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Not recommending a different system from what you are planning but in theory your lake association has a point. Mooring chains do a lot of damage over time in areas where tide/wind cause it to move frequently. Many areas along the Massachusetts, Maine, Florida coasts require "conservation buoys" (e.g., [url="http://www.hazelettmarine.com/download/"]Hazelett mooring system[/url]) to preserve the grass beds. They are also common here on Lake Champlain although probably in part because Hazelett is located on the shoreline.

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Voyager
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Response Posted - 05/02/2012 : 05:46:22

Yes, Stratford on the Hous, just south of the Rte 1 bridge.
Soft ball and recessed shackle are a good bet. Regarding weight, can you put down two weights side by side chained together? Might be tricky connecting both chains however

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9082 Posts

Response Posted - 05/02/2012 : 06:22:03

1. What kind of depth and bottom are you working with? I know Candlewood drops off pretty steeply in many places.

2. In judging your "protection", keep in mind the wakes from the weekend marauders. The lake isn't large, but the $+!nkp*+ wakes are.

3. How do you plan to deploy this anchor (and later access it for maintenance if it's too deep to swim to)? You might want to hire or rent a "mooring barge"--typically about a 10-15' square pontoon-type raft with a winch centered on it. Somebody (a marina?) probably has one on the lake. Getting 300-500# into the water from a boat could put you in with it.

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BCG-Woodbury
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Response Posted - 05/02/2012 : 07:06:41

Thanks Dave -

Those are all good questions. The depth is about 15-20 ft., we are in a cove so it is pretty protected from the boat wakes. As for dropping the weight in, when would you be available? LOL. I figured I would start with the 250 lb. weight and add cement blocks over the chain to total around 500 lb. I'm not too worried about maintenance, I'll it annually and replace it when it needs it. I have a buddy with scuba gear to check it out. The mooring barge is a good idea, I will look into it.

Thanks again,

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9082 Posts

Response Posted - 05/02/2012 : 12:48:49

Hmmm... about those blocks on the chain... I picture them being dragged around and wearing on the chain to the point that either blocks break or the chain chafes enough to be substantially weakened. But it could be just my imagination...

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islander
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Response Posted - 05/02/2012 : 13:27:36

Dave has a good point about the chain chaffing. I'm also thinking about your block of concrete with the loop ( I'm guessing re-bar ) If you just plan on tossing it in that loop may end up straight down and the chain chafing on the corner of the block. It might wright its self with the pull of the boat but if it does I would guess it would also drag in high winds. ( Think Irene)

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Dave5041
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Response Posted - 05/02/2012 : 14:54:19

250# of concrete is about 150# submerged in freshwater. Multiply the weight of concrete by 0.6 to approximate the offset of the water displaced (145#/cu. ft. - 62.4#/cu. ft}. Mushroom anchors are the cheapest reliable mooring for self installation in soft bottoms. Drop it in and drag it until it really bites, then it will settle and sink over the season and significantly increase its holding power - much harder to pull out an anchor than a weight. $60 & $100 at Defender for 50# and 75#.

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BCG-Woodbury
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Response Posted - 05/02/2012 : 15:36:51

Hi Dave -

This lake bottom is pretty trick, its anything from tree stumps to stonewalls to mud. It is a man-made lake from the 30's so all they did was cut the trees and flood it. I also have the job of locating the anchor within a 25' target because according to the authorities, it must be in front of our property. I'm pretty sure that 500 lbs. will do it, I just need to figure out how to get it out there and dropped (upright) in the correct location without costing a ton of money.

Thanks for the help,

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Voyager
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Response Posted - 05/02/2012 : 17:17:21

Brian
If you visit Bantam Lake, right off North Shore Road you will see the marina run by the White Foundation. They own much of the land surrounding the lake.
In the marina, you will note several C-25s and O'Days. These are all moored in somehow. Perhaps if you called the Foundation office they could refer you to their mooring practices. They are pretty green.
This lake is bowl-shaped with 15-20' depths throughout. A little different than C'wood, but they have an active water skiing club, so these boats get their share of wakes.

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BCG-Woodbury
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Response Posted - 05/02/2012 : 22:07:15

Thanks Bruce, will do. I live in Woodbury so Bantam is not far from here.

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av8rOC
Navigator

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Response Posted - 05/03/2012 : 04:25:38

I use a 200# mushroom anchor for my mooring FWIW

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9082 Posts

Response Posted - 05/03/2012 : 06:17:28

Maybe you should dive down, find an old tree trunk, and wrap the chain around it...

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BCG-Woodbury
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Response Posted - 05/15/2012 : 20:10:51

Update -

I purchased a Sur-Moor Buoy from MarineNutz.com and have designed an achor system out of 5-6 Gallon buckets filled with concrete. The final weight should be about 600 lbs. and the buoy is an 18" 46818. All the hardware is Stainless Steel so it should last a very, very long time in the fresh-water lake. I have to apply for the permit for a permanent mooring on our lake but it should not be an issue. I plan on making a video of the deployment as it should ne quite comical with my wife as the counterweight. I hope it doesn't end up like an episode of "pumkin chunkin" as she will probably kill me. The plan is to rig the 5 buckets cantelevered off of a 4x4 on our pontoon boat and drop it in the correct location. As long as nobody gets caught up in the chain, we should be good to go. Thanks for the input.

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BCG-Woodbury
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Response Posted - 05/27/2012 : 18:51:24

Update - I applied for my Mooring Permit the other day. Got my Buoy the other day and have figured out my anchor scheme. I'm going with 5 buckets or concrete with Stainless hardware all around. This anchor should last my lifetime. www.marinenutz.com had a great deal on the buoy (Sur-Moor 46818) and collar. I should be launching the Catalina 25 on June 16th or 17th. Thanks for all the input. 600 lbs. might be over-kill but then again, I'm an Engineer. Nuff said.

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Voyager
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Response Posted - 05/28/2012 : 20:36:42

Brian
Good to hear you received your permit. Hope you enjoy your summer sailing on the lake. Sounds like you've taken the "belt and suspenders" approach to engineering the mooring.
Depending on your location, what wind/wave direction do you think will generate the worst conditions? Northwesterly gusts, northeasterly storm winds or the enormous wakes from the 50 ft stinkpotters at full throttle?

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BCG-Woodbury
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Response Posted - 05/29/2012 : 18:49:23

Don't have to worry too much about the stinkpotters, we are on a cove just West of Down The Hatch. I'm pretty sure my nephew will inherit the mooring based on all the Stainless that will be down there. I take delivery of my sailboat on Saturday. With any luck and elbow grease, she'll be in the water in a few weeks.

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rrick
Captain

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Response Posted - 06/02/2012 : 03:15:28

Wow, I'm in the similar boat right now. This weekend I'm moving the yacht to a small wind protected cove with a floating dock in front of my parents lake home. My concern is when the summer gets going with motorboats, the 6 sq mile lake sloshes like bathtub and could stress something dock related.

Three options I'm thinking: using twin danforth anchors and rodes at 60deg, or having a dock builder drop a 1 ton granite anchor further out for $500, or find a reason my Mediterranean bowline will not budge the neighbor's 1 ton granite anchor.

Issues: The county irrigation lake draw pipe is 40'from the end of the dock and just further out is and underwater canyon to from 17' to 150' in a few meters

Any mooring experts want to prep me in asking the neighbors to tie off to their 1 ton granite anchor at that perfect 60deg angle?

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BCG-Woodbury
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Response Posted - 06/02/2012 : 05:28:04

What is the bottom of the lake like? IMHO, a heavy weight is the easier approach. Depending on the bottom conditions, setting the Danforths might be tricky. Our lake is man-made so we don't use Danforths because they get caught up in the old debris that was left behind. Mushrooms work better here for temporary anchoring, anything permanent just gets a lot of weight. Just make sure that weight doesn't fall off the ledge and take your boat with it. Are you in a warm climate (year-round) or is it a seasonal lake. Ours is basically from May-Oct, they draw down in the Fall for waterfront maintenance and fill it back up in the Spring.

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
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Response Posted - 06/02/2012 : 08:20:21

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by BCG-Woodbury
 ...Just make sure that weight doesn't fall off the ledge and take your boat with it...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">A ton of granite weighs about 750# in fresh water, so it would be sorta like five people standing at the bow--probably not enough to take her down or break anything.

$500 for your own private, permanent solution doesn't sound bad... What's the attachment?

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