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Mooring Help

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Chemist
Deckhand

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USA
16 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/27/2005 : 20:45:15

I could use some tips on setting up the tackle on a mooring bouy. After many, many years of being berthed in a slip, a move from NJ to IN is making it necessary for me to use a free-swinging mooring (Brookville Reservoir). The ground tackle and bouy are supplied by Indiana DNR, but I will have to rig the tackle to attach my C25 to the mooring bouy. I do have a bow-eye, but I'm not sure that I want to rely fastening only to that, aside from the fact that it would not be the most convenient thing to fasten to. I am also concerned with any connection that would allow a mooring line to chafe on a ring. Any ideas would be welcome. Also any tactics for picking-up the mooring pennant. I don't want to try hanging over the bow to grab a passing line.

Thanks

Bob and Nancy Imes
C25 #1544, sr, sk, "Prime Time"
Currently on the hard in Fairfield OH, soon to be on Brookville Reservoir

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2005 : 21:24:11

Bob and Nancy,

I'm no expert on moorings, but here's a simple technique I use when approaching a mooring singlehanded. Well in advance, I rig a 25' dockline from the bow cleat on the same side as the motor. I route that line aft outside everything. On the free end of the line, in addition to the usual loop, I have a huge carbiner.

I ease up to the mooring with the float on the same side as the motor and line, stopping the boat with the mooring beside the cockpit. With the bow just a bit off the wind (with the mooring float upwind), I use a boat hook to snag the mooring pendant, ring, or whatever it offers to grab onto. I quickly snap the caribiner to the mooring before the bow has a chance to blow off. I then let the boat settle onto the dockline and mooring for a few minutes until it quits swinging. Then I use the 25' bow line to pull up to the mooring, and make fast using whatever method I would have without the extra 25' line.

-- Leon Sisson

Edited by - on

Chemist
Deckhand

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USA
16 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2005 : 21:55:27

Leon,

Thanks for your input. Would a carbiner or sturdy snap shackle have enough strength to tolerate the wave and wind action as the boat is on the mooring? I had been contemplating tying a line to the mooring bouy and using a shackle to connect to the boat. I may still do that, but add something like you described. Our only experience with picking up a mooring was at Wilmette Harbor, IL where the 18 footers that we sailed on were in a really tight mooring field. Most of the boats used bow and stern cushions (not fenders) for protection. There was probably no more than 22 to 23' between the bouys. By the way, these boats did not have iron gennys (you hoisted sail on the mooring and sailed out of the mooring field and out of the harbor channel onto Lake Michigan, usually to race).

Thanks again.

Bob Imes

Edited by - on

atgep
Master Marine Consultant

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1009 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2005 : 23:29:22

I use a double pendant attached to a swivel. The swivel attaches to the buoy. My 5/8 ropes attatch to the swivel. I tie them off to the bow cleats and then together. As for picking up the buoy.

I use a boat hook and have few problems.

Tom.

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2005 : 23:40:35

Another method... used by our local fishermen in rough North Pacific conditions.

Leave your heavy mooring pennant 'permanently' secured on the mooring. Snap-shackle a lightweight floating 'tag line' say 12' or so) onto the end of the mooring pennant... secure a small float (often a crab pot buoy here) on the end of the tag line.

To retrieve, approach the mooring and snag the tag line buoy with a boathook. Bring the tag line onboard, walk it forward and secure the main mooring pennant to the boat. IMHO using a 'bridle' secured to both bow cleats is a good idea. Secure the mooring pennant to the center of the bridle using whatever hardware you deem appropriate.

This method makes it really easy to 'contact' the mooring... and since the main pennant remains attached to the mooring, you don't have to lean over the side and mess with it.

Your mileage may vary.

Edited by - on

Ed Montague
Captain

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USA
499 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2005 : 00:34:31

Picking up a mooring at the main mooring fields on Catalina Island is made much easier with the aid of a mooring mast. Basicly it is like a small bouy with a long thin whip that sticks up vertically. You simply pull up next to it, grab the whip and lift to get to the mooring pendant. Go to West Marine's web site and search for "mooring mast" to get a look at what I am talking about. The product that WM sells has recieved poor marks from customers, I am sure there is a better made mooring mast available, Catalina Island's are very tough.

Edited by - on

Ray Seitz
Captain

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USA
416 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2005 : 07:23:47

Bob & Nancy welcome to Brookville Lake. Sea Major is at Hanna Creek on the hard, waiting for the weather to break long enough to get launched. I sent you an e-mail about the mooring pennant I used while moored on the bouy @ Brookville Lake. Let me know if you did not get it.

Edited by - on

Chemist
Deckhand

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USA
16 Posts

Response Posted - 04/29/2005 : 22:51:27

Thanks to all for their replies. I have a pretty good idea of how to go about setting up the mooring bouy now. I think that I'll leave the bow eye for trailering. Can anybody from Brookville tell me how they set up their masts. I understand that there is a "mast pole" at the Hanna Creek launching area. This is a device that is totally foreign to me. I have devised an A frame that fastens to the forward lower eye bolts and allows me some mechanical advantage when used with a "Mast Up" that I purchased from Catalina Direct. Unfortunately they discontinued the model for the C25 last year.

Fair sailing and good winds

Bob Imes

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 04/30/2005 : 09:05:55

Bob,

I'm coming in late here but wanted to advise you to ensure you secure your shakles with stainless lacing wire or heavy duty wire ties. This will ensure the bolt doesn't work out or the shackle. You will also want to ensure that the dead end of your pennant has a metal thimble were it attaches to the mooring ball.

While I am sure your DNR has reliable ground tackle, I would also check the chain and anchor before I put my boat on it. You would be amazed at how quickly glavanized chain deteriorates in a short time in water. I've had to replace mine every three to five years max. You may also want to ensure that the anchor is of adequate size/weight for your boat. Mine weighs three hundred pounds.

I have moored for fifteen years without a problem. My boat has not moved even when experiencing 50 knot east winds with large breaking waves generated over a 3 mile fetch.

Al
GALLIVANT #5801

Edited by - on

John J.
Navigator

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USA
157 Posts

Response Posted - 05/01/2005 : 10:00:53

Hello Bob, I'm also at Brookville, ( Hanna Creek ). Last year I tried to figure out a way to use the "mast pole" there, mine is a tall rig and the mast is taller than the pole so I gave up. If yours is a standard it might work? When you see it you'll be able to see how it works, (simple block and tackle with ropes). I plan on taking a ride out to the lake today, I figure a few will be putting in, so I thought I'd watch the fun and teeth gnashing, maybe help out a little. I think most just raise the mast by hand.Where are you at in Lawrenceburg? I'm in Bright which is a Lawrenceburg mailing address. If you find you need a hand, let me know. By the way, the water is pretty calm where you'll be, I don't think mooring will be any problem.

Edited by - on

sweetcraft
Admiral

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USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 05/01/2005 : 14:50:07

Hi, I'm coming in late too and see a lot of good ideas. I too moored for about 10 years on an inland lake and have some observations. I used a safely line with floats, a insulation tube for water lines which I could pick up when picking up the mooring. The main line with a float and a safely hasp with a spring was attached when in the dingy before rowing to shore. This line was on the bow eye as this point proved to keep the boat the most quiet in strong winds Both lines were 1/2 inch with thimbles and shackles with SS seizing. The mooring was a drier drum with 3/8 chain 20' long with plastic jugs to float the chain off the bottom and a name tag. All this effort still had lines parting, breaking and shackles coming apart so any method still requies checking often, each time I rowed out I checked and noted my neighbors because if they come loose I can be bumped too. Good mooring.

Edited by - on

Ray Seitz
Captain

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USA
416 Posts

Response Posted - 05/03/2005 : 07:15:56

Bob the newer C250 have a mast raising system on the trailer so I always have used that. The mast raising pole is on the east end of the parking/storage lot at the Hanna Creek sailing area. Like John said you will see how it is used. It is basically a telephone pole with a 6-8' perpendicular extension at the top with a double pulley attached. There are quite a few C25 on the lake who could give advise (Steve Milby, Kip c. on this forum). One other option would be Strictly Sail who charge for stepping masts at Hanna Creek.

Edited by - Ray Seitz on 05/03/2005 07:19:01

ronrryan
Admiral

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USA
561 Posts

Response Posted - 05/03/2005 : 20:20:00

This "mast pole" sounds a lot like the "gin poles" used for years by the Great South Bay Cruising Club (and many others) at the Shinnecock locks on the South shore of Long Island, New York. The procedure was to attach the lifting line from the pole blocks to a loop or bowline just below the spreaders, often with a retrieval light line led up from the deck. Once all the turnbuckles were eased up and the pins drawn, the mast was lifted up by the mast pole tackle just enough to clear the foot fittings (or in the case of a mast passing thru the deck, all the way up out of the mast collar) and then manipulated to lay down on the deck, appropriately supported. All the load was transmitted to the mast just below the spreaders, where most masts balanced. In the case in question, the boats would then pass thru under a fixed bridge, and go to another "gin pole", an erect the mast on the other side. Some persons did this every year, both ways, outbound and in, and became quite proficient. I did it three or four times, never becoming blase or proficient, but never breaking anything. Hope this helps, ron srsk Orion SW FL

Edited by - on

Gambit
Navigator

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USA
160 Posts

Response Posted - 05/23/2005 : 18:10:07

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Leon Sisson
 Bob and Nancy,

I'm no expert on moorings, but here's a simple technique I use when approaching a mooring singlehanded. Well in advance, I rig a 25' dockline from the bow cleat on the same side as the motor. I route that line aft outside everything. On the free end of the line, in addition to the usual loop, I have a huge carbiner.

I ease up to the mooring with the float on the same side as the motor and line, stopping the boat with the mooring beside the cockpit. With the bow just a bit off the wind (with the mooring float upwind), I use a boat hook to snag the mooring pendant, ring, or whatever it offers to grab onto. I quickly snap the caribiner to the mooring before the bow has a chance to blow off. I then let the boat settle onto the dockline and mooring for a few minutes until it quits swinging. Then I use the 25' bow line to pull up to the mooring, and make fast using whatever method I would have without the extra 25' line.

-- Leon Sisson

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Thanks for posting that tip. I read it a couple weeks ago and put it to use yesterday, first sail of the season. My motor stopped blowing water as we motored towards the race start. Coming in, my wife cold and thirsty, I did not want to mess with the motor so we sailed onto the mooring for the first time. I ran the line down the port side and sailed in on a beam reach with the main eased way out, 50 feet downwind of our bouy I turned head to wind and coasted up nice and easy to the tall boy. My mate snagged it easy so I did not need the line but it was comforting to have it their and be able to keep steerage until we were secured.

This forum has been great reading for the winter. Glad to finally be able to get out and put some of these tips to work.

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