Advice on raising mooring lines on fore and aft mooring

[DistantDreamer]

Hi,
I keep my boat on the packed ghetto that is the Lymington River. We are trying to figure out a way of raising the mooring lines out of the water to make them easier to pick up when we return to the mooring and also to stop our neigbour complaining about loose lines. I have noticed that some boats have rigged small floating buoys that have a rod in them that can hold the lines up (About 3ft out of the water) making a pick up higher and easier. I have looked on line for these type of devices but cant find them anywhere. If anyone knows where to find them or has a link it would be much appreciated. Thanks

 

[VicS]

This sort of thing?

Available in several sizes
http://www.gaelforcemarine.co.uk/en/Polyform-Mooring-Buoys-With-Long-Iron/m-2718.aspx

http://www.gaelforcemarine.co.uk/en/Polyform-MR-Foam-Mooring-Buoy/m-2723.aspx

Or

http://www.marinescene.co.uk/view/10884/majoni-rod-buoy-size-1
http://www.marinescene.co.uk/product/10883/majoni-rod-buoy-size-2

 

[DistantDreamer]

Thanks for the suggestions. These look a little short on height and the buoy may be unstable. Also I am thinking of something that has an open arch rather than a closed loop for ease of casting off and picking up.

 

[nrcoyle]

I think what you may be after is called a "pole buoy", they usually come without a pole which you add to suit your needs.

http://www.bainbridgemarine.com/Variants.aspx?Item=PRD-000853

 

[Neeves]

Ours is electrical conduit, might be plastic water piping about 20mm diam, with a spliced loop at the top. The bottom is wrapped with roofing lead. The polystyrene buoy is in the middle (well slightly nearer the bottom). The device is separate to the mooring buoy and lines themselves. Its attached with a thin but robust bit of line.

The top of the pole is just above deck height.

Pick up spliced end, gives a nice hand hold, and the mooring line and buoy are then pulled aboard.

You can obviously make your own. I can see the top of the pole from the holm (this then determines the height). Ours has reflective tape wrapped round the top of the pole. You can make it at home, which allows you to get the buoy in the right place for balance. The cord for the splice at the top runs right through the pole and is the same cord that attaches to the mooring.

We have a cat and our mooring lines are a bridle, so 2 of them, one has the pole, the other has fluor orange buoys attached, ex an old danbuoy which makes them more obvious to those with poor sight. So we pick up the pole, which allows us to secure and then catch the other line with the boat hook. Two poles seemed OTT for us.

Jonathan

 

[LadyInBed]

I'm on a fore and aft on the river Frome.
Before dropping my lines I run a bouyed jackstay from the fwd to aft lines. When I return I just hook up the jackstay then reattach fore and aft to boat.

 

[DistantDreamer]

Many thanks for the further suggestions. I think what Jonathan has described is close to what I am looking for. Looks like there is nothing "off the shelf" that will
do the job.

 

[Neeves]

DistantDreamer - I'm sure there is a commercial product, if not a danbuoy is pretty close. It will be cheaper to make your own and you can make it to suit such that you can see it as you approach, it needs to be slighter higher than your bow - and high enough for who ever picks it up to reach. Customising so that you can pick it out in the dark is also easier if you make it.

Its much easier than using a boathook and it more visible to others.

Good luck

Jonathan