Advise on mooring a Searay sundancer 240 to a swinging mooring mooring.

[Park291]

Can anyone give advise on mooring a 24' sundancer to a swinging mooring ?
On the bow at the moment there is a Plastimo bow roller which almost reaches the chain locker, and the two original small cleats to the edge of the foredeck.
I cannot see a secure way to moor her with what I have, any advice would be much appriciated
Thanks

 

[ianat182]

Suggest that you could make up a 'Y' bridle in nylon three-strand rope threading plastic tubing at least 15" long on the inboard end for each leg of the 'Y'; a soft eye splice in each leg,and a hard eye splice into the single leg to take the large shackle to the buoy.
I guess that you don't have any fairleads fitted yet. Just ensure that the cleats you have will allow the soft eyes to fit snugly. I suggest too that you tie in a 12" length of cord to tie on the loops to the cleat on each loop; with a small buoy as a pickup ,when leaving the mooring. Your warp needs to be at least 4 metres from buoy to deck cleat.
If your bow roller is deep enough for a 1" dia rope plus the tubing,and has a pin to keep it in the roller jaws this alone may do the job for you,but a long tail and loop to the cleats will still be needed.
Others will be along with other suggestions I expect.

ianat182

 

[simonfraser]

if the cleats have a hole in the bottom you can put the loops through that first and then round the cleats, that way you don't have to mouse the loops round your cleats.

 

[Park291]

sundancer on a swinging mooring

Thanks for your replies.
I think I will have to change the plastimo bow roller because it almost reaches the chain locker and if I use a y strop it would chaffe on the stainless which is quite sharp.

 

[ianat182]

Just to clarify, my suggestion was not to use the bow roller, so that the legs of the Y are each side of the bow,hence the tubing to avoid chafe on the hull edges.
If you do use the bow roller instead then the 'legs will be that distance from the inboard end of the roller to each cleat - but still use tubing in the roller.
Many bow fitting have a drop-end pin that holds the rope on the roller so that it doesn't jump or pull out, but could be tied in I guess if not fitted to yours.

ianat182

 

[Seajet]

Park291,

I'd love to help but as I don't know your boat a photo' or 4 of the stemhead mooring roller / cleat setup ( including any foredeck fairleads by the bow ) would be really useful !

In short, the foredeck kit is all going to have to be really well supported with good backing pads, at the very least stainless 316 grade bolts & penny washers etc; your boat will swing around and present windage a great deal more than a sailing boat, beware of that if in close moorings- it will also load the mooring more in snatch and chafe than a sailing boat, but very probably less in actual maximum load pull on the mooring.

If you are doing this soon I suggest you talk to your insurers; some get funny about using swinging moorings before April; they are usually fine if told, but it could be bad news to have a problem then tell them...

We are expecting the Equinoctal Gales around March - April, usually pretty strong even as gales go...