Beach Drying Mooring.

[Nunny22]

Hi all.

We have a mooring where the boat dries out on every tide onto the sandy beach.

In previous years, we have had someone else lay our chains, but I'd like to hear other people's opinion on the correct way of doing so.

There are 2 big council chains forward and aft of the boat which we attach our smaller chains to in a continuous bridal then attach lines to the chain which we then use to attach to the bow (single point 2 lines) and stern (2 lines port and starboard)

The boat is a 6m rib.

I've searched and can't seem to find much info on the best way to work out lengths of chain and the best way to tie the buoy on. We curre tly have a small line connecting the port and starboard ropes with the buoy attached to so we can grab the lines when mooring.

Many thanks.

 

[B27]

There's no one correct way of doing moorings, local practice varies, you have to do what works and fit in with neighbouring boats.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Unless the big ground chains are really far apart I dont see the point of the linking bridle, as ones boat would always tend to go aground against it. Thus I would tend to go for risers from big chain bow and stern only - singled or joined depending on whether at bow or stern.

A bridle making a 30 to 40 degree triangle up to buoy, and the stern two risers to buoy about same distance apart on chain as at bow

These should then be such length that at highest tide, there is still slack with the buoys still afloat. From the buoys to boat use rope

In my old mooring most others tended to have the risers as chain with rope as final pickup part from the marker buoy to the cleat, though I used all rope and only renewed the rope after 30 years ie naturally just before I moved to a different mooring. (Polysteel 14mm weighted , though I renewed with non weighted)

Using rope I attached to ground chain using modified clove hitch with extra turn (midshipmans hitch??), plus half hitch on the riser. If using chain I personally would use clove hitch and secure end with small shackle, rather than trying to get large shackle through the ground chain. At the buoy I would only ever use bowlines on rope but would use large shackle if chain. Join riser and pickup line directly if using single ended buoy rather than one with steel rod from top to bottom - nothing worse than large load ripping simple buoy apart thus detaching riser from pickup

In your set up I would incline to join the two stern lines by a thinner cord and only have a single pickup buoy at back, but as B27 said there is more than one way to kill a cat etc.

And some like welcome line with central pickup buoy half wayish between the two bow and stern buoys

 

[Refueler]

At one time - I had a mooring that was similar. It was at Hill Head Sailing Club.

Basically large ground chains had been laid parallel to each other in rows and anchored at intervals .... from those chains riser chains basically equal to highest spring tide fwd and aft and then mooring strop on each to moor boat.
There was no bridal ... just single line aft and single line fwd.

The two were linked by a floating line with small foam bouyancy markers so you could pick up the lines and make fast .. the link line stayed connected often just floating alongside or hitched up on the boats rail.

The system allowed about 3 - 4x the number of boats to use the small harbour as mooring.