Can you pick-up a private mooring buoy.

[wotayottie]

Why should I be happy to let anyone use my mooring. I have to pay for it. Get your own or learn how to use your anchor.

If you are not on the mooring , it costs you nothing to have someone else use it. You are being helpful and friendly to a fellow sailor. Why not be nice to others as you pass through life rather than be a money grubbing mean old man?

 

[Daydream believer]

Whats the problem with lassooing?

This subject has recently been aired on another thread on this forum.
However, since you ask, the rope nips the underside if the buoy just by the main support tube & punctures it by making a short split where it rips the plastic away from the tube centre which is rigid whereas the bladder is flexible
We have lost quite a few moorings but recovered only one or two buoys before they sank so we have been unable to examine all the buoys
Locals have also seen boats lassooing mooring thus before the buoys were found to be damaged or lost
Unfortunately i do not have photos but being responsible for administering the moorings(84) i have personally seen a number of faulty buoys due to various reasons inc lassooing

 

[benjenbav]

I was brought up to believe that there was a fellowship amongst seafarers rather than an absolute insistence on private property only being used by its owner.

Equally, I have never yet left a boat unattended on someone else's private mooring. The only circumstances in which I could imagine so doing would involve some sort of emergency, medical or otherwise.

 

[Searush]

Why should I be happy to let anyone use my mooring. I have to pay for it. Get your own or learn how to use your anchor.

You miserable *****.

Maybe your mooring & the others around it are blocking a traditional anchorage that has been used for 1,000 years. So many good anchorages are blocked by moorings these days it is getting difficult to avoid picking up moorings when away from one's own.

Have you no respect whatsoever for the unwritten rules of the sea & the tradition of helping one another? No, I guess not, just another what's mine is mine, you get your own . . . carrying the Landowners' "Keep Off" attitudes into the brotherhood of the Sea. So sad.

 

[skyflyer]

Originally Posted by foillan
Why should I be happy to let anyone use my mooring. I have to pay for it. Get your own or learn how to use your anchor.

The problem with your dog-in-a-manger attitude is that you only have the right to use your mooring so there is no reason at all why I cant use my anchor - as you suggest - and drop it alongside your mooring and thus prevent you from deriving any benefit from the mooring at all

If a mooring owner is adamant that nobody else should use their mooring when it is vacant then I would submit that it is incumbent upon them to paint or otherwise mark the mooring to that effect.

 

[Cardo]

If a mooring owner is adamant that nobody else should use their mooring when it is vacant then I would submit that it is incumbent upon them to paint or otherwise mark the mooring to that effect.

...and take it with them when they go!

 

[longjohnsilver]

Why should I be happy to let anyone use my mooring. I have to pay for it. Get your own or learn how to use your anchor.

Well I'm happy for anyone to use mine. Because of the moorings there's no room to anchor.

Each to their own.

 

[Otter]

I was brought up to believe that there was a fellowship amongst seafarers rather than an absolute insistence on private property only being used by its owner.

Equally, I have never yet left a boat unattended on someone else's private mooring. The only circumstances in which I could imagine so doing would involve some sort of emergency, medical or otherwise.

I agree, it's fair and decent practice to pick up and not go ashore for more than a few minutes - say to walk the dog, which is the most we've done on a borrowed mooring. Equally when we had a mooring in a popular area we often came back after a Saturday sail to find someone on it but they always moved when we asked and I was happy for them to use the mooring.

The few posts advocating criminal damage such as poring water in diesel tanks or cutting a boat loose to crash through my friends' boats on their moorings seem bizarrely aggressive. Do people really think like that or is it the late night forum syndrome?

 

[Poignard]

I agree, it's fair and decent practice to pick up and not go ashore for more than a few minutes

How is the owner to know that you are ashore for a short while to let your dog sh-t on the beach and not enjoying a leisurely lunch, doing some shopping or whatever? Do you leave a 'Back soon' note?

I don't think a boat should ever be left unattended on someone else's mooring without the owner's permission.

 

[Searush]

How is the owner to know that you are ashore for a short while to let your dog sh-t on the beach and not enjoying a leisurely lunch, doing some shopping or whatever? Do you leave a 'Back soon' note?

I don't think a boat should ever be left unattended on someone else's mooring without the owner's permission.

Well, if on a beach with a dog fertilising the seaweed, then onewill be withing sight & hailing distance. One can wave & shout "Sorry, I shall be back to move her shortly" - even if they aren't a shorty, most people won't stress in my experience.

The ones that suggest maliciously cutting boats adrift are just too wound up to enjoy the true boating experience. So it goes.

 

[richgiddens]

Interesting thread that says a lot about the sailing community. Haven't worked out the percentages but, two a'holes out of that many posters is pretty good going; certainly better than many other communities.

 

[glashen]

Interesting thread that says a lot about the sailing community. Haven't worked out the percentages but, two a'holes out of that many posters is pretty good going; certainly better than many other communities.

this thread seemed to me to be a demonstration of the 5% 90% 5% rule.

5% of people would never use someone else's mooring and would not be happy with anyone using theirs, 90% would, but only with care and when it was appropriate and try to ensure the owner was not inconvenienced and would be happy for anyone else to use theirs in the same way, 5% would use someone's else's without caring whether they damage it or whether they are on board when the owner returns and therefore inconvenienced, and those last 5% who cause problems for everyone else probably don't have a mooring for someone else to use anyway.

 

[TSB240]

I am really surprised by the negative and vindictive attitudes displayed by the few .....

I have regularly picked up vacant moorings, if available , mostly without contacting the owners.

This practice is very common when cruising the Morbihan. In that area navigation after dark is quite challenging so it is not unusual to take any empty one at dusk.

I have never had to move on later at night and it is widely considered to be mutually acceptable to raft until dawn but not before you have your booze cache emptied.
However leaving the boat unattended without the owners permission is very much frowned upon.

I guess it depends on how sociable you are.

 

[sailorman]

I am really surprised by the negative and vindictive attitudes displayed by the few .....

I have regularly picked up vacant moorings, if available , mostly without contacting the owners.

This practice is very common when cruising the Morbihan. In that area navigation after dark is quite challenging so it is not unusual to take any empty one at dusk.

I have never had to move on later at night and it is widely considered to be mutually acceptable to raft until dawn but not before you have your booze cache emptied.
However leaving the boat unattended without the owners permission is very much frowned upon.

I guess it depends on how sociable you are.

Maybe todays sailors are only used to marina berthing & not sharing

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

And me. Happily, the convention on the east coast tends to be a more relaxed and friendly one. I occasionally pick up a private mooring, although I am always ready to move if necessary. I am also quite happy for others to use mine. As long as it is not abused, it does no harm and contributes to the general atmosphere of friendly cooperation which I so value in my life on the water.

I have never had any problem with damage to the mooring or of getting people to move from mine if necessary. If I come back late and someone is already ensconced on my mooring, I will generally find another or anchor rather than turning them off. After all, I know where to go for a comfortable overnight stop and, they may not. Other people have also done that for me in my local area.

And if I pass by but am not going to use the mooring, as sometimes happens, it gives me a good deal of pleasure to approach them and let them know that they are welcome to stay for the night and won't be disturbed. That surprises them!

The price of a negligible risk to the mooring and occasional minor inconvenience to me is a small one to pay in order to help maintain the friendly and positive atmosphere we generally enjoy out eamst.

+2

Seems that not every where still has a 'sailing community' like we do on the east coast.... lets hope our beloved sailing areas keeps its nice attitude.

 

[Seashoreman]

I got back on to my mooring late afternoon, smiling and waving to passing Dutch yachts only to find one of them had taken my mooring and disapeared. Had a friend on board who was in a hurry to get back back home. Arghhh, difficult situation. Managed to yell to passing club boat (him at end of long day). Advice was to tie alongside, take strop to mine, etc etc.But I took a risk on a neighbours mooring and cleared off. Very bad but a bit desperate.
All turned out well. After a rough crossing Dutchman had mistook prebooked mooring or just didnt give a damn. Boatman sorted all out by morning. This is the advantage of friendly Yacht Club moorings.
A couple of weeks later I saw a boat hovering about and ventured to offer my mooring to them for the weekend, well....after their stuck-up feck-off attitude I would wonder if I would do that again! I now intend to float a KEEP OFF bouy.
I pay for my mooring and as far as I know it is mine for the period.
However I offered to do an experimental local rivers exchange and got homophobic comedians on here.
I am not gay, but thats nobodys business anyway. But I would be interested in trying a mooring swap for a short period 2013. Why not?

 

[Baddox]

I got back on to my mooring late afternoon, smiling and waving to passing Dutch yachts only to find one of them had taken my mooring and disapeared. Had a friend on board who was in a hurry to get back back home. Arghhh, difficult situation. Managed to yell to passing club boat (him at end of long day). Advice was to tie alongside, take strop to mine, etc etc.But I took a risk on a neighbours mooring and cleared off. Very bad but a bit desperate.
All turned out well. After a rough crossing Dutchman had mistook prebooked mooring or just didnt give a damn. Boatman sorted all out by morning. This is the advantage of friendly Yacht Club moorings.
A couple of weeks later I saw a boat hovering about and ventured to offer my mooring to them for the weekend, well....after their stuck-up feck-off attitude I would wonder if I would do that again! I now intend to float a KEEP OFF bouy.
I pay for my mooring and as far as I know it is mine for the period.
However I offered to do an experimental local rivers exchange and got homophobic comedians on here.
I am not gay, but thats nobodys business anyway. But I would be interested in trying a mooring swap for a short period 2013. Why not?

That seems like a very reasonable approach. Good luck with the mooring swap.

 

[Otter]

Well, if on a beach with a dog fertilising the seaweed, then one will be within sight & hailing distance. One can wave & shout "Sorry, I shall be back to move her shortly" - even if they aren't a shorty, most people won't stress in my experience.

The ones that suggest maliciously cutting boats adrift are just too wound up to enjoy the true boating experience. So it goes.

Waaaaaay too sensible and relaxed for some on here.

 

[epervier]

Might Be Of Interest To Some

My mooring is put together and laid using a moorings contractor, he inspects it in the spring each year, replaces worn components as required, every five years or so he pulls the mooring out, takes it ashore for closer inspection, it may seem to some a tad over kill, but I agree to this for two reasons, 1, he is insured, so if the boat ever breaks loose, my insurance co. claims against his, 2, my insurance is never void because I didn't cut corners using non traceable components and did it myself.

OK, I agree it ain't cheap this way, but it's still a lot less than Marina fees, the initial outlay made me suck air through, what teeth/dentures I have left,but it was still less than 6 months rent in a marina, thereafter just maintenance/inspection fee each year.

So back to the meat of this thread, I have no problem with a visitor using my mooring while I'm not there, however,like some others have already stated, I hate the practice of lassoing as a means to pick up my mooring, mine has three inflatable buoys on the surface, the main, which carries the riser chain, smaller which supports the weight of the riding chain, and a pick up buoy with rope strop.

I'll put some photos up to show how this works and hope it will clarify the picture a bit for the die hard lassoer's, thus hope to change their ways, when being a guest at someone else's mooring.

My boat sits in 6.2mtr HW springs.

The mooring configuration is, 3 x 75kg Sampson anchors laid out in a crows foot with inch ground chain joining them in the centre is 32mm ring, on which a 375 kg train wheel is shackled,from the train wheel is inch ground chain, inch shackle, inch swivel, 3/4" shackle 3/4" riser to red buoy, 4' down from the main buoy the riding chain is shackled, which has the smaller (white) buoy to carry it's weight, in the end of the riding chain a shackled loop is formed sheathed in lay flat fire hose to protect the Sampson post of the deck of the boat, the pick up buoy is on a strop to the loop.the whole lot is in gloopy putty on the sea bed.

These photos are from last year lift out and shoreside refurb, replacement shackles and mousing.you'll see in the ref numbers on the shackles, this makes them traceable to source, (mooring quality) not cheap Chinese shackles from a corner hardware store

This is what can happen if not inspected on a routine basis, these shackles were fitted by a DIY mooring layer, the thread had fizzed away and only the mousing was left on one, then wondered why his boat drifted in Chi habour from Southampton water, they were allegedly only 2 years in the water

 

[millbeach]

On the east coast i have picked up many a mooring for an over night stay.
I would never leave my boat unattended on some ones mooring.
Of course if mooring holder returned, i would move in an instance.

When i have been away, people have told me a boat was on my mooring for the night, i have no problem.
Live and let live i say.

We are all brother sailors in my opinion.

We must respect others tackle, and leave mooring as we found it.