Does it matter which way up a mooring swivel is mounted?

[jdc]

I am about to replace my mooring swivel. But idly speculating, which way to mount it? They aren't quite symmetrical - the pin and welded nut pointing down (as in the photo) is how I've always done it, but why? What difference does it make and what do others do?



This way or t'other way up? I suspect it makes no odds but would like to make sure.

 

[Rhylsailer99]

Did you get the green pin rated swivel or the ones that are available on ebay. I bought one on ebay and got paranoid so then bought a jimmy green rated one and used that instead. I was also unsure if there is a correct way to install.
Green Pin® EE Swivel - Green Pin that's the one i used.

 

[jdc]

I use Gael Force here in Inverness, and use also Green Pin from Van Beest.

 

[pandos]

I am about to replace my mooring swivel. But idly speculating, which way to mount it? They aren't quite symmetrical - the pin and welded nut pointing down (as in the photo) is how I've always done it, but why? What difference does it make and what do others do?

View attachment 143936

This way or t'other way up? I suspect it makes no odds but would like to make sure.

Mine is t'other way up. It was made up by a local reputable supplier...(it's way oversized) the green rope goes upwards to my mooring ball/boat...

 

[PlankWalker]

It doesn't matter which way round the swivel goes.
But please don't use the welded type swivel in your depiction.
Far better for moorings is the "Forged Type".
Where a red hot pin has been inserted through the two holes,
The end is then hammered swelling it out so that it will not pass through the hole again.
The other forged method is for the pin to be made with the two ends in place.
these ends are passed through larger holes that are red hot,
the holes are then hammered from the sides to squash them in capturing the pin.
I prefer the first method.

 

[Graham376]

It doesn't matter which way round the swivel goes.
But please don't use the welded type swivel in your depiction.
Far better for moorings is the "Forged Type".

I've known two of the type in the OP's photo with nuts fail, mine and another mooring. Some of them only have a small blob of weld to lock the nut which rusts away over time, allowing it to undo.

 

[jdc]

I think I have a forged swivel but used the term 'welded nut' for want of a better term (I used a stock photo to illustrate what I meant by asymmetry).

But that has got me thinking, exactly what is the disadvantage of 'welded' construction? They have to be over-sized, and are not allowed to wear or even to become rusty, so what is the danger? Accelerated corrosion, nuts coming 'undone' , embrittlement or what...

Edit; Graham376 specified 'nuts coming undone'

 

[vyv_cox]

I think I have a forged swivel but used the term 'welded nut' for want of a better term (I used a stock photo to illustrate what I meant by asymmetry).

But that has got me thinking, exactly what is the disadvantage of 'welded' construction? They have to be over-sized, and are not allowed to wear or even to become rusty, so what is the danger? Accelerated corrosion, nuts coming 'undone' , embrittlement or what...

Edit; Graham376 specified 'nuts coming undone'

There is a possibility of galvanic corrosion although I would not imagine this to be serious.

 

[Neeves]

If you are buying from a reputable source, Van Beest is the common source (I think Green Pin ONLY refers to their shackles) and it is grossly oversized and you religiously service annually then you are safe to go. Swivels do and can abrade - it depends on the way your mooring is developed (our swivel sit on the seabed). Oversize depends on the size of the yacht - but stupidly looking oversize is the way to go. If it is a Van Beest swivel there is no top and bottom nor up and down - you can used them any which way.

Design of the mooring will determine how it wears. All our steel work is on the seabed and we use rope risers, ours is 12m. Swivels and chain need not be galvanised - the galvanising soon wears off. Failure of our moorings, or reasons to replace, is wear of the sweep chain which both corrodes and wears on the silicon sand seabed. Replacement of our sweep chain is after about 3 years - but the moorings are serviced annually. Often the size of the swivel is determined by what it connects to rather than what is necessary (again size of chain and design of mooring)

There is no one right answer and in the absence of detail of size, yacht, chain, swivel etc you will not get a more informed answer.

Jonathan