Excuse my ignorance, but.......

[Sgeir]

..... what is a "dumbbell mooring"?

Is a "dumbbell mooring" where the vessel is tied fore and aft to mooring buoys, eg in a tidal river?

I ask as one whose boat is on a normal swinging mooring - came across the term in pilot guide.

 

[Poignard]

There is a dumbell shaped buoy between the two mooring buoys.

 

[Amlov]

Usually it is where two round buoys are connected by a rod, like a dumbell. Boats then moor either side.

 

[LittleSister]

Usually it is where two round buoys are connected by a rod, like a dumbell. Boats then moor either side.

^^^^
This is what I had assumed, but don't know for certain.

 

[Poignard]

Ploumanac’h 7.6. – 10.6. – S/Y Suwena

 

[johnalison]

The only place I have met them was at Ploumanach, as above. I thought they were very civilised, being compact and secure with little risk of damage. On our one visit there our neighbours were a crew of yacht instructors under instruction. You won’t be surprised to hear that the amount of noise they made when leaving and the level of chaos that reigned was quite remarkable and very entertaining.

 

[Sgeir]

Thanks for the replies everyone, and for the photo, Poignard. Much appreciated!

 

[Poignard]

The picture in my post #5 was the only picture I could find online but it shows the system very well.

The yacht is moored securely with head and stern ropes, and springs.

One of those situations where a Moorfast boathook would be helpful (although not essential).

 

[Sgeir]

Good tip . Got one in a locker somewhere.....

 

[Stemar]

I got one years ago. I used it a few times and decided that it didn't do what I needed when I really needed it to, so it found its way into my loft.

 

[johnalison]

I got one years ago. I used it a few times and decided that it didn't do what I needed when I really needed it to, so it found its way into my loft.

I have spent many happy hours in places such as Fowey watching visitors arriving and attempting to use various mooring gadgets. I would judge their success rate to be around 10%.

 

[Poignard]

I have spent many happy hours in places such as Fowey watching visitors arriving and attempting to use various mooring gadgets. I would judge their success rate to be around 10%.

“For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?”

 

[freespiritdavid]

The picture in my post #5 was the only picture I could find online but it shows the system very well.

The yacht is moored securely with head and stern ropes, and springs.

One of those situations where a Moorfast boathook would be helpful (although not essential).

View attachment 152801

Brilliant piece of kit well worth having one on board.

 

[Bathdave]

I love ploumanach, the only place we encountered dumbbells, when we were there there was a very strong cross wind blowing and we did not manage the most elegant mooring …we now have one of those clicky boat hooks and they are briiilianr

 

[Poignard]

A 'what now Skipper' question.

Looking at the photo in Post#5, how would you get your boat moored like that if there were other boats on the moorings ahead and astern, and the wind was blowing you off?

(Assume you do not have a Moorfast boathook, or other similar gadget)

(Assume the windward side is not accessible.)

 

[Fr J Hackett]

A 'what now Skipper' question.

Looking at the photo in Post#5, how would you get your boat moored like that if there were other boats on the moorings ahead and astern, and the wind was blowing you off?

(Assume you do not have a Moorfast boathook, or other similar gadget)

(Assume the windward side is not accessible.)

My first attempt would be to take a long line from the stern quarter and station some useful member of the crew as far forward as possible so that he could still reach down and thread the line. My line of "attack" or approach as some would describe it would be bows angled in. Once the hoop is threaded I would continue driving the boat forward as the crew pays the line out until another member of the crew with a similar line but lead from the bows repeats the process and we can the shorten up the lines. It does rely on the crew being adept and able to thread the lines as soon as the boat is driven onto the buoys. I have used the same technique for mooring to piles.

 

[johnalison]

My solution would be to go round the other side and approach from windward. If this side were occupied it would be that same as approaching another boat to raft on, probably involving centre cleats.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

The picture in my post #5 was the only picture I could find online but it shows the system very well.

The yacht is moored securely with head and stern ropes, and springs.

One of those situations where a Moorfast boathook would be helpful (although not essential).

View attachment 152801

I have one and it is useless on swinging mooring as they simply bob out of the way and failed to engage in the steel top ring or warp, but it worked well on a dumb bell mooring somewhere off Brittany and whole system has more inertia (I forget which island harbour). I cant say I found the dumb bell system easy to use but that may be because we were a 27ft tiddler on mooring set for 35ft+ boats. Perhaps I was over focussed on rowing to find a possible bar and crepery.
I saw some weird moorings off Brittany including the star when boats moor in a circle bows to a central buoy each connected to the others to prevent banging as tides turn

For swinging moorings I use the spring loaded hook system but it does depend on being able to get to the hook to add warps instead, or even to depart without leaving hook behind

 

[Poignard]

I have one and it is useless on swinging mooring as they simply bob out of the way and failed to engage in the steel top ring or warp, but it worked well on a dumb bell mooring somewhere off Brittany and whole system has more inertia (I forget which island harbour). I cant say I found the dumb bell system easy to use but that may be because we were a 27ft tiddler on mooring set for 35ft+ boats. Perhaps I was over focussed on rowing to find a possible bar and crepery.

I haven't yet used a dumbell mooring but I suppose my Twister, with her low freeboard, would make it simpler to do.

I saw some weird moorings off Brittany including the star when boats moor in a circle bows to a central buoy each connected to the others to prevent banging as tides turn

This looks like fun! [Hoedic]

For swinging moorings I use the spring loaded hook system but it does depend on being able to get to the hook to add warps instead, or even to depart without leaving hook behind

A 'Grabit'? I have one, picked up cheap at a boat jumble minus the sleeve that fits on the end of the pole.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

I haven't yet used a dumbell mooring but I suppose my Twister, with her low freeboard, would make it simpler to do.



This looks like fun! [Hoedic]
View attachment 153367



A 'Grabit'? I have one, picked up cheap at a boat jumble minus the sleeve that fits on the end of the pole.

View attachment 153369

Poignard, I think it was Hoedic. My spring clip pole a bit more modern and threaded with 12mm but otherwise much as yours