Laying a mooring...?

[William_H]

As can be seen from above there are many ways top do a swing mooring and much depends on what you have available by way of equipment and help. The first thing to do is scrounge around for old ship anchor chain. Heavier the better. Also look out for anchors really big of any design. Or you may consider making up something like fisherman's anchors.
A mass on the bottom like a concrete block can hold the boat and may be cheap. But a devil to move into place and must be really heavy as there is not much to stop it dragging across the bottom.
A block that is small enough for you to move yourself (slung under the boat) might be useful but will need anchors on chains in various directions to hold it in place. (stop drag). jcostorfine describes how anchors can be laid with care and planning. If you can get a length like 10+ metres of heavy chain this can work well as a mass and connector between 2 anchors. Of course you can also add additional chain and anchors in additional directions to give even better holding.
The riser and buoy of course come from the middle. Chain on a mooring has a remarkably short life due to wear/rust.
Typically 8mm riser can be seriously worn in a year. The heavier the chain the longer it lasts as wear is similar. Hence find old ship chain. Heavy rope for a riser can be OK is resistant to wear but susceptible to chafe.
Once having laid the mooring you must think about maintenance and inspection. I am fortunate in being able to dive (snorkel) on mine as it is quite shallow and not cold. A deep mooring in Scotland might require expert scuba divers or a barge and winch to raise the mooring for inspection. Best is to find out how other people in your area manage their moorings.
Our local government who own the mooring areas have mandated that all moorings be professionally inspected every 2 years. A real pain. On the first inspection after I had maintained it for 28 years they reckoned the mass was unreliable. Rusted. It was a big lump of iron seemed to be in shape of a bell. I had over the years added light chain and additional anchors to the mass so it was all a bit of a mess.
They sold me a used railway wheel. About 250kg which they partially buried with a water blast from a pump. (done by a diver of course)
My riser chain is a heavy stainless steel chain (scrounged) which has lasted very well being joined by SS shackles. Beware ss on iron as the iron seems to wear /corrode even faster. good luck olewill

 

[iainzxr]

Thanks for all the replies ... it seems moorings are a very personal choice of patterns ... I have time and will also speak to the local club members and find out what they use. I believe all the mooring are checked yearly by a diver. Still have an open mind but a lot of GOOD information has com up. Thanks all ... but by all means keep it coming.

 

[Trop Cher]

Thanks for all the replies ... it seems moorings are a very personal choice of patterns ... I have time and will also speak to the local club members and find out what they use. I believe all the mooring are checked yearly by a diver. Still have an open mind but a lot of GOOD information has com up. Thanks all ... but by all means keep it coming.

Hi,
Best advice is to talk to others who moor in the anchorage, but you'll still get differing views! For a 34 foot, you'll need some pretty heavy ground tackle and it may not be a diy job. Is there a local contractor who could lay it for you? Where were you going to lay the mooring? My mooring is in Slumbay, Lochcarron.

 

[iainzxr]

Hi,
Best advice is to talk to others who moor in the anchorage, but you'll still get differing views! For a 34 foot, you'll need some pretty heavy ground tackle and it may not be a diy job. Is there a local contractor who could lay it for you? Where were you going to lay the mooring? My mooring is in Slumbay, Lochcarron.

Thanks for that ... I was at Lochcarron on Wednesday having a wee look at the moorings and having a look around for a harbourmaster or local activity ... saw no one. Lochcarron is nearer to me ... Brora , but we are looking at Glencoe. I believe there is someone down there who will lay the mooring for me. My boat, being older design, is quite heavy at approx. 6.5 tons so appreciate the mooring will have to be pretty sturdy.

 

[Seajet]

Going back to my previous post about laying two fishermen anchors.

We set up the moorings so as to dig in the anchors as follows,

First anchor at the bow on a loop of rope and connected to the ground chain which was laid out along the deck to the second anchor at the stern.

The Riser chain connected to the mid point of the ground chain should also be laid out along the deck.

Second anchor (connected to the other end of the ground chain) over the stern again supported with a loop of rope.

First anchor lowered using the rope with chain paid out at same time. When the anchor was on the seabed, let go one end of the rope loop and recover entire length of rope leaving the first anchor to hold the boat via the ground chain to the second anchor. You also need to pay out the riser chain which should be attached to your marker / floatation buoy.

Boat should then be maneuvered round so that the boat is now pulling on the first anchor via the second one which is still over the stern.

With the engine in gear gradually pay out the rope loop on the second anchor so as lower the anchor and stretch out the chain out on the seabed. Increase power to start digging in the first anchor.

When it is seen that the first anchor is set. lower the second anchor all the way to the seabed while maintaining power on the prop. When the anchor is down, recover the rope (engine in neutral to avoid prop fouling)

Pick up the mooring buoy and now drag in the second anchor.

Above could be done for Mushrooms esp if they have a steel eye on the dome which a rope loop can be put through.

I should add that this was done from a old wooden motor cruiser so the odc dent from anchors here and there did not matter.

Couple of rules.

Never pay out the anchors via chain directly, use the rope loop as that more than halves the weight.

Have a very sharp knife handy just in case

Work out exactly the sequence of event and work the sequence.

Make sure every shackle is "moussed" and riveted over

Never use copper wire to "mouse" the shackles

Make sure the swivel on the riser is about twice or three times the diameter of the riser chain

Hope that made sense

That was back in the early 60s when I was in my mid teens

That sounds brilliant advice to me - BUT fisherman anchors have notoriously poor holding ability so would need to be extremely large and heavy - difficult to think of something better though, if the mooring is not going to be dug in; a fisherman will at least penetrate weed.

As others say, seek local advice - then double it !

 

[afterpegassus]

You really have to get an idea of what local conditions are like ie how sheltered are you; what the bottom is like; how affected by tide is it.
As has been suggested, talk with those with moorings where you intend to lay. It is not necessary to double it if it works.
My own, in Loch Duich, has been down for 15 years and is a cube meter of concrete with loads of scrap steel cast in. 10m of 1 1/2" chain and multiplait riser, the length of which is just short of the lowest depth of water (to keep anything abrading and to minimise wear on the chain links). This riser goes through the centre hole of a dahn buoy and terminates in a swivel where my mooring strops attach. I only have one shackle immersed to keep an eye on - that between riser and chain.
Note that this is a weight, laid on the bottom of shallow mud over rocks, and has never shifted in a location that can get horrendous downdraughts sufficient to lay her on her beam ends.

 

[iainzxr]

You really have to get an idea of what local conditions are like ie how sheltered are you; what the bottom is like; how affected by tide is it.
As has been suggested, talk with those with moorings where you intend to lay. It is not necessary to double it if it works.
My own, in Loch Duich, has been down for 15 years and is a cube meter of concrete with loads of scrap steel cast in. 10m of 1 1/2" chain and multiplait riser, the length of which is just short of the lowest depth of water (to keep anything abrading and to minimise wear on the chain links). This riser goes through the centre hole of a dahn buoy and terminates in a swivel where my mooring strops attach. I only have one shackle immersed to keep an eye on - that between riser and chain.
Note that this is a weight, laid on the bottom of shallow mud over rocks, and has never shifted in a location that can get horrendous downdraughts sufficient to lay her on her beam ends.

Mmmmmm ... sounds good ... what size .. weight of boat does that hold... also if the riser is rope does that not chafe or wear?

 

[alahol2]

JCorstophine describes almost exactly the process we followed to lay my, fore and aft, mooring. We were lucky enough to have the use of a dedicated mooring barge owned by the club.
The (dry) weight of ground chain and single fluke fisherman anchors (of which there were two at each end of the ground chain) was about 900Kg. I used 36mm polysteel risers to small support buoys and then octoplait strops onto the boat.
I had, for the previous 15 years, used 36mm terylene risers which showed absolutely no signs of degradation so I am quite happy that the polysteel will outlive the ground chain (38mm studlink).
This for a 28ft 4 ton boat. Now had 2 seasons of use and all is looking well.

 

[awol]

Before you start mixing concrete / procuring anchors / etc. may I recommend viewing http://www.whamassoc.org.uk/ to understand the process of permissions. Then there is the question of insurance - using a recognised contractor to lay and inspect, e.g. North West Marine, will keep your own insurance happy and there will be cover if shit happens. Find out who the Glen Coe Boat Club members use and liaise with them.

 

[Trop Cher]

Thanks for that ... I was at Lochcarron on Wednesday having a wee look at the moorings and having a look around for a harbourmaster or local activity ... saw no one. Lochcarron is nearer to me ... Brora , but we are looking at Glencoe. I believe there is someone down there who will lay the mooring for me. My boat, being older design, is quite heavy at approx. 6.5 tons so appreciate the mooring will have to be pretty sturdy.

There's no harbourmaster in Lochcarron but a local mooring association. You own your own mooring and pay £42.50 ground rent per year. Your boat has to be insured and your mooring to be inspected annually, usual cost is £60. There is a local contractor who mainly works for fish farms, who could lay a mooring for you. I was about £1400 for the ground tackle and to have the mooring laid, this was for a 40 foot boat.

 

[afterpegassus]

Mmmmmm ... sounds good ... what size .. weight of boat does that hold... also if the riser is rope does that not chafe or wear?

Sadler 32.
The multiplait ( to offset any un-laying issues ) riser is from just off the bottom and rises through the soft central penetration of the buoy so there are no real chafe problems.
It is a very simple and effective (for me) set up and as I previously said, only one shackle below the water to worry about.

 

[tgpt21]

I laid a mooring in the Firth of Forth two relatively small Admiralty Pattern anchors from Inverkeithing ship-breakers with chain in between and nylon riser to a bridle. But the important point I want to make is that I used Loctite on the shackle threads. An innovation in the club at that time. When it came time to replace the shackles the threads were like they had never been in the water. I was looked upon as a guru for at least five minutes.

The chain had buried itself in the mud and was good for many years. The anchors were still good after tens of years.

The deterioration of the shackle threads is a constant problem.

 

[alan_d]

Thanks for that ... I was at Lochcarron on Wednesday having a wee look at the moorings and having a look around for a harbourmaster or local activity ... saw no one. Lochcarron is nearer to me ... Brora , but we are looking at Glencoe. I believe there is someone down there who will lay the mooring for me. My boat, being older design, is quite heavy at approx. 6.5 tons so appreciate the mooring will have to be pretty sturdy.

I know of two local mooring contractors, North West Marine (mentioned in post 29) http://www.northwestmarine.co.uk/ and Aquasky http://www.addressesandpostcodes.co...ky-limited-sidhean-beag-kilmore-pa34-4xx.html

 

[Greg Coe]

Re: Laying a mooring...?laying a swinging mooring using large concre

I'm pleased to hear there's nothing abrasive like shells, stones etc on Scottish seabeds then, or knifelike barnacles under buoys...

I've tried deep water moorings with chain or rope strops from buoy to boat, and that was enough to convince me ' chain every time ' - the 18mm nylon strops housed in thick plastic tubing were lucky to last 3 months; at wind over tide the boat went over the buoy and then the mooring strop got sawed by the barnacles beneath...

I'd say you have 2 distinct problems here;

A, the riser has to be chain,

B, the mooring sinker - and a mushroom anchor would have to be the size of a house to be sufficient - needs to be dug in.

I've worked on our relatively easy half tide & sometimes deep ( 20' is deep here ! ) - moorings for 38 years; I think you have reason to worry and start asking awkward questions - then make stipulations - if you're fond of your boat.

 

[Greg Coe]

Instead of using concrete as a big heavy weight how about this idea . How about using old car break discs. They weigh about 20lbs each You would need about 10. I.e. 200 lbs They would be easily moved to your dingy. Fastened with a heavy chain to your bouy.

 

[Robert Wilson]

Hi all ... I'm going to be laying a mooring for our 34ft. yacht in a West coast Scottish inland Loch. How do you work out the required weight etc ... All info will be most welcome as I haven't done this before. I'm sure the local club will be very helpful but would still value all opinions.

Am I missing something, or has everyone else missed something by talking about wild seas shell bottoms etc, on the Scottish coasts?

OP says inland loch. So, is it a sea (salt water, open to the oggin type loch or a Loch Lomond type loch.

Just askin' as it might make a difference to folks' thoughts and advice.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Am I missing something, or has everyone else missed something by talking about wild seas shell bottoms etc, on the Scottish coasts?

OP says inland loch. So, is it a sea (salt water, open to the oggin type loch or a Loch Lomond type loch.

Just askin' as it might make a difference to folks' thoughts and advice.

As might the fact that the original question was asked nearly a year ago, and the OP may have a mooring laid by now ...

 

[Robert Wilson]

OK, I missed that point, but the thread has been posted on today.

Must move to the front of the class where I can read the blackboard more clearly

 

[GTom]

Instead of starting a new topic, decided to revive an old one. I am thinking on putting our 33', 6-7t boat on a swinging mooring and interested on the costs part: I wonder how much professionals charge for a full mooring gear, laying and yearly maintenance? Give it a maximum water depth of 10 meters and put it somewhere in the west coast of Scotland. Unless I source all pieces from scrap collectors, I see little business case vs. the 800-1000£ seasonal mooring fees, including marina facilities, water taxi, car park and piece of mind...

 

[ShinyShoe]

If the mooring is already there, and in good fettle...

http://www.puffin.org.uk/index.asp?key=443

£350+VAT - So about half the price of your marina etc. I suspect car park not an issue in more rural locations, water taxi is fine when it runs but if you want to get out early or return late you still need a dink.

How much laying one costs - POA - afterall there are going to be a lot of variables in what you actually want in the setup. I'd guess its more than £1k

Of course, many will be installing their own... In which case you can keep the costs relatively low: 10m of chain a massive weight and some shackles etc. The first year you lay it - you know there is no wear and tear... Do you need it inspected?