Making a mooring loop in chain

[winsbury]

We've just moved to a swinging mooring and the insurance insists on using a chain to the buoy as well as a rope. Our stem is a one piece bronze moulding of cleats and bow roller and there really isn't much room for the 8mm mooring chain and no where else to connect to. I've created a loop in the chain with two bow shackles because only the pins will fit through the gaps in the chain links but this is quite bulky and to my eyes a) just doesn't 'look' right and b) isn't sitting neatly in the stem fitting and c) introduces lots of potential points of failure.

Just wondering if other folks have any suggestions how to make a loop in the chain that is less bulky ?

btw, the loop is within the length of the chain as the bitter end goes to the pickup buoy. I'm thinking shortening the chain is one option and using a d-shackle instead with a separate length of chain to the pickup buoy but it seems a shame to cut the chain as it would prevent it being used for a different (ie bigger ) boat if need be.

 

[VicS]

We've just moved to a swinging mooring and the insurance insists on using a chain to the buoy as well as a rope. Our stem is a one piece bronze moulding of cleats and bow roller and there really isn't much room for the 8mm mooring chain and no where else to connect to. I've created a loop in the chain with two bow shackles because only the pins will fit through the gaps in the chain links but this is quite bulky and to my eyes a) just doesn't 'look' right and b) isn't sitting neatly in the stem fitting and c) introduces lots of potential points of failure.

Just wondering if other folks have any suggestions how to make a loop in the chain that is less bulky ?e

btw, the loop is within the length of the chain as the bitter end goes to the pickup buoy. I'm thinking shortening the chain is one option and using a d-shackle instead with a separate length of chain to the pickup buoy but it seems a shame to cut the chain as it would prevent it being used for a different (ie bigger ) boat if need be.

Can't connect a chain loop, large enough to drop over the cleat to the end of the chain with a single bow shackle ? Pick up buoy on a rope with large spliced
loop through the chain loop. ???

That is more or less what I have on my yard mooring, and IIRC what is on the harbour authority moorings.
I put a light lashing round the chain and the roller so it cannot jump off but I don't have any additional ropes just the chain.


The harbour moorings have a permanent floating buoy but the yard moorings, which are all in shallow water, just have a long rope on the pickup buoy so the chain sinks to the bottom.

 

[chewi]

Not sure why you would take the chain to the pickup buoy, rope is easier to pick up.

My mooring chain is looped back to itself and secured with a D shackle, D through the end, pin between the links, and moused.
The pickup bouy is rope, spliced in a loop at each end and tied into the chain loop..
The chain passes over the anchor roller and then to a cleat.

Are you unable to pass the mooring chain over the anchor roller?

 

[Hypocacculus]

Are you sure they aren't referring to the kind of mooring where your line goes through an eye in the bouy? I could understand that because the line would chafe. If you have a pick up and you don't moor directly to the bouy, then chafe isn't an issue....?

 

[winsbury]

The mooring already had the tackle installed and will be a real pain to take apart as it all looks pretty well seized but in any case is the same as others in the area - top of main buoy has a ring connected to the heavy riser chain below, this ring is connected via a shackle to a swivel. The top of the swivel has another shackle to the 8mm mooring chain which is all pretty standard so far. This is where it differs from standard: the mooring chain then goes directly to the pickup buoy and this is secured with two bow shackles of increasing size in order to secure the bottom loop of the pickup buoy. I think the idea is that by having chain to the pickup buoy it always comes to rest near the main buoy and cant tangle but I totally agree with the comments above and I too would have expected the chain to end with a loop made with a single d-shackle and the pickup buoy to be connected with a shortish rope to the loop but perhaps being a drying mooring this method prevents possibility of the rope getting caught up in/around the riser chain ?

I think what I will have to do is cut the mooring chain and form a loop with a d-shackle to suit my boat. Then reattach the chain going to the pickup buoy to the loop with a second (smaller) shackle. This will preserve the full chain setup but get rid of the messy and bulky double shackle set up I jury rigged yesterday.

 

[vyv_cox]

8 mm pickup chain seems small to me, ours was always 1/2" even with a 27 ft boat. But that was on the Menai Strait where conditions can be pretty violent. Our pickup chain was attached below the buoy and was something like 3-4 metres long. A fairly light line of almost exactly the same length went from its end to the pickup buoy, which kept it close to the mooring buoy. We would pick up the buoy, haul the buoy up with the chain behind it, secure the chain to a cleat and wind some of the line over it, then leave the buoy on deck.

 

[winsbury]

Its a pretty sheltered spot with relatively low tidal rates and we're only a 1.5 tonne 7.1m; the mooring was previously used by a leisure 27 which is a lot bigger and heavier than us and there are plenty of much larger boats on the same moorings all using 8mm so it seems to be the correct choice for the area.

Vyv, its interesting you didnt have a loop - did you just treat it like rope by figure 8 around a cleat, if not how did you secure it ?

 

[chewi]

8 mm pickup chain seems small to me, ours was always 1/2" even with a 27 ft boat. But that was on the Menai Strait where conditions can be pretty violent. Our pickup chain was attached below the buoy and was something like 3-4 metres long. A fairly light line of almost exactly the same length went from its end to the pickup buoy, which kept it close to the mooring buoy. We would pick up the buoy, haul the buoy up with the chain behind it, secure the chain to a cleat and wind some of the line over it, then leave the buoy on deck.

+1 , except mine is 10mm in Poole harbour for a 25ft boat.
As vyv says, equal length of chain and pickup line allows the chain to draw the pickup buoy close to the mooring.

 

[vyv_cox]

Vyv, its interesting you didnt have a loop - did you just treat it like rope by figure 8 around a cleat, if not how did you secure it ?

Chain holds perfectly well on a cleat, only takes a figure eight turn and a round turn for it to lock. Then the line over the top for extra security.

 

[winsbury]

Chain holds perfectly well on a cleat, only takes a figure eight turn and a round turn for it to lock. Then the line over the top for extra security.

Thanks, I might try that if there's enough room; chain always seems so slippery it doesnt feel like it would hold on a cleat.

 

[Spirit of Glenans]

Chain holds perfectly well on a cleat, only takes a figure eight turn and a round turn for it to lock. Then the line over the top for extra security.

I was taught never to put a complete figure-of-eight of chain on a cleat as it could lock up, requiring a hacksaw to release. What I do is take it under the after cleat-horn, then across, and back around the forward horn, then a round turn. It hasn't failed me yet.

 

[Mandarin331]

I was taught never to put a complete figure-of-eight of chain on a cleat as it could lock up, requiring a hacksaw to release. What I do is take it under the after cleat-horn, then across, and back around the forward horn, then a round turn. It hasn't failed me yet.

+1, Never failed in 30 years...

 

[VicS]

FWIW my boat has a chain bollard like the sketch below. (Bow to the right)

The loop on the mooring chain drops over it.

The anchor chain fits in the slot then with a turn or two around it below the horns is secure.

The rear corners are rounded making it kind to ropes

 

[penfold]

Would a wire strop not be of more use than chain? Chain's a bit industrial for a strop.

 

[ghostlymoron]

Wire strops are too stiff, chain is a lot more flexible but it does make rusty marks on your deck. 8mm will hold 4T so should be more than strong enough for a 1.5t boat.

 

[vyv_cox]

Wire strops are too stiff, chain is a lot more flexible but it does make rusty marks on your deck. 8mm will hold 4T so should be more than strong enough for a 1.5t boat.

The issue for a mooring is not the new strength of 8 mm chain but the wear rate under constant movement 24/7 in a seawater environment. I know of a 1/2 inch pickup chain that wore right through in one winter, admittedly in a rather exposed spot and not the most sensible thing to do.

 

[pagoda]

Thanks, I might try that if there's enough room; chain always seems so slippery it doesnt feel like it would hold on a cleat.

The moorings at Kilmelford all have chain, heavy 1/2" stuff. I have never had any problem putting 8mm chain round a cleat- it locks solid with a figure 8.
The 1/2" chain I secured with a drop - pin through the stemhead fitting - and also took the free end back to the cleat, locked it down with the pickup rope on top.
It was a condition of renting a mooring that you took the 1/2" chain on board and secured it. They were not prepared to chase after boats left "swinging " with ANY kind of normal rope. A sensible precaution for the West Highlands -and elsewhere..

 

[Kyle2]

The way I do this is to put the pin of a 12mm D shackle through the end of my 8mm mooring chain, and then also attach the ends of a short length of medium-link 8mm chain to the shackle, making a loop that can drop over the cleat. You will find that the short length of chain needs longer links than your mooring chain, in order to go on the shackle.

 

[Lakesailor]

I tried chain as well as a rope strop. I made a loop I could just work over the cleat. Then would drop my strop loop over, wind the pick-up buoy line on and tie them down with some line I left attached to the cleat.

 

[VicS]

The way I do this is to put the pin of a 12mm D shackle through the end of my 8mm mooring chain, and then also attach the ends of a short length of medium-link 8mm chain to the shackle, making a loop that can drop over the cleat. You will find that the short length of chain needs longer links than your mooring chain, in order to go on the shackle.

Very surprised that you can get a 12mm shackle pin through a link of 8mm chain. I have a short length here. I'd not even get the pin of a 10mm shackle through it!


Otherwise what you suggest is more or less the same as I suggested in #2