Mooring buoy or anchor?

Nostrodamus

Nostrodamus

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www.cygnus3.com
We came into a nice big lake and anchored 200 m off the shore because of the shallowing depth.
Closer inshore in 3m was a nice big orange mooring buoy just bobbing around waiting for someone to pick it up.

I did think seriously about it as it meant we would be a stones throw from the shore and it would be easy to row it rather than getting the outboard out.
In the end I opted for what i know and stuck to the anchor.

Then in comes a Swedish boat, anchors for a while before picking up the buoy.
He has happily been swinging on it for three days now whilst I just use him as a bearing to make sure I'm not dragging.

So given the choice would you anchor or go for the big orange buoy?
 
I'd probably have a good look at the buoy and try to judge by the size and condition of the chain, then ask anyone local if poss when ashore; I certainly wouldn't leave the boat unoccupied on the mooring until I had some info.
 
It is mud so pretty good anchoring with anything. It is the only buoy I have seen around and look nice and clean. No idea whose it is and nobody has complained.
 
'Public' buoys are of questionable security (and might not be public and might need to be vacated when you are in the middle of something interesting). They can bang on your hull in calm weather (so wake you in the middle of the night), and if a bit old with encrustation will scratch your gelcoat. The mooring lines can be decidedly grotty. I'd anchor every time.

Jonathan
 
Anchor.

Moorings have a habit of failing at the critical moment, and their failure can have catastrophic consequences. Whereas your anchor will drag, giving adequate warning that all is not well.

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In most cases I would agree and say that anchoring is better as you know your own tackle.
I have the problem in that when I sleep I really sleep and would probably only wake up if water was lapping around me in bed (even then I may struggle)
Anchoring knowing that with the wind blowing you off the shore is fine as if you do drag you just wake up with more of a sea view.
What about when you are so knackered you need to rest but it is a lee shore. You have the option of a buoy of unknown origin, anchoring and hope you don't drag or going out to sea and heaving too.
 
Nostrodamus said:
In most cases I would agree and say that anchoring is better as you know your own tackle.
I have the problem in that when I sleep I really sleep and would probably only wake up if water was lapping around me in bed (even then I may struggle)
Anchoring knowing that with the wind blowing you off the shore is fine as if you do drag you just wake up with more of a sea view.
What about when you are so knackered you need to rest but it is a lee shore. You have the option of a buoy of unknown origin, anchoring and hope you don't drag or going out to sea and heaving too.
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Wire up an anchor alarm to a big siren? Surely that would wake you up?

How on Earth did you manage nights on CID in XH if you couldn't wake up at the sound of the radio? ;)
 
Cardo said:
Wire up an anchor alarm to a big siren? Surely that would wake you up?

How on Earth did you manage nights on CID in XH if you couldn't wake up at the sound of the radio? ;)
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Hey, you should know we never had time to sleep...(spoke to the Adams family yesterday by the way.. even answered his phone)
 
Cardo said:
Wire up an anchor alarm to a big siren? Surely that would wake you up?

Yep, anchor alarm which then affords a good night sleep rather than getting up to check whenever you deem necessary.
Set ours last night, not very windy but bumpy as heck - perhaps you could rig it with voice of SWMBO threatening weekly castration ritual, just a thought :)
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SamanthaTabs said:
Cardo said:
Wire up an anchor alarm to a big siren? Surely that would wake you up?

Yep, anchor alarm which then affords a good night sleep rather than getting up to check whenever you deem necessary.
Set ours last night, not very windy but bumpy as heck - perhaps you could rig it with voice of SWMBO threatening weekly castration ritual, just a thought :)
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"Weekly"?? I'd have thought it would be difficult to repeat?
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michael_w said:
Anchor.

Moorings have a habit of failing at the critical moment, and their failure can have catastrophic consequences. Whereas your anchor will drag, giving adequate warning that all is not well.

View attachment 33048

View attachment 33049
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Only 'borrow' a mooring if you have bolt-on keel(s)?


Maybe it was not a mooring, but the Swede's oversized anchor's 'easy-find' sized pick-up buoy... :-)
 
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