PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
Bring the buoy alongside and attach the line.Great if you don't have a centre cockpit ketch
Mooring Buoys - How to Find / Best Practice - Can I just use any?
- Thread starter tom3987
- Start date
Sea Change
Well-Known Member
Transom ladder?
There are a whole load of reasons why it should be easy to reach or climb down to sea level on a boat. Picking up a mooring is only one of them.
Aja
Well-Known Member
Quite clear in the post I was replying to with the image of the training boat that there is crew.
It would severely restrict choice if all moorings were of a similar type. Time to give yourself sea room and break out the anchor
MontyMariner
Well-Known Member
As I understand you, you are recommending reversing up to the buoy, neutralising the engine, climb out of the cockpit, walk to stern, pick up boat painter, grip it in my teeth, climb down stern ladder and if the buoy hasn't drifted off, attach painter to buoy with one hand.
Even when I was young and fit I wouldn't attempt that solo and think twice about it if crewed up.
Now I'm in my seventies I would love to think that it could be contemplated
NormanS
Well-Known Member
Here's a wee hint for you. Have a suitable length of line conveniently to hand. Make one end fast, then all you have to do is pass the other end through the eye on the buoy. If you can't manage that, then anchor, or take up gardening instead.As I understand you, you are recommending reversing up to the buoy, neutralising the engine, climb out of the cockpit, walk to stern, pick up boat painter, grip it in my teeth, climb down stern ladder and if the buoy hasn't drifted off, attach painter to buoy with one hand.
Even when I was young and fit I wouldn't attempt that solo and think twice about it if crewed up.
Now I'm in my seventies I would love to think that it could be contemplated
Mark-1
Well-Known Member
Here's a wee hint for you. Have a suitable length of line conveniently to hand. Make one end fast, then all you have to do is pass the other end through the eye on the buoy. If you can't manage that, then anchor, or take up gardening instead.
I used to do that but with a carbina hook on the end.
As soon as I felt that click 100% of my attention could go on sorting the boat; dropping the main whatever.
Doesn't help if you can't reach the bouy but my freeboard is tiny.
Not sure why I stopped using it.
I remember contraptions like boat hooks that helped put a line round bouy shackles on charters in Scotland. Don't recall using them but I bet they work.
MontyMariner
Well-Known Member
Select a mooring you feel you can cope with. - Exactly, it would be foolish not to.
If you are a marina dweller - Never have been, I've been on mooring buoys for the best part of 50 years. Currently fore and aft riverside buoys.
please don't blame the mooring owner - Nowhere in this thread, or for that matter ever have I blamed the mooring owner!
Laysula
Well-Known Member
Many years ago my friends father had a flying fifteen in Falmouth. Instead of a pickup buoy he had a danbuoy. It was a simple matter to sail up to it, reach out and grab it and let the sheets go. Easy then to walk up the front and secure it.
MontyMariner
Well-Known Member
I certainly have suitable length of line conveniently to hand, but between hand and body my arm length can't reach most mooring buoys.Here's a wee hint for you. Have a suitable length of line conveniently to hand. Make one end fast, then all you have to do is pass the other end through the eye on the buoy. If you can't manage that, then anchor, or take up gardening instead.
As I said previously, my preferred pickup device is a wishbone style on a pole.
NormanS
Well-Known Member
When we had a 60ft boat with about 2.5m freeboard forward, on our own mooring buoy we had a 3m pole mounted, with a "Y" on the top. Before dropping the mooring, we motored up to it, and hooked the pick-up buoy onto the Y. It made picking up our own mooring very easy, (and it was probably out of reach for others).
Sea Change
Well-Known Member
I'll admit I'm a little over half that age which might have a bearing on how I approach these things.As I understand you, you are recommending reversing up to the buoy, neutralising the engine, climb out of the cockpit, walk to stern, pick up boat painter, grip it in my teeth, climb down stern ladder and if the buoy hasn't drifted off, attach painter to buoy with one hand.
Even when I was young and fit I wouldn't attempt that solo and think twice about it if crewed up.
Now I'm in my seventies I would love to think that it could be contemplated
All I can say it's worked for me. And it's not impossible to take a couple of steps down a ladder with a rope in your hand. No need to involve your teeth!
Maybe as someone else suggested an alongside pickup would make more sense for you and your boat?
Either option is a much shorter journey than going to the bow.
ylop
Well-Known Member
Does the training school only teach people how to sail with a full crew? I’m not a fan of lassoing routinely, but I think it can be helpful for people to know the options. It got me out of trouble once with no engine and a very inexperienced crew.
NormanS
Well-Known Member
Lassooing is only used by people who have absolutely no practical knowledge of mooring equipment.
WFA
Well-Known Member
No offence taken but I was responding to #107 Perhaps contributors who feel that lassoing a mooring buoy with no pick-up line is bad practice would say how they do it,
