Mooring equipment

[Bodach na mara]

I've just checked my mooring and instead of a pile of rusty metal on the beach, there is a heap of shingle with a few odd ends of chain poking out all topped off with about six tons of piling that has broken off from the nearby jetty. One mushroom is accessible but knackered. The other may be below the heap somewhere, but realistically, I think I need a new mooring.

I've tried a search on the forum for posts on the subject of suppliers of heavy chain and suitable lumps of scrap (or even anchors) but cannot find the ones that I know I have seen before. Any bright ideas will be most welcome.

<hr width=100% size=1>Ken Johnson

 

[Johnjo]

You could try here, they do a range of mooring equipment
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.gaelforce.net/megastore/megastore2.asp>http://www.gaelforce.net/megastore/megastore2.asp</A>

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[freebird1]

Try a local dredger yard (if there are any where you are). They often have old legths of ship anchor chain laying about. Everyone i know gets theirs from one. Usually about £2 per foot. 1to 1 1/2" dia. stud link chain.
As for the sinker, my sailing club ones are cast from concrete, a disk about 4'6 dia and 12" deep. Set two or three links of some chain in it with reinforcing bar through them, accross the diameter. I suppose you could make it square as this would be easier. Four 50gallon barrells rigged together will float them. Tow them out and drop them where you want them. My mooring is in Langstone Harbour, so we dig them into the mud for extra security as they can skate accross it in especially high winds. This has only happened though in 1987.

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[Tomsk]

Go to your nearest breakers yard and find the biggest old engine block that you can, attach chains, float it out and sink it! May not be Politically Correct or Ecologically Corect but cheap!

<hr width=100% size=1>Tomsk -

What the hell... it's only money!

 

[jhr]

Some useful info (and the usual impassioned debate!) on <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ybw.com/cgi-bin/forums/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=pbo&Number=432829&page=&view=&sb=&o=&part=all&vc=1>this thread</A>

<hr width=100% size=1>Je suis Marxiste - tendance Groucho

 

[nordic_ranger]

Hello Ken,

PM me I have a very large and heavy mushroom anchor (100kgs.) which may be of interest to you and it is about 2 miles from where you are.

Jim.

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[William_H]

Tonsk I have just written a screed on moorings on a later query. In fact I got carried away and am a little embarased at how long it is however.... A single heavy weight is a hell of a thing to get into place and doesn't provide a lot of holding power. Actual anchors on a bridle (or a simulation of of fishermans anchors in angle iron or girder) set into the bottom will give real holding power. If you can't dive to the bottom you can set the anchors as you would a tempory anchor one by one then shackle them together as short as posssible onto a riser then drop it to the bottom. This will however allow more scope for movement than you would wish. (do it at lowest tide) For good measure you could shackle an engine block at the centre of the anchor bridle but only of a weight you can manage.
Good luck ole will

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[oldharry]

If you have an industrial scrap metal merchant within your area, they will sell scrap chain at scrap metal prices, far cheaper than any other chain source I know. You just go to the yard, select and buy however many kilos of chain you need.

Heavy industrial chain has to be replaced at set periods under Health and Safety law, and usually (but not always, you have to a be a little careful) is still in excellent condition, and will have plenty of life left for mooring use.

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[Bodach na mara]

Many thanks to all who replied. The advice is most helpful. I don't know why my search did not find the thread mentioned by JHR which is most useful.

To add a little about the heavy weight versus anchor debate, I made up a pair of "danforth-like" anchors when I had access to heavy plate and a boiler-makers workshop with heavy-duty cutting and welding equipment. They were easier to handle and held better than much heavier sinkers. For ease of use anchors win hands down, but lumps of scrap are cheaper. Even Mushrooms are better than square lumps of iron asd you can roll them to move them. Mind you I often wonder if they may roll on the bottom!

<hr width=100% size=1>Ken Johnson