Mooring Shackle Mousing Material

[RJD]

Having experienced my boat going walkabout for the second time in as many years, I think it time I ask what other folks use to mouse their mooring schackles.
My boat is moored via a large concrete sinker which has chain embeded within.
The chain riser is connected via a shackle to sinker chain. The shackle has been moused with polypropelene, but the schackle pin has undone itself on two occasions, - fortunately I was sat in the cockpit when it happened today....
There is a swivel at the top of the chain riser which terminates in a rope strop.
Any comments as to suitability of monel wire, cable ties etc would be appreciated.
Thanks in anticipation,
TonyP

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[Joe_Cole]

I use monel wire.

Joe

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[maris]

I used two 10mm cable ties last spring, they were ok when checked on monday.

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[Dipper]

My club no longer accepts a shackle between the ground chain and the riser. We now use riser chain with a ring welded in the end link. The free end of the riser is fed through the end ground chain link then through the ring and pulled tight.

This way there is nothing under water to come undone.

If you have to use a shackle, mouse it with some heavy duty plastic coated fencing wire.

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[peasea]

Used monel for years -- o. k.


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[johnsomerhausen]

Our "mooring mastcer" uses plastic cable ties exclusively for the shackles, but all moorings have a swivel between the bottom chain and the riser chain. No shackle has ever come undone in the last ten years.
john

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[isha]

I,ve used nothing but plastic ties now for years and never had a problem.
In one location ,I have experienced the threads on the shackle corroding and leaving a smooth surface so that the pin can slide out. Its always worth checking for this.
Dave

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[toad]

A few years ago we regularly had mooring shackles go smooth bore with the pin sometimes breaking the mousing.We now allways weld up all underwater shackles in our block of moorings,the theory right or wrong is that the pin and bow are made from differant batches of metal and sets up electrolysis type cell.

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[DMGibson]

The problem with mousing a shackle is that whatever you use, it can chafe through where it is passed round the working part of the shackle. This means the pin can then work loose, leading to the "why are all the other boats drifting" problem.

The best solution is to hammer over the screwed end of the pin, so the thread swell up and wont go back down the hole. No more unscrewing pins. True, you can't unscrew the thing either when the mooring is serviced, but that is why you brought along the hacksaw or dics cutter.

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[Avocet]

I've used a piece of copper earth cable (the solid domestic house wiring type) on a galvanised shackle. It doesn't seem to bother either the shackle or the wire but it was in fresh water.

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[peixe]

The local mooring contractor insists that any shackle that is under water and difficult to regularly inspect has the pin welded to the body before shooting the mooring. He reluctantly allows me to monel wire on the shackles I can see !

Tony

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[RJD]

Thanks to one and all for your observations. One way or another, the boat will remain firmly secured in the future! Further to ur comments, a mate rang who worked on the local dock in the buoy maintenance/laying department. They always welded the shackles or used forelock and taper type which are quite costly. Whether the latter is made in 5/8 size remains to be seen.
Thanks once again, all comments much appreciated.
TonyP

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