Mooring to a buoy

[Sybarite]

Yesterday we were at Port Manec'h watching a parade of traditional sailing boats.

A mobo arrived to tie up next to us. With twin engines toing and froing and copious use of a bow thruster they succeeded in passing a line by reversing up to the buoy and attacking it from the stern platform. About 10 minutes of effort.

A few minutes later a heavy traditional lugger ghosted up to the buoy, was just a little short and so the sweep went out over the stern. A few strokes and they calmly picked up the buoy.

 

[lw395]

Yesterday we were at Port Manec'h watching a parade of traditional sailing boats.

A mobo arrived to tie up next to us. With twin engines toing and froing and copious use of a bow thruster they succeeded in passing a line by reversing up to the buoy and attacking it from the stern platform. About 10 minutes of effort.

A few minutes later a heavy traditional lugger ghosted up to the buoy, was just a little short and so the sweep went out over the stern. A few strokes and they calmly picked up the buoy.

But they've been practising so long, their boat's an antique.

 

[dslittle]

Did they manage to moor up successfully? Your point is - get a bow thruster??? Lucky you to be there...

 

[davidej]

The bows on some mobos are so high that you could not reach a buoy with a normal boathook.

 

[RupertW]

Haven't used a boathook to moor for many years - lassoo then haul bouy up to pass ropes through it (or now use a gadget thing for that).

But reversing up to a buoy is a lot easier for many people in sailing boats too - the helm can see the bouy and the swimming platform is at a good height.

 

[johnalison]

Haven't used a boathook to moor for many years - lassoo then haul bouy up to pass ropes through it (or now use a gadget thing for that).

But reversing up to a buoy is a lot easier for many people in sailing boats too - the helm can see the bouy and the swimming platform is at a good height.

Reversing can be useful, in fact the only way, when it is blowing a hoolie, but is a little short on style. We almost invariably bring the buoy alongside just aft of the shrouds, when it is easy to reach to the buoy and do what you have to, though not so easy with a replacement knee, so I am regularly told. There are many ways of achieving mooring successfully, and just as many of doing it unsuccessfully, which all adds to the fun.

 

[lw395]

I generally stop the boat with the cockpit alongside the buoy, if a simply pick-up at the bow looks tricky.
Using the stern platform makes sense if you have one and a high freeboard.
So, an un-practised amateur boater needed a few goes at something. Damage done? If not, it's no big deal.
10 minutes spent learning to control the boat at close quarters is time well spent.
I like to play around a convenient buoy on an unfamiliar boat before I take it into a marina.
Ideally, do it when no one's looking though!

 

[RichardS]

When it's just the two of us we generally pick up a buoy by reversing up to it and hooking it into a long line from the stern. No stress and easy for the helm to see exactly what's going on. Once the line is on we can relax and take our time hauling the buoy to the bow.

Richard

 

[Slowtack]

Line from cockpit winch thru bow fairlead back to hook deployed from cockpit. Hook on and winch in. Bobs ur parents sibling.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

An advantage of a trimaran is you approach the buoy in an approximate manner using whatever means of propulsion is convenient, catch the buoy between 2 of the 3 hulls (any 2 will do), and as the boat drops back to wind or tide casually wander up to the appropriate forward beam, reach over, & there it is.

Dim problem o gwbl!

 

[Daydream believer]

Haven't used a boathook to moor for many years - lassoo then haul bouy up to pass ropes through it (or now use a gadget thing for that).

No problem with that---------so long as you do not go anywhere near my mooring in which case i am sorry to say that i will refer to you as an utter menace !!!! I have already lost 2 moorings due to such tactics - once when a sailing school decided to use my mooring as a teaching aid. They denied it , of course, but were watched from the shore by club members and residents

 

[Stemar]

I have a line with a snap shackle attached to the starboard pushpit, led forward outside everything to a block at the bow and back to a cockpit cleat. Its primary use is as a preventer, but it's also handy when conditions suggest that a bow pickup might be difficult. I grab the pickup buoy and clip this on and stop. I'm now one boat length from my mooring and safe, so I can pull the line in at leisure, though I do remember a time when it took over 20 minutes to pull it in as I had to wait for lulls to make any progress. I tried a winch on the mast, but didn't like the way the mast was bending.

 

[Seashoreman]

Line from cockpit winch thru bow fairlead back to hook deployed from cockpit. Hook on and winch in. Bobs ur parents sibling.

This I have been doing for years, singlehanded, in all conditions. However I would recommend floating line as it is possible to get rope tangled around keel(s) if not swift on the pull-in.

 

[NormanS]

I don't see anything wrong with attaching to a mooring buoy, using a swim platform. I don't have one, and if the buoy has no pickup, we pass a line through the shackle on the buoy, by leaning over amidships at the lowest freeboard.

Being the actual owner, and maintainer of a mooring, I have enough sense and knowledge, NEVER TO LASSO a buoy.

 

[RichardS]

No problem with that---------so long as you do not go anywhere near my mooring in which case i am sorry to say that i will refer to you as an utter menace !!!! I have already lost 2 moorings due to such tactics - once when a sailing school decided to use my mooring as a teaching aid. They denied it , of course, but were watched from the shore by club members and residents

I don't see anything wrong with attaching to a mooring buoy, using a swim platform. I don't have one, and if the buoy has no pickup, we pass a line through the shackle on the buoy, by leaning over amidships at the lowest freeboard.

Being the actual owner, and maintainer of a mooring, I have enough sense and knowledge, NEVER TO LASSO a buoy.

If your buoys cannot take being held with a lasso under them whilst a line is passed through the correct mooring eye/line there is something wrong with your tackle.

Richard

 

[awol]

If your buoys cannot take being held with a lasso under them whilst a line is passed through the correct mooring eye/line there is something wrong with your tackle.

Richard

My tackle has never been better and the correct mooring attachment is the junk and the correct way to reach it is to lift the pick-up buoy.

 

[RichardS]

My tackle has never been better and the correct mooring attachment is the junk and the correct way to reach it is to lift the pick-up buoy.

Richard

 

[NormanS]

If your buoys cannot take being held with a lasso under them whilst a line is passed through the correct mooring eye/line there is something wrong with your tackle.

Richard

For your information, and for anyone else with a similar lack of knowledge, my mooring buoy is a large inflatable one. It is definitely NOT DESIGNED to take any load on it, other than that imposed on it by the chain shackled to its eye. There is absolutely nothing wrong with my tackle.

As it happens, the mooring has a large pennant with a pickup line, attached to the riser under the buoy, and provided that my boat is not on it, anyone is welcome to make use of it in a correct and seamanlike manner, until I return.

 

[RupertW]

For your information, and for anyone else with a similar lack of knowledge, my mooring buoy is a large inflatable one. It is definitely NOT DESIGNED to take any load on it, other than that imposed on it by the chain shackled to its eye. There is absolutely nothing wrong with my tackle.

As it happens, the mooring has a large pennant with a pickup line, attached to the riser under the buoy, and provided that my boat is not on it, anyone is welcome to make use of it in a correct and seamanlike manner, until I return.

Perhaps if enough sensible people lassoo it you will eventually learn to buy a proper bony not a silly inflatable thing. Or perhaps not

 

[RichardS]

For your information, and for anyone else with a similar lack of knowledge, my mooring buoy is a large inflatable one. It is definitely NOT DESIGNED to take any load on it, other than that imposed on it by the chain shackled to its eye. There is absolutely nothing wrong with my tackle.

As it happens, the mooring has a large pennant with a pickup line, attached to the riser under the buoy, and provided that my boat is not on it, anyone is welcome to make use of it in a correct and seamanlike manner, until I return.

An inflatable mooring buoy? You've got to be pulling my plonker?

What about Daydream Believer and Awol? Are yours inflatable?

If so, then I can understand your concerns .... although I'd be even more concerned about boats simply brushing against it or seagulls pecking it. :ambivalence:

Richard