Mooring to a buoy

[Mister E]

I PAID for my mooring. If someone wants ME TO PAY the EXTRA COST for a type to suit them.
THEN THEY SHOULD PAY the extra costs.
I am waiting for the donations pm for payment options.

 

[RupertW]

I PAID for my mooring. If someone wants ME TO PAY the EXTRA COST for a type to suit them.
THEN THEY SHOULD PAY the extra costs.
I am waiting for the donations pm for payment options.

Don’t worry - there are plenty of civic minded citizens willing to help mooring owners to make better buying choices at the expense to ourselves of having to move to another bouy if we choose a bouy belonging to a Canute-type owner who is still refusing to learn a very simple lesson.

 

[RichardS]

If you lasso a bout with a rope riser that passes up through it, the repeated lassoing and pulling the rope round on departure you end in sawing through the rope riser. Please pick them up as they were designed to be.

That's another type of mooring buoy that I've never heard of!

All the mooring buoys I've ever seen have been hard plastic or metal with a metal eye on the bottom and usually, a metal eye on the top. The bottom eye and the top eye on the plastic buoys are usually joined together through the middle of the buoy with a metal rod.

Lassoing any of these buoys is not going to cause the slightest problem at all as it would only be for a few minutes until a proper attachment is made. As far as I'm aware, no-one has suggested using a lasso as a permanent attachment so there will never be any damage done on departure as the lasso would have been removed hours/days before then.

Richard

 

[Aja]

Unless they're metal, the chances are that it is. My Mooring buoy is plastic, with a large plastic eye on the bottom designed to take the weight of the riser. There's a smaller pickup buoy which anyone who needs to is welcome to use if I'm not there and they'll find the mooring chain attached to it. It is NOT designed to be lassooed and, should I see anyone doing so, they'll be invited to buy me a new buoy.

I know it is, or was, the RYA recommended method; I'd guess that the idea was developed when most buoys were much bigger and made of metal, and quite possibly kept long past its use by date because picking up a mooring by threading an eye on the top of the buoy is far more difficult for trainees.

I had to write to the owners of a sailing school here on the Clyde asking them for a donation towards the replacement of my large plastic mooring buoy after repeated attempts to lasso it. This continued for the most part of the winter off season here.
I got a very nice but awkward reply assuring that the practice would stop and it did.
Moved to the next private mooring and continued the practice. There are a dozen visitors moorings provided by the local hotel adjacent to my mooring but they never pick them up.
The practice may well be promoted by the RYA but it isn't good seamanship as I can only see this method being used in extremis and if that was the case the rope used would saw through the plastic eye in fairly short order putting the vessel in danger yet again.
Donald

 

[NormanS]

That's another type of mooring buoy that I've never heard of!

All the mooring buoys I've ever seen have been hard plastic or metal with a metal eye on the bottom and usually, a metal eye on the top. The bottom eye and the top eye on the plastic buoys are usually joined together through the middle of the buoy with a metal rod.



Richard

You need to get out into the real world a bit more!

 

[lw395]

That's another type of mooring buoy that I've never heard of!

All the mooring buoys I've ever seen have been hard plastic or metal with a metal eye on the bottom and usually, a metal eye on the top. The bottom eye and the top eye on the plastic buoys are usually joined together through the middle of the buoy with a metal rod.

Lassoing any of these buoys is not going to cause the slightest problem at all as it would only be for a few minutes until a proper attachment is made. As far as I'm aware, no-one has suggested using a lasso as a permanent attachment so there will never be any damage done on departure as the lasso would have been removed hours/days before then.

Richard

Why don't you ask Norfloat or Polyform?

Anyone lassos our moorings, we go alongside in the workboat and explain what the 'no lassoing' written on the top means.
If they're lucky, the workboat might be fendered with some grubby old tyres....

 

[lw395]

You need to get out into the real world a bit more!

But preferably not our bit of the real world?

 

[capnsensible]

But preferably not our bit of the real world?

 

[RupertW]

But preferably not our bit of the real world?

The anti-lassoo mob feel like a set of people designing cars with no footbrake because a proper driver changes down the gears, then wonders why their cars get damaged all the time. Surely it will eventually sink in that sailing schools teach lassooing as the most versatile and most seamanlike way of attaching temporarily to a buoy whilst getting the main lines on.

Until then the rest of us have a duty to take these badly designed bouys out of the system until they are replaced by real bouys. My advice to help this long overdue change is to moor at speed more often as a lassoo will stop a 12m boat at 4 knots in just 2 metres.

 

[RichardS]

You need to get out into the real world a bit more!

Is that the "real world" or the "ridiculously fragile world where no-one has the intelligence to design anything to be fit for purpose"?

All this "rope sawing through the eye or the line" in the few minutes it takes to get a proper line in place and remove the lasso is absolute tosh. :encouragement:

Richard

 

[lw395]

The anti-lassoo mob feel like a set of people designing cars with no footbrake because a proper driver changes down the gears, then wonders why their cars get damaged all the time. Surely it will eventually sink in that sailing schools teach lassooing as the most versatile and most seamanlike way of attaching temporarily to a buoy whilst getting the main lines on.

Until then the rest of us have a duty to take these badly designed bouys out of the system until they are replaced by real bouys. My advice to help this long overdue change is to moor at speed more often as a lassoo will stop a 12m boat at 4 knots in just 2 metres.

I prefer to moor my boat to a flexible, fender-like buoy. It's the most appropriate solution to mooring in a fairly exposed position.

I've learned that many yacht sailors, particularly those 'in the sail training trade' are not suitable people to trust to look after other people's property in a reasonable way.
So instead of being able to pick up one of our moorings for free, visitors can now trot off and pay £40 in the marina.
Which I regret having to do, it was nice to give something back to, for example the chaps boating on a tight budget who'd leave their tidal mooring then overnight on mine before leaving on the tide. Or the random people I met on the fuel berth who wanted somewhere where they wouldn't be rafted up.

If you 'know best' about how other people's stuff should be used, don't be surprised when it's no longer offered to borrow.

 

[RichardS]

But preferably not our bit of the real world?

The interesting thing is that when I challenge a few vociferous forumites to actually admit to whether they have one of these "inflatable balloons" or one of these "rope through the middle" atrocities in use as a permanent mooring buoy, I'm met by either total silence or a stream of abuse.

Are you sure that the bit you are living in is actually the "real world" or is it part of the matrix? :encouragement:

Richard

 

[lw395]

We have a big Norfloat buoy with a rod through the centre.
I have the remains of a burst one in the shed somewhere.
There are a lot of these in use in the UK.
I have had the conversation with Norfloat.
Me: 'The buoy you sold me has been burst by someone lassoing it. Is that covered by the warranty?'
Norfloat: 'No!'

These days, when the boat's out of the water for the winter, we sink the riser and put a rough old thing on as a pickup.

I regret having to do that, because I've stayed in some lovely places on other people's moorings.

 

[RichardS]

We have a big Norfloat buoy with a rod through the centre.
I have the remains of a burst one in the shed somewhere.
There are a lot of these in use in the UK.
I have had the conversation with Norfloat.
Me: 'The buoy you sold me has been burst by someone lassoing it. Is that covered by the warranty?'
Norfloat: 'No!'

These days, when the boat's out of the water for the winter, we sink the riser and put a rough old thing on as a pickup.

I regret having to do that, because I've stayed in some lovely places on other people's moorings.

Lassoing it for a minute or two whilst affixing a "permanent" line ..... or lassoing it as a "permanent" method of attaching the boat?

There is a world of difference although there seems to be no way of getting that point across to the naysayers.

Richard

 

[RupertW]

We have a big Norfloat buoy with a rod through the centre.
I have the remains of a burst one in the shed somewhere.
There are a lot of these in use in the UK.
I have had the conversation with Norfloat.
Me: 'The buoy you sold me has been burst by someone lassoing it. Is that covered by the warranty?'
Norfloat: 'No!'

These days, when the boat's out of the water for the winter, we sink the riser and put a rough old thing on as a pickup.

I regret having to do that, because I've stayed in some lovely places on other people's moorings.

That is absolutely priceless. You bought a rubbish bouy which couldn't take lassoing, then when it burst you bought another one designed the same. I'd love to see your house if you apply the same logic to all your purchases.

 

[lw395]

Lassoing it for a minute or two whilst affixing a "permanent" line ..... or lassoing it as a "permanent" method of attaching the boat?

There is a world of difference although there seems to be no way of getting that point across to the naysayers.

Richard

I believe damage is done by using the lasso to stop the boat. It seems to be mostly sailing schools so it follows that these people are not very good at what they are doing.
Plus the people I've seen doing it don't have the wit to use a weighted rope which will quickly sink and work on the chain, not the buoy, as well as being easier to throw.
There is tide/current here. The wind is often across the tide which might not help.
Our moorings are in deep water and heavy chain. The destroyed buoys I've seen look torn rather than worn through. The buoy is PVC I think, I'd guess the damaged bit is 6 to 8mm thick.

All this used to really annoy me, but these days we just make sure our moorings are not available to be abused.

 

[lw395]

That is absolutely priceless. You bought a rubbish bouy which couldn't take lassoing, then when it burst you bought another one designed the same. I'd love to see your house if you apply the same logic to all your purchases.

I bought a great product which does exactly what I want from it.
Namely not damaging the bow of our boat in the frequent wind against tide situation. Or when I put the buoy alongside to grab the pick-up.

Anyone who wants anything else from it can bugger off.

 

[Aja]

The anti-lassoo mob feel like a set of people designing cars with no footbrake because a proper driver changes down the gears, then wonders why their cars get damaged all the time. Surely it will eventually sink in that sailing schools teach lassooing as the most versatile and most seamanlike way of attaching temporarily to a buoy whilst getting the main lines on.

Until then the rest of us have a duty to take these badly designed bouys out of the system until they are replaced by real bouys. My advice to help this long overdue change is to moor at speed more often as a lassoo will stop a 12m boat at 4 knots in just 2 metres.

I don't think you understand that with the type of mooring buoys being discussed here is that they are of a soft polyethylene or pvc type that are not meant for attaching too rather than solely providing support for the riser. From the riser there is a substantial junk spliced to the riser a foot or so below the main buoy, the junk is retrieved by a line attached to the junk and supported by a pick up buoy.

To see many thousands of mooring like this, please visit west coast of Scotland where the vast majority of moorings are of this type, but please leave the lasso technique down south. It does ruin the buoy.

Donald

 

[awol]

For the avoidance of Dick's doubt, I have a spherical inflated buoy on an octoplait riser with an octoplait junk covered with pvc reinforced hose and a pick-up buoy. This is similar to another 60 odd moorings in the anchorage. All are privately owned.
If there is a pick-up, get your boat hook out and use it properly. I am happy for others to use it with the boatman's permission - it keeps the weed off.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

As a result of threads on here I stopped the lasooing practice. If I can use my Moorfast I will use that to thread my line. If I can’t use my Moorfast then it is a windward pickup, from forward of the quarter, lying down, to thread the prepared line aided by boat hook if I have the crew members. I will not do a leeward pick up because I risk snagging keel, skeg or fixed blade propellor as I drift on top and the higher bow blows off.

My mooring rope ends up being a long bowline secured by the standing part, with a backup line doubled up as a slip but with no tension. If a blow is forecast I would use my anchor chain. I don’t use a rope with chain anymore as a slip as contrary to popular opinion, one can push a piece of rope but not with a chain span in the middle.