Mooring

[Anonymous]

[ QUOTE ]
Because that's the bit of the boat thats furthest away from keels, rudders and propellors. IE parts that when caught up in mooring line/warp/chain are likely to provide amusement for spectators

[/ QUOTE ]Agreed, and it is also where the best fixing point is placed - Samson post, large cleats, windlass, etc. and close to a bow roller or suitable fair lead. If you make fast to a quarter cleat you've got your boat at an odd angle to the wind/tide which could be tricky.

A couple of years ago, in the Iles de Chaussey, a neighbouring (French) boat let his bow slip before the stern in about 6kts of tidal flow. Watching the result might have been amusing had he not totally lost control of his vessel, putting his stem through my netting and putting strain on my stanchions. He nearly hurt himself badly getting off - indeed, I was mentally rehearsing my first aid drill. It's best to get a rope on the bows first, when possible!

 

[cmckesson]

Please permit a reply / question from the other side of the Atlantic:

The mooring is your permanent berth, right? So why not do as they do in California: They use a "pick up stick" whihc has a light line on it made fast to the main mooring hawser. The pick up stick looks like a Man Overboard pole - a lobster buoy with a bamboo spar, bit of weight at the bottom, you know the kind of thing.

The stick is tall enough to be easily and simply grabbed from on deck, set the stick on deck and haul in the line until you come to the spliced eye, drop the eye over the mooring bits and Hey Presto!

It works so well, and yet I haven't seen it very many other places. Dunno why, but if permitted I don't see why it wouldn't greatly ease Petercaterall's situation too, especially singlehanded.

Chris McKesson

 

[bigjimi]

why not use a pick up stick? Because we're not that bloody logical. Good idea though.

 

[oldharry]

[ QUOTE ]
Why people send their crew to the bows, the highest point of the boat, to pick up moorings beats me.

Simple - because thats the bit of the boat that gets there first! It also happens on my boat to be bit that gets tied to the mooring.... same as most boats I know.

Hauling a 30 footer round in a F6 after picking up the mooring from the stern can do serious damage to those hanging on to the lines (yes I know - rig a line from mooring cleat outside to stern and let her swing herself - but if the bow party has missed the mooring, and some 'helpful' crew member has caught it from the stern you dont necessarily have time....! That incidentally is how I manage when mooring up my 26 footer single handed in adverse weather.)

 

[misterg]

AFAIK the HM supplies everything upto a swivel at the top of the buoy at Conwy - does for us, anyway. You'll need to get a mooring strop made up with an eye at one end to shackle to the swivel, and be just long enough to reach over the bow roller / fairlead back to a cleat (top of buoy is ~12 inches above WL). HM will fit these for <20 quid, but if you are prepared, it's about 5 mins to secure from the dinghy.

Try to visit HM when you know what mooring you've been allocated - he's got a huge aerial photo on the wall of the office where he can show you which buoy is yours. At this point you could hand him your mooring strop (+ pick-up buoy) for fitting, or beg a lift to fit it yourself (e.g. from the Cruising Club launch). Depending on when in the season you arrive, you could lay alongside a vacant pontoon berth; the marina fuel pontoon; the town quay; or pick up a vacant mooring while you take to the dinghy to fit your strop.

Once the strop + pick-up buoy is on, it's easy to pick it up with a boat-hook as you approach. Tidal stream makes it easier if anything.

As mentioned previously - bring a traffic cone, or old fender and slide it over the mooring strop to cover the shackle / swivel at the top of the mooring buoy.

IME, the shallowest part of the approach channel is around the C4 buoy, where the depth ~ tide ht. Channel very narrow from C3 inwards, until you have turned up the river.

If you are truly stuck, PM me, and I'll try and help.

Andy