No mooring in Mill Bay (Gruinard Bay)

[Robert Wilson]

For reasons I shall expand on later, my mooring below the house broke loose and the buoy came ashore. Fortunately, neither Khamsin nor any visitor's boat was attached at the time.
My Loch Ewe mooring was inspected, in light of the above, and found the riser chain substantially worn. Khamsin was therefore removed to a friend's mooring and her new owner informed.
A new "warp" riser will be fitted this month and when she departs for southern waters the mooring may be available for visitors to use (prior requests please).

The quality of the work/inspection/replacements carried-out in April 2019 was verging on criminal - other customers are being alerted.

I break out in to a muck sweat when I think that I nearly brought Khamsin round from Loch Ewe for some post-sale sailing (with the new owner's consent, of course)!!

 

[Cardinal]

Close shave. Lucky escape.

 

[Kelpie]

Very worrying stuff. If it broke with just the buoy on it, there can't have been much meat left there. Was it the chain itself wearing right through? What size was it, out of curiosity?

 

[Robert Wilson]

The "mooring guy" inspected the mooring in April 2019 and reported the 15-20mm riser was badly worn (mooring susceptible to bad northerlies and is the mooring where Khamsin used to spend most of the sailing season).
He replaced it with "10 metres of 19mm chain and a 4tonne shackle" as stated on the "Mooring report" - emailed, unsigned.

When I peered into the water at very low tide I could see the shackle-pin had come undone, so obviously not "moused" .
I dragged the buoy and chain ashore, still with the open shackle in place.
What is even more annoying is that I instructed him and arranged for both moorings to be lifted for inspection and renovations where/if necessary - he lifted neither. I saw him diving the Mill Bay mooring, but very much doubt he went anywhere near the Loch Ewe mooring.
Name and contact details could be given - in confidence.
I'm not sure whether to try to get compensation from him for the loss of one mooring and the unsound condition of the other. A court case would probably be an expensive waste of time.

 

[mainsail1]

I wonder if you could identify, just out of interest, where Mill Bay is in lovely Gruinard Bay?

 

[Kelpie]

I'm so glad I can lay my own mooring. As the saying goes, an amateur does the best job they can, a professional does the worst job they can get away with. I use loctite plus minimum of two cable ties.

 

[ProDave]

The "mooring guy" inspected the mooring in April 2019 and reported the 15-20mm riser was badly worn (mooring susceptible to bad northerlies and is the mooring where Khamsin used to spend most of the sailing season).
He replaced it with "10 metres of 19mm chain and a 4tonne shackle" as stated on the "Mooring report" - emailed, unsigned.

When I peered into the water at very low tide I could see the shackle-pin had come undone, so obviously not "moused" .
I dragged the buoy and chain ashore, still with the open shackle in place.
What is even more annoying is that I instructed him and arranged for both moorings to be lifted for inspection and renovations where/if necessary - he lifted neither. I saw him diving the Mill Bay mooring, but very much doubt he went anywhere near the Loch Ewe mooring.
Name and contact details could be given - in confidence.
I'm not sure whether to try to get compensation from him for the loss of one mooring and the unsound condition of the other. A court case would probably be an expensive waste of time.

So the mooring that "failed" just needs putting back and the shackle moused properly this time?

I guess the issue is you have lost confidence in the inspection of the other mooring? It might be okay but you now do not trust his say so?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I wonder if you could identify, just out of interest, where Mill Bay is in lovely Gruinard Bay?

http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=193215&Y=890837&A=Y&Z=115

 

[Robert Wilson]

Exactly. When I get a new shackle and can free-dive at a convenient low spring tide I should be able to fix the Mill Bay mooring, although staying down at 4 to 5 metres long enough to mouse the shackle might be beyond me!
The other mooring will be professionally lifted and new kit shackled onto the ground chain and buoy.
The Loch Ewe mooring will be used by Khamsin's buyer until at least Spring next year and I'll post here if I can get the Mill Bay mooring done and when available for "visitors"

I wonder if you could identify, just out of interest, where Mill Bay is in lovely Gruinard Bay?

If you look at a road map, the road that skirts Gruinard Bay is the A832, slightly west of due south of Gruinard Island is a knot of houses called Second Coast. (That's me!) Mill Bay is the slight indentation west of the burn, below the houses.

 

[mainsail1]

Thanks Angus and Robert. Lovely area. I can even see Khamsin on Google Earth......I think.

 

[ctva]

Cowboys! As we sat out two days of a storm last year on the Loch Ewe mooring, I’m relieved that it lasted! As for Mill Bay, lovely spot and is the only bit of the coast there that is un-surveyed on the UKHO charts. Good anchoring just to the east of the mooring in the bay.

Hope all gets sorted soon and a pox on the ‘mooring guy’.

Catch up soon.

 

[Robert Wilson]

Cowboys! As we sat out two days of a storm last year on the Loch Ewe mooring, I’m relieved that it lasted! As for Mill Bay, lovely spot and is the only bit of the coast there that is un-surveyed on the UKHO charts. Good anchoring just to the east of the mooring in the bay.

Hope all gets sorted soon and a pox on the ‘mooring guy’.

Catch up soon.

?
Toe rag.
Hope to see you next year, or even later this year - at anchor!!

 

[Robert Wilson]

Thanks Angus and Robert. Lovely area. I can even see Khamsin on Google Earth......I think.

Probably is Khamsin, but I'm not sure when GoogleEarth last "flew over here" !!
It really is a superb area, and good sailing - when you have a boat? !!

 

[RichardS]

As the saying goes, an amateur does the best job they can, a professional does the worst job they can get away with.

I've never heard that saying but it is so true for the majority of "professionals" that I have dealt with that I might have it engraved on my headstone ...... although there will probably be a spelling mistake.

Richard

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I've never heard that saying but it is so true for the majority of "professionals" that I have dealt with that I might have it engraved on my headstone ...... although there will probably be a spelling mistake.

Get yourself a Dremel and do it yourself before your clogs are popped and bucket kicked.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I'm so glad I can lay my own mooring. As the saying goes, an amateur does the best job they can, a professional does the worst job they can get away with. I use loctite plus minimum of two cable ties.

I've never heard that saying but it is so true for the majority of "professionals" that I have dealt with that I might have it engraved on my headstone ...... although there will probably be a spelling mistake.

Richard

I totally agree with that statement

An amateur does it for love, a professional does it for money and time is money so a professional will take as little time as possible to do the minimum they can get away with.