Pile Mooring Pick Up

[SimonP85]

We’ve recently moved to a pile mooring and are having arguments on the best way to leave the mooring with tender for easy pick up on our return.

We have mooring lines attached to each pile, joined with a floating buoyed pickup line.

First attempt we tried attaching the tender painter mid way along the pickup line, however it was clear that this would allow it to drift quite a fair way into the channel between the sets of piles which would no doubt lead to all kinds of trouble. Obviously the tender also needs to be attached at the stern.

Second attempt we once again attached the painter to the pickup line, but also ran the pickup line through a rope loop made at the stern of the tender. However, when we returned we found the pickup line had gone underneath the tender which made picking up the mooring rather tricky.

I’ve read some suggestions of leaving the pickup line in the tender etc... Does anyone have a tried and tested method for doing this? All input greatly appreciated.

 

[TSB240]

We solved this problem by putting a length of chain on to dinghy bow extending the painter. The weight of the chain keeps the dinghy close to the centre of the pick up line but will stretch out allowing you to push the dinghy out of the way when leaving or arriving.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Tender moored relatively tightly between your mooring lines. Balance of mooring lines and pick-up line left in tender.

 

[SimonP85]

Thanks very much for the replies, will definitely try and chain on painter idea.

TwisterKen - how do you go about leaving the lines moored to the tender, but also readily available to pick up on return without also lifting the tender out of the water with the pick up line?

Thanks again.

 

[ianat182]

A single line from the forward pile to the after pile can be used as a handhold with mooring lines attached, so easily picked up by the crew at both ends of the boat ; the painter of the dinghy tied iat one end with enough slack for high /low levels of tide. I used this arrangement when I was on a pile mooring with a neighbour who also used the single line for his pickup. Fit a couple of eye screws to each pile for this.

ianat182

 

[Twister_Ken]

Thanks very much for the replies, will definitely try and chain on painter idea.

TwisterKen - how do you go about leaving the lines moored to the tender, but also readily available to pick up on return without also lifting the tender out of the water with the pick up line?

Thanks again.

Ah yes. I had twin mooring lines fore and aft on my Hamble pile mooring (HM insists on twins). Tender made fast to one pair, other loosely joined, attached to pick-up buoy and dumped in tender. So pick up the loose pair and moor the mother ship, then sort out the tender lines and finish mooring.

 

[SimonP85]

Ah yes. I had twin mooring lines fore and aft on my Hamble pile mooring (HM insists on twins). Tender made fast to one pair, other loosely joined, attached to pick-up buoy and dumped in tender. So pick up the loose pair and moor the mother ship, then sort out the tender lines and finish mooring.

Perfect, thanks. Will be trying this at the weekend!

 

[SimonP85]

Tried this last weekend, far easier than any previous method used!