Question about servicing moorings.

[Sneaky Pete]

It’s now that time of year again for maintenance and other things. Here is one. What amount of time would be acceptable for a mooring to be serviced? I watched a small servicing barge carry out two mooring services within 20 minutes total. Some of that time was spent power washing the parts covered in crud buoy and lifting strop. Some of the riser was out of the water then everything placed back into water and all moved on for the next one. Should they apply some effort to check how well the mooring is secured to sea bed?

 

[lw395]

That may be all that's necessary for a mooring where the ground chain is known to be good and the contractor is familiar with how moorings wear in that location. It's like service a car, the first service is not much work, in later years you have to check more. A five year service is more like a total rebuild.
Personally I lift the buoy and check/clean the swivel under it at least every 6 months.

 

[Eygthene]

I'm not sure of the time, but we pay £80 + VAT for our mooring to be serviced annually, plus the cost of any materials (chain, shackles etc) that require replacing. For that the whole mooring (block included) is lifted from the water and thoroughly inspected, worn parts renewed, then replaced to an exact latitude and longitude. We get a report detailing the condition of every component with the invoice. (More than a 10 minute job)

 

[Sneaky Pete]

we pay £80 + VAT for our mooring to be serviced annually

I wish ours was that cheap, unfortunately it's just over three times that. Good money for 10 mins work.

 

[PetiteFleur]

We pay about £100 + materials - the boatyard do it as I don't have a mooring barge! And it's a condition of my insurance. The mooring should last 20 years apparently.

 

[Blue Nile]

What you saw , Pete, was called a top check.
The bottom of the mooring is not disturbed, but the mooring buoy and any swivel as well as the pick up and the stray line are cleaned, ready for the owner to pick it up without all the gunge getting on board.
Every second year, or so, the whole mooring would be lifted for a thorough overhaul.
The interval would depend on the substrate,, the depth and the exposure.

 

[William_H]

Moorings a round here (essentially small tide) are always serviced by diving on the mooring. The authoriies who control the mooring area have dictated a check by their authorised contractors every 2 years. The contractor I use gives a 12 month guarantee on the mooring. Cost is around 150 squid for a swing mooring plus any additional work required.
It seems o take about 30 mins or more to do for 2 men in a boat one diving. The buoy and some of the chain is raised with a winch for cleaning and inspection but the bottom mass is not lifted just inspected. I think the pricing is reasonable however for 28 years I did the servicing myself using SCUBA. I can just inspect by snorkel.
Around here 2 years would be the outside time for inspection as galvanised iron chain etc wears very quickly so it pays to use really heavy chain. (lasts longer)
The authorities some time ago in raising mooring site licences provided large stay in the water buoys which incorporated a stainless steel through rod with swivel. Unfortunately where the ss rod meets the GI shackle or chain you get very rapid corrosion. I have gone to stainless steel shackles and chain which have lasted a long time without wear. Only point of dissimilar metals is the ss chain around the iron railway wheel. Mass on the bottom. ol'will