Slow progress, but worth it

[cliffordpope]

Xenia went back in the water in May, after 24 years ashore as a rather slow rebuilding project. This season seems to have been dogged by teething troubles, bad luck, lack of time, and of course the abysmal weather.
Until this weekend that was, when suddenly it all seemed worthwhile again. Here we are anchored on the Cleddau, just off Picton Point.
IMG]http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s138/Cliffordpope/pictonpo.jpg[/IMG]

Snags so far have been:
Prop shaft flange cracking on first outing.

Auto bilge pump failure, letting in rather a lot of water, necessitating much checking and drying out. The initial leaks have very largely sealed themselves now, fortunately.

I have a persistant problem with the mooring. The tide in the river seems to do a consistent eddy right where the moorings are situated, so the boat constantly rotates, always clockwise. This means after a week that the warp is wound tight, and consequently the buoy is pulled tightly up to the bow. It has sometimes been impossible to get the warp off the sampson post at high water. Another consequence is that the twist is sometimes so great as to roll the rope up over the lip of the stemhead roller and down along the rail, pulling the boat over on its side. It has been replaced by a longer rope, but that merely buys a few days of twisting and then it is as short as ever.
When I am not on the mooring the pick up buoy constantly circles the main buoy, winding up the cord until the two buoys are bound together. Returning to the mooring on Saturday was a nightmare. I had to lasso the buoy as a temporary measure, and then laboriously untangle the ropes. I nearly gave up and cut the line.
Any ideas? A swivel on the main cable would eliminate the problem, but they don't seem to do that.

 

[Kilter]

Very nice! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[cliffordpope]

Oh well, the Photobucket link doesn't work. Just picture a lovely calm warm morning, undisturbed by nothing but the tinkle of water on clinker planking, and the noises of birds and the odd fish. No other boats about, except later someone out for a morning sail in a dinghy.

 

[cliffordpope]

How did you do that?

 

[Kilter]

it worked for me! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Kilter]

[ QUOTE ]
How did you do that?

[/ QUOTE ]
I copied the address hit the image button and pasted it in

 

[Peterduck]

As Kilter has said, a very nice boat! It certainly sounds as though you need a swivel in each of the lines which are becoming wound up. It may even pay to put in more than one swivel; one low down on the rode, and a second one high up near the bouy. I am surprised that local practice is to do without them. I would consider swivels to be mandatory where there are currents through the anchorage.
Peter.

 

[nmiller]

Put a good swivel in, but do not buy one of the galvanised ones from the Yellow Welly chandlers. Try to find out where the trawlermen buy their fittings and buy a commercial standard swivel. They really do last longer, even so check it regularly for wear and chafe in the rode. If the one you buy is fairly heavy fit it low down, and it will make the mooring behave like a nice elastic catenary.

 

[cliffordpope]

The yard don't fit swivels, presumably for the security reasons voiced in another recent thread on the subject. The consensus there was that they introduce a weakness into the linkage. The yard have already moved me to another mooring which appeared to be less affected by the eddy, and fitted a longer warp, so I don't feel I can keep on being a nuisance.
Other boats don't seem so affected by the problem, so I am wondering if there is something in the hull/keel shape which makes it more prone? Xenia has a plumb stem dropping to the forefoot where she draws about a foot, then the keel (full-length cast iron) runs straight back to the rudder post and a draught of 3 feet. So the deepest point is well aft - perhaps the boat acts like a kind of weather vane in the water, whereas a modern hull pivots more in the middle?

I have considered putting my own swivel on the end of the mooring warp and adding an additional length to put the swivel somewhere near the stem but out of the water. The risk would be presumably that the yard would no longer hold themselves responsible for maintaining the mooring as I had made an unauthorised modification.
To me it seems an odd Pembrokeshire arrangement. Years ago I recall moorings on the Stour near Ipswich which were of two kinds:
1) A large simple buoy with a ring on the top, as in "We didn't Mean to Go to Sea", or
2) A small buoy on a light rope, which you pulled aboard, then hauled up until you lifted the heavier warp or chain off the bottom of the river and secured it.

 

[Seagreen]

Mooring:

Swivel or two (2 back to back) between the pick-up ring on your mooring and the strop you tie to the boat. Good heavy (commercial) versions and keep well greased with waterproof grease.

Lovely boat, btw. Bet you are happy she's back in the water.

 

[Blueboatman]

Glorious pic !
Well done, the boat looks absolutely lovely in the water.
Are you going to stay in and enjoy some more fine autumnal sailing?

Just a thought re mooring.What happens when you lash the tiller to one side or t'other, does that encourage the boat to unwind the mooring at slack water ?

 

[cliffordpope]

Thanks everyone. Yes, she's staying in now until the weather turns - insurance covers her afloat until the end of October.

The mooring set up cosists of the usual large orange buoy anchored by a very heavy warp to the sinker or whatever it is. There is no ring, but another warp is permanently attached to the underside of the buoy. This is about 6 feet long and has a large eye on the free end. To this is attached about 6 feet of lighter rope with the small pick-up buoy on the end. That sems to be the standard arrangement.

In a strong tide the pick up buoy streams out downstream, and lifts the heavy warp with the eye to some extent towards the horizontal.. At slack water or weaker tides the mooring warp sinks so the pick up buoy floats quite close to the main buoy. It then revolves round the main buoy in the constant tidal eddy, eventually winding up close and tangled.

The hook-up warp is a nice length from buoy to stem head to samson post when not twisted, but shortens when wound up.
introducing a new extension with swivel would prouce a straightened length of about 10 feet.

 

[Blueboatman]

Enjoy this fine fine Indian summer..To swivel or not to swivel, that is the question then !
I have always liked those large buoys where the metal parts actually go vertically through the buoy, thus your pick up line is attached about 2 feet above water level.By coiling the pick up line,or leaving it in the dinghy attached to the buoy when daysailing, twist is obviated ?

 

[monkey_trousers]

what a little belter! would love to see more pics

swivels, of the great big muckle variety, give these chaps a bell

http://www.woods-group.co.uk/fastenings.htm

lots and lots of commercial/ex RN surplus bits n bobs

 

[Seagreen]

Woods - well worth a wander round, but be kind to your bank balance and leave the cheque book at home, or you'll spend loads.

 

[monkey_trousers]

[ QUOTE ]
Woods - well worth a wander round, but be kind to your bank balance and leave the cheque book at home, or you'll spend loads.

[/ QUOTE ]

sadly, or possibly luckily, I'm 350 miles or more away from temptation!