shakatar
Active Member
i have just aquired my first swinging mooring which is a fore and aft.
can i moore my boat just using the fore ie the bow?
thankyou
can i moore my boat just using the fore ie the bow?
thankyou
swinging mooring fore and aft
- Thread starter shakatar
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Neddie_Seagoon
Well-Known Member
I think it depends how close the next mooring is; are you going to bump into something if you swing through 360 (as you surely will) ?
I'm on a swing mooring which provides a single mooring point for the bow, it works fine. The previous owner chose to enhance the mooring with two heavy chains shackled to the bow roller after the boat went for a sail by itself in strong winds, I expect that a fore and aft mooring would reduce the chance of this happening.
Maybe you should ask why they have been so generous as to provide a fore and aft mooring, perhaps there is a good reason for it.
Steve
I'm on a swing mooring which provides a single mooring point for the bow, it works fine. The previous owner chose to enhance the mooring with two heavy chains shackled to the bow roller after the boat went for a sail by itself in strong winds, I expect that a fore and aft mooring would reduce the chance of this happening.
Maybe you should ask why they have been so generous as to provide a fore and aft mooring, perhaps there is a good reason for it.
Steve
shakatar
Active Member
thanks
i forgot to mention the mooring in question is a wells-next-the sea norfolk
i forgot to mention the mooring in question is a wells-next-the sea norfolk
oldharry
Well-Known Member
Small conundrum here: if its a fore and aft mooring its not a swinging mooring. A swinging mooring is just that - one that allows the boat to swing round it.
Fore and aft moorings are usually only laid when there is insufficient space for the boat to swing - like when its one of a line of fore and aft moorings, or in a narrow channel where it is unacceptable to have moored boats swinging out or across the channel. Its also a method of packing a lot more boats into a small space, like in a small harbour like Lyme Regis.
The limitation is firstly the boat is held in one position in relation to the wind and tide. This means that the boat will be held broadside to winf and or current, which puts a lot more strain on mooring points and the mooring itself, particularly in an exposed place. It can also be mighty uncomfy aboard in a gusty wind, or rough water coming from broadside on!
Before allowing your boat to swing, you need to find out if there is a reason for it being fore and aft. A huge number of boats live quite happily on swinging moorings, and a small number of them go for a sail by themselves. This usually happens because of lack of maintenance of the mooring tackle, allowing the chains to wear to breaking point for the next bad gale. Occasionally the mooring point on the boat itself is not strong enough, and that breaks. But I have always had my boats on swinging moorings and have not yet lost one in 40 years!
Fore and aft moorings are usually only laid when there is insufficient space for the boat to swing - like when its one of a line of fore and aft moorings, or in a narrow channel where it is unacceptable to have moored boats swinging out or across the channel. Its also a method of packing a lot more boats into a small space, like in a small harbour like Lyme Regis.
The limitation is firstly the boat is held in one position in relation to the wind and tide. This means that the boat will be held broadside to winf and or current, which puts a lot more strain on mooring points and the mooring itself, particularly in an exposed place. It can also be mighty uncomfy aboard in a gusty wind, or rough water coming from broadside on!
Before allowing your boat to swing, you need to find out if there is a reason for it being fore and aft. A huge number of boats live quite happily on swinging moorings, and a small number of them go for a sail by themselves. This usually happens because of lack of maintenance of the mooring tackle, allowing the chains to wear to breaking point for the next bad gale. Occasionally the mooring point on the boat itself is not strong enough, and that breaks. But I have always had my boats on swinging moorings and have not yet lost one in 40 years!
shakatar
Active Member
what is the correct way to moore fore and aft? where does the aft line fasten on the stern of the boat? i have no cleat on the stern??
thanks
thanks
simonfraser
Well-Known Member
you'll have to fit one !shakatar
Active Member
i have a cleat one in each corner on the stern,could one of these be used?
simonfraser
Well-Known Member
that's the ones !
simonfraser
Well-Known Member
p.s. i'd go for a swinging one, easier to tie up to and more comfortable
shakatar
Active Member
[ QUOTE ]
that's the ones !
[/ QUOTE ]
does it matter which cleat i use ie any corner??
cheers
that's the ones !
[/ QUOTE ]
does it matter which cleat i use ie any corner??
cheers
philip_stevens
Well-Known Member
You will need another rope on the stern to go to the other cleat from the mooring, with a lightweight span between so that both can be picked up.
ShipsWoofy
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
what is the correct way to moore fore and aft? where does the aft line fasten on the stern of the boat? i have no cleat on the stern??
thanks
[/ QUOTE ]
There is a thread here that you should find very useful and will hopefully answer many of your questions.
Have a read, if I can help some more please do not be afraid to ask....
what is the correct way to moore fore and aft? where does the aft line fasten on the stern of the boat? i have no cleat on the stern??
thanks
[/ QUOTE ]
There is a thread here that you should find very useful and will hopefully answer many of your questions.
Have a read, if I can help some more please do not be afraid to ask....
Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
Swinging moorings usually all allow the same amount of scope for the riser chain (allowing for differing depths). They consequentially don't swing about a fixed point, but drag the riser down wind (or down current) of the sinker. As long as they all move the same amount there isn't a problem. You'll be able to work out that one swinger amongst a series of fore and aft moorings won't be popular.
Swinging moorings are easier on the boat as it always heads up to the strongest force.
Swinging moorings are easier on the boat as it always heads up to the strongest force.
Gunfleet
Well-Known Member
If you connect your mooring bouys with a bit of floating rope and maybe a little pick up bouy or fender you will find it much easier. Once you have secured one end (usually the bow against the flow of water!) you can then secure the other, pulling your boat about with the floating line and a boathook. It's much easier than it sounds.
simonfraser
Well-Known Member
don't forget to use the engine to pull the stern in, try not to catch a line with it whilst you are at it
robind
Well-Known Member
Swinging moorings are exactly that! they are a single bouy mooring, often on their own, but mainly amoungst others with a designated max length for the boat (to prevent impact between the boats) the riser usually has a swivel so that the action of the boat rotating around doesnt tangle the chain, or strain the shackles. The swivel needs a regular check to ensure that it isn`t corroding too fast and that any shackles used in its ( the risers) attachments have a stainless steel wire through their eye to prevent them undoing. This should be carried out each year for safety sake and possibly your insurers may request that its done. Those
(swinging moorings) I have used, in the long term, I have attached a piece of plastic conduit to ( vertically ) with an inverted hook to the top, so that I could leave the mooring with a short line in a position so as not to have to use a boat hook to lift a floating line covered in algea onto the boat. It worked for me and made mooring easy in all states of the harbour. My plastic extension was about four feet above sea level and tied with plastic cable ties to the chain loop around the bouy and then the top "ring" on the bouy. Yes you do need to gain access to the underneath of the bouy but that can be done with a rope loop on low water and a bit of ingenuity.
Rob
(swinging moorings) I have used, in the long term, I have attached a piece of plastic conduit to ( vertically ) with an inverted hook to the top, so that I could leave the mooring with a short line in a position so as not to have to use a boat hook to lift a floating line covered in algea onto the boat. It worked for me and made mooring easy in all states of the harbour. My plastic extension was about four feet above sea level and tied with plastic cable ties to the chain loop around the bouy and then the top "ring" on the bouy. Yes you do need to gain access to the underneath of the bouy but that can be done with a rope loop on low water and a bit of ingenuity.
Rob
Rivers & creeks
Well-Known Member
Fore and aft moorings can be very hard on rudders - a bit like going astern for 12 hours a day. Not such a problem in harbours where the tidal flow is not big, but in an estuary etc it can result in significant wear on the rudder fittings.
Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
There was an extensive thread recently about seizings on mooring shackles. Stainless wire was not a good option.
It's easy to lift the mooring buoy onto your foredeck if there's no current running as the spare scope of the riser will be available. Which is what I've done in this pic
We tend to put our mooring strops on the riser chain and have a pick-up bouy fastened to the boat end of the strops with some light line. Pick up the buoy and the strops come with it.
It's easy to lift the mooring buoy onto your foredeck if there's no current running as the spare scope of the riser will be available. Which is what I've done in this pic
We tend to put our mooring strops on the riser chain and have a pick-up bouy fastened to the boat end of the strops with some light line. Pick up the buoy and the strops come with it.
Rivers & creeks
Well-Known Member
Where did you get that long-link chain? All I can find is short link and you can't get decent sized shakles through short link.
Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
I don't know. It was put on by Jetties and Moorings who checked my mooring for me. That's the new spec for the lake.
Try giving them a bell http://www.jettiesandmoorings.co.uk
Try giving them a bell http://www.jettiesandmoorings.co.uk
