TonyBuckley
Well-Known Member
Moorings tend to stay in the same place. MOBs do not.
Swinging vs Marina Moorings
- Thread starter Little Dorrit
- Start date
Moorings tend to stay in the same place. MOBs do not.
NormanS
Well-Known Member
When I had a bigger boat (With higher freeboard) I fitted a pole with two large hooks at the top. Procedure when dropping the mooring, was to approach the buoy, and place the pick-up buoy onto one of the hooks, which were at bulwark height. On return, I could see the buoy from the wheelhouse, and just nose up to it, with no need for a boathook, or any gymnastics
Seajet
...
Top Tip for picking up a mooring singlehanded.
Like everything else in sailing - probably life generally - preparation is the key to success.
While still out in clear water, throttle right back* then take a long reasonably strong line, make one end fast on a foredeck cleat / sampson pos whatever, then lead the rest of the line through the stemhead roller, around the outside of the pulpit and guardrails, back to the cockpit.
Approaching the mooring, of course using the other moored boats as the guide as to angle of approach, slowly go just past the buoy keeoing it close alongside; it may be necessary to use the rudder to push the stern towards the buoy - but keep this to minimum as it will cause the bows to pay off downtide.
Lean over the cockpit coamings - and guardrails if you don't have pelican hooks - and simply pass the end of the line through the ring or handle on the buoy.
Then still clasping the line end, walk forward; the boat will stream behind the buoy, by which time you'll have the end of the line through the stemhead, now just take your time and pull her up to the required distance from the buoy ( a big heavy boat or strong tide may require engine on slow forward ) and belay the line.
Now secure so you can take all the time you want to sort out the niceties like chain loop, anti-chafe tubing etc.
Like everything else in sailing - probably life generally - preparation is the key to success.
While still out in clear water, throttle right back* then take a long reasonably strong line, make one end fast on a foredeck cleat / sampson pos whatever, then lead the rest of the line through the stemhead roller, around the outside of the pulpit and guardrails, back to the cockpit.
Approaching the mooring, of course using the other moored boats as the guide as to angle of approach, slowly go just past the buoy keeoing it close alongside; it may be necessary to use the rudder to push the stern towards the buoy - but keep this to minimum as it will cause the bows to pay off downtide.
Lean over the cockpit coamings - and guardrails if you don't have pelican hooks - and simply pass the end of the line through the ring or handle on the buoy.
Then still clasping the line end, walk forward; the boat will stream behind the buoy, by which time you'll have the end of the line through the stemhead, now just take your time and pull her up to the required distance from the buoy ( a big heavy boat or strong tide may require engine on slow forward ) and belay the line.
Now secure so you can take all the time you want to sort out the niceties like chain loop, anti-chafe tubing etc.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
It took me five goes the last time I tried but (a) I was determined to do it under sail and (b) the wind was from a particularly awkward direction, which meant that the turn head-to-wind had to be done either in front of the downwind moored boat (overshoot) or behind it (undershoot). Eventually I realised that it was better to go right past it, turn back and approach from the shore side.
Ah well, I got there in the end, and I learned something in the process.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
I have one of them. I can use it as you suggest, but I also have a BFO snap shackle on the end of it, so method A is to stop with the buoy beside the cockpit, clip on and then walk to the bow as the boat drifts back. With a bit of careful timing I can pull the rope taut just as the buoy reaches the bow.
For shorter single handed trips I rig that line before I leave.
ProDave
Well-Known Member
If said line had been looped through the bow roller then back down inside the guard rails to the cockpit, you could hook on, then wind it in from the cockpit. Then with the boat roughly moored go forwards and sort it out.
If I were picking up moorings regularly I would do something like that.
TSB240
Well-Known Member
That technique is really only practical on a boat with little freeboard. I can just about reach down amidships if lying on the side deck. Our investment in a Wichard mooring hook attached via an adapted standard boat hook makes the job much easier. Combined with leading the tail back to a cockpit winch means even the lady admirable can pull us up against the tide with a judicious bit of thottle.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
Absolutely. I'm lucky; from the cockpit I can easily reach the loop on top of an HIDB buoy. When I pick up moorings under power I use the same rope and clip, but from the foredeck: grab buoy with boothook, pull in (hippo) or up (pickup), clip on, relax, sort out.
ex-Gladys
Well-Known Member
It's a while since I've picked up SH, as SWMBO when I met her decided she liked sailing as much as I did... However I was always able without any particular gymnastics or panics, dribble up to the mooring, select neutral, stroll up on foredeck, and get the strops with a short boat hook. Proximity of other boats makes it selfishly risky to pick up under sail at Mersea...
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
Proximity of other boats adds to the fun, though of course one has to take care, and I'll do it under power if I think the risk to my boat or other boats is unacceptable. My mooring is in a corner formed by the sea front and a marina breakwater, and when the wind is blowing directly into that corner there is very little scope for Plan B, particularly at low tide.
Seajet
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I did mention having pelican hooks on the pushpit end of the guardrails; extremely useful for many things, like MOB recovery or simply getting aboard from the tender.
I've spent a lot of money and time on my boat, but the best single thing I ever got was pelican hooks.
TSB240
Well-Known Member
You completely missed the point.
Pelican hooks would be a waste of time as I can hardly reach a decent top mooring ring whilst lying down on the side deck with my arm under the wires and armpit on the toe rail.
Short arms small hands and proper freeboard!
I do have pelican hooks on one end and lashings on the other.
Lashings can be undone with a sharp knife much quicker than pelicans under load!
Make sure you spend your money well as cheap pelicans can deform under load and you then need a hammer and chisel to remove them from your pulpit/pushpit. OEM fittment were rubbish.
Boarding gets much easier in a bigger boat with a bathing platform or sugar scoop stern!
GrahamM376
Well-Known Member
We have sugar scoop but only use it for boarding in flat calm conditions. Safer to use a step fender or ladder alongside when choppy.
LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
If lying down, I still can't reach.
A large hook on a long pole is my answer, for mooring or MOB!
Not that I ever get MOB's being solo
ianj99
Well-Known Member
100% first time success so far, which has been a surprise as I expected more 'misses'.
One of the advantages of a heavy displacement motor sailor is that she loses way very slowly and is not quickly blown off course so I have time to knock it out of gear, and stroll up to to the pullpit, lean over and hook the eye with the boat hook and lift the pickup buoy on board (its the type with a rod and eye so the eye is about 2' above the water and easily reached with the boat hook). By which time she has just about stopped, or is going so slowly that there is time to hook the chain over the cleat.
In worse conditions I would lead a line around the outside to the cockpit and use a pelican type hook method.
Best move I made was going onto the mooring and she has been riding out the gales this winter with aplomb and very little pitching. (not to mention the massive cost difference of over £3000, absence of noisy neighbours, webastos & wind generators whirring and single handed berthing issues)
Little Dorrit
Well-Known Member
Just a quick update (if anyone is interested?!) to say thanks for all the helpful advice given. Based on the feedback and comments I have decided to take up mooring in Chichester Harbour.
Seajet
...
Guardrail lashings are a total fallacy, a throwback to the days when the only electronic nav-aid we had was RDF and one had to break the circuit of guardrails to avoid quadrantal error.
The idea of cutting the lashings in emergency - like MOB - is madness as it leaves the boat without guardails on at least one side, in what is already an emergency situation; the idea of doing this just to pick up a mooring is laughable.
Ever heard of a boathook ? That, preferably with pelican hooks on the guardrails, is your answer.
awol
Well-Known Member
I'm surprised no-one has suggested the tried and tested method of lassoing the mooring buoy. Of course, it is best done on other people's moorings!
Little Dorrit
Well-Known Member
It's been mentioned trust me I have read every one of the replies. But as I said earlier it's fraught with dangers - I have learn't from experience. Trouble is I used it when other methods were looking decidedly dodgy but that's probably the worst time to even consider it.
NormanS
Well-Known Member
Yes, it was mentioned, and very deliberately ignored. I think (hope) that awol has brought it up with tongue firmly in cheek. You are correct, as a method of picking up a mooring, it is indeed fraught with danger, entirely to the mooring and its owner.