Tying to swing mooring!!

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deputydawg

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Hi chaps I am going onto a swing mooring this season having previously been on a pontoon berth, am not sure of exactly the correct way of securing , boat yard not exactly helpfull when I asked them ,of course the best way is to go through stem head roller but anchor permantly tied there and not practicable to remove every time , there are two forward cleats either side of the bow, would a line looped on both these and through mooring chain work ,I can forsee problems of chaffing that way, any tips !!
 
hi doug

hows it going

where you going to moor thig year

hopefuly we should be <span style="color:blue"> </span> /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif back on the water soon

see you soon
 
You should really use the bow roller, and stow the anchor elsewhere. If the mooring is at all exposed the movement of the boat will cause it to snatch at the mooring as it bounces around, and generally speaking the roller is the only bit strong enough to take these shock loads. Fairleads are normally only bolted on, and I have seen a boat where the fairlead was torn off. The chain had cut down into the hull like a chainsaw and done a huge amount of damage.

Also because the fairleads are offset, the mooring tackle is more likely to be pulled hard against the side and across the stem of the boat, damaging it. This can of course happen with the bowroller too. This will invariably occur if there is wind over tide, the boat rides forward on the wind until it comes up short at the end of the mooring, at which point the chain or whatever is stretched hard against the hull.

Using rope will solve this problem, but as you have rightly sussed already, there can be serious chafing problems which in extreme conditions can cut through even heavy lines in a single storm. The general recommendation is that if you use rope, you should have a piece of chain doubling it, so that if the rope does break, the chain will at least stop your boat going walkies.
 
Impsible to tell without seeing exact arangement. You sure chain is not ment to go to cleat?? Other than that, I'd use two ropes and put them twice through the chain to stop the chaff effect. Two ropes in case one fails, then still on the other. Depends alot on how often yer going to visit the boat.
 
We had a similar post running recently and it transpired after a while that everyone was talking about different bits of chain.
I have a chain strop and a nylon strop, both shackled to the chain riser (from the mooring slab to the buoy) I put the chain (with a loop formed with a shackle) over the fordeck cleat and over the bow roller. The nylon strop (also with a loop) goes over the chain on the foredeck cleat and through a fairlead which is attached to the side of the roller, but still on the stemhead plate. I have the nylon warp shorter than the chain, so it takes the strain and absorbs the snatch. Should it fail the chain takes over and although it will be more violent, its run is straighter, so there shouldn't be any damage.
If there is a big storm forecast I sometimes run a third (slacker) warp from the ring on the mooring bouy via the foredeck cleat and on to a sheet winch and cockpit cleat, just in case.
 
we have 25m/m rope riser from a swivel on very heavy ground chain, no probs in 34 yrs . chain is noisy & will damage the top sides.
if you use the bow cleats rather than the stem hd roller the boat will tend to "shear" about the mooring, the keel will act as a rudder against the "off-set" mooring.
use 2 lines from the buoy will help but really suggest you moor from the bow roller
 
Had a swinging mooring for two years.

Used a heavy piece of rope, given to me by a trawlerman, coming up from underneath the mooring buoy, in through the fairlead and looped onto a cleat. This was then secured to the cleat with another line. (Just to make absolutely sure.)

Brought two more ropes (very slack) from the ring on top of the buoy up the same side and secured onto two other separate cleats. These two ropes were "insurance."

Never had the slightest bit of chafe in two years. The three ropes never twisted around each other either.The only thing is, that bringing the ropes to one side of the bow makes the boat rock more.

Its much too awkward to be dismantling your anchor every time.
 
I kept my sealine 34 on a swinging mooring for a year. I had a strop made up which was brilliant for the job.



The 2 eyes went round the port and starboard bow cleats. The two strops were spliced together and joint the main mooring chain by a swivel.

I've given up the swinging mooring now. There is absolutely no sign of chafe on it.

Might be able to sell it to you if the boat yard will pass it on.

PM me if you are interested.

Cliff
 
I kept a fairline 32 on a swinging mooring for 3 years without problems. (incuding over winter one year) This was in a heavily tide rode estuary. First up I would forget chain, even through stem roller. It's just not necessary and you will get damage to gel coat one way or another. Use a heavy rope, made up with hard eye shackled to buoy at one end, soft eye at the other, then the rope passed up through stem head roller and on to forward cleat. Yes I had to tie off the anchor on the foredeck each time - but how big a job is that? a few minutes, and leave the boat with confidence.
 
I use rope to the chain on the underside of the buoy and secured to the samson post.

Before the rope was made ready it was passed through about a metre of clear plastic tubing which lies on the stemhead fitting.

Checked carefully this winter (brought ashore) and no sign of chafe or wear after 3 years use and no marks on the topsides. The stiffnes of the plastic tube over the stemhead fitting keeps the strop away from the topsides if the boat overrides the buoy.
 
I realise you have said that there is no wear or chafing. But, and I keep saying this, a Moody 33 next to me had some warps made up with clear plastic pipe on and in the course on one summer the sun hardened the plastic, which went opaque and cracked where it passed over the stemhead roller. The broken pipe cut straight through the warp. I rang him to tell him as a storm was due. The boatyard came out to check it and found the other pipe was in nearly the same condition.
Better to keep the warps in the open where you can easily check their condition.
 
I check it regularly by sliding the plastic tubing up and down the mooring warp.

I 3 years neither the pipe nor the warp show any signs of deterioration. Perhaps it was the wrong type of tubing? Though I don't know what the right type is made of.
 
You'd think plastic hose would last better than that, but I've never tried it for long periods in a such a stressful situation.

One tip, to prevent the rope/chain jumping off and sawing down is to tie the cable to the roller with some small stuff so it cannot jump off.
 
I looked for a pic but this is the only one I could find and I've had to blow up a bit from the centre. You still can't tell, but I think that this was from after he removed the pipe and they are just plain warps.
Moody33.jpg
 
<< The general recommendation is that if you use rope, you should have a piece of chain doubling it, so that if the rope does break, the chain will at least stop your boat going walkies>>

I see yet another hike in Insurance rates on the way....
 
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