Using and marking moorings

[pcatterall]

The recent thread ( using a rope cutter to deter lassoing) was interesting and amusing. I have done a small amount of Lassoing but can see that it may well put a strain on the buoy to riser attachment, I guess that fitting a pick up buoy as a matter of course would provide an alternative.
My interest is in the principle of using other peoples buoys. Is there some sort of standard code we could use to mark buoys making it clear what the owner will allow. For example 30F would be max 30feet. SOS would be for emergency use only.
There is clearly a limit to what can be legibly written on a buoy, is there a way of attaching information to a mooring which would include the owners phone number and other information?
There could be a system where owners entered the GPS position of the buoy and relevant details? ................. Ohh I feel an APP coming on...........

 

[doug748]

I have tried a number of methods over the years including:

* Permanent pen on melamine/wood - fades and washes off very quickly.

* Biro on plywood - fades, goes manky and illegible.

* Pop bottle with message - condensation makes it unreadable and/or ruins paper.

So I look forward to seeing the answer to this one.


When I am away for a while I normally put:


SY GASPER 4 Tons.

Hello, this is my mooring gear please look after it.

I do not own the mooring. WDSA say it may only be used for a boat owned by me personally.

The gear has not been tested and is operated totally at the users own risk.

I am away for a number of weeks but always return to my mooring on the morning tide.

Bon journee - GASPER 4T

 

[SadlerPete]

Due to some confusion with regard to particular mooring ownership I decided to paint our boat name on the main riser buoy. This I attempted to do on a relatively calm day while stretching over the front of the tender. The nightmare was compounded by the fact that when I had finished, gasping for breath and covered in paint, I had spelt the bl..dy name wrong!!!!

 

[C08]

I get around people putting too large/heavy a boat on my mooring by having a very small buoy holding up the twin mooring strops and no chain buoy. The mooring looks like a dayboat/dinghy mooring and although I do not mind people using the mooring I would be disappointed to find a 10T boat had been using it. So it is there is there is an urgent need to pick up a mooring but not attractive if there are other options. This is only possible because the mooring dries and there is only ever about 12ft of water at HW and my strops are 12ft long so the chain riser stays on the sea bed. A thought!
r

 

[Loch Linnhe]

I have two moorings both have pick up buoys, I would hate to see anyone lassoing them, they are expensive enough to maintain, but I do love to see yachts using my spare mooring, I used vinyl lettering the same as on most boats on both moorings, and it works well and lasts, my main mooring has my boats name on it and my spare one has my name and mobile number with please phone, on the pick up buoy,
Strange thing no one every phones to check if it's okay to use the mooring or to ask about it's condition, it's a bit sad, I am reluctant to put visitor on it because I am not sure of the insurance implications, but hey if your up my way, it's there, near Corpach

 

[Daydream believer]

I have just labelled 50 moorings using plastic tabs with the owners name cut in them with a router
The resulting grooves have been filled with synthapruff
If the synthapruff wears off the routered grooves will still be there
Re placing a weight limit
Sensible up to the point where visitors just ignore it & plonk 40footers on a squib mooring
The hapless owner then has to pay to have his mooring re positioned
& that is assuming some t...t has not burst the buoy by lassooing it & lost £350 worth of tackle for him
Suits me - i supply the tackle - but i have seen buoys regularly split by the Roy Rogers of this world

 

[JumbleDuck]

I keep meaning to get a plaque engraved to go on my pickup buoy, saying something along the lines of "Mooring for 3 tons / 26' maximum. Depth at MLWS is 1.8m. Use at your own risk and be prepared to leave at once unless you have talked to me on 07xxx xxxxxx." That's a bit wordy, though, which is why I haven't done it yet.

 

[pcatterall]

I keep meaning to get a plaque engraved to go on my pickup buoy, saying something along the lines of "Mooring for 3 tons / 26' maximum. Depth at MLWS is 1.8m. Use at your own risk and be prepared to leave at once unless you have talked to me on 07xxx xxxxxx." That's a bit wordy, though, which is why I haven't done it yet.

Absolutely!! We would need some kind of message attached which was weather resistant. Perhaps simply "Max 3 Tons" on the buoy and the rest on the attached label to be read when their ( sub 3 ton!) boat is secure.
And/or a web base moorings list with co-ords and relevant data attached?

 

[GrahamM376]

Putting a max weight on the buoy doesn't stop people, I marked ours "MAX 3.5 Tons" (just to deter people) and returned one day to find a 15+ ton steel boat on it. A friends 36ft boat mooring once had 2 French visitors on it, one well over 50ft with a 45 footer rafted up alongside. Whatever you do, some *ankers will just ignore any notice.

 

[pcatterall]

Putting a max weight on the buoy doesn't stop people, I marked ours "MAX 3.5 Tons" (just to deter people) and returned one day to find a 15+ ton steel boat on it. A friends 36ft boat mooring once had 2 French visitors on it, one well over 50ft with a 45 footer rafted up alongside. Whatever you do, some *ankers will just ignore any notice.

Yes, true but when you appear they, at least can't claim ignorance ( or I s'pose they can!!) and you can have a really good rant!

 

[GrahamM376]

Yes, true but when you appear they, at least can't claim ignorance ( or I s'pose they can!!) and you can have a really good rant!

I no speak English or Portuguese is often the reply but funny how most nationalities understand 2 particular words F*** O**

 

[[70521]]

How about "The visitor's mooring is over there"?

 

[lw395]

Weight limits can be pushed a bit in fair weather without doing any harm, a 5T boat in a gale is going to create a lot more force than a 10T boat stopping for lunch on a sunny day.
Swinging room is often the bigger issue.

 

[symondo]

I have two moorings both have pick up buoys, I would hate to see anyone lassoing them, they are expensive enough to maintain, but I do love to see yachts using my spare mooring, I used vinyl lettering the same as on most boats on both moorings, and it works well and lasts, my main mooring has my boats name on it and my spare one has my name and mobile number with please phone, on the pick up buoy,
Strange thing no one every phones to check if it's okay to use the mooring or to ask about it's condition, it's a bit sad, I am reluctant to put visitor on it because I am not sure of the insurance implications, but hey if your up my way, it's there, near Corpach

Cool, can I ask where? We have a 16ft aluminium craft for fishing and launch it at corpach jetty.
We have our new fairline moored (eventually when its in the water) at barcaldine

 

[Loch Linnhe]

Cool, can I ask where? We have a 16ft aluminium craft for fishing and launch it at corpach jetty.
We have our new fairline moored (eventually when its in the water) at barcaldine

Mooring is at Camusnagaul, across from Corpach, I use it for my RIB when in the water, so it's got to be short term, but you are welcome to use it, just phone first, if you could PM me with your contact details and I will give you a phone number, it's rated for a 40' yacht and checked each year, but it's has to be use at your own risk.

 

[symondo]

Mooring is at Camusnagaul, across from Corpach, I use it for my RIB when in the water, so it's got to be short term, but you are welcome to use it, just phone first, if you could PM me with your contact details and I will give you a phone number, it's rated for a 40' yacht and checked each year, but it's has to be use at your own risk.

Its ok, I don't think we have any intention of using any moorings up the loch itself, but should we be out fishing and I see your boat on the loch I shall give you a wave. We usually stop off at the beach there for a spot of lunch when in the small boat.

 

[KevO]

The recent thread ( using a rope cutter to deter lassoing) was interesting and amusing. I have done a small amount of Lassoing but can see that it may well put a strain on the buoy to riser attachment, I guess that fitting a pick up buoy as a matter of course would provide an alternative.
My interest is in the principle of using other peoples buoys. Is there some sort of standard code we could use to mark buoys making it clear what the owner will allow. For example 30F would be max 30feet. SOS would be for emergency use only.
There is clearly a limit to what can be legibly written on a buoy, is there a way of attaching information to a mooring which would include the owners phone number and other information?
There could be a system where owners entered the GPS position of the buoy and relevant details? ................. Ohh I feel an APP coming on...........

Good lord, my mooring is labelled 207F!!!