Why Winterize my Mooring

[david100952]

Since I had my mooring put in 3 years ago I have followed the example that was used by a chap whose mooring I borrowed until mine was layed and winterized when the boat came off and prepared for use in the spring. To be more precise I pay to have this done! Obviously the chap who makes £90p.a. is going to tell me it is necesary but what do you guys think?
Regards
David

 

[KREW2]

£90 quid to winterise a mooring, when can I start.
Winterising lays the riser chain on the bottom to reduce wear. At that price you may as well just renew your riser every three years.

 

[longjohnsilver]

£90 quid to winterise a mooring, when can I start.
Winterising lays the riser chain on the bottom to reduce wear. At that price you may as well just renew your riser every three years.

Yes but how long is the riser, how much tide is there? If you can't see the chain at the seabed where the wear may be worst, don't check the shackles then maybe £90 is nut such a bad price to pay to prevent your boat going walkies........

And i bet tonight there's a fair few boats that will break free of their moorings.

 

[William_H]

Winterise a mooring

I presume that the mooring riser chain is allowed to fall to the bottom on the end of either a rope or temporary chain to reduce wear. This should be easy to do from your own boat when casting off for the last time before pull out. I suppose it might reduce wear but of course the tug of the boat is the biggest wear factor on the chain. (combined with the rust on the wear surfaces)

What is really important is that the chain and attachments be inspected for wear at least once per season and then they be replaced with any significant wear. No I don't think I have ever heard of winterising before certainly not here in West Oz.But then most people leave the boat on the swing mooring all year round.. good luck olewill

 

[wotayottie]

why not go on a BSAC course and DIY?

 

[SmileyGiley]

Depends what 'winterizing' involves.

I have a mooring laid across a creek, Bridle and Riser. Winterizing the mooring invoves shortening or replacing the the riser and adding a large buoy (50litre drum). If I don't do this the bridle (that runs across the creek) will settle in the mud/sand over winter. I'd happily pay 90 quid to save me the two hour drive. On the other hand
A - I don't actually mind working on the mooring once I'm there- curleys and oystercatchers abound
B - I check the chackles & condition of the chain whilst I'm at it
C - My family have been 'enjoying' this anual ritual in roughly the same spot for 100 years or so.

On a sad note, this year may have been the last year!

Eider Duck for sale

 

[kieronriley]

witerising

well smileygiley the river alt is as you know well worth all the work,and as for eider duck well yes it realy will be a very sad loss to us all here on the alt,all the best wherever you are giles.Kieron

 

[ianat182]

The price of £90 is reasonaable for me here on the Hamble on a fore and aft deep water tidal mooring. There's no way I can inspect the lowest points of wear on the base chain, and there are three more connections that can only be drawn up at Low water on Springs due to the weight of the primary and secondary risers ,and their attachments to the buoys.Think insurance claims!!
We are told by the Harbour commissioners to inspect and if we can, to self-certify the mooring-annually.

 

[doug748]

Since I had my mooring put in 3 years ago I have followed the example that was used by a chap whose mooring I borrowed until mine was layed and winterized when the boat came off and prepared for use in the spring. To be more precise I pay to have this done! Obviously the chap who makes £90p.a. is going to tell me it is necesary but what do you guys think?
Regards
David

I would hate to trust a mooring that had been left over the winter. At least not without sending a diver down in spring to check that the mousing was still intact on the shackles. As has already been pointed out, there is the question of wear and also colision damage which is not uncommon. Some areas of Plymouth have a shocking record of boats adrift, partly due, I believe, to leaving moorings unattended over the winter.
Dropping the chains is no easy matter, I have been involved in doing quite a few and a 16' launch with hoist and gantry system is the order of the day. It is also messy. I would not consider doing it from my boat and would think a £90 bill was money well spent.

 

[vyv_cox]

On the Menai Strait we winterised on alternate years, lifting the whole lot in the intervening ones. When I say we, I mean we paid a contractor to do it. The cost was probably about what you quote, although it was a long time ago.

So far as mousing shackles is concerned, I wouldn't trust wire of any material, except maybe titanium, to last for two seasons. My contractor, along with most others on the Straits, never used shackles, instead using welded 'paperclips' of rebar or something similar. Welding the pin into a shackle may be an acceptable alternative.

 

[KREW2]

Yes but how long is the riser, how much tide is there? If you can't see the chain at the seabed where the wear may be worst, don't check the shackles then maybe £90 is nut such a bad price to pay to prevent your boat going walkies........

And i bet tonight there's a fair few boats that will break free of their moorings.

You're confusing winterising with an annual inspection. Chain corrodes less when laid in soft sand, and there is no rubbing or twisting of links.Winterising is easily done from your boat, except for hippo bouys which require a bit more grunt. Having shackles moused that are not visible is bad practice. Some people have bridles that they bring on board. This is usually the case if the bow roller is too small to take the riser, bridles should be shackled to the end of the riser, and be out of the water when moored. This gives you the opportunity to look at the join every time you visit the boat. Some boat owners attatch them to the underside of the support bouy, again this is bad practice. Nearly all our club moorings now have risers wreathed back on themselves through the ground chain, eliminating the need for a shackle, those that are shackled are welded, not moused.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Some boat owners attatch them to the underside of the support bouy, again this is bad practice. Nearly all our club moorings now have risers wreathed back on themselves through the ground chain, eliminating the need for a shackle, those that are shackled are welded, not moused.

Yes I do understand the difference, but winterising some moorings is not easy, or at least re-instating them may be problematical. For example my mooring has 40' of 3/4" stud link riser. Drop that to the seabed, easy, lift it back up - almost impossible!! You really need a professional mooring contractor to do it.

And almost evey mooring on the Exe has the strop attached by shackle under the buoy. How else do you do it with the traditional blob type buoy? If it's checked regularly then shouldn'y be a problem. It's when they're not checked that problems occur.

 

[doug748]

£90 quid to winterise a mooring, when can I start.
Winterising lays the riser chain on the bottom to reduce wear.

On the other hand you could take up this offer.

A very good price especially as he favours welding the links.

 

[KREW2]

Yes I do understand the difference, but winterising some moorings is not easy, or at least re-instating them may be problematical. For example my mooring has 40' of 3/4" stud link riser. Drop that to the seabed, easy, lift it back up - almost impossible!! You really need a professional mooring contractor to do it.

And almost evey mooring on the Exe has the strop attached by shackle under the buoy. How else do you do it with the traditional blob type buoy? If it's checked regularly then shouldn'y be a problem. It's when they're not checked that problems occur.

I have a 15mtr riser chain, It is lowered and marked by 6ml chain. This can be raised over the bow roller with the help of a winch. Bring 2mtrs of the riser on board then attatch the support buoy. this will leave 2mtrs of riser dangling. The bridle can then be attatched to the end of the riser. When you moor up the the shackles can be pulled up about 1mtr from the bow roller allowing them to be constantly monitored. I now have a hippo buoy, winterising that does take a lot more effort, and needs to be done from a sturdy boat.

 

[KREW2]

Yes I do understand the difference, but winterising some moorings is not easy, or at least re-instating them may be problematical. For example my mooring has 40' of 3/4" stud link riser. Drop that to the seabed, easy, lift it back up - almost impossible!! You really need a professional mooring contractor to do it.

And almost evey mooring on the Exe has the strop attached by shackle under the buoy. How else do you do it with the traditional blob type buoy? If it's checked regularly then shouldn'y be a problem. It's when they're not checked that problems occur.

Today I have mainly been winterizing moorings. There were three shackles under water where the locking wire was gone, and, I was able undo the shackles by hand, two were just holding on support buoys, one was on a bridle.