Mooring Balls

[caltexflanc]

Angel Island has a unique set up, to reduce swinging and increase the number of boats that can get in there, and keep you pointed into the big ship wakes coming through Racoon Strait. Otherwise you would get into nasty wind/current/wake combinations. Catalina took a different approach, which allows a little bit of swinging, but all in unison. Like I said, there all different types of configurations for a variety of reasons.

 

[markpierce]

Very wise. But you can test a mooring by loading it up hard in reverse. Not perfect but better than nothing. .... Reverse power.

Now having possibly weakened the mooring, can you trust it more?

 

[koliver]

Very wise. But you can test a mooring by loading it up hard in reverse. Not perfect but better than nothing. We once spent a night in a mooring field where boats customarily use OPMs;a front came through, the ball was pulled up out of and parallel to the water, it held nicely.
Private moorings here have to be lifted and checked annually, it`s a condition of the license to lay it. But, does everyone do it, I wonder. Reverse power.

What is the criterion for the so called "check"?
Simply putting a strain only tells you that it held that amount of strain. It doesn't tell you if 120% of that amount would be OK, or it would fail.
Likewise, lifting and checking, without knowing more, only tells you it has been lifted and checked. Does that actually mean anything?

I had mine inspected by the diver that replaced my chain 4 years ago. That is what he does for a living, so I know that he inspects for wear all of the way from the attachment at the float to the attachments at the concrete block on the bottom. Now, after that inspection, I can use it for my boat.

In past years I have lifted the float out of the water on my windlass, so that I could clear the kelp, mussels, anemonies, and barnacles off the float and the top 4 ft of chain and inspect that portion for wear. That tells me nothing about wear further down, so I have always used a diver for that part.

 

[BruceK]

What is the criterion for the so called "check"?
Simply putting a strain only tells you that it held that amount of strain. It doesn't tell you if 120% of that amount would be OK, or it would fail.
Likewise, lifting and checking, without knowing more, only tells you it has been lifted and checked. Does that actually mean anything?...

You imply lifting and checking excludes fixing identified defects, a mere futile exercise of taking a look and nothing else? Of course you`d repair identified defects. Methinks you`ve been locked down too long.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

Now having possibly weakened the mooring, can you trust it more?

I doubt backing a boat on a mooring system would weaken it....

 

[cappy208]

To the OP:

If you're asking this to find out how to moor for free, then I can give you a good analogy. "You get what you pay for!"

A mooring that you happen upon may indeed be free. But, since you don't have permission means you haven't asked someone knowledgeable about the specific mooring. You have NO idea whats down underwater. You have NO idea how well its been maintained. Personally I almost never use someone elses mooring unless I can see the chain for a few feet underwater. If its all grown up with weed and barnacle I stay away. I trust MY anchor and sleep well knowing its condition.

Hi Sailor!

 

[BruceK]

I doubt backing a boat on a mooring system would weaken it....

He`s not serious, markpearce is my pet troll. Probably doesn`t check anchor sets either.

 

[FF]

Now having possibly weakened the mooring, can you trust it more?

Going FWD a prop will create about 20lbs of thrust for each HP, In reverse perhaps 15 .

Props are figured at cruise speed , so a stationary boat in reverse might only make 5 or 10 lbs of thrust

A 100hp engine ( 1,000 lbs of pull) might not weaken the mooring , but it could up set it , so instead of being buried its flipped to the surface.

When installing a mooring , even with local permission , you own the mooring , but not the bottom of the bay.

Courtesy would have you mark the ball with the size of the boat its laid for so transients can judge weather its suitable for an O'night.

 

[jleonard]

I doubt backing a boat on a mooring system would weaken it....

If you did that on the town moorings in Block Island you would be dragging it. Even reverse at an idle will move most of them.

 

[TDunn]

A 100hp engine ( 1,000 lbs of pull) might not weaken the mooring , but it could up set it , so instead of being buried its flipped to the surface.

That is strongly dependent on the mooring. You wouldn't even budge my 5,000 lb granite mooring block with a 1,000 lb load.

Courtesy would have you mark the ball with the size of the boat its laid for so transients can judge weather its suitable for an O'night.

Why would I want to do that? I do not want transients to use my mooring.

 

[Mako]

Why would I want to do that? I do not want transients to use my mooring.

Hmm, perhaps a warning sign on it like "Mooring cable is broken - do not use!" should keep the uninvited away.

 

[jleonard]

A few exceptions to some of what has been posted and may apply to someone who boats in L I Sound:

In Hamburg Cove off the CT river the "policy" is you can pick up any mooring for the day. Mooring balls are marked with their weight. If the owner comes by you have to move. Their are also some rentals if you prefer.

In West Harbor on Fisher's Island, there are 5 moorings owned by Pirate's Cove marina. They are first come first served, and you can have 2 boats. They are free for the day but if you stay overnight they collect. But they come by at about 4 pm and if you're not on your boat they just leave.

Manhasset Bay has several town moorings that are free for a couple of nights.

There are probably more but these are what I know about.

 

[caltexflanc]

We loved Hamburg Cove and typically stayed there two or three nights. We'd take the Whaler over to Essex, explore Selden Creek, just hangout,etc. The boat yard/ marina up the creek was pretty and they specialized in restoring beautiful wooden boats. Up the hill from there was a combination doll store / ice cream store and grocery. We always rented the mooring, as the guy confirmed that it could hold a 70 footer, and I did not want to be bothered. It's very protected in there anyway, but gets crowded on weekends with family's hanging out, enjoying the water, a happy place, so the likelihood of getting bumped on a summer weekend is high.

We used the moorings at Manhasset once, worked out great. However over in inner Oyster Bay, one of our favorite spots, moorings were $90, and there was great anchoring just east of them anyway.

The one time we ever used a private mooring was once in the Thimble Islands; we were in the process of anchoring and a fellow came by who lived there and told us to take the mooring which belonged to his neighbor who had a boat our size. Great destination, like Hamburg Cove we always stopped for a few days.

 

[O C Diver]

I do like to use moorings and generally find them a great value as many include the cost of pump out, filling water tanks, and use of a dinghy dock. But I only use those that are controlled by marinas, yacht clubs, towns or other government entities. Simply, I want to be comfortable with it being able to handle my boat, having been inspected periodically, and covered by their insurance. Visualize your boat breaking the mooring, damaging countless other boats before wrecking on the public beach spilling hundreds of gallons of diesel and raw sewage. I have substantial liability insurance, but have no interest in seeing how it works or how miserable some LEO can make my life.

Ted

 

[koliver]

After reading this thread fully just before going to get my boat from its winter shelter, I thought grabbing the mooring would be a good test of some of the techniques revealed here. So I prepared a loop to drop over the bouy, to snare it, and a long leash to tie on at the stern, then pull in to end up at the bow.
The wind was about 5 knots, current against the wind direction about 1/2 knot.
Stopping right over the mooring so the loop system could work, proved trickier than I expected. I did get a loop over the mooring by the time it was 10 ft back of the bow, pulled it ahead, so I could shorten the lines and trap it there, but no, the mooring had a head of steam and carried on to the other side of the bow, now the long line I had was unavailable, as it was down the other side......did I mention I was single handing?
I ended up releasing and recapturing the bouy the old way, along side, letting it roll down to where I was waiting at the swim grid with a short line, fastening it there and waiting for all motion to stop, then pulling it to the Sb bow. Then, in the kayak, I attached a second line from the Port bow.
As my usual YC outstation moorage is unavailable due to Covid closure, I will get the hang of this.

 

[markpierce]

He`s not serious, markpearce is my pet troll. Probably doesn`t check anchor sets either.

The usual strong winds and tidal currents here don't normally require a reverse-engine to set the anchor.

 

[BruceK]

After reading this thread fully just before going to get my boat from its winter shelter, I thought grabbing the mooring would be a good test of some of the techniques revealed here. So I prepared a loop to drop over the bouy, to snare it, and a long leash to tie on at the stern, then pull in to end up at the bow....
Stopping right over the mooring so the loop system could work, proved trickier than I expected. I did get a loop over the mooring by the time it..

Sounds hard. Just about every mooring ball here has a line with loop at the end to help picking up and to cleat off. We once had to pick one up without. Not easy,as you describe.

 

[koliver]

Sounds hard. Just about every mooring ball here has a line with loop at the end to help picking up and to cleat off. We once had to pick one up without. Not easy,as you describe.

Several years ago I attached a floating line long enough to do the job. easy to pick up too. That line refused to stay on top of the float, and quickly became a mess of mussels and barnacles. I didn't want it as a tie up line in that condition, so it went away.

My float has room to coil a line, but it also has Cormorants and Otters that claim it as their home when I am not around. Their first task when coming home is to dump the line in the water where it can grow healthy sea life.

 

[Iggy]

You need be more specific... where?

Yep!

In my harbor, 95% of the mooring are privately owned. Now you go to Marblehead 5 miles up the coast and there all town owned. No private ones are allowed and you go on a waiting list.

In Mass, its all up to the town or city that your in.

 

[Mark P]

I have motored past mooring balls and have seen nothing on them that would say "for rent please 404-123-5678. $30/day". So how does someone know if it is for rent?

 

[Iggy]

I have motored past mooring balls and have seen nothing on them that would say "for rent please 404-123-5678. $30/day". So how does someone know if it is for rent?

Use this app or site! dockwa.com

 

[David Ess]

You mean there's somebody out that that would trust an unknown mooring ball?

 

[Mark P]

Thanks Iggy. That's what I like about this Forum - I log on everyday just to learn how little I know!

 

[Porgy]

I’ve used Active Captain, cruising guides or done searches on places I want to go. There will almost always be some resource that describes in detail which moorings are available and who you need to contact to use one, whether town or commercial moorings. We then use Dockwa if relevant, or call or wait for them to come around and collect the fee.

It has been picked over several times on this forum and elsewhere the risk to using unknown private moorings.

 

[Iggy]

Thanks Iggy. That's what I like about this Forum - I log on everyday just to learn how little I know!

I am the same way! Boating for 21 years now and still learning.