ok, this is a serious question!
most of my queries so far have been, to some of extent, theoretical.
Originally I was planning to be trailering, launching and recovering.
Mooring was just something you learnt to do to pass your Day Skipper (when I say you I do, of course, mean I).
Now I've paid for a mooring and need to provide my provider with the kit to go between the main mooring buoy and my 26M.
Easy, I thought, especially as he offered to fit it for me.
Then I got to thinking and started reading posts about it all. Scary, very scary!
So, what's the concensus? Just a chain - how long? Just ropes? Chain and ropes?
By the way, I'm going to be on the Penryn River at Trevissome House, between Penryn and Flushing.
Chart Datum -1m on thick mud, 6m tide range.
All advice would be welcomed!
MacGregor 26M 2009 - Sky's the Limit - Suzuki DF50
Hi Mike, My swinging mooring is on a freshwater lake, maybe it's different on a tidal swing mooring but I think what you need are a a couple of 'mooring strops'. The length of these varies and I can't quite remember the precise length you will need for an 8m boat - 2.5 or 3m perhaps?. Mine are connected at the boat end by a caribiner which also holds a floating marker buoy. The strops are both chain and rope (more rope than chain) and attach on shackles to the chain below the buoy - not to the buoy itself. They need to be checked regularly (they do disintigrate) and will need changing every year or two depending on local conditions. I looked at mine yesterday and one of them is fraying significantly and will need replacing asap. Good luck.
Quentin Sands, past owner
1991 26C Mrs MacGregor
1993 Mac19, Margarita
Many thanks Quentin. I'm assuming you have the ropes at the boat end.
How do you make the join with the between the ropes and chain?
Did you mean you join the rope and chain with a carabiner that also links to the pickup buoy?
In the tidal situation I'm guessing there must be more chaffing so my feeling would be to have chain all the way from the (below buoy) swivel supplemented by two ropes. One rope would take the strain and provide some elasticity.
What do you think guys? What do other folk do? And if my idea is ok, how should I rig it?
MacGregor 26M 2009 - Sky's the Limit - Suzuki DF50
Hi, Mike,
Somewhere in this website is a reply by Paul Jacobs who moored his M in the Tamar to a similar question. it was back in 2011/ 2012. I know it is here somewhere but can't find it at the minute.
Simon
Hi Mike
The mooring strops come ready-made, rope spliced? onto chain. I reckon they need to be more like 3.5 or 4m long. The carabiner binds the loops at the ends of the strops together, plus the marker buoy. I then attach the loops around the cleat on the bow. One of the strops leads off through the bow roller, the other through the gap in the pulpit. When I leave the dinghy on the mooring, I clip the loop of the dinghy painter into the carabiner and launch the whole lot off together. When you come back to the boat this helps make a long target for picking everything up again.
Well that's how I do it anyway. The best advice will come from the persons who already have boats in the mooring area of your choice.
Q
Quentin Sands, past owner
1991 26C Mrs MacGregor
1993 Mac19, Margarita
Don't Forget to use some mouseing wire on your shackle after you have cranked it up realy tight as they have a habit of coming undone.
Stay Safe Mike
Macerlla
1996 26x
Many thanks Quentin & Simon, my knowledge in this area is slowly growing.
It's obviously not something to get wrong:)
I'm guessing there are trade-offs regarding length (from mooring buoy to bow roller).
I think the next step is to fall into the ever open arms of my local chandler (Tom Cunliffe) to see these things in the flesh and chat it over - as you say Quentin, local knowledge...
MacGregor 26M 2009 - Sky's the Limit - Suzuki DF50
Mike, you are right. Speak to the locals as they have experience OF the waters, tides and currents.. Still can't find that article but I remember Paul saying that he left his centre board 1/2 down and his rudders fully down. Try and find a chap called Richard Hallowes who is/was yard manger at one of the Falmouth Boatyards. I think it is Ponsharden. He used to be the UK importer of Macs. I bought my Mac from him. He knows Macs and knows the waters.
Good Sailing
Simon Armitage
Sowenna (26M)
Thanks Simon, I have indeed spoken with Richard Hallowes, Ponsharden Yard it is; in fact his yard is directly opposite my mooring. His brother kindly popped round to my house with a copy of the 55 minute Mac video; I didn't have the heart to mention that I'd been watching it on YouTube for the last 2 years in anticipation.
Leaving centreboard and rudders down may be a good idea in deep water but my mooring is in -1m CD so I'm left with streaming buckets etc:)
Mike, I won't forget the mousing although I will probably go for carabiners rather than regular shackles as there's nothing to come undone; anyone have any experience with carabiners?
By the way, does anyone know, why do threaded items come undone with vibration rather than getting tighter.
MacGregor 26M 2009 - Sky's the Limit - Suzuki DF50
I keep my old 26c on a swinging mooring in Chichester harbour, I am a billion miles from being an expert and stumble along on a very tight budget. My boat has a very substantial repair where (in a former life) a mooring chain popped out of the bow roller and sawed its way through the boat (you will have read that macs wiggle about a lot)... I only have rope through the roller and tie it in with some cord. The first year when I really had no clue what I was doing we moored using the bit of 1/2 inch rope that happened to be attached to the buoy, this was a really daft idea but it held well enough. I now have a heavy rope strop leading to chain. I should have a swivel in there but this leads me to my final point which may even be of value. Pop down regularly, you don't have to go anywhere, just have a cup of tea, even stay the night but keep an eye on things - untangle the tangles etc, get to know what's a problem and what's not. Someone will be very quick to sell you a solution so you need to know what the problem is otherwise you'll buy a lot of stuff that you may not really need. Oh, and have 2 extending boat hooks on board (very cheap) so when you drop one you can hook it back on board with the spare! I don't know if this is a good idea or not but I've written my phone number on my smaller mooring bouy just in case a passer by sees a potential issue they know who to contact.
Harry
Thanks Harry this certainly adds to the mix.
I had just got to the point where I thought I knew what I was going to do. I went to the Chandlers opposite my mooring know what I wanted BUT was not ready for the size of 12mm chain. It just looks too big for the boat AND the idea of it coming across my bow and trying to secure it somewhere left me scratching my head.
So, what do folk think, would 9.5mm chain be ok (ie. 3/8 inch rather than 1/2 inch)? And does it need to come onboard? How would it be if I shackle two biggish nylon strops (protected with hose) to the chain and brought these on board; one taking the strain with the other as backup?
MacGregor 26M 2009 - Sky's the Limit - Suzuki DF50
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