Mooring advice needed

[gbharrington]

I'm going to embark on my first winter cruise around south FL (the mini loop) next week and I plan to do a lot of mooring. Anyone care to chime in with mooring technique for single handing a 43DC? I have the feeling I'm going to need all the advice I can get.

 

[Will]

The 43'DC is a great boat for single handling.
1. Get a book on boat handling paying special attention to the use of spring lines and rigging lines for slipping.
2. Cruise into the docking area and check out the current, wind conditions and docking arrangements (cleats, pilings, etc.). Develop a docking plan.
3. Go back out into the clear and rig your lines and fenders.
4. Make your approach and be prepared to alter your plan or make as many attempts as necessary. It is OK to try, try and try again.
Will

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Or just find a nice place to drop the hook, sit back and enjoy.

 

[GJH]

I am pretty sure he is talking about using mooring balls, such as Vero Beach, Stuart, Fort Meyers beach, Naples, Key West, Marathon and off some of the park Keys like Shell and Lignum Vitae

We've put our 56MY on most of those, and granted we have much higher freeboard and more windage. It would be difficult single handed, especially if you have some wind. Just getting positioned by the ball without running it over can be tough without a lookout. Typically, because mooring designs vary, the best plan would be to sidle up to the ball, have an already bow cleated line handy, and snag the painter with a boat hook, loop you bow line through the eye and "walk" the painter forward, and to the same cleat where the other end of you line is tied. If conditions allow you =want to get another line on the painter and tie it off to the other cleat. When things are calm you can put them both through uncleated and then tie them off to their respective cleat. You do not want to simply pass a line through the painter eye and cleat it off to each bow cleat. You will have chafing issues and the boat will horse around a lot more.

Call each harbor master now and talk with them as to how the moorings are currently configured and what best/required practices are, as well as reservation requirements, etc. Find out if there is a launch or a way to enlist helpful neighbors to help get the painter to you or tie it off. In the larger fields, if there is someone around they will often come help as it is a pretty good community and they don't want your boat drifting into theirs. The mooring fields vary in design of the mooring. The more you can use your own line to attached to the mooring chin itself, the better; I once had the eye of the rope painter break off in my hand at Vero Beach. I took it top the office with me when I checked in to their chagrin and surpass. Word got around and later that day and the next you saw a lot of people changing how they were attached!

We used to live on moorings for months at a time, in Marathon and Westport Mass, and used them while cruising almost any chance we got. Ditto when we were out on the Pacific Coast, where there was a lot of different designs and tie up methods by region. So probably have done it a couple hundred times. We could still manage to make it "interesting" on any given day. If there is some way you can get some practice just approaching and grabbing a painter, it will really help you. For instance, Find some open water, take a ball fender with plenty of line and a weight on the end, perhaps attach a floating line of say 6 or eight feet to the eye as well and just practice both side and bow approaches and snagging the thing.

 

[GJH]

Or just find a nice place to drop the hook, sit back and enjoy.

Sky, the big deal in Florida now is that they are beginning to limit anchorage space anywhere near the public mooring fields. Quite a stink going on. I like mooring fields because you can get more boats in a given space and in general the chances of people dragging are much less. Anyway the whole anchoring rights issue is a big deal down there now.

 

[Canuck Dennis]

For docking, an aft quarter spring line is what I use our our 43 dc, lets you at least get on the dock and from there you can do the rest. As far as picking up the mooring, try a stern pick up, a lot easier on the stress level when single handing. Relax an enjoy the experience, the 43 dc handles really well in close quarters and usually sets down where you want.

 

[lumina]

Hi All,

George, that's exactly the approach we take, and as for your cautions in paragraph two, I can only emphasize how important it is to ensure the mooring fits the boat, and that you closely inspect what you can see of it for points of possible failure, and presume someones going to want to raft to you.

We've found here in New England (Padanaram, Buzzards Bay, your old stomping ground) that there is a lot of pressure to limit anchorage space anywhere near the public mooring fields. As a matter of fact places like Cuttyhunk, where there are small fields to begin with, they are enforcing the rules pretty stringently. In Cuttyhunk, they are also enforcing the rafting limits (ie no more than 2 or 3 of resonable size for the mooring and its location).

 

[gbharrington]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I've got the general idea now, so I'll just have to try it out.

 

[Pascal]

Picking up a mooring singlehanded can be pretty hard when it s anything over 10kts... I ve done it quite a bit up in New England (Nantucket, Newport, etc) and the problem is that by the time you leave the helm and get to where you can pick up the painter, the boat has often moved away.

One work around is to line up the boat into the wind, have just enough momentum when you leave the helm so that by the time you get there the boat is close and just about to start falling back

Then as the boat falls back you d better be quick cleating the line although you may be able to hold the line under tension with a 43 footer

It really helps to rig a long line so you have plenty of slack to give you time to cleat the line, and then shorten it up later and set up the second line. As George said you need to use two lines to limit chaffing

The critical thing is to make sure the wind (or current) can't push on the mooring

 

[spindrift]

One approach that I use when picking up moorings single handed is to rig a long line with a spring / snap hook on it. Some of the sailboat hardware manufacturers make these with high working loads. You should fabricate a line one and ½ times the boat length with the snap hook splice on one end. Secure the bitter end of the line to the port bow cleat and lead the line up through the forward end of bow pulpit (take a few warps around the capstan of your windless) safety rail and then outside aft (outboard of the bow rail and stanchions supporting it) until you meet the side helm door or just aft of the pilot house if your boat does not have a starboard side helm door. The snap hook will be on the aft end of this line. Remember to ensure that this mooring retreval line is outside of all of forward rails / lifelines / stanchions.

Bring the boat slowly up just past the mooring buoy and pick up the mooring pennant with your boat hook. You will have enough slack in your pick up line that you fabricated to snap on the line’s snap hook to the eye in the end of the mooring pennant. One you do that, release the line from your and hand the wind / current will slowly push your boat aft (the bitter end is secured to the port bow cleat). You walk up forward and secure and take up the slack of the mooring line you fabricated with the capstan on your anchor windless. Ensure that you feed the line over the bow roller as you take up the slack. As the eye of the mooring pennant is gradually pulled in you can then attach it to the bow cleat or Samson post just aft of the windlass. My windless was actually far enough aft I could do this and just step / put my weight on the loop of the mooring pennant to drop it down on the cleat. I am not sure how your boat’s foredeck is laid out. Another way to secure the pennant as it comes on board is to use a second short line (20 feet should do it) that has one end secured to the free starboard bow cleat. Feed this second line through the mooring pennant loop and then secure to the opposite bow cleat. You then can release the spring hook and secure your mooring pick up line. A side benefit to having this second short line threaded through the mooring pennant loop is when you are ready to go you just release one end of the line from the port bow cleat (leaving it attached to the starboard bow cleat) and to release the mooring pennant.

My 80-year old father (at the time) taught me this technique as he used it on a 52 footer. He was not particularly fast or stable but this technique provided him with adequate time and precluded shouting and screaming from his Admiral (my Mom).

Good luck with this.

Spin

 

[bobk]

All good points regarding picking up mooring pennants. I find the biggest issue is the short lines some have. I have encountered 6' pennants in places and have 7' freeboard in the bow. That makes for a real struggle for Gayle. Best to call ahead and try to reserve a mooring with a longer pennant. St Augustine now has a few that are longer than my freeboard. There is also a device you can put on the end of a long boat hook to pass a line through the eye on the mooring ball. I have one, but forget what it is called. Works really well if the ball has a large enough eye.

Count me among the chickens who will not attempt to do it single handed since I drive from the bridge. A pilot house would make it much simpler.

Bobk
1981 48MY series I

 

[Pascal]

The worst moorings I ve ever encountered are the big moorings in Newport RI. They are 3' diameter round floats with no pennant, just a big shackle in the middle. The only way to secure to one of these is to back against it, into the wind, go on the platform secure a really long line which you walk to the bow. If it s windy you have to hop from cleat to cleat toward the bow and pick up the slack with engines everytime..

Works well for me on the boat I run with aft deck engine controls and nice stairs to an 8' platform but I d hate to try this with the typical big Hatt MY where you can't see the platform and have a ladder to handle!

 

[rsmith]

Moorings are for cheapskates and sailboaters. Its always amusing to watch a couple old farts in a rubber boat trying to climb a rotten barnacle encrusted ladder dressed in their finest on their way to dinner. I've fished more than one old lady out of the drink. Why do they insist on wearing hi heels on a rubber boat???

 

[Boatsb]

Moorings are for cheapskates and sailboaters. Its always amusing to watch a couple old farts in a rubber boat trying to climb a rotten barnacle encrusted ladder dressed in their finest on their way to dinner. I've fished more than one old lady out of the drink. Why do they insist on wearing hi heels on a rubber boat???

I tend to agree but I've also seen places where doackage is unavailable and the mooring field is the marina slip. North shore of like for example. If I was to travel to a far off place and spend a few days or weeks there I would like the access the dock affords.

Then again I don't camp out either.

 

[GJH]

Ok, count me as a cheapskate I guess. The money we save on moorings bought a lot of diesel fuel. But also we like the privacy of our own little "island"which is why we anchor out all the time. Heck, if I just want to go to some burg to be on dry land, I'd drive and get a hotel. A dock that fit our boat wasn't available in Westport, if it were it would have been about an extra $6,000 for the season and that's where we wanted to be, and we loved being out on the mooring there. There was a nice launch service if you didn't want to use the dink. We split our Florida semesters into half at marinas in the general Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood/Aventura area, and about half cruising and moored out in Marathon. We don't have a rubber boat, we have a 13' foot Whaler, which I have taken from the boat to the dinghy dock and back in the dark in full suit and tie. Living on our boat is hardly "camping", not by a long shot.

On another note, be careful about assuming the eye on top of the ball is the place you attach yourself. In a lot of harbors, Westport being one, it merely floats the painter; you snag the ball and that brings up the painter. I had Tripp's install a pennant float with a long pole on it, attached to the double bridle style painter (also a special order) which made it much easier to grab with our high freeboard. Here you can see the ball hanging off the bow and just make out the tip of the pennant off the port side of pulpit

In the Pacific Northwest, like the San Juans state park islands (no dockage, sorry you dock-only wussies ;o) ) the float is often a big tire and wheel with a little superstructure that the chain and eye run up through, you put your lines through that eye and pul up the slack chain, that made for much easier stern/cockpit pick ups because you weren't worried as much about picking up the painter/pennant in running gear.

 

[Pascal]

There are many reason to choose mooring vs dockage...

Cost maybe one. In Florida with transient dockage running $2 to $3 a foot costs may not be an issue but try the north east... On average you ll pay $5 a foot plus $50 a day for power.

Then you have privacy, view and more breeze. I ve spent a lot of time on moorings in Newport and Nantucket and I much prefer to be on a mooring rather than having neighbors on each side, sweating in the heat and dealing with people walking by commenting on your food or your drink!

To each his own

Also as George mentioned most towns in New England have very nice launch services or convenient dinghy docks. Indeed a 13' whaler or RIB is hardly a rough ride to shore

Heck you can even get your morning paper, fresh bread or just about anything delivered to your boat by local launches

Spend some time cruising outside Florida and your will find many different ways to enjoy a boat

 

[lumina]

Hi All,

George, our area of buzzards bay ie Westport, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Mattapoisette, Marion, Cuttyhunk etc doesn't have a large inventory of seasonal slips for our sized boats, and even less transient slips.

Last season there were maybe 4 or 5 seasonal slips open for my 48' YF, which everyone considers a 52'.

The best price I found was $110 per foot plus utilities at a marina that came with the in-convince of having to wait for a bridge to open on a set schedule. Appx $6200.

The average price was $125 per foot plus utilities. Appx $6800

I found a slip in Padanaram for $145 per foot plus utilities. Appx $7800

That's a lotta doe....and a lot of diesel.

But ill come clean, we typically rent a "home port" slip for the season and rent a slip when we travel, however we many times take a mooring because it does really promote that feeling of separation from rat race and the tranquility of our own little island as George said.

 

[Nonchalant1]

The most difficult moorings are those without a harness (or "painter line") attached to the mooring ball, and unfortunately they are not uncommon. I have used the "Happy Hooker" (click here) mooring line tackle pole on my 53MY, and it saved the day when nothing else would have, particularly when I had to do it single handed. It's a very ingenious design that lets you just put a line on the end of the hooker device on a long pole and press the device against the eye on the mooring ball. It passes the line through the eye and you pull it back to you. I always used a thin line to go through the mooring and then used that thin line to pull my big one inch mooring line through the eye. You have to duct tape the big line butted to the small line so there are no knots or bulges to pass through the eye. There is also an "EasyMoor" (click here)that does the same thing, but you have to pass the device through the mooring eye and pull back instead of pressing against any side or top of the eye.

On moorings where there is an attached harness, it's relatively simple to grab the float or whip with a boat hook and bring the harness up to your boat. However, watch out for sharp barnacles or oysters on the harness that can damage your boat. If the harness is good, pass your own mooring line through it instead of using any lines on the harness.

Doug

 

[lumina]

Hi All,

Doug makes an excellent point "However, watch out for sharp barnacles or oysters on the harness that can damage your boat."

We were rafting to a 61' Hatt in Cuttyhunk Harbor a couple of years ago and they had really scratched up and gouged their port bow because of large barnacles and mussels ect completely covering the harness. The owner mentioned that his kids had cut their hands up pretty badly while hauling on it, enough to require them to get checked out. Another member of their party was pushed against it while swimming and was hurt as well.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Staying out on a mooring isn't cheap around here. It's a choice for peace and quiet versus being in the middle of (noisy) Annapolis harbor. You still have to pay a fee for the mooring, which I have no problem with, since it costs the city money to maintain them. And in Annapolis, there is a water taxi and you don't have to deploy the dinghy if you have one.

Many of the Hatteras MY owners that I know prefer to anchor out or pick up a mooring when they travel with their boats. I see first-hand the amounts of money they spend to update and maintain them, let alone the cost of cruising. They aren't stingy. Anchoring or using a mooring isn't about the expense; it's about not being bothered. These boats are well-set-up enough that they don't need to be at a dock to have all the comforts one might want. What a mooring gets you is privacy and isolation if you prefer it.

I can't speak in defense of sailboaters. Their determination to cruise "on a budget" DOES frequently equate to cheapskating. I couldn't live with their meager level of creature comforts- no AC, scarce fresh water, dinghying everywhere. I agree with you on that one. I'd rather spend what it takes to be comfortable.

And, no, I don't camp out, either. No way.