We have been keeping our 19' mariner on it's trailer and putting it in every chance that we get to sail. However, we now have the opportunity to set a temporary mooring in a fairly sheltered area (not far from the boat launch where we put in). We were packing up the sail one day in the launch area after a day out and a gentleman drove by and spoke to us about our boat. He suggested that we just throw in a couple of cinderblocks for our mooring as we have to bring it back in at the end of the season anyway. Do people really do this? Is it ill advised for a temporary mooring? Also. . . if it is possible, how many cinderblocks should we use? I would consider a real mooring anchor, but I wasn't under the impression that they were too easy to get out once you put them in. Thanks. h. hey - montauk
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Tony Zambella
I would advise against this.....
Dead weight like cinderblock will drag when wind and tide kick up. A typical cement block mooring has reinforcing bars in it. Cinderblock obviously doesn't. If the seabead is mud, go with a mushroom anchor. I would check local requirements and look in the Chapman's book for recomended sized but a fairly small mushroom anchor may be all you need. The last thing you want is your boat doing damage to another boat.
Dead weight like cinderblock will drag when wind and tide kick up. A typical cement block mooring has reinforcing bars in it. Cinderblock obviously doesn't. If the seabead is mud, go with a mushroom anchor. I would check local requirements and look in the Chapman's book for recomended sized but a fairly small mushroom anchor may be all you need. The last thing you want is your boat doing damage to another boat.
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Tony Zambella
Looks like 75 to 125 lbs
I checked around and it looks like a 75 to 125 lb mushroom will take care of your boat under all but Hurricane conditions.... Last time I bought one, they were about 1.10 / lb. Good luck.
I checked around and it looks like a 75 to 125 lb mushroom will take care of your boat under all but Hurricane conditions.... Last time I bought one, they were about 1.10 / lb. Good luck.
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Mike Webster
People Really Do This
But is it a good idea? Probably not! This type of mooring normally holds by either weight alone, or by a combination of weight and suction power by burrowing into the mud on the bottom. You need to know the composition of the bottom to determine if a mushroom type anchor would work. Submerged concrete only weighs about 54% of its weight on dry land, so you lose a lot of holding power using concrete. There is a good write-up in the 2002 WM catalog on page 717 about constructing a mooring. Could concrete blocks work? Maybe, but do you love your boat enough to risk it?
But is it a good idea? Probably not! This type of mooring normally holds by either weight alone, or by a combination of weight and suction power by burrowing into the mud on the bottom. You need to know the composition of the bottom to determine if a mushroom type anchor would work. Submerged concrete only weighs about 54% of its weight on dry land, so you lose a lot of holding power using concrete. There is a good write-up in the 2002 WM catalog on page 717 about constructing a mooring. Could concrete blocks work? Maybe, but do you love your boat enough to risk it?
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LaDonna Bubak - CatalinaOwners.com
Craziness!
That's right up there with sailing your C22 around the world! Sure it can be done but would you want to? Go with the mushroom anchor. LaDonna
That's right up there with sailing your C22 around the world! Sure it can be done but would you want to? Go with the mushroom anchor. LaDonna
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Brent Headberg
Mooring System
I have been on a mooring for 4 years now. Originally had a Watkins 27 and just recently became the owner of a Hunter 335 that I also keep on a mooring that I set myself. My system includes 2 screw augers into sand bottom and one big danforth anchor all attached to 5/16" chain. Each auger and anchor with chain goes out from a central point where the mooring buoy is attached, in a radial layout about 120° so that whatever the current or wind direction, most of the time I am pulling on 2 of the connections. I've never had any problems, but I do inspect my mooring system periodically. If you have any questions, email me at the link on my web page. http://www.elenalua.homestead.com Good luck, Cap'n Brent S/V Elena Lua 1990 Hunter 335
I have been on a mooring for 4 years now. Originally had a Watkins 27 and just recently became the owner of a Hunter 335 that I also keep on a mooring that I set myself. My system includes 2 screw augers into sand bottom and one big danforth anchor all attached to 5/16" chain. Each auger and anchor with chain goes out from a central point where the mooring buoy is attached, in a radial layout about 120° so that whatever the current or wind direction, most of the time I am pulling on 2 of the connections. I've never had any problems, but I do inspect my mooring system periodically. If you have any questions, email me at the link on my web page. http://www.elenalua.homestead.com Good luck, Cap'n Brent S/V Elena Lua 1990 Hunter 335
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Bill Murray
pull in winter??
I would definitely go with a beefed up system - not cinder blocks. At my Dad's cottage we chain 5 blocks together to temporarily provide a mooring for his sunfish and small aluminum fishing boat - they hold good enough to keep the boat moored while we are there on vacation. They hold - sort of. Every once in a while we get a storm overnight and it is amazing how much they can move around even in our sheltered spot. I would never trust enough to leave even these small boats unattended when we are away from the site. I never trust putting the Wayfarer (15'10") on this setup either! Are you sure that you have to pull the whole mooring in winter? In our lake people usually leave the mooring and tackle in the lake - we just remove the mooring pendant and the floats. The ice will not bother the mooring on the bottom of the lake if there is no tackle going to the surface. A good trick to make it easier in the spring is to replace the pendant with a temporay one and tie milk bottle floats to it. If you partially fill the bottles with water, you can make it "float" below the surface (under the ice). In the spring you can retrieve it with a boat hook and re-attach the regular pendant and float system. Ask others who have moorings and find what they do then watch their boats to see if they are really secure. Good Sailing Bill Murray S/V Good Faith H29.5 #175
I would definitely go with a beefed up system - not cinder blocks. At my Dad's cottage we chain 5 blocks together to temporarily provide a mooring for his sunfish and small aluminum fishing boat - they hold good enough to keep the boat moored while we are there on vacation. They hold - sort of. Every once in a while we get a storm overnight and it is amazing how much they can move around even in our sheltered spot. I would never trust enough to leave even these small boats unattended when we are away from the site. I never trust putting the Wayfarer (15'10") on this setup either! Are you sure that you have to pull the whole mooring in winter? In our lake people usually leave the mooring and tackle in the lake - we just remove the mooring pendant and the floats. The ice will not bother the mooring on the bottom of the lake if there is no tackle going to the surface. A good trick to make it easier in the spring is to replace the pendant with a temporay one and tie milk bottle floats to it. If you partially fill the bottles with water, you can make it "float" below the surface (under the ice). In the spring you can retrieve it with a boat hook and re-attach the regular pendant and float system. Ask others who have moorings and find what they do then watch their boats to see if they are really secure. Good Sailing Bill Murray S/V Good Faith H29.5 #175
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