I’m new to the forums so I hope I’m posting in the correct group. I tried to use the search feature without success so again my apologies if this has already been covered.
I have just acquired a 2004, 216 and am trying to determine the best approach to securing the boat to a mooring located on Lake Ontario. I’m hoping someone can offer some advice or share their experience with mooring the 216.
The mooring location is quite often exposed to 25 knot or higher winds and 3-4 ft wave heights. Occasionally the wind and wave heights are greater when a storm front moves through so my concerns are:
1) The connection point(s) of the painters to the boat failing.
2) Crew safety connecting and disconnecting the painters.
3) Scuffing of the gloss surface by the painters
The strongest looking connection on the boat looks like the ring and backing plate fixture where the trailer winch attaches. The cleat nearest the bow doesn’t appear to have a backing plate but the view is obscured by the inner liner of the cuddy so I’m not sure about that. However I’m guessing that maybe the 4 screws on the cleat are simply seated into the hull to topside overlap??? Maybe this is just as strong as having a backing plate but that hasn’t been my experience on other boats.
If I am accurate in these assumptions I have have the dilemma of either having to lay down on the foredeck (an area without non-skid present) allowing me to to reach the ring during cast off and pick up of the primary painter to the trailer ring point or alternately risk tearing the cleat off if I use it as the primary point.
To reduce the likely mad scramble to and from the tiller I’m thinking I could use the mast where it exits the cuddy area for the secondary painter and use this as my cast off and initial pick up point which at least leaves me in the cockpit as I quite often sail alone.
Any thoughts or opinions would be appreciated.
I have just acquired a 2004, 216 and am trying to determine the best approach to securing the boat to a mooring located on Lake Ontario. I’m hoping someone can offer some advice or share their experience with mooring the 216.
The mooring location is quite often exposed to 25 knot or higher winds and 3-4 ft wave heights. Occasionally the wind and wave heights are greater when a storm front moves through so my concerns are:
1) The connection point(s) of the painters to the boat failing.
2) Crew safety connecting and disconnecting the painters.
3) Scuffing of the gloss surface by the painters
The strongest looking connection on the boat looks like the ring and backing plate fixture where the trailer winch attaches. The cleat nearest the bow doesn’t appear to have a backing plate but the view is obscured by the inner liner of the cuddy so I’m not sure about that. However I’m guessing that maybe the 4 screws on the cleat are simply seated into the hull to topside overlap??? Maybe this is just as strong as having a backing plate but that hasn’t been my experience on other boats.
If I am accurate in these assumptions I have have the dilemma of either having to lay down on the foredeck (an area without non-skid present) allowing me to to reach the ring during cast off and pick up of the primary painter to the trailer ring point or alternately risk tearing the cleat off if I use it as the primary point.
To reduce the likely mad scramble to and from the tiller I’m thinking I could use the mast where it exits the cuddy area for the secondary painter and use this as my cast off and initial pick up point which at least leaves me in the cockpit as I quite often sail alone.
Any thoughts or opinions would be appreciated.