It is legal in most Canadian waters to sink a mooring just about where you wish, provided that it does not obstruct a buoyed channel, nor obstruct nor interfere with an established water thoroughfare. It is also illegal to construct a mooring of material that pollutes a water course with any chemical substance, or in any way that destroys fish habitat. It is illegal to use any piece of heavy equipment on the ground within 30 meters of any shoreline (without a permit), and to dredge or remove material from the bed of the watercourse, lake or basin. All that said, a sailor can put a mooring in, and enjoy the use of it quite legally and without paying mooring rent. No permit is required. The problem is, however that we have lots of ice in most Canadian waters, and ice can easily lift and move moorings, especially if the mooring is located in an area where strong currents occur. Most moorings are therefore set in sheltered bays and inlets, safe from ice movement and sheltered from currents and prevailing wind and wave action. Many are lost over winter. So Ok, I have found a sweet little sheltered spot on the lee side of an unihabited island, at a place where there is an ephemeral stream outlet which creates a scour that makes natural harbour basin about 200 feet in diameter, with an average basin depth of water of twelve feet. There is no flow from this stream except during the spring runoff, well before sailing weather is available. The bottom in this place is very deep-laying fine sand. It is in a small cove, closely sheltered on three sides by high land and big trees. The unsheltered side is only about 200 feet across a river from the shelter of the mainland shore and it faces away from the prevailing wind. It is an ideal spot, being only 800 feet upstream of a nice Marina where a dock, gas, groceries, ice, boat launch and refreshments are available. It is also reasonably close to my home and near good cruising waters. Naturally,I intend to get my mooring in quite early, before the end of April, it being a first come, first served sorta thing. I have seen moorings there a few years ago. The question is, how much weight (in cast concrete pigs) would be enough to hold a 23-foot O'Day sailboat, moored in such a sheltered area. (In a non-tidal fresh water river). It must be borne in mind that the mooring anchor must be placed from a boat without mechanical hoising equipment, so that a man in a boat can lift the mooring weights by hand to place them (and it cannot be an engine block, etc). I am thinking of making up several (three or four) 120-lb concrete castings with fairly large 5" diameter steel eyes affixed to each one, so that each one can be strung together, one by one, by sliding each one, one at a time, down a 20' chain, from a 16' aluminum boat. The 3/8' galvanized chain, with a swivel, will be then be buoyed and secured to a steel float (voided propane cylinder) tightly surrounded by an inflated automobile tire with tube, as a hull fender. The 20-foot long chain will then be secured to the float with a locked shackle, as will the boat, when moored. The float will bear the hail name of the boat to identify the mooring as private and for my own boat's use. I am thinking that 300 to 400 lbs of concrete mooring pigs, strung together in a line on one chain should be sufficient to hold the 23' boat securely in such a sheltered place, since there is little wave action, current or wind in the area and no water level fluctuation during the summer. Since the concrete can be lowered piece by piece, such individual weights are manageable, but they are too heavy to be easily lifted together, or to be easily moved away from that place by towing. Comes winter, however, the whole mooring, chain and all, well may disappear with the ice, so I do not wish to go to a lot of expense to make the mooring totally bulletproof. What I may do for winter is unshackle the buoy and lead the end of the chain ashore on a stout submerged rope and then tie it to a tree until spring returns. Are there any opinions about the amount of weight, or the tackle, I have suggested?Is it enough?? I have no clue about that, so welcome your views.
Making a mooring...factors and weights???
- Thread starter Skippercanuck
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The March/April 2007 Good Old Boat Magazine
has a good overview of mooring systems. My O'Day 26 is held by a 250# mushroom in mud. I have 50' of chain with the bow eye 12 to 13 feet above the mushroom at high tide. It has held through lots of wind and waves. Just like the anchor on your boat, scope is VERY important. Yearly maintenance is also very important.
has a good overview of mooring systems. My O'Day 26 is held by a 250# mushroom in mud. I have 50' of chain with the bow eye 12 to 13 feet above the mushroom at high tide. It has held through lots of wind and waves. Just like the anchor on your boat, scope is VERY important. Yearly maintenance is also very important.
windage
I asked a similar question on this forum some time ago and the general response in terms of weight needed was dependent on windage, not so much the weight of the boat. If you sure that you will have no wind at this spot then you could probably use 4-5 of the weights you've described. How bad is the ice in this spot? There is an item called a "winter stick" or winter mooring buoy ($80., West marine)that is like a tube. They float vertically. I've seen some that float just under the water, some float half in/half out. Larry
I asked a similar question on this forum some time ago and the general response in terms of weight needed was dependent on windage, not so much the weight of the boat. If you sure that you will have no wind at this spot then you could probably use 4-5 of the weights you've described. How bad is the ice in this spot? There is an item called a "winter stick" or winter mooring buoy ($80., West marine)that is like a tube. They float vertically. I've seen some that float just under the water, some float half in/half out. Larry
- Jan 22, 2008
- 519
concrete filled tires a.k.a. easy mooring 101
At our yacht club we get old tires from the dump, (rims removed), lay the tire flat on the ground, and lay a green garbage bag inside and tuck the extra of the bag inside the tire. We then fill the tire with concrete making sure it gets up into the upper part of the tire as much as possible. The weight of the concrete will push the bottom of the bag below the bottom part of the rim, even with the ground, then as you continue to fill the tire, it will fill past the top of the rim until it is level with the highest part of the tire. Into this concrete we place a 3/4" x 2 feet of rebar formed into an inverted V The apex of the V is where we will eventually attach a shackle and chain. We keep the rebar from sinking by placing a broomstick through the V and sit it across the rim of the tire. When cured, remove the stick, turn the tire over and shred off the garbage bag, and you have a ready made mooring, weighing a few hundred pounds. The beauty of this system is that the cured tire(s)can be rolled onboard, and rolled off the edge of the deck. Laying them down on a chunk of plywood or tarp will make it easier to lift and slide overboard. You want to make sure that they land correct side up with the chain attached, but you can always put a few people or a handy billy (6:1 block and tackle) to right it if it lands on the bottom chain side down. Shackle two (or more) tires together side by each with a shorter length of chain to increase weight. One of these at each aft corner of a 24' houseboat, with mooring lines attached forward is adequate. We drop one of these behind the 27'ers with a mooring ball, and line. We hold a 14' x 14' floating dock in place with just one concrete filled tire. Hope that will work for you in your area.
At our yacht club we get old tires from the dump, (rims removed), lay the tire flat on the ground, and lay a green garbage bag inside and tuck the extra of the bag inside the tire. We then fill the tire with concrete making sure it gets up into the upper part of the tire as much as possible. The weight of the concrete will push the bottom of the bag below the bottom part of the rim, even with the ground, then as you continue to fill the tire, it will fill past the top of the rim until it is level with the highest part of the tire. Into this concrete we place a 3/4" x 2 feet of rebar formed into an inverted V The apex of the V is where we will eventually attach a shackle and chain. We keep the rebar from sinking by placing a broomstick through the V and sit it across the rim of the tire. When cured, remove the stick, turn the tire over and shred off the garbage bag, and you have a ready made mooring, weighing a few hundred pounds. The beauty of this system is that the cured tire(s)can be rolled onboard, and rolled off the edge of the deck. Laying them down on a chunk of plywood or tarp will make it easier to lift and slide overboard. You want to make sure that they land correct side up with the chain attached, but you can always put a few people or a handy billy (6:1 block and tackle) to right it if it lands on the bottom chain side down. Shackle two (or more) tires together side by each with a shorter length of chain to increase weight. One of these at each aft corner of a 24' houseboat, with mooring lines attached forward is adequate. We drop one of these behind the 27'ers with a mooring ball, and line. We hold a 14' x 14' floating dock in place with just one concrete filled tire. Hope that will work for you in your area.
Moorings
Skipper- A small point perhaps, but it is NOT "legal in most Canadian waters to sink a mooring just about where you wish". The seabed in most Canadian waters is Crown land, administered by the province. Legally, you require a permit to place the mooring (or anything) on Crown land. Also, the owners of any waterfront land have what is known as a riparian right to "access & enjoy" the waters next to their lands, so you'll need the permission of the owners of that little uninhabited island you mentioned. Other than that, you're entirely correct that if your mooring (and the boat attached to it) do not lie in a channel or conflict with the public right to navigate, you can "sink a mooring just about where you wish". A lot of moorings are placed without permits etc and there are no hassles, but if you are concerned about the legality those are the issues you have to deal with. I wouldn't worry abt. ice unless the river freezes to the bottom, unlikely in 12 ft of water. Take the buoy off and shackle on another length of chain. You can pick it up with a grapnel in the spring. Sounds like you've got a nice spot: best of luck with the mooring.
Skipper- A small point perhaps, but it is NOT "legal in most Canadian waters to sink a mooring just about where you wish". The seabed in most Canadian waters is Crown land, administered by the province. Legally, you require a permit to place the mooring (or anything) on Crown land. Also, the owners of any waterfront land have what is known as a riparian right to "access & enjoy" the waters next to their lands, so you'll need the permission of the owners of that little uninhabited island you mentioned. Other than that, you're entirely correct that if your mooring (and the boat attached to it) do not lie in a channel or conflict with the public right to navigate, you can "sink a mooring just about where you wish". A lot of moorings are placed without permits etc and there are no hassles, but if you are concerned about the legality those are the issues you have to deal with. I wouldn't worry abt. ice unless the river freezes to the bottom, unlikely in 12 ft of water. Take the buoy off and shackle on another length of chain. You can pick it up with a grapnel in the spring. Sounds like you've got a nice spot: best of luck with the mooring.
Mooorings...legality in Canada, etc.
Detailed information is very voluminous and I dislike being argumentative, but as summarily stated in my previous post, research reveals that ALMOST the only time that a permit is required from the Crown for a mooring, in MOST Canadian waters (fresh water, not tidal water) is where a commercial purpose for the mooring is involved, such as for a Marina or for an aquaculture operation. (There are a few exceptions arising primarily from fish and wildlife management regulations, restricted access areas, etc.) Yes, there are certain (and relatively few) waterfront lands with "Riparian Rights", but no "Riparian Rights" automatically and normally accrue with the title to every piece of waterfront property that here is. These exceptional few properties are along streams and rivers (usually known as Alantic Salmon waters), where it is the right of the landowner to have exclusive rights to angle for fish by wading in the area over which he holds deeded "riparian rights", exist. These rights of exclusivity were granted to the titleholder in perpetuity in long-ago times and do persist to this day. Even that restriction, however, does not forbid any other person from fishing in that water from a vessel, just so long as his person does not touch the land on either bank, nor the bottom of the watercourse, while he does so. Yes, it remains possible to buy title to lands with such "riparian rights" where that right was previously vested with the lands and were so deeded in perpetuity, as with some titles that date from many years ago. Currently,however, no new riparian rights title to any fresh water rivers adjacent to waterfront lots are being granted by the Crown. In the case of Riparian Rights deeded land returning to Crown ownership, the subsequent re-sale of such lands will no carry perpetually-deeded Riparian Rights. If you own waterfront land (and in Canada, most land title boundaries end at the "high water mark" of the land), anyone can moor or anchor in front of it in a boat and you really have no legal recourse if anyone does, (just so long as that person does not trespass upon your land). If anyone is skeptical about that, let him try to find any agency that will even consider enforcing an eviction of such a mooring offender. It is even more frustrating to try to apply for a private mooring permit, because all you will get is a long wait and a runaround. No one actually issues these, except for commercial applications. Still skeptical?..Try to get one and see what happens. It is, of course, a very inconsiderate practice to despoil anyones enjoyment of their waterfront property, but it is not illegal to do so. Most Canadians do respect the principle of consideration as being for the common good, and so it is, but it is not yet a principle enforcable in law. Imagine the hassle a court would have in trying to determine just exactly how far offshore such a legal mooring limit were, if one actually existed? Persons who consider making a mooring should research the specific location they would like to use before they do place a mooring, and should comply with any applicable law. They should also be considerate of one another. Such things are at least as important as how to make a mooring. Here endeth.
Detailed information is very voluminous and I dislike being argumentative, but as summarily stated in my previous post, research reveals that ALMOST the only time that a permit is required from the Crown for a mooring, in MOST Canadian waters (fresh water, not tidal water) is where a commercial purpose for the mooring is involved, such as for a Marina or for an aquaculture operation. (There are a few exceptions arising primarily from fish and wildlife management regulations, restricted access areas, etc.) Yes, there are certain (and relatively few) waterfront lands with "Riparian Rights", but no "Riparian Rights" automatically and normally accrue with the title to every piece of waterfront property that here is. These exceptional few properties are along streams and rivers (usually known as Alantic Salmon waters), where it is the right of the landowner to have exclusive rights to angle for fish by wading in the area over which he holds deeded "riparian rights", exist. These rights of exclusivity were granted to the titleholder in perpetuity in long-ago times and do persist to this day. Even that restriction, however, does not forbid any other person from fishing in that water from a vessel, just so long as his person does not touch the land on either bank, nor the bottom of the watercourse, while he does so. Yes, it remains possible to buy title to lands with such "riparian rights" where that right was previously vested with the lands and were so deeded in perpetuity, as with some titles that date from many years ago. Currently,however, no new riparian rights title to any fresh water rivers adjacent to waterfront lots are being granted by the Crown. In the case of Riparian Rights deeded land returning to Crown ownership, the subsequent re-sale of such lands will no carry perpetually-deeded Riparian Rights. If you own waterfront land (and in Canada, most land title boundaries end at the "high water mark" of the land), anyone can moor or anchor in front of it in a boat and you really have no legal recourse if anyone does, (just so long as that person does not trespass upon your land). If anyone is skeptical about that, let him try to find any agency that will even consider enforcing an eviction of such a mooring offender. It is even more frustrating to try to apply for a private mooring permit, because all you will get is a long wait and a runaround. No one actually issues these, except for commercial applications. Still skeptical?..Try to get one and see what happens. It is, of course, a very inconsiderate practice to despoil anyones enjoyment of their waterfront property, but it is not illegal to do so. Most Canadians do respect the principle of consideration as being for the common good, and so it is, but it is not yet a principle enforcable in law. Imagine the hassle a court would have in trying to determine just exactly how far offshore such a legal mooring limit were, if one actually existed? Persons who consider making a mooring should research the specific location they would like to use before they do place a mooring, and should comply with any applicable law. They should also be considerate of one another. Such things are at least as important as how to make a mooring. Here endeth.
Mooring legal issues
Skipper - For a guy you claims he doesn't like to be argumentive, you sure fooled me. I worked for the federal gov't (Canada) for nearly 10 yrs on just these issues, working closely with the appropriate provincial agencies, and I assure you that while you may know some of the terminology, you've made some fundamental mistakes in your assertions. This forum isn't the place to get into highly focused discussions like this, but if you'd like clarification on anything I've said, e-mail me thru this site.
Skipper - For a guy you claims he doesn't like to be argumentive, you sure fooled me. I worked for the federal gov't (Canada) for nearly 10 yrs on just these issues, working closely with the appropriate provincial agencies, and I assure you that while you may know some of the terminology, you've made some fundamental mistakes in your assertions. This forum isn't the place to get into highly focused discussions like this, but if you'd like clarification on anything I've said, e-mail me thru this site.
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