I'm sure it's not rocket science to connect to a mooring ball, but we have never done it. We will be sailing in the islands and having never actually seen a mooring ball before would like an explanation on "how to". I assume that the approach is made upwind slowly but how is the connection made?
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Mooring Connection
The moorings we've seen in the BVI have 8-10 foot lines attached to the top of the mooring ball. As you stated, motor upwind slowly to the mooring and use a boat hook to grab the pespliced loop in the end which can then be placed over a bow cleat. A variation on this is to run a dock line through this loop once on board and tie the ends off to both bow cleats. Makes kind of a bridle to hang on and the boat tends not to hunt as much. Do yourself a favor and work out in advance the hands signals between the person on the bow and the person at the wheel. Jeff
The moorings we've seen in the BVI have 8-10 foot lines attached to the top of the mooring ball. As you stated, motor upwind slowly to the mooring and use a boat hook to grab the pespliced loop in the end which can then be placed over a bow cleat. A variation on this is to run a dock line through this loop once on board and tie the ends off to both bow cleats. Makes kind of a bridle to hang on and the boat tends not to hunt as much. Do yourself a favor and work out in advance the hands signals between the person on the bow and the person at the wheel. Jeff
Added precaution
What I do as an added precaution is: Once I have placed the pre-spliced loop over the cleat (port or stbd side, no difference) is to take a short length of any size line and tie it on the cleat, also. This will lock the loop on to the cleat - just in case!
And have fun!
What I do as an added precaution is: Once I have placed the pre-spliced loop over the cleat (port or stbd side, no difference) is to take a short length of any size line and tie it on the cleat, also. This will lock the loop on to the cleat - just in case!
And have fun! mooring
if you have a tall boy, make sure when casting off to let your boat drift so you get enough space between the mooring and tall boy so as no to go between them. believe me! also, i use a caribiener to hold the eyes together when the boat is off the mooring.
if you have a tall boy, make sure when casting off to let your boat drift so you get enough space between the mooring and tall boy so as no to go between them. believe me! also, i use a caribiener to hold the eyes together when the boat is off the mooring.
put the ball on deck
put a mooring ball on a light line tie it to the end of the rode. when you pull the float up it stays on the deck and does not grow stuff. when you leave for a sail throw it off let the line sink and the float is on a faily short line. That keeps is short so people dont runover your line when your gone sailing. keeps the ball nice. works good. if you want to get fanch use a big ball and put a sick on it so you can pick it up more easily.
put a mooring ball on a light line tie it to the end of the rode. when you pull the float up it stays on the deck and does not grow stuff. when you leave for a sail throw it off let the line sink and the float is on a faily short line. That keeps is short so people dont runover your line when your gone sailing. keeps the ball nice. works good. if you want to get fanch use a big ball and put a sick on it so you can pick it up more easily.
Wear gloves!
I would wear gloves, otherwise you will find out all about the itty bitty creatures that grow on the lines! Jack Hart Hickory, NC
I would wear gloves, otherwise you will find out all about the itty bitty creatures that grow on the lines! Jack Hart Hickory, NC
Warning
J School in Key West teaches moorings well. The danger isn't just to one's hand but the entire arm. Be careful to have plenty of freedom as you execute the mooring, and be sure your hand remains free in case something goes awry. Otherwise you're likely to be snatched overboard if your arm isn't ripped out of its socket first. Keep it very very slow and make several passes as necessary. No one is taking video of this... except Prez Bush.
J School in Key West teaches moorings well. The danger isn't just to one's hand but the entire arm. Be careful to have plenty of freedom as you execute the mooring, and be sure your hand remains free in case something goes awry. Otherwise you're likely to be snatched overboard if your arm isn't ripped out of its socket first. Keep it very very slow and make several passes as necessary. No one is taking video of this... except Prez Bush.
Try reverse
I often reverse up to a buoy so that it is easier to see where the buoy is from the helm position in the cockpit. I run a long line from the bow round the stays and into the cockpit. Then reverse towards the buoy from downwind. When close just a bit of forward will stop the boat and you can easily pick up the loop with a boathook and thread the bow line through the loop and drop it back in the water. Then get the free end of the line back to the bow quickly put it round a cleat and wait for the wind to bring the boat bows to wind. You can then take in the bow line till the mooring buoy line is on deck. You can do this singlehanded with a bit of practice.
I often reverse up to a buoy so that it is easier to see where the buoy is from the helm position in the cockpit. I run a long line from the bow round the stays and into the cockpit. Then reverse towards the buoy from downwind. When close just a bit of forward will stop the boat and you can easily pick up the loop with a boathook and thread the bow line through the loop and drop it back in the water. Then get the free end of the line back to the bow quickly put it round a cleat and wait for the wind to bring the boat bows to wind. You can then take in the bow line till the mooring buoy line is on deck. You can do this singlehanded with a bit of practice.
MOORING TIPS
Wendy, Although I'm not a member of this club, I got some great info off their web page, check it out. Ray
Wendy, Although I'm not a member of this club, I got some great info off their web page, check it out. Ray
Optional (catskinning) moorings
Here's a couple of other possibilities: -- A large mooring ball (usually metal)with only a large eyebolt swivel at the top, such as those at Angel Island. The school solution is to motor slowly upwind to the ball and have a crew member on the bow lean waaaaaay over, grab the eye, and slip a stout and long line (old anchor lines work well) through the eye, then bring it back to bow cleat off at appropriate distance. Option is to slide alongside and attach the rode from a more comfortable section of the boat, like the cockpit, then drift off downwind. Then, if required, you can back down to the second mooring ball (fore and aft mooring is recommended) and attach it and adjust the lines. (Marine stores sell a gizmo to attach to your boat hook the snap the line through, but I've never figured mine out.) Second, mooring fields such as at Catalina Island have floats with tall poles sticking up in the air and submerged weighted lines to a second mooring. Approach slowly, grab the pole and use it to haul the first loop aboard and attach loop on bow cleat. Then walk and lift the weighted line aft and pull up the second loop, and cleat on stern. This is a great system, by the way, which allows more boats in a confined area. Both bet the heck out of manually anchoring a larger boat. I am sure there are other mooring types as well, but you'll notice the first does not have a loop; you use your own line to the eye. Some folks use a carbiner, but that's a weak point, and others warn of chafe so the line needs to be checked daily. Enjoy watching others around you try to figure this out! Sanders s/v Good News H37c
Here's a couple of other possibilities: -- A large mooring ball (usually metal)with only a large eyebolt swivel at the top, such as those at Angel Island. The school solution is to motor slowly upwind to the ball and have a crew member on the bow lean waaaaaay over, grab the eye, and slip a stout and long line (old anchor lines work well) through the eye, then bring it back to bow cleat off at appropriate distance. Option is to slide alongside and attach the rode from a more comfortable section of the boat, like the cockpit, then drift off downwind. Then, if required, you can back down to the second mooring ball (fore and aft mooring is recommended) and attach it and adjust the lines. (Marine stores sell a gizmo to attach to your boat hook the snap the line through, but I've never figured mine out.) Second, mooring fields such as at Catalina Island have floats with tall poles sticking up in the air and submerged weighted lines to a second mooring. Approach slowly, grab the pole and use it to haul the first loop aboard and attach loop on bow cleat. Then walk and lift the weighted line aft and pull up the second loop, and cleat on stern. This is a great system, by the way, which allows more boats in a confined area. Both bet the heck out of manually anchoring a larger boat. I am sure there are other mooring types as well, but you'll notice the first does not have a loop; you use your own line to the eye. Some folks use a carbiner, but that's a weak point, and others warn of chafe so the line needs to be checked daily. Enjoy watching others around you try to figure this out! Sanders s/v Good News H37c
Piece of cake in BVIs
Wendy, I had done it only once before and that was on a smaller 22 and teh mooring ball already had a long line hanging from it in the water. Last summer we chartered down in the BVIs and almost everywhere you go they have mooring balls. Everyone we found had a similiar setup with a long line attached to the metal loop at the top of teh metal ball. You approach it as much upwind as possible, keeping the ball to the windward side if needed (don't want to drift over the ball). Person on bow has boathook in hand, and should tie off one end of an extra line to one of the cleats. As you slowly approach the bow person should give you hand signals (as someone said, work these out ahead of time so that you are both on the same page). They grab the line, pull the extra line through the loop in the mooring line to create a bridle and cleat off the other end of teh line. Really simple once you do it once. When releasing the mooring, just agree which way you are going to bear of, release the line from the cleat on teh opposite side as to not pull on the mooring as you pull away and fetch your line back aboard. BTW, watching those that have absolutely no clue and weren't smart enough to ask are quite fun to watch. We would get all moored and watch a couple boats come in that had no clue, even after 3 or 4 days. They would approach too fast and run over their mooring, miss it by a mile and try to back up to it, or in one case had teh bright idea of putting one of teh crew out in a digny to fetch the mooring line first and hand it to someone on deck - yep you guessed it, they hit and ran over the digny. Relax and use common sense, you'll have a blast.
Wendy, I had done it only once before and that was on a smaller 22 and teh mooring ball already had a long line hanging from it in the water. Last summer we chartered down in the BVIs and almost everywhere you go they have mooring balls. Everyone we found had a similiar setup with a long line attached to the metal loop at the top of teh metal ball. You approach it as much upwind as possible, keeping the ball to the windward side if needed (don't want to drift over the ball). Person on bow has boathook in hand, and should tie off one end of an extra line to one of the cleats. As you slowly approach the bow person should give you hand signals (as someone said, work these out ahead of time so that you are both on the same page). They grab the line, pull the extra line through the loop in the mooring line to create a bridle and cleat off the other end of teh line. Really simple once you do it once. When releasing the mooring, just agree which way you are going to bear of, release the line from the cleat on teh opposite side as to not pull on the mooring as you pull away and fetch your line back aboard. BTW, watching those that have absolutely no clue and weren't smart enough to ask are quite fun to watch. We would get all moored and watch a couple boats come in that had no clue, even after 3 or 4 days. They would approach too fast and run over their mooring, miss it by a mile and try to back up to it, or in one case had teh bright idea of putting one of teh crew out in a digny to fetch the mooring line first and hand it to someone on deck - yep you guessed it, they hit and ran over the digny. Relax and use common sense, you'll have a blast.
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