Mooring Ball Info

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Nov 16, 2005
4
- - Austin, TX
I recently anchored a 36 ft. sailboat on a mooring ball. It's on a Texas lake that can get pretty windy at times. I was told that I need some sort of 'spring loaded' mooring line for the ball... but I've never heard of anything like that. Can anyone help?
 
Dec 3, 2003
2,101
Hunter Legend 37 Portsmouth, RI
Maybe a Snubber

Maybe the person is referring to a snubber. It is a rubber "shaft" that the pennant will spiral around so that it acts as a shock cord between the mooring and the boat. Also look at the "mooring compensators" in the related link. (search for "snubber" once there).
 

higgs

.
Aug 24, 2005
3,736
Nassau 34 Olcott, NY
Mooring

What type of wave action are you subjected to? If waves are not an issue then your task is much simpler. I used to have my 12000# 32 on a mooring with 5/8" lines and it was sufficient, but I was protected from waves. I used two mooring lines and was vigilant about chafe. Take a look at the other boats in the mooring field and see what they do.
 
May 18, 2004
259
J-boat 42 conn. river
you probably need more info

you need to know the makeup of the mooring. some just attach a line to the mushroom or whatever. others attach a length of heavy chain, then attach the line to that. if there's chain then it will act as a shock absorber in that when it tightens up it pulls the chain off the bottom. also they are usually made up with laid line which has some stretch to it. best advice is note what other boats of similar weight are using. I've never seen any one use snubbers on mooring lines. not even on the susquhanna river and it gets some pretty nasty currents and riverflows. if its a flood or hurricane then they pull the boats off the moorings and move them inside the marinas. I can't imagine that being the case for a lake.
 
Jun 4, 2004
629
Sailboat - 48N x 89W
Safe Moorings from INMAR Insurance:

Goto: inamarmarine.com/pdf/Moorings.pdf http://www.inamarmarine.com/pdf/Moorings.pdf
 
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