Out here in the Puget Sound, my wife and I often enjoy a weekend overnight trip to a small island called Blake Island. We usually moore up onto one of many available buoy and spend a quiet evening. In recent times, however, we were awakened in the middle of the night by a banging noise. The buoy was banging against the starboard hull...after meddling with the lines the buoy started banging against the port hull. Perelandra (our Vision-32) was simply not 'swinging' around the bouy. At first we thought it was a fluke. However, the following weekend we moored onto a different buoy at a different location and ran into similar problems...our boat doesn't want to swing! Is there a simple technique that we are overlooking? Tina & James Marohn Perelandra - Seattle
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mooring bouy
I had a bridle made that attaches to both bow cleats and the mooring line. It substantially helped my H410 stay pointed to the wind. We're on a mooring all season. Bryce S/V Spellbinder
I had a bridle made that attaches to both bow cleats and the mooring line. It substantially helped my H410 stay pointed to the wind. We're on a mooring all season. Bryce S/V Spellbinder
Blake Is notorious
The west side of Blake is notorious for eddys and opposing wind/current. It's not uncommon for your boat to be banging into buoys, or at anchor, to be *ahead* of your anchor with the rode taught against your keel! I suspect this is because the buoy move withthe current and the boat is more effected by the wind. Frankly, I'm not sure what to do about it. I'm not sure there's enough swinging room to lay a stern anchor, which would keep you off ther buoy. It may be the best idea is to check what other sailboats are doing next time you're there...
The west side of Blake is notorious for eddys and opposing wind/current. It's not uncommon for your boat to be banging into buoys, or at anchor, to be *ahead* of your anchor with the rode taught against your keel! I suspect this is because the buoy move withthe current and the boat is more effected by the wind. Frankly, I'm not sure what to do about it. I'm not sure there's enough swinging room to lay a stern anchor, which would keep you off ther buoy. It may be the best idea is to check what other sailboats are doing next time you're there...
Bryce - Bridle?
Is it possible for you to scan a sketch of the bridle you had made and how it's fastened to the bow cleets? If you can email it to james.marohn@marchfirst.com, I'd really appreciate it!
Is it possible for you to scan a sketch of the bridle you had made and how it's fastened to the bow cleets? If you can email it to james.marohn@marchfirst.com, I'd really appreciate it!
One option
Improvise a mini spinnaker pole (wooden broom handle?)to keep the mooring ball away from the hull. I've spent a couple long nights listening to he thumps on the hull and dreaming of ways to stop it. This is going to be my next effort. Drill holes in each end; fasten a latching hook at one end (for the mooring ball) and a piece of line at the other to be cleated off. With any luck, the pole should keep the ball where it belongs. Silent nights coming?
Improvise a mini spinnaker pole (wooden broom handle?)to keep the mooring ball away from the hull. I've spent a couple long nights listening to he thumps on the hull and dreaming of ways to stop it. This is going to be my next effort. Drill holes in each end; fasten a latching hook at one end (for the mooring ball) and a piece of line at the other to be cleated off. With any luck, the pole should keep the ball where it belongs. Silent nights coming?
Problem solved
Saw this in Cursing World's "great idea department" a while back. The guy carried a length of 1 1/2" PVC drain pipe with him and slipped the mooring line through the pipe to act as a stand off for just such a situation. It seemed like a good idea and it got him a $50 reward.
Saw this in Cursing World's "great idea department" a while back. The guy carried a length of 1 1/2" PVC drain pipe with him and slipped the mooring line through the pipe to act as a stand off for just such a situation. It seemed like a good idea and it got him a $50 reward.
Angel Island style
When we moor up in Avila Bay at Angel Island is SF Bay everyone hooks to a bow and stern mooring. This prevents swinging and mooring banging too. Don't know if this is a logical option at your location.
When we moor up in Avila Bay at Angel Island is SF Bay everyone hooks to a bow and stern mooring. This prevents swinging and mooring banging too. Don't know if this is a logical option at your location.
How about your wife?
What I do is put my wife on the mooring bouy and have her put her legs out straight and put her bare feet (shoes might scuff the hull) up against the boat to keep it from hitting the bouy. I have found this helps me get a good nights sleep although my wife always seems cranky the next day.
What I do is put my wife on the mooring bouy and have her put her legs out straight and put her bare feet (shoes might scuff the hull) up against the boat to keep it from hitting the bouy. I have found this helps me get a good nights sleep although my wife always seems cranky the next day.
Riding Sail?
If the problem is wind and currents at your particular location, have you tried setting a riding sail on the backstay? That would encourage the boat to ride to the wind instead of the current. However, since current effects are typically 10x or more as strong as wind effects (for the same speed), even a riding sail may not help. I have a mooring in a tidal river and constantly have the mooring ball up against my hull when the current and wind are opposed. In my case I haven't tried a riding sail or a hold-off pole, but I doubt that either would be effective due to the very stong river currents. Rich
If the problem is wind and currents at your particular location, have you tried setting a riding sail on the backstay? That would encourage the boat to ride to the wind instead of the current. However, since current effects are typically 10x or more as strong as wind effects (for the same speed), even a riding sail may not help. I have a mooring in a tidal river and constantly have the mooring ball up against my hull when the current and wind are opposed. In my case I haven't tried a riding sail or a hold-off pole, but I doubt that either would be effective due to the very stong river currents. Rich
Misery loves company. I'm glad not to have been the only one with problems on the west side of Blake Island. I've shared Phil Herring's experience at anchor on the west side of Blake with the rode taut against the keel and the anchor dragging. My solution to this is I don't anchor there any more and will only stay if I can get a mooring buoy. A suggestion to soften the noise if not stop it entirely is to tie fenders to the bail on the mooring bouy. Don't forget to pick them up before you leave in the morning! Shibumi 1992 335
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