Hello, I'm a first time mooring owner who needs to prep his mooring for the winter. I know to remove the ball float and I've been told to get a cedar fence post to replace the ball until spring thaw. But what do I attach the post to? I've got 15' of heavy chain & 15' of light chain attached to the mooring ball. I'm afraid the weight of the light chain will pull the post under & make my morring impossible to find in the spring. Any suggestions out there?? Thanks in advance. Allen Schweitzer s/v Drambuie Catalina 30, Hull #632
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Ron
It's more complicated
Allen Check with your local Harbormaster regarding the rules. I doubt if they'd like a water-soaked log out the floating awash & possibly breaking loose in a storm. They generally mandate an annual & bi-annual schedule of maintenance as well. This involves the entire system: anchor block, primary & secondary chains (rode), float, and pennants. The chains have to be replaced periodically, and generally you want new pennants each year. Typically, people contract with a mooring service company for the Fall/Spring inspections & servicing. They have the equipment & skills capable of hauling the block, chain, etc. Everyone I know leaves the mooring float in the water over winter, but generally remove, clean & store the pennants. --Ron
Allen Check with your local Harbormaster regarding the rules. I doubt if they'd like a water-soaked log out the floating awash & possibly breaking loose in a storm. They generally mandate an annual & bi-annual schedule of maintenance as well. This involves the entire system: anchor block, primary & secondary chains (rode), float, and pennants. The chains have to be replaced periodically, and generally you want new pennants each year. Typically, people contract with a mooring service company for the Fall/Spring inspections & servicing. They have the equipment & skills capable of hauling the block, chain, etc. Everyone I know leaves the mooring float in the water over winter, but generally remove, clean & store the pennants. --Ron
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David
Mooring
Allen, where I am located all the mooring balls are removed and we use the posts that you mentioned. Complete mooring is checked every three years. I have 25 feet of 1/2" chain in 15' of water. 3000 lb mooring. Strong currents. The chain is better off on the bottom so we attach about 20' of heavy line between the winter post and the chain.
Allen, where I am located all the mooring balls are removed and we use the posts that you mentioned. Complete mooring is checked every three years. I have 25 feet of 1/2" chain in 15' of water. 3000 lb mooring. Strong currents. The chain is better off on the bottom so we attach about 20' of heavy line between the winter post and the chain.
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Tom
Winter log...
Allen, I'm also in Boston, where do you sail from? Winter log rules can vary by location. In Dorchester Bay (Boston, MA) winter logs are permitted, but they are not in rest of the harbor. They should be marked with a blue band of reflective tape. My 350 lb. mooring has 20 ft of top chain, 20 feet of bottom chain. Water depth at low tide is about 9 feet. I use 20 feet of light "winter" chain to connect the log to the top chain. I use a 5 foot long cedar fence post that was obtained for free from the scrap pile at a local fence company. I drilled a 1 inch diameter hole in one end to loop the winter chain through. The chain and shackles can be purchased at home depot. Get some small tie wraps and a small bucket to carry and store the chain in, too. Also a large hook is helpful. I purchased one for about $3 that has a retaining latch and spring. I broke off the latch with a pliers to get it out of the way. This is used to hook on the chain and tie off temporarily so you don't have to struggle with it so much (the chain is heavy). At the top end of the log, I drilled a 1/2 inch or so hole and passed a peice of line through it and tied into a loop to form a handle. Makes the log easier to carry and also to retrieve in the spring. It makes lifting a 5 foot long, wet, slimey log with 20 feet of chain out of the water much easier. I also drilled a hole in the top lip of my mooring ball and tied a loop of line to it for a handle. Makes handling it much easier. To attach the log to your top chain, pass the light chain through the 1 inch hole and attach the end back to the chain with a shackle. Bring some small tie wraps along and secure the shacke pin with two of them. There is a hole in the shackle pin for that purpose. Secure the other end of the light chain to the top chain in the same way. Here are some pointers. 1. If you have a GPS, mark and record the coordinates for your mooring location in case you do loose your log -- it happens. 2. Mark your chain in a conspicuous way -- put a tie wrap or two a certain number of links from the top, for instance. Record this for reference, too. 3. Wear old clothes, bring leather gardening gloves -- it is a messy job and there will probably be all kinds of sharp nasty stuff growing on your mooring ball and top chain. 4. Do the work at low tide -- more of the chain is resting on the bottom and it isn't as heavy to work with. Here's how I take my mooring ball off. I have an open transome H260 so I can work from the swim platform. I cut a piece of 2 x 8 board to hang across the stern to protect from the chain and ball. My top chain passes through the mooring ball and is shackled to the pennants on top. Yours may be different. Engine warmed up and idling in nuetral, tools and gear ready in the cockpit, I untie the pennant from the bow and walk it back to the stern and tie off the pennant to a cleat. I have already attached the top of the winter chain to the log. Next I take an old dock line with one end already fastened to a cleat, and loop it through the mooring chain UNDER THE MOORING BALL (Rub a spot clean with a gloved hand) then tie it off to the same cleat. Now your boat is tied to the chain and you can remove the pennant and mooring ball and set them aside. Note, using the loop of line for a handle, I simply tie my mooring ball aside the boat using a dock line to prevent having to haul the slimey thing into the cockpit. Loop the bottom end of your winter chain through the end of the top chain and shackle it back to itself -- secure the pin with tie wraps (use two). At this point the winter chain is still mostly in the bucket, you are going to pay it out slowly as you drift away from the mooring. If you simply throw it all overboard, there is a good chance it will tangle on the top chain and it, the log and everything will get dragged to the bottom. Get ready to cast off: secure any unneeded tools, equipment, etc. Look around for obstacles and plan your exit. When ready hold the bottom end of the winter chain securely -- you're about to get the whole weight of the top chain -- and untie the dock line on the chain and let it slip free. Gently pay out the winter chain as you drift from the mooring, keep it away from the motor. When you get near the end, throw the log over and your on your way. Good luck, Tom
Allen, I'm also in Boston, where do you sail from? Winter log rules can vary by location. In Dorchester Bay (Boston, MA) winter logs are permitted, but they are not in rest of the harbor. They should be marked with a blue band of reflective tape. My 350 lb. mooring has 20 ft of top chain, 20 feet of bottom chain. Water depth at low tide is about 9 feet. I use 20 feet of light "winter" chain to connect the log to the top chain. I use a 5 foot long cedar fence post that was obtained for free from the scrap pile at a local fence company. I drilled a 1 inch diameter hole in one end to loop the winter chain through. The chain and shackles can be purchased at home depot. Get some small tie wraps and a small bucket to carry and store the chain in, too. Also a large hook is helpful. I purchased one for about $3 that has a retaining latch and spring. I broke off the latch with a pliers to get it out of the way. This is used to hook on the chain and tie off temporarily so you don't have to struggle with it so much (the chain is heavy). At the top end of the log, I drilled a 1/2 inch or so hole and passed a peice of line through it and tied into a loop to form a handle. Makes the log easier to carry and also to retrieve in the spring. It makes lifting a 5 foot long, wet, slimey log with 20 feet of chain out of the water much easier. I also drilled a hole in the top lip of my mooring ball and tied a loop of line to it for a handle. Makes handling it much easier. To attach the log to your top chain, pass the light chain through the 1 inch hole and attach the end back to the chain with a shackle. Bring some small tie wraps along and secure the shacke pin with two of them. There is a hole in the shackle pin for that purpose. Secure the other end of the light chain to the top chain in the same way. Here are some pointers. 1. If you have a GPS, mark and record the coordinates for your mooring location in case you do loose your log -- it happens. 2. Mark your chain in a conspicuous way -- put a tie wrap or two a certain number of links from the top, for instance. Record this for reference, too. 3. Wear old clothes, bring leather gardening gloves -- it is a messy job and there will probably be all kinds of sharp nasty stuff growing on your mooring ball and top chain. 4. Do the work at low tide -- more of the chain is resting on the bottom and it isn't as heavy to work with. Here's how I take my mooring ball off. I have an open transome H260 so I can work from the swim platform. I cut a piece of 2 x 8 board to hang across the stern to protect from the chain and ball. My top chain passes through the mooring ball and is shackled to the pennants on top. Yours may be different. Engine warmed up and idling in nuetral, tools and gear ready in the cockpit, I untie the pennant from the bow and walk it back to the stern and tie off the pennant to a cleat. I have already attached the top of the winter chain to the log. Next I take an old dock line with one end already fastened to a cleat, and loop it through the mooring chain UNDER THE MOORING BALL (Rub a spot clean with a gloved hand) then tie it off to the same cleat. Now your boat is tied to the chain and you can remove the pennant and mooring ball and set them aside. Note, using the loop of line for a handle, I simply tie my mooring ball aside the boat using a dock line to prevent having to haul the slimey thing into the cockpit. Loop the bottom end of your winter chain through the end of the top chain and shackle it back to itself -- secure the pin with tie wraps (use two). At this point the winter chain is still mostly in the bucket, you are going to pay it out slowly as you drift away from the mooring. If you simply throw it all overboard, there is a good chance it will tangle on the top chain and it, the log and everything will get dragged to the bottom. Get ready to cast off: secure any unneeded tools, equipment, etc. Look around for obstacles and plan your exit. When ready hold the bottom end of the winter chain securely -- you're about to get the whole weight of the top chain -- and untie the dock line on the chain and let it slip free. Gently pay out the winter chain as you drift from the mooring, keep it away from the motor. When you get near the end, throw the log over and your on your way. Good luck, Tom
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Allen Schweitzer
Thanks, Tom One more question.
Tom, I'm over at Port Norfolk at the mouth of the Neponset River. I was told that I should arrange my log so that it's under water for 1/4 of the time, during high tide. At my location we get a lot of ice and, if the log floats all of the time, it will tend to become encased in ice that, when it drifts away in a big 15-ton chunk in the spring, will tend to take my mooring tackle or at least the log & line, with it. How do I make it so the log is submerged part of the time? Do I just follow your directions and use a length of "winter chain" that's only as long as the water is deep at 3/4 tide? --Allen
Tom, I'm over at Port Norfolk at the mouth of the Neponset River. I was told that I should arrange my log so that it's under water for 1/4 of the time, during high tide. At my location we get a lot of ice and, if the log floats all of the time, it will tend to become encased in ice that, when it drifts away in a big 15-ton chunk in the spring, will tend to take my mooring tackle or at least the log & line, with it. How do I make it so the log is submerged part of the time? Do I just follow your directions and use a length of "winter chain" that's only as long as the water is deep at 3/4 tide? --Allen
T
Tom
Makes sense...
Hi Allen, It makes sense to me. That way the log won't freeze in place. So if the water is typically 10 ft at low tide, and there's a 10 foot change, then a 15 foot chain would probably suffice -- a foot at each end for the loops, leaves 13 feet plus 5 foot for the log is 18 feet, so the top of the log would be 2 feet under water at high tide. I'm over at Savin Hill Yacht Club, off Fox point (by U-Mass) and in the several years I've been there, the mooring field hasn't frozen, but there have been some large ice packs blow up on the shore. I should probably take 5 or 6 feet off my 20 foot winter change (next year, since its already in). One problem is that if you are near the channel, a boat might strike the submerged log. Fair winds, Tom
Hi Allen, It makes sense to me. That way the log won't freeze in place. So if the water is typically 10 ft at low tide, and there's a 10 foot change, then a 15 foot chain would probably suffice -- a foot at each end for the loops, leaves 13 feet plus 5 foot for the log is 18 feet, so the top of the log would be 2 feet under water at high tide. I'm over at Savin Hill Yacht Club, off Fox point (by U-Mass) and in the several years I've been there, the mooring field hasn't frozen, but there have been some large ice packs blow up on the shore. I should probably take 5 or 6 feet off my 20 foot winter change (next year, since its already in). One problem is that if you are near the channel, a boat might strike the submerged log. Fair winds, Tom
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Brent Headberg
Mooring Designs
Sorry about you Northern sailors up in cold weather having to deal with the Winter Freeze, but I just had to jump in here and provide some cost saving info for anyone wanting to design and install their own mooring. I have been hanging on a mooring for the last 4 years. I always followed the old standard of using 5/16 galv proof chain arranged in a 3 point system with a middle chain running up to the mooring buoy. It finally came time to replace my chain and at approx. $3.00/ft, I went looking for an alternative...here's what I came up with as a replacement to chain and it's very economical and stronger too: 3 each - 50ft lengths of 1x7 5/16" galv steel cable 3 each - 6ft long utility pole screw anchors 1 each - 20ft length center cable up to buoy Galv thimbles & cable clamps Total approx. cost - $100 The biggest savings was in using galv. cable at 37 cents a foot instead of $3.00 a foot for chain. The breaking strength of 1x7 5/16" galv cable is approx. 12,000 lbs. 5/16" galv chain is 7,600 lbs. I'll submit a drawing of my system later if anyone is interested. Capn' Brent S/V Elena Lua 1990 Hunter 335
Sorry about you Northern sailors up in cold weather having to deal with the Winter Freeze, but I just had to jump in here and provide some cost saving info for anyone wanting to design and install their own mooring. I have been hanging on a mooring for the last 4 years. I always followed the old standard of using 5/16 galv proof chain arranged in a 3 point system with a middle chain running up to the mooring buoy. It finally came time to replace my chain and at approx. $3.00/ft, I went looking for an alternative...here's what I came up with as a replacement to chain and it's very economical and stronger too: 3 each - 50ft lengths of 1x7 5/16" galv steel cable 3 each - 6ft long utility pole screw anchors 1 each - 20ft length center cable up to buoy Galv thimbles & cable clamps Total approx. cost - $100 The biggest savings was in using galv. cable at 37 cents a foot instead of $3.00 a foot for chain. The breaking strength of 1x7 5/16" galv cable is approx. 12,000 lbs. 5/16" galv chain is 7,600 lbs. I'll submit a drawing of my system later if anyone is interested. Capn' Brent S/V Elena Lua 1990 Hunter 335
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Rick Webb
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Brent Headberg
Mooring Installation
Hey Rick, The screw augers I put in the bottom went in very easy in the sand bottom we have here in the Lake Worth Inlet area. My mooring is setup in about 10 feet of water depth. I used a 5 ft long steel bar from a barbell set, like a T-Handle thru the eye of the auger..it gives you plenty of leverage and the weight of the bar helps too. Of course you have to dive these anchors in with scuba. I use a HUKA type dive setup...a 50ft hose attached to a scuba tank that I float in my dingy. One word of caution...if you're an old guy like me, turning that bar round and round underwater requires about 50 revolutions...expect some sore muscles in your arms the next day.....whew...I'm not getting any younger, but it was good exercise. If you have any other questions, email me at: brenthg@yahoo.com Capn' Brent S/V Elena Lua
Hey Rick, The screw augers I put in the bottom went in very easy in the sand bottom we have here in the Lake Worth Inlet area. My mooring is setup in about 10 feet of water depth. I used a 5 ft long steel bar from a barbell set, like a T-Handle thru the eye of the auger..it gives you plenty of leverage and the weight of the bar helps too. Of course you have to dive these anchors in with scuba. I use a HUKA type dive setup...a 50ft hose attached to a scuba tank that I float in my dingy. One word of caution...if you're an old guy like me, turning that bar round and round underwater requires about 50 revolutions...expect some sore muscles in your arms the next day.....whew...I'm not getting any younger, but it was good exercise. If you have any other questions, email me at: brenthg@yahoo.com Capn' Brent S/V Elena Lua
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