The method that I have been using the past years for setting my mooring up for 23' Hunter is to place 3 anchors with approx 22' of chain 120 degrees from each other with the end of the chains meeting in the middle connected to a swivel with shackles. Another chain is connected to the swivel and runs up to mooring ball. This system seems to work very well. My boat has ridden out many storms without incident. I am on a Leeward shore so boat for the most part is unprotected from the winds. Boat is moored in 4-5' of water approx 180 ft off shore. ( With the swing of the boat I have to stay within 200' as I don't have mooring lights. And if one was to ad up the numbers, one would see that I am cheating some) The problem I have is setting the anchors every year. Within the area that I can moor is a wide variety of bottom. Very limited area to use a danforth anchor. 2 of the points don't seem to be a lot of problem. The 3rd point can be tricky as it gets into rubble. I would like to come up with another method and was thinking of trying to drive some 1-1/2" or 2" metal water pipes into the bottom to replace the anchors. I was thinking that I could then shorten the scope a few feet, but not to lose anchoring capabilities. Have you had any instances similar to what I have described? Or any suggestions? Thank you Ralph
Moorings
- Thread starter Morte
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What about a mushroom anchor
Morte, most of the mooring around here use a large mushroom ( larger boats use bow and stern mushrooms), and a bridle connected to a float. I would think a 250# anchor with 1/2"chain a swivel with a 5/8" bridle would work for your boat. That way you would have such a large swing area. Charlie
Morte, most of the mooring around here use a large mushroom ( larger boats use bow and stern mushrooms), and a bridle connected to a float. I would think a 250# anchor with 1/2"chain a swivel with a 5/8" bridle would work for your boat. That way you would have such a large swing area. Charlie
dor-mor anchors are much better
Having worked for a mooring company for several years I'd like to say I am not a big fan of mushroom anchors. They are very old technonology. So much has been improved upon since they were invented. The company I worked for used only Dor-Mor anchors (a company out of NH or VT i believe). They are a pyramid shaped with a very large eye on them (so they do not wear out). Their holding power is roughly twice that of a mushroom anchor for the same weight. Mushroom anchors do not work well unless they have been buried for SEVERAL years and the bell is facing in the direction of the prevailing wind. Mushroom anchors also suffer from chain wrap and end up dragging in a strong blow. After the last hurricane here (a long time ago). The town went to minimum requirements for mooring based on the length of your boat and also every 3 years you need a certified dive inspection. My boat is over 30' and requires a 700lb mooring which I have with very heavy chain. Any mooring system that you remove yearly never gets a chance to set in and hold very well, others may disagree but those are just my thoughts on moorings.
Having worked for a mooring company for several years I'd like to say I am not a big fan of mushroom anchors. They are very old technonology. So much has been improved upon since they were invented. The company I worked for used only Dor-Mor anchors (a company out of NH or VT i believe). They are a pyramid shaped with a very large eye on them (so they do not wear out). Their holding power is roughly twice that of a mushroom anchor for the same weight. Mushroom anchors do not work well unless they have been buried for SEVERAL years and the bell is facing in the direction of the prevailing wind. Mushroom anchors also suffer from chain wrap and end up dragging in a strong blow. After the last hurricane here (a long time ago). The town went to minimum requirements for mooring based on the length of your boat and also every 3 years you need a certified dive inspection. My boat is over 30' and requires a 700lb mooring which I have with very heavy chain. Any mooring system that you remove yearly never gets a chance to set in and hold very well, others may disagree but those are just my thoughts on moorings.
Mushrooms
At our club we have two kinds of seasonal moorings. One is a railroad wheel. There is a marine/railway salvage place right up the river and people go there for a 400-lb+ railroad wheel and have a ring welded to it. But it is very heavy for the club people and equipment to move and its holding power is less than a mushroom half the size and weight. As a club we are moving to eventually ban them. The preferred setup is a pair of mushroom anchors. For a 4000-lb boat like my 25 Hunter, two of these, about 150 or 200 lb each, set opposite each other, will take care of the boat at both tides. No one has had a problem with them taking a fast and secure set. Here in the Delaware the problem of tides is worse than the problem of wind. And, especially at the end of this summer, we have plenty of extremely ornery flotsam and jetsam. The boats are moored in between 12 and 20 ft of water with more than sufficient bottom chain in addition to riding chain. There are mooring guidelines that depend on the size and weight of the boat and where you are in the river. We did have one problem on Sep 20th, after such a rainy summer, with a nasty northwesterly (the 'storm of the century', it was called), and the wind went through 50-60 and current was doing at least 8 or 9 knots. Everything floatable within 25 ft of the riverbank from New York state on down found its way down through the club. Between the extreme tide and all the flotsam most boats dragged. Then again, so did everyone else on the whole river. (Sea-Tow made a fortune that day.) Stuff happens. It seemed to have a lot to do with where you were in the river rather than the quality of your holding tackle-- boats inshore were more in the flow of flotsam washed to leeward than the three out by the channel which did not drag at all. I agree that the longer the mooring stays in the better hold it will get. We are experimenting with leaving anchors and chain at the bottom this year (having got up to speed with GPS technology) and hope that next season they will have as good or better a set as this year. I don't know a lot about Dor-Mor and have presumed they are concrete, which has a much lower weight density than iron. A well-made mushroom anchor in good condition and of the right size should be able to take a deep enough set to be reliable. I am the biggest proponent of oversized ground tackle out there, but a 700-lb anchor of any type is beyond the ability of the average club or owner to handle and makes me immediately start thinking of lighter-weight and easier-maintained options. JC 2
At our club we have two kinds of seasonal moorings. One is a railroad wheel. There is a marine/railway salvage place right up the river and people go there for a 400-lb+ railroad wheel and have a ring welded to it. But it is very heavy for the club people and equipment to move and its holding power is less than a mushroom half the size and weight. As a club we are moving to eventually ban them. The preferred setup is a pair of mushroom anchors. For a 4000-lb boat like my 25 Hunter, two of these, about 150 or 200 lb each, set opposite each other, will take care of the boat at both tides. No one has had a problem with them taking a fast and secure set. Here in the Delaware the problem of tides is worse than the problem of wind. And, especially at the end of this summer, we have plenty of extremely ornery flotsam and jetsam. The boats are moored in between 12 and 20 ft of water with more than sufficient bottom chain in addition to riding chain. There are mooring guidelines that depend on the size and weight of the boat and where you are in the river. We did have one problem on Sep 20th, after such a rainy summer, with a nasty northwesterly (the 'storm of the century', it was called), and the wind went through 50-60 and current was doing at least 8 or 9 knots. Everything floatable within 25 ft of the riverbank from New York state on down found its way down through the club. Between the extreme tide and all the flotsam most boats dragged. Then again, so did everyone else on the whole river. (Sea-Tow made a fortune that day.) Stuff happens. It seemed to have a lot to do with where you were in the river rather than the quality of your holding tackle-- boats inshore were more in the flow of flotsam washed to leeward than the three out by the channel which did not drag at all. I agree that the longer the mooring stays in the better hold it will get. We are experimenting with leaving anchors and chain at the bottom this year (having got up to speed with GPS technology) and hope that next season they will have as good or better a set as this year. I don't know a lot about Dor-Mor and have presumed they are concrete, which has a much lower weight density than iron. A well-made mushroom anchor in good condition and of the right size should be able to take a deep enough set to be reliable. I am the biggest proponent of oversized ground tackle out there, but a 700-lb anchor of any type is beyond the ability of the average club or owner to handle and makes me immediately start thinking of lighter-weight and easier-maintained options. JC 2
Gaining popular acclaim in Caribbean are screw-in
moorings. You know, the type that twist into the bottom like a dog stake. No weight to factor, can't move, mooring fields are permanently placed,,,. I'm sure there are too many advantages to list, like cheap, environmentally benign,,,. They require some kind of a twist drill machine to install them. I've never seen it but form follows function. It must be something like a rotary well drilling rig. Then there's the system that injects concrete into a hole that a steel mooring ring is secured too,,,. But I know nothing of the cost of these things. I only know that they are now taking over all of the best anchorages in the Virgins and it really pisses me off,,,
moorings. You know, the type that twist into the bottom like a dog stake. No weight to factor, can't move, mooring fields are permanently placed,,,. I'm sure there are too many advantages to list, like cheap, environmentally benign,,,. They require some kind of a twist drill machine to install them. I've never seen it but form follows function. It must be something like a rotary well drilling rig. Then there's the system that injects concrete into a hole that a steel mooring ring is secured too,,,. But I know nothing of the cost of these things. I only know that they are now taking over all of the best anchorages in the Virgins and it really pisses me off,,,
Fred,
Fred, First off, Merry Christmas if I don't connect agian... You left me hanging with your response... I have not been there. Why is it a problem? r.w.landau
Fred, First off, Merry Christmas if I don't connect agian... You left me hanging with your response... I have not been there. Why is it a problem? r.w.landau
Oh, sorry R.W.
I'm just prejudice. When we brought our boat home in 2000, I set a course from one of the French islands. I forget which. We sailed all night and used every instrument on the boat from GPS, to Radar to the depth sounder to get into my favorite anchorage at Norman Island. It was very dark. But one thing was sure. The anchorage was covered with mooring balls. Even the spot up next to the beach that I like now held a pier for the RESTAURANT! We had to take a vacant ball. No more watching bare-boat charters coming in and trying to anchor. That was our favorite pastime with a cocktail. And the next morning a smiling, pretty lady came by and labeled our mooring ball with a $20.00 a night price tag. (the field was new) We had little to no room to anchor because of all the balls. We paid. And look at all those pretty pictures in the cruising guides. They show all those lovely anchorages. When you get there, they are full of mooring balls. No room to anchor, but you can pay your money! And that is what it's all about.
I'm just prejudice. When we brought our boat home in 2000, I set a course from one of the French islands. I forget which. We sailed all night and used every instrument on the boat from GPS, to Radar to the depth sounder to get into my favorite anchorage at Norman Island. It was very dark. But one thing was sure. The anchorage was covered with mooring balls. Even the spot up next to the beach that I like now held a pier for the RESTAURANT! We had to take a vacant ball. No more watching bare-boat charters coming in and trying to anchor. That was our favorite pastime with a cocktail. And the next morning a smiling, pretty lady came by and labeled our mooring ball with a $20.00 a night price tag. (the field was new) We had little to no room to anchor because of all the balls. We paid. And look at all those pretty pictures in the cruising guides. They show all those lovely anchorages. When you get there, they are full of mooring balls. No room to anchor, but you can pay your money! And that is what it's all about.
should have clarified that
Sorry I should have clarified that Dor-Mor anchors are made of cast iron not cement. Cement in my opinion is a very poor mooring for numerious reasons. The "screw in moorings" are the Helix Coil moorings. They are set with a large drilling device. Although I have not set any of these I have done dive inspections on these and they are very interesting. They will definately never drag, but they are buried so deep should you loose the chain you may never find it again. Also the initial cost is very expensive to install one of these. I've included a link to Dor-Mor in this, they have some very interesting tests done on moorings to see there dragging point due to boat size and wind speed.
Sorry I should have clarified that Dor-Mor anchors are made of cast iron not cement. Cement in my opinion is a very poor mooring for numerious reasons. The "screw in moorings" are the Helix Coil moorings. They are set with a large drilling device. Although I have not set any of these I have done dive inspections on these and they are very interesting. They will definately never drag, but they are buried so deep should you loose the chain you may never find it again. Also the initial cost is very expensive to install one of these. I've included a link to Dor-Mor in this, they have some very interesting tests done on moorings to see there dragging point due to boat size and wind speed.
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