Smart mooring? Or dumb?

[Captain Larry-DH]

I saw this advertised and at first I thought it was a stupid idea certain to fail. The pictures make it look light-duty for mooring hardware. But then I saw it was backed by Tom Derecktor. That‘s a respected name in shipyards, but I still think it may develop issues from fouling or electrical failures. Will be watching this one, even though I don’t have a use for it.

https://www.smartmooring.com/

 

[rgranger]

I see why you are skeptical.
And what I saw were two people who got there shoes soaked in muddy water at the start of their day on the water.

 

[Michael Davis]

I'd still need the dinghy. It could only bring our boat into 7 ft. of water.

 

[PaulK]

Seems like an electric winch for boats that are tied to their moorings with a “clothesline” arrangement. The “clothesline” runs through a block on the mooring pennant, to the boat’s bow cleat, and then to a cleat on the dock or shore, and then back to the block on the mooring pennant. You uncleat the line on the dock or shore and pull the boat in when you want to use it. With this unit, you use the winch to do the pulling for you. Doesn’t say what happens if the motor jams on fouled lines. (Anyone up for a swim?) We used to get a lot of seaweed on the line we used for our Soling.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

I don't THINK so!!

 

[Will Gilmore]

I like the idea and it's packaged nicely, but...

If these little guys could just pickup the mooring ball for you.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[markwbird]

Looks fragile. I doubt it would last more than one season. Also, that’s great on calm pond when the moored boat is only 30 ft away. What about a real cove with a boat 300 yds away.​

 

[rgranger]

Looks fragile. I doubt it would last more than one season. Also, that’s great on calm pond when the moored boat is only 30 ft away. What about a real cove with a boat 300 yds away.​

Right ! And six or more boats between yours and shore. How would you run all that chain and not cause problems for other people?

 

[Captain Larry-DH]

Seems like an electric winch for boats that are tied to their moorings with a “clothesline” arrangement. The “clothesline” runs through a block on the mooring pennant, to the boat’s bow cleat, and then to a cleat on the dock or shore, and then back to the block on the mooring pennant. You uncleat the line on the dock or shore and pull the boat in when you want to use it. With this unit, you use the winch to do the pulling for you. Doesn’t say what happens if the motor jams on fouled lines. (Anyone up for a swim?) We used to get a lot of seaweed on the line we used for our Soling.

I think you nailed it, @PaulK . And if the wind is blowing 20+ it would need to overcome hundreds of pounds of wind resistance, not to mention waves several feet high. The “clothesline“ is best powered from shore, if such a method is used at all, IMHO.
I think this concept could only be practical if simplified, and powered from shore, for small boats very close to shore in small well protected coves.

 

[All U Get]

So what happens if a boat passes between the mooring and your dock?

 

[TomY]

I could see that device working handily on countless lakes and inland waters around here. Many have a shoreside swimming/lounging dock and often a smallish mobo a few yards away on a mooring. The ski boat or party barge could be easily brought to the dock for use. Their weather generally isn't much of a concern.

For harbor boats such as most of us use, this would never fly except in rare instances. But the above market is bigger and spends $$$ on plastic docks, swim floats etc. They'll be all over this gizmo.

 

[shemandr]

In the Peconic Bays there are lots of small motor boats on moorings in front of waterfront homes. They are potential customers. Generally they are wading distance from shore. And the boats are beachable. If I understand this the mooring gear on the bottom can be as robust as needed. This is just the buoy. Anyway, home owners could downside their docks which are expensive to maintain and becoming difficult to get permitted. In some areas of the East End they already have small boats which are on a cable that you reel in from shore when you want to use the boat. I wouldn't throw this notion out so fast.

 

[PaulK]

So what happens if a boat passes between the mooring and your dock?

You hope your mooring line is down low enough not to catch in their prop (hence: chain on this marketed mooring tool) and/or that they don’t have cutters on their prop shaft. Many boats moored on “clotheslines” are in little-trafficked areas, or are set up close enough to the owners’ docks (they’re moored off to avoid getting dock rash from constant rubbing) that people don’t tend to go between them.

 

[BarryL]

Hey,

That is super cool. If I had a 15' powerboat with 6" draft that was moored close to shore I'd want one.

For my 36' sailboat with 6' keel that weighs over 10K lbs and is a 1/4 mile from shore, I don't think so.

Barry