Taming a mooring bouy

[David W]

While on vacation this summer we had occasion to use moorings for several nights. On very calm nights we were kept awake by the sound of the mooring bouy banging into the hull.I did not have anything on board to use as a bumper and could not figure out a way to keep the bouy away from the hull.Anyone have a solution?ThanksDavid

 

[John]

Mooring buoy

I also would like an answer. I have the same problem and even worse find that in time the ball damages the gelcoat and waterline paint. I have looked around and not found anyone who has an answer.

 

[Rick Webb]

What if?

You ran a pennant bridle through pieces of PVC pipe?

 

[Paul Akers]

On the mooring Bouy

I have found in the past that if you shorten the pennant while attached to the mooring, that you may be OK to some extent.

 

[Steve]

I use a noodle . . .

. . . on my mooring pendant. I took one of those foam noodles that people use in pools (one with a hole down the middle) and cut a split along its entire length. I slip the noodle over the pendant, positioning it near the bouy and either use zip ties or small bungee cords to secure in onto the pendant. The noodle acts as a "stiff arm" and usually (but not always) keeps the bouy away from the hull. It also keeps it from tangling in the mooring chain and makes the pendant easier to pick-up.

 

[Dick of Sylvan]

Bumper Moorings

David: We had the same problem at Cypress Head (off Cypress Island in nearby USA) last fall. The irregular wind worked against the changing tidal current and our C 22 played "bumper car" with the mooring all night. This spring we were able to stay at your Sidney Marina which is wonderful! Also the moorings at Montegue gave us no problem, nor did anchoring at Winter Cove. So maybe its best just to stay away from the troublesome mooring sites. Douglas's guide had warned us of the currents at Cypress Head, so there is some help available. Dick

 

[David W]

Pool noodle is a god idea

I was thinking of some sort of arm to hold the bouy away from the boat...Thanks for the compliments Dick, we are quite proud of where we live!D.

 

[tomfoolery]

Hi David

Do you agree that the new Federal Park Bouys (can shaped) are even worse for banging than the old Provincial Park cone buoys? With the Cone buoys you could drop an inflated inner tube over the cone and it would act like a bumper, but I don't think that would work with the new can shape. I like the standoff arm idea. Best bet is use your anchor and forget the $10 mooring fee Hope the Crown reno is going well.Tom (Your Cat 30 neighbour)

 

[Seattle Scott]

Thought about this while at Cypress Head

one night while listening to buoy smack the hull two feet from by head, after going on deck about 6 times shortening and lengthing and moving the pendant around the boat and watching the guy on the next buoy doing the same things.. Still don't have an answer!

 

[Wayne]

Just an idea

I can only assume you have no tidal currents, hense the fact the buoy taps on the hull. Why don't you have a small anchor out the back. What I would do is approach the mooring and when your say 30 yards drop a small stern anchor, run up to the mooring and hookup and then pull the stern back. Another way is to hookup to the mooring and have a bit of slack rope, then tie another rope to the stern and tie that off about 5 feet from the buoy. We don't have that problem here because of the tides, I hope Im on the right track with your problem.

 

[Windwalker]

I've thought about this too..

On several occasions while the wind & current opposed each other (all over the San Juans, Cypress head too!). All that banging, picturing my gelcoat getting dinged...Ugh. So I have an idea, but haven't gotten the gumption to do it. What you want is an inverted Cone pad. Cut a circle with 1/4 pie peice out of an old closed foam camping pad, put velcro on the straight "pie" sides so you can bring them together around your'e pendant so it makes a cone shape & hangs over the bouy & voila! The venerable bouy pad! Enjoy!

 

[David W]

I ended up dropping a stern anchor

we were at a mooring close to shore so I just dropped an 8 lb close to shore and made it fast toa stern cleat, worked well actually.I would hesitate to do that in the middle of the mooring field however... lots of dinghy traffic etc. the rode is likely to end up wrapped on an outboard prop.We generally anchor out but that means we have a long row to shore as the bouys are placed in the prime locations. Have thought about a tiny outboard for the Walker Bay 8 but seems like an expensive answer to the question...Hmmm

 

[John]

Taming a mooring buoy

My boat is in a crowded field all season on the same buoy. It bangs against the boat all the time and as I have said damages the gel goat and waterlline boot stripe. Other than the "noodle" which may "disappear" in short order there must be another way to solve this.

 

[JC on Bainbridge]

How about clear or reinforced water hose?

Along the line of a noodle.... but should last longer, and more rigid.If you tie a line from each side of the bow to the bouy, and each line is through a length of semi-rigid water hose, I wonder if that would be enough to keep the bouy away from the hull.This may work especially if the water hose is long enough and are lashed together at the bouy end, and snug at the boat cleat's end. This will form a semi-rigid triangle.

 

[StuartCasteel]

Shock Absorber Bouy

I have a permenant mooring in Lower Harbor in Marquette MI. I started with a 2400lb. block then 10' of chain, then a swivel, then 8' of chain. This fastens to the bottom of a Jim Bouy.This is the important part.-- I added 2 more feet of chain off the bottom of the bouy and then attached a short Pennent (5'), this acts as a shock absorber. I have not had the bouy touch my boat yet.Stu