Mooring

RobGallagher · #1 (**permalink**) 02-02-2002

This is my first sailboat. It is a ''72 C&C 30 MK1, fin keel, draft 5 feet (I was told), displacement weight 8000 lbs.

I am ASS U ME ing that I should have at least 6 feet of water under my boat at Low Low tide. Is this correct?

Most marinas have told me that a 250lb mooring is enough to hold my boat. Is this correct?

At the Providence boat show I saw "Mushroom Moorings" made from scrap train wheels. They are 550 & 1000 lbs. Also very cheap! Is this a good alternative to a standard mushroom mooring if I am to put out my own mooring (I have water access).

Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks

BigRed56 · #2 (**permalink**) 02-03-2002

Ahoy , anchor happy urchian, All depends on the type of bottom and how much wind and windage force you could expect in a worse case or prevailing conditions. 1000 lbs? How the heck ye gonna get it out there? Hell anything that big you could start a Marina. As for yer draft depends how you feel about being a ground at low tide? Big Red 56 the Pirate

RobGallagher · #3 (**permalink**) 02-03-2002

Big Red,
I am concerened about the fin keel resting on the bottom. weight on the aft end of a swept back keel can act as a lever against the hull.

As for "getting it out there" there are boats that deliver mooring anchors for a fee. How did you think they got out there, the Mooring Fairy?

BigRed56 · #4 (**permalink**) 02-03-2002

Ahoy, Rob, aye as well ye should be on the keel situatuion. I sometimes forget owning a tank of a boat spoils me. I still think 500 lbs is more than adequate but bigger is always better if you got the money. Plunk em both on the bottom. The Pirate.

RobGallagher · #5 (**permalink**) 02-03-2002

LoL I think 500lb is enough, I just wanted other opinions concerning the shape of the mooring (ie: train wheel). As we know it''s both the shape and the weight that hold the boat. If I had the money I would be on a slip with A.C. and bikini''s polishing my topsides daily. Well it''s sunday and some of us have to work for a living.
Have a nice day,

Snap · #6 (**permalink**) 02-03-2002

I agree with BRLVI, bigger is always better in the case of securing your boat to the bottom. FWIW I''d go with the 1000 pounder figuring that, like most folks that get bitten by the "bug", you''ll soon be upgrading your boat to another, and another and another; seems they always get bigger too.

JEFryar · #7 (**permalink**) 02-03-2002

Pob,
Let''s do some math...
The 250 lb mushroom properly set in sand or mud will by design hold about 3x its out of water weight. So your shoice of 250 x 3 equales 750lbs. Do you feel this is adequate?
With a mushroom it is the scope that essentially governs the holding power. If the chain at the mushroom''s eye allows it to raise only 7 degrees, the holding power will only equal the mushroom''s dry weight.
My choice for a private mooring would be a Helix. Testing of these has shown breakout forces of 20,000 lbs. Check it out at helixmooringsystems.com
Safe Sailing on the new vessel. JEF

hamiam · #8 (**permalink**) 02-05-2002

On the depth: One foot between the bottom of your keel and the bottom of the ocean is not going to cut it. Even a fully buried mushroom type mooring will stick out from the seafloor in excess of one foot. Rocks, dragging, etc. would all also point to the need to have several feet of water to float in.

On the Mooring Type: You need to check with both your local harbor master and your insurance company. While people have used old engine blocks and the like, many harbor masters and insurance companies will not allow it. I would limit your choices to a metal mushroom, a concrete block, a Dormor, or a Helix system. The mushroom shape and the Dormor shape are specifically designed to bury themselves in the sea floor thus offering more holding power than their weight alone.

On the Mooring Weight: Heavier is always better. For your boat Newport would require a 300# mushroom. A Dormor of the same weight would offer considerably more holding power.
If you even trade up in boat size you will need a larger mooring anyway. Make sure you invest in chain and hardware of appropriate size as well as chafing gear.

Good luck.

paulk · #9 (**permalink**) 02-05-2002

One foot of clearance sounds a bit tight. Can you guarantee that there won''t be any waves more than 1'' high going through the mooring field? No Donzis idling by with a 3'' surge following them? Mean Low Water is what your 7th grade Math teacher was talking about, too. The ACTUAL low water depth may vary from the mean by a foot or more, depending upon where you are and weather conditions. If the mud where you are is really soft, and you don''t swing (we moor bow & stern), it might work, but I have doubts. Talk to other people in the harbor and see what works for them, too.

RobGallagher · #10 (**permalink**) 02-06-2002

I have found a spot with 7 feet of water, and the tide range is about 2 feet. I don''t think this is enough for a 5 foot keel. Thanks for all your input. I guess I''ll be renting a mooring. More overtime this winter..lol