How to fasten pennant to mooring chain/boat?

nolamike · #1 (**permalink**) 06-02-2009

First, a confession: i don't have a sail boat, but am trying to moor a 19' powerboat.

So i have a helical mooring anchor, and have been combing this forum for how to properly moor the boat in 6' of water. I ended up getting 9' 1/2" heavy chain and 6' 3/8" light chain, connected with a swivel. My question is how to connect the light chain with my boat. I have some 3 strand 1/2" nylon rope, but don't know the best way to fasten it to both the end of the chain, and the other end to the boat.

CalebD · #2 (**permalink**) 06-02-2009

Consider using a 'swivel' fitting between the two different sized chains.
Also consider using more then 6' of light chain, say 8-10' long to increase the angles involved.
As for attaching a pennant to the mooring chain, you should have a float or ball that you attach your pennant(s) to that may or may not have a metal ring. If you have a ring it is best to splice the line around the ring but it could be tied as well.
As for attaching the pennant to the boat there should be either chocks and a cleat for an anchor line or a bow eye or some way to secure the boat while anchored or docked. Read up on chaffing protection and use two pennants and you should be fine.

nolamike · #3 (**permalink**) 06-03-2009

yeah, i'm using a swivel between the chains. don't want to go too much shorter on the chain, as i'm a bit worried about swing. i guess my question is HOW (as in, what type of knot/connection) to tie the pennant to the chain and boat to keep it from coming loose.

JohnRPollard · #4 (**permalink**) 06-03-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by nolamike

yeah, i'm using a swivel between the chains. don't want to go too much shorter on the chain, as i'm a bit worried about swing. i guess my question is HOW (as in, what type of knot/connection) to tie the pennant to the chain and boat to keep it from coming loose.

NolaMike,

Take a look at this link from Hamilton Marine, which I always find very helpful for visualizing the mooring system.

Generally speaking, you shouldn't be using any knots in the system. On the pennant, you'll want a shackle connection to a spliced-eye.

Although not shown in the Hamilton diagram, you'll want to secure all the shackles in the system with monel seizing wire.

Hope this helps.

JimsCAL · #5 (**permalink**) 06-03-2009

The nylon rope should be made up into a pennant with a spliced loop on the top end to put on your cleat and and a spliced eye and thimble one the other. NO KNOTS!!! A shackle can be used to attach the pennant to the upper chain. You can buy ready made up pennants from Defender (www.defender.com).

sailingdog · #6 (**permalink**) 06-03-2009

Just curious, but how deep is the water at the mooring and are there tides to consider? By the sounds of your setup, the mooring is in water about 6' deep.

As for connecting the boat to the chain, a mooring pennant, like a Polydyne one from Yale is the best way to go. They look like this:

photo courtesy of Hamiltonmarine.com, click to see product page.

As said previously, a heavy shackle connects the eye with thimble to your chain, the eye goes to your boat.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nolamike

First, a confession: i don't have a sail boat, but am trying to moor a 19' powerboat.

So i have a helical mooring anchor, and have been combing this forum for how to properly moor the boat in 6' of water. I ended up getting 9' 1/2" heavy chain and 6' 3/8" light chain, connected with a swivel. My question is how to connect the light chain with my boat. I have some 3 strand 1/2" nylon rope, but don't know the best way to fasten it to both the end of the chain, and the other end to the boat.

nolamike · #7 (**permalink**) 06-03-2009

thanks for the info. that's what i needed to know--looks like i can splice the line myself on a thimble so i can get the length i need. it also looks like my system might be weak at the swivel (jaw to eye, 1/2", either at the top or bottom of my 3/8" light chain). the order that i placed has already shipped, so i have to order a new swivel and a couple of shackles, plus setup a return if i change to an eye-eye type. i'm not sure how an eye-jaw setup is worse, as it seems no weaker than an eye-eye plus a shackle?

Maine Sail · #8 (**permalink**) 06-03-2009

Here's how..

Image courtesy of Hamilton Maine (LINK)

hellosailor · #9 (**permalink**) 06-03-2009

Mike, in many places you are rquired to use a white-with-blue-stripe mooring ball for an kind of mooring float, so check your local regs about that.

And while the proper hardware and attachments are important--so is checking them regularly. They can and will fail in normal use, so it is important to get in the habit of checking them over regularly and replacing them if they don't look 100%.

TaylorC · #10 (**permalink**) 06-03-2009

You have a helix mooring, so you are doing very well so far.

Not mentioned so far is where to attach to the boat.. Some people run to deck mounted cleats or a mooring bit, and then spend a lot of effort trying to reduce the chafe where the line goes on to the boat.

Skip all that and use a ubolt in the bow of the boat. That way the mooring pendant hits nothing before you shackle it to the boat. If you have a 19' power boat, you probably have a bow eye already. Make sure it is backed up well, it would not do to rip it out of the boat. For my sailboat I had to put one in.

I used three strand nylon with a thimbled eye splice and a load rated shackle. Not all stainless shackles are equally strong, look for one with a real load rating. Wichard makes them. Galvanized ones are often rated for a higher load. I had to pick the thimble and shackle so the eyesplice could slide into the shacle.

Nylon is good for the pendant because it reduces shock loading.

BTW - you really want two pendants for full time mooring, I use a primary on the ubolt and and a secondary to a deck cleat, although I'm thinking of adding a second bow eye.