Mooring Whips?

[JustSomeGuyinDC]

I just rented out a private pier. Unfortunatly the slip does not fit my beam. I am thinking about getting mooring whips to install on opposite side but know nothing about them. Any thoughts?

[SVPrairieRose]

I am not sure I understand the situation. You have a slip, you intend to tie on one side. What are the whips for?

[JustSomeGuyinDC]

Originally Posted by SVPrairieRose

I am not sure I understand the situation. You have a slip, you intend to tie on one side. What are the whips for?

the pier's slip will not fit my boat, but the other side is free (No pilings that restrict my beam size). The pier comes at a fantastic price so I didn't want to pass it up. Originally I was thinking I would just put up a fender but have heard some horror stories. A friend suggested getting mooring whips, but I don't know anything about them...reliability etc. I don't know if there is a better/cheaper alternative to tie up my boat. I have a 30ft Catalina and whips cost between $700-1,000

[SVPrairieRose]

Whips are expensive and they can fail. However although my own experiences with them have been poor, many people use them. What I would suggest is setting up an anchor of some kind on the windward side of the dock, outside of your boat. Bring your boat in and tie it to the dock with your lines slack and then use the anchor to hold yourself off the dock. I would still use fenders but this system works well for the two boats on the outside fingers at my marina.

[JustSomeGuyinDC]

Originally Posted by SVPrairieRose

Whips are expensive and they can fail. However although my own experiences with them have been poor, many people use them. What I would suggest is setting up an anchor of some kind on the windward side of the dock, outside of your boat. Bring your boat in and tie it to the dock with your lines slack and then use the anchor to hold yourself off the dock. I would still use fenders but this system works well for the two boats on the outside fingers at my marina.

That makes sense. Maybe I should try setting out some ground tackle first and see how it works. Thanks!

[SVPrairieRose]

Good luck. Try tying some cannon balls to the lines, their weight will act as a shock absorber.

[SecondWindNC]

I don't think I would use whips for docking a sailboat that size as a long-term solution.

I've used the whips to tie up a 20-foot runabout during the day, or maybe for a weekend at the most, but if we weren't going to be using the boat within a day or two, we put it in the lift. Even then, we decided we didn't really like them and took them down;we tie up alongside with fenders when the boat's not in the lift.

[BlueWaterMD]

I have used mooring whips on my 21ft fishing boat back in NJ for close to 20 years and never had a problem. The boat is docked on the bay and we do get a significant amount of chop especially in the summer. They have been through some fairly heavy storms and never failed. That being said my boat probably only weighs about 3000 pounds. They might work if your dock is sheltered, and water is usually calm. If not I might be worried.

The other thing to consider is if they are even compatable w/ a sailboat. The whips hang over the boat, and when the water gets rough they move and bend with the motion of the boat. I think this may be a problem w/ the sailboat rigging. I can see them wither getting caught up in the rigging or banging against it (either damaging the whips or rigging)

[southshoreS24]

i use whips for my 24' but its in a nice protected canal and all i have to really worry about is the tide and the wind pushing the boat against the dock, not really any wake or chop problems. They work well, and worked well on a 34'; fly-bridge previously. in a more open spot i do not know if they would work as well but it is one more thing to give you a small piece of mind. As mentioned above they do get caught in the rigging when docking or embarking. Not as much of a problem when there is some one else on the boat to work with a forward spring to pivot off of but can get in the way when single handed.

depending on how protected this spot is they could be an option. if you have the room a anchor/mooring could be a better option to keep you of of the dock. Also pay attention to the prevailing winds for each season as tey could either help you greatly or throw you against the dock for days at a time.

[tweitz]

I have used whips on my 33 foot sloop for about 4 years and they are excellent. We are in a pretty sheltered spot from the waves, but can get some considerable winds. I use them because we do not have a floating dock and I need to adjust for tide range, and because the vertical pilings push vertical fenders out of the way. I have used a fenderboard before, but the whips are terrific. I only once had a problem where the whip broke, and the manufacturer immediately shipped me a new one for free. he explained to me that the problem was caused by twist. The whips can take enormous compression, but they are vulnerable to twist if you let the boat move much fore and aft. I have been very satisfied. I got my whips from mooringproducts.com (no affiliation, just a satisfied customer).