getting a mooring

[smallboatlover]

this might be a lot but it's what i gotta say and need answered so thanks,

so i have a 16' sailboat with a drop center board. i just got a mooring from a friend for free. it's all ok and every thing the question's i had it how to hook the boat to the mooring seeing i don't have any cleats on the boat for that purpose. also should i leave the sails on the boat or take them off every time, or get sail covers? what to do with the sails? also i was planning on mooring the boat in about 3-4 feat of water at low tide or put the mooring 19' seeing it's a 16' sailboat. so what should i do please help with any advise or comments

[rikhall]

You ask some good and honest questions. There may be "mooring experts" who will give more advice, but this is what I would probably do.

More information might also change the answers:

• do you drive or do you need public transportation to get to teh boat,
• is there a club house with lockers where you can store things such as PFDs, sails, emergency equipment,
• how safe from the weather is the mooring,
• how safe from marauding "pirates" is the mooring

OK - given what you told us:

I would not store the sails on board without a sail cover for the main and a sail bag for the jib.

Me, I would probably install a proper eye at the bow with a proper backing plate. Or, do you have one already and not know it?

For me, 4 feet of water or 40 make little difference, but four feet would be a lot easier to set up, in my opinion.

I hope my thoughts help and congratulations upon entering a lifetime of enjoyment!

Rik

[JimsCAL]

Some more details would be helpful. What kind of mooing is it? Mushroom? Something else? Weight? Chain and swivel? Ball and pickup?

You certainly need chocks at the bow and a decent cleat to attach the pennant. And you either need sail covers or remove the sails each time or the sun will destroy them in short order.

[CalebD]

I had a 19' Lightning on a mooring for a few years. I had to install a bow eye with a hunk of 2" x 3" shaped to backup the installation. I always took the sails down and put them in their bags and stowed the sails under the fore deck - unless I was going to use it the next day and the weather was stable when I'd only remove the jib and roll up the main on the boom.
As JimsCAL said the sun will degrade the sails quickly if they are left out.

[smallboatlover]

the mooring is a 100 lb mushroom and a inch and half 8' chain with a 8' rope with a small plastic pick up stick for top

[JimsCAL]

Mushroom at 100 lb is OK for a protected mooring area. For moderately exposed, I would want 150 lb. Doubt the chain is inch and half. Chain size is the diameter of the rod the links are made. More likely 5/16 or 3/8 inch. Length of 8 feet is too short, even for the shallow water you mentioned. Normally you have two lengths of chain with a swivel in the connection between the two. Each length should be a a bit longer than the depth at high tide. The swivel is needed to prevent the chain from twisting and kinking.

See this link for more info.

Whats needed for your Boat Mooring --

[smallboatlover]

this mooring has bin use before as is. it is protected and the boat will be pulled when a chance of a storm. it's some pretty big chain could be about 7\8ths or more at least. than there is rope i didn't think i need chain to the surface just rope.

[CalebD]

This is a representative example of the Mistral 16': Mistral 16 sailboat for sale

We need to know what the expected tidal range is where you plan to put this mooring before commenting on your mooring tackle.
We also need to know how hefty the 8' of chain is that you say is about 7/8" and a picture might help. Maybe adding a short length of smaller chain links, say 10' of like 3/8" or 1/2" chain before the lines or pennants begin that attach to your boat. There is a word called 'catenary' ( Catenary - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ) which explains why chain is an important component in your ground tackle. You don't really want only very heavy chain to hold your boat down; you want a chain that is light enough for your boat to pull up into a catenary so it can take the periodic strains of strong winds and waves.

[JoeDiver]

Originally Posted by CalebD

This is a representative example of the Mistral 16': Mistral 16 sailboat for sale

That's a really nice little day sailor....someone got a good deal.

[smallboatlover]

i put the mooring in. i rowed out on my row boat with the mushroom droped it were i wanted it. than tipped it on it's side and tried to drag it with the row boat atleast to tip it over and set it. i have 8' of 7\8ths rope atached to the chain to then a ski tow rope that has two clips on it and a eye so i could connect it to the rope that's connected to the chain. than i attached the pick up stick to the tow rope that is my connection from the boat to the mooring and let he pick up stick go and that was it. plan on putting the boat on the mooring tommaro.