Using a temporary mooring

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

"The bleach bottle idea.. I would put it on a cement block or something, and leave it out. "

How about, put it on a lobstah pot, and check for dinner while you're out there?

Works for me...

[labatt]

The only other things to make sure of is that the mooring you are picking up isn't for a particular size/displacement. Most places are "one size fits all", but Rockland Harbor, for example, has a number of different sized moorings for different sized boats. We didn't realize until we dragged into another boat overnight... "Ahoy!"

[sailingdog]

Labatt-

Ouch.. and D'oh... I'm surprised no one ever told you...

[tenuki]

Attach mooring to stern per other thread about anchor attachment and stability? I'm assuming any reasons not to would also apply to anchoring? Or does the mooring ball, line angles and such change the equation?

[sailingdog]

Tenuki-

that is correct... all a mooring really is, is an anchor of some sort with a permanently attached rode, that you connect your boat to. Scope is generally less of an issue, since the scope should have been set when the mooring was placed. Some mooring anchors, like the Helix Screw anchors, require less scope than others... The three anchors set in an equilateral triangle type mooring also doesn't require all that much scope, since much of the scope is already laid out along the bottom, where the three anchors are joined at a swivel.

[labatt]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Ouch.. and D'oh... I'm surprised no one ever told you...

Oh... we got told.. quite extensively after we dragged

We entered the harbor at dusk in August and the field was almost completely filled. This was a close in mooring right across the channel from the dinghy dock and it was getting pretty dark so we just grabbed it. At around 6am we got the hail from the boat next to us who we lazily drifted in to (no thuds, scratches or anything - we were lucky). After he explained to us the system, we quickly moved to another mooring in the field that was sized correctly.

An hour later, the guy from the "rental" company that owned the mooring came out and yelled at us for not calling the number on the mooring the night before. We quickly tried to explain that we moved there only an hour earlier but he didn't care. We ended up paying for two moorings that morning - the original one plus a little (since we didn't want to cheat the guy who owned the original mooring and he would have to reset it) and the one we were on for 3 or so hours (it was easier than dealing with a pissed off mooring owner).

I do love Rockland though. I can't remember the name of the hotel that's across from the police station, but the restaurant there has awesome steamers and chowder. Also, that food stand in the parking lot at the dinghy dock has great lobster rolls! Why does it seem that most of my favorite cruising spots seem to be ranked based on the quality of food available???

[sailingdog]

LOL... I bet you were told... and in not such polite language..

I do love Rockland though. I can't remember the name of the hotel that's across from the police station, but the restaurant there has awesome steamers and chowder. Also, that food stand in the parking lot at the dinghy dock has great lobster rolls! Why does it seem that most of my favorite cruising spots seem to be ranked based on the quality of food available???

Can you see your toes without bending over... no??? then that might explain it...

[burlesque]

Take a long, heavy line Attach one end to a cleat coil the remainder, hanging on to the end. When near enough, lasso the buoy - the line will sink, looped around the mooring chain. Haul in and make fast at your leisure. Can even be done from the cockpit. In strong winds/currents or if there is still way on the boat you can lose your boathook too easily. Under sail always pick up a buoy when it's on on the windward side or you risk a gybe!