[CBinRI]

Last summer I moved to a mooring in an area where the current and the wind often went against each other and as a result the mooring ball would end up banging and scraping against my hull leaving blue paint on my white hull. Is anyone aware of where I can find a soft cover made to cover a hard mooring ball? I'm thinking that I can't be the only one with this problem but I haven't found anything yet.

 

[sailingdog]

How big is the mooring ball??

 

[CBinRI]

Have to admit that I don't know how big it is in terms of inches or feet but it is one of the big blue and white ones.

 

[CBinRI]

Bumping my own thread in a last-ditch effort. Thanks in advance for any leads.

 

[DrB]

I think it will be worse.....

with a cover. Sure you will deaden the sound, but any type of fleece, terry cloth, or other fabric or cover material will eventually trap dirt and grime and may ultimately scratch your hull. I would also think that a cover would be infested with growth pretty quickly and that growth may contain barnacles and other non-soft critters.

DrB

 

[Maine Sail]

A cover

A cover would be worse as it would pick up floating crap which would then get baked in by the sun and then scratch the heck out of your boat.

The best thing to do is to buy a soft mooring ball like a Polyform or Scanmarin with below the ball connections and paint the blue stripe with specific float paint and paint the stripe in a location that the paint won't come into contact with the ball.

From there on clean the ball once a month with Mary Kate Inflatable Boat cleaner and you'll be fine. My hull is Awlgrip and my boat/boats have been on moorings for over 30 years with no problems/scratches.

 

[Deadeye]

Just a thought...you know the stretchy plastic netting they use to protect machined stuff and produce like melons and apples ?

That must be available in industrial quantities and sizes. You could buy a roll of it and cut disposable 'slipcovers' that you change for a fresh one when you pick up the buoy.

It's gotta be soft enough not to scratch the fruit...

 

[sailortjk1]

Often times we use swimming noodles.<O</O
Like this....

<V</V
<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:shape id=_x0000_i1025 style="WIDTH: 768pt; HEIGHT: 8in" alt="" type="#_x0000_t75"><v:imagedata o:href="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u224/sailortjk1/CIMG0098.jpg" src="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/tklaff/LOCALS~1/Temp/msoclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg"></v:imagedata></v:shape>
<O</OPhoto courtesy of Dennis K.<O</O
<O</O

Maine Sail suggested a different type mooring ball, but that may not always be possible. If you are like me, you are in a Government run Marina. They set the moorings and the type of ball and your not going to change that. Something along this lines might be an option for you. I'm not saying it's the perfect solution, but I think it better than the boat knocking against the can.
<O</O
<O</O
I have a buddy that makes these up. If you don't like the plastic tie straps, you can use light line to tie on the noodles.<O</O

 

[pdqaltair]

The apearance of the ball (blue/white) is often state regulation....

Often times we use swimming noodles.<O</O
Like this....

<V</V
<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:shape id=_x0000_i1025 style="WIDTH: 768pt; HEIGHT: 8in" alt="" type="#_x0000_t75"><v:imagedata o:href="http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u224/sailortjk1/CIMG0098.jpg" src="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/tklaff/LOCALS~1/Temp/msoclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg"></v:imagedata></v:shape>
<O</OPhoto courtesy of Dennis K.<O</O
<O</O

Maine Sail suggested a different type mooring ball, but that may not always be possible. If you are like me, you are in a Government run Marina. They set the moorings and the type of ball and your not going to change that. Something along this lines might be an option for you. I'm not saying it's the perfect solution, but I think it better than the boat knocking against the can.
<O</O
<O</O
I have a buddy that makes these up. If you don't like the plastic tie straps, you can use light line to tie on the noodles.<O</O

And you cannot cover it. I knew a guy that got a warning for that in MD.

So, now he uses one of the fiberglass moring whips to keep the ball away. It looks pretty funny and it's anoying, but it works. Sort of like a really lame bowsprit with a secondary light-weight pendant.

 

[sailortjk1]

The apearance of the ball (blue/white) is often state regulation....

Funny how different parts of the country have different policies.
It would never even be questioned in my neck of the woods.

 

[CBinRI]

Thanks for all the tips.