Placing My Own Mooring ?

[flatlander]

My boat spent all last summer on a 400 lb mooring, which I own. At the end of the summer I paid someone to remove the mooring, and I was planning on paying to have the mooring placed again in the spring. However, I've been thinking... Does anyone know much force there is on the main sheet while sailing? Can I use the boom as a hoist for the mooring and just push the boom over the side and drop the mooring? Don't people do this sometimes to remove or install engines?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

[SkiprJohn]

Your main halyard should handle the load if it is good condition. Consider the blocks an fittings at the top of the mast too. Make certain that the attachment point on your boom is in line with what you use to pick up your mooring. Sometimes the load will be larger if your mooring is buried in mud and it may not break free without a lot more strain. Be very cautious and pick a calm day.
Good luck.
kind regards,

[flatlander]

Just to be sure I'm understanding you correctly, are you suggesting that I attach the main halyard to the clew end of the boom, cleat off the other end, then use the main sheet and blocks to hoist and lower the mooring? Or are you saying that I should just use the main halyard and the halyard winch on the mast to hoist and lower the mooring? Also, If I have 400 lbs plus chain hanging directly off the beam, how far do you think the boat will heel? Not far enough to dunk the boom in the water I hope.

[Blue Stocking]

Put 40gals of water in your dinghy, boom it out abeam, and try to lift it out with your mainsheet. Let us know what you observe.

[flatlander]

Good thinking. I'll try that. Thanks.

[sww914]

I've thought and talked this through because I plan to remove my dead engine this way, it's about 650#. You can attach the main halyard to the boom as a topping lift and use the mainsheet as a winch to lift and lower the block. Your boat will probably heel as much as if there were 4-5 people sitting on the rail.
I plan to use 2 halyards to support the boom, one just for the weight and another for a safety, I don't want to drop the engine through the boat.
If you do this you will need a longer mainsheet. If you're in 30 feet of water and you have a 4:1 purchase you'll need more than 120 feet of main sheet to reach the bottom and I doubt that it's that long now.
The guy who's selling me his recently removed engine was able to pull it out using this method on a boat that is similar in size to mine and not much bigger than yours.

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by sww914

I've thought and talked this through because I plan to remove my dead engine this way, it's about 650#. You can attach the main halyard to the boom as a topping lift and use the mainsheet as a winch to lift and lower the block. Your boat will probably heel as much as if there were 4-5 people sitting on the rail.
I plan to use 2 halyards to support the boom, one just for the weight and another for a safety, I don't want to drop the engine through the boat.
If you do this you will need a longer mainsheet. If you're in 30 feet of water and you have a 4:1 purchase you'll need more than 120 feet of main sheet to reach the bottom and I doubt that it's that long now.
The guy who's selling me his recently removed engine was able to pull it out using this method on a boat that is similar in size to mine and not much bigger than yours.

---and rig a control line from the boom end to a centerline or stern cleat to check the swing.
I can tell you where there is a new W35 sitting in 60ft of water, because it got away from the owner using this method.

[barnakiel]

Just make sure the boat has the stability to handle the mooring while the boom is over the side.

b.

[callmecrazy]

and rig up a quick release so you can drop the whole thing (in the water of course), if it all goes south.

[Wand]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

Sometimes the load will be larger if your mooring is buried in mud and it may not break free without a lot more strain.

The above is important advice to take into calculations. It's not just the weight of the mooring gear that holds you; it's the relationship it develops with the bottom that counts and that determines the apparant weight when lifting.

With the mud bottom we have here, the mooring weight resists removal like you wouldn't believe. That's especially so with the train wheel rims I use; a concrete etc lump would be easier.

Our mooring barge can seriously drop its nose until the weight breaks free, and then the actual weights are a doddle. It's hard to estimate the apparant weight before breaking free but, depending on what you've got, maybe allow up to double...

[Geoduck]

What ever you do - BREAK IT LOOSE FROM THE BOTTOM BEFORE YOU TRY TO LIFT IT WITH A HALYARD!!!!!!

[sww914]

Yeah, no kidding guys. The last time I had my old mooring serviced it was 50' deep but the water was only 30'. 20' of sand over the top of it and it took the barge 6 hours to get it to suck out of the sand.

[capngeo]

So maybe us Sutherern folks are dummies... but we use plain old buoyancy in the form of poly barrels filled with air to move moorings. about 300# per barrel.... just sayin'

[SkiprJohn]

And Capngeo has a great idea for an alternative as to what you want to do. Would save a lot of strain on your rigging.
kind regards,

[sww914]

Originally Posted by capngeo

So maybe us Sutherern folks are dummies... but we use plain old buoyancy in the form of poly barrels filled with air to move moorings. about 300# per barrel.... just sayin'

Y'all ain't stupid, it's just us yankees assumin'.