Metal Mooring Attachment-no pick up

[PhoenixTheCat]

I have been searching the posts, but haven't found anything. In the Caribbean, notably French islands (not exclusively) we have encountered metal only connections at the top of their new mooring balls. The problem is they are already corroded. Even with our mooring lines centered and as tight as 2 older people can reasonably get them we've sawed through 2 relatively new pairs of lines in one evening. These are in areas where anchoring is prohibited. What is the solution to connect the lines to this metal ball without help or a pennant and be safe from chafe overnight especially in higher winds or high current areas? We can't afford to go through lines every night nor do we keep that many spares. Help! (Picture is the metal type we've been seeing- they do not come out of the water).

[Chotu]

You have a shackle or similar on board? Get a shackle on there and then pass the line through your smooth shackle.

[PhoenixTheCat]

So the load of the entire boat is on that shackle correct? If so how oversized should it be? Will that hold up with high winds? Finally one of us will need to be at the helm and the other goes off the boat in the dink? I keep thinking we've missed something but we continue to encounter them and always need help.

[dhenline]

with no experience what so ever
I may believe that a permanent "carabiner to a line" is then clipped to the metal ring.
Clipping it on wont be too difficult but getting it off would likely require some effort and likely the use of the dingy.
someone must know what to do with this
dwh

[Zanshin]

LOL, I just came from the Iles des Saintes, where they use these moorings. The visiting non-french boats always have problems picking these up. Those French moorings are almost indestructible, much more secure than anything you'll see in places like the USVI and BVI. The problem is that there is very little slack and I can't lift it high enough from my bow to get two lines through. The usual method for boats with too much freeboard is to reverse in and pick up the mooring aft, then walk it forward.

What I usually do is get someone in a dinghy to help me, and when I see a non-French boat come in I'll get in my dinghy to help.

Unlike the US moorings, these are meant to be on a very short leash, best if mooring ball itself lies on the hull. That way, when the wind dies at night, there's no thudding because the ball is already touching the hull.

There are nifty hooking systems you can get in Europe for these moorings - and when googling for an image I found that West Marine sells them too, Mooring pickup

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by PhoenixTheCat

So the load of the entire boat is on that shackle correct? If so how oversized should it be? Will that hold up with high winds? Finally one of us will need to be at the helm and the other goes off the boat in the dink? I keep thinking we've missed something but we continue to encounter them and always need help.

The carabiner sounds even better. As long as it’s rated properly.

But the shackle should be the same size as the one on your anchor.

If you are being very very careful about it and doing things perfectly, a little Monel seizing wire through the shackle just like on the anchor would be good as well.

I only suggested solution because I figured you might have something like that on board already.

For the logistics, I could even do this single handed. And so you can easily do this as a couple.

Put a line through the mooring first like you have been. To hold the boat. Get off using the dinghy and go around to the morning. Put your Shackle on the morning.

Put a second line or however you want to configure it with your bridle through your shackle. Now disconnect the original line.

[PhoenixTheCat]

Thank you. The Saints were one of those areas- we were able to anchor. We're in a FP 44 Catamaran so the freeboard and not being able to put it on the hull take it to level 2. Thank you for the link we did acquire one of those recently after this difficulty. Now if we could "save the lines!" We will be heading back up after hurricane season in Grenada so we have time to figure this out.

[Zanshin]

@PhoenixTheCat - the only place to anchor in the Saintes is pretty open to wind and waves, between the main dock and Pain de Sucre (where I usually moor). One used to be able to anchor at Pain de Sucre, but they put in mooring balls now. While moored there last week, I helped 2 boats pick up their mooring; they would not have made themselves without re-thinking their strategy.

@Chotu - the only thing that I can think of that is more dangerous than shackling oneself to a mooring is to add Monel seizing wire!

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

@PhoenixTheCat - the only place to anchor in the Saintes is pretty open to wind and waves, between the main dock and Pain de Sucre (where I usually moor). One used to be able to anchor at Pain de Sucre, but they put in mooring balls now. While moored there last week, I helped 2 boats pick up their mooring; they would not have made themselves without re-thinking their strategy.

@Chotu - the only thing that I can think of that is more dangerous than shackling oneself to a mooring is to add Monel seizing wire!

Better than breaking free at night from chafe.

They were looking for a solution to a problem of the chafe. Just provided one.

I have no idea why you would say that it is dangerous at all. Why is that?

[JPA Cate]

For PhoenixTheCat: Don't know if your line was 3 strand or double braid, but look on You Tube for end to end splices, and maybe you can save your line.

[wsmurdoch]

We ran into steel ring mooring buoys in Ft Myers Beach years ago and were like you stumped. I bought one like these https://e-rigging.com/products/stain...39925933146185 . The pennant goes in the metal eye and the pointy end of the mooring hook goes in the wire eye. We can put it on and take it off the buoy ring with the mooring hook from the bow.

[Zanshin]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Better than breaking free at night from chafe.

They were looking for a solution to a problem of the chafe. Just provided one.

I have no idea why you would say that it is dangerous at all. Why is that?

A mooring is a temporary attachment, meant to be released at any time, from aboard the boat. That isn't possible when a shackle is used, and one secured with Monel is even more permanent. So if one needs to depart in a hurry the only option is drop the line. And loose lines in the water are not a good thing.

A shackled connection to a mooring is metal-on-metal. So you are abrading an expensive piece of mooring kit, at no cost to yourself. That is generally frowned upon by mooring operators.

There's no chafe possible on this type of mooring if used correctly. Attach 2 lines, each line going back to the same cleat/hawsehole. Yes, it is more work because this does involve swimming or dinghying to attach the second line. But there's only an issue of chafe if one line is used, and that one line is attached port and starboard to the boat. That isn't a construction or design error, it's a user error.

[Tin Tin]

There are couple of models of boat hook mooring threaders that allow you to connect to mooring ball rings or dock cleats etc and thread the line through, we bought one in a chandler Martinique, not cheap though, but means no need for a dinghy.

As noted in above post connect a two mooring lines, one to port and one to starboard forward cleats. Attach loose end of one line (say port) to the hook, thread the line through the mooring eye and back to the port cleat, running around the outside of the bow, pull in tight and secure. Then take your time and do the other side. Then adjust both lines.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

A mooring is a temporary attachment, meant to be released at any time, from aboard the boat. That isn't possible when a shackle is used, and one secured with Monel is even more permanent. So if one needs to depart in a hurry the only option is drop the line. And loose lines in the water are not a good thing.

A shackled connection to a mooring is metal-on-metal. So you are abrading an expensive piece of mooring kit, at no cost to yourself. That is generally frowned upon by mooring operators.

There's no chafe possible on this type of mooring if used correctly. Attach 2 lines, each line going back to the same cleat/hawsehole. Yes, it is more work because this does involve swimming or dinghying to attach the second line. But there's only an issue of chafe if one line is used, and that one line is attached port and starboard to the boat. That isn't a construction or design error, it's a user error.

Just drop it from the bow if you need to leave in a hurry?

I can’t imagine what you are picturing.

In my suggestion, you are essentially just putting your own pendant on a mooring doing this. I can’t picture what’s in your imagination here.

If you want to get off the mooring in some emergency, just uncleat it from the bow and go.

Significantly faster than pulling up an anchor and leaving. It would be instantaneous.

You’re not supposed to just use one. My suggestion to use one line. The same type of mooring exists on the East Coast somewhere. I have used them several times. My suggestion to use one was to steady the boat while you get that shackle on there.

Not to mention, maybe it would be helpful to them to use things that are already on the boat like a shackle. Instead of having them go to West Marine which does not exist where they are?

Throughout the rest of the world, nearly every moooring has a line dropped next to it. That’s what you use to get the morning. The pendant. You stick your boat hooked down and grab that line and get it on the boat. So I really don’t see a problem with sticking one on there yourself.

I definitely don’t see how it can be the most dangerous thing in the world. Lol

[Zanshin]

While I never said that using a shackle and Monel wiring it shut was the most dangerous thing in the world, and that you are using your American referents to address Caribbean issues, we'll just have to agree to disagree.