Mooring Ball Connection Question

[shavdog]

I live on an inland lake and put my typhoon on a mooring ball in 8 ft of water in front on the house...the 1500 pounds of concrete were there so thats what I'm using..it has heavy chain, a swivel, and lighter chain to the ball...I'm not sure of the connection from the two boat lines to the chain...I initially put the two lines to a schakle connected to the chain...well, yesterday we had 50 mph winds all day and this morning when I looked out one line was broken...it frayed at the schakle and broke..I was using twisted 1/2 inch anchoring line with 5/8new rubber snubbers...the boat was really moving around especially up and down at the bow...my question is what kind of connection should there be at the point where the chain and boat lines connect...I saw a metal thimble in marine west catalog I could add...for now, we took a mooring line chafe kit of leather and put a piece where the line goes off the boat at the bow and we also put a piece where the line goes thru the schakle....instead of the twisted line i used a baided dock line with more strength...i think my two potential problem areas are where the boat lines exit the boat and the connection area for rope and chain...any suggestions..thanks...craig...

[Maine Sail]

This is the preferred method up here in Maine and this method has been thoroughly tested in very harsh year round conditions on our off shore islands..



The new "through the ball" connections have NOT worked well up here and the lines constantly tangle and get caught under the balls, My neighbors boat had the lines tangled, just this morning, in 18-30+ knot NW wind and the lines are and were severely chafing on the chain! i tried to fix it for him but it was gusting to hard for me to do much from the dink and he had about two full wraps..

I snapped a photo this morning but will need to upload it before I can post it here..

Edit: I uploaded it!

[Mark Yashinsky]

A second pendant, that is completely indendant from the first pendant should go from teh boat to swivel (not the shackle used by the first pendant!). Both MUST have METAL thimbles on them. Galvanized parts will quickly get a rough corrosion layer on them and any line will abrade, as the line is pulled against and slides along this rough surface.
Use both pendant lines, to different cleats, if possible. I have seen some add a third, longer pendant line, that normally has no load on it, as a safety line.
When was the anchor and chain last inspected?

[Maine Sail]

Just to add to what mark said.

#1 Off the top of the of the swivel there should be two pendants each with their own shackle. My pendants are laced or seized together, so the shackles don't get twisted and interfere with each other and so they keep the same directional pull angle ALWAYS!.

#2 The two pendants are laced or seized to together to about 4 feet from the ball with oval floats, beginning UNDER WATER, so the line can't sink and wrap in the chain. At this point the pendants separate into their own. By starting the floats under water it keeps the shackles pulling in the proper direction and does not let them sink so they can become twisted..

#3 My pendants are of UNEQUAL length. By doing this you have a "working pendant" and a "back up" pendant that is virtually un-used and ready. If I remember correctly one is 16 feet and the other is 20 feet..

#4 Use Yale Polydyne mooring pendants with chafe protection!!!!!!! They are well worth the money and it's cheap insurance!


[img]http://www.hamiltonmarine.com/images/0135.jpg[/img]

[Sea Hunt]

Timely topic.

I am the "owner/caretaker" of a 1977 Cape Dory Typhoon Weekender. She is on a mooring at a local sailing club. The mooring, chain and one pendant belong to the club. The mooring and chain are also maintained by the club.

When I joined, I was asked if I wanted to purchase a custom made pendant for my Ty Weekender. Several members I know strongly recommended that I do so because it would be built by a guy who has been doing this kind of work for about 40 years and is very well respected. I agreed.

Unfortunately, he has developed some long term medical problems and it is very doubtful he will be able to do this work again.

So, I am looking for a commercial solution.

I looked at the Yale Polydyne mooring pendants with chafe protection and like it a lot. There are 1-2 larger sailboats at the sailing club mooring field that have this or something very similar (i.e. yellow pendant line).

Question: What line length and size should I get The sailing club guy who was going to custom build one recommended two lines, each 3/8" diam and each 6' in length.

The Yale Polydyne mooring pendants with chafe protection from Hamilton Marine appear to start at 12' and 1/2" diam. I am guessing 12' may be too long for a Ty Weekender. Also, the moorings at the club are probably closer together than at other mooring fields. There is not a lot of swing radius.

Because I have only one horn cleat near the bow, should I still use two pendants, run through the port and starboard chocks but both then secured to the same cleat

Many thanks for any and all suggestions, recommendations, etc.

[Ron M.]

Wondering what the recommended method is to seize 2 premium mooring pennants to form a bridle, should the ' Y ' be at the water line or above ? Thanks
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STARCRAFT II REPLAYS

[altontom]

I live on Winnipesaukee where there can be heavy winds and waves. For my typhoon, I have a hard shell buoy where the mooring chain passes though the buoy. The 3/8" mooring chain is secured above the buoy with a 1/2" shackle. This shackle attaches to a swivel which then is attached to 12 ft of 5/8" 3 strand nylon line. The line has a galvanized thimble at one end that is attached to the swivel with a shackle. The other end has a 8" loop which passes though the bow cleat and around the horns of cleat. I have purchased leather chafing material from West Marine which you attach to the mooring line where it passes though the chock on the bow. I only use 1 mooring line and it has never become twisted or distressed in 7 years of usage. I usually replace the line every 4 years due to sun/ weather exposure.

[GLutzow]

I owned a Typhoon for 25 years and currently own a CD25. Both boats spent all of their life on moorings in Sarasota Bay. I have yet to have a boat break free.

Here is what I use...

1 At the block put a hefty swivel
2 Run a chain from the block swivel to another hefty swivel at the ball. The length of the chain should be approximately 20ft.
3 Use a ball that allows the chain to run through it so that the second swivel is actually on top of the ball.
4 Use (2) two 15ft x 5/8in strand lines running through an old fire hose ,that stops about 3 feet short of the boat, to prevent chafe. The length of the fire hose is approximately 9ft.
5 Run the remainder of each separate line through a 3/4" garden hose from the top of the fire hose, separately, to just short of your cleats. This prevents chafe as the lines cross the bow of the boat.

The swivels will prevent the twisting evident in the one picture caused by the lines wrapping around the ball. This wrapping can cause an incredible amount of chafe.

Using this arrangement my boats have survived hurricanes and multiple tropical storms with little problem