Mooring Pendants

[Duncan]

...When properly installed twist is a non issue ...

I'd be very interested to hear what sort of "proper installation" gets around the twist issue, since that is a constant problem in our mooring field. It seems to be worst at the height of the summer, when light and variable winds send the boats sailing around and around their mooorings

Most of us use "swimming pool noodles", secured over the pennants with zip ties, close to the mooring ball. These are effective in preventing wraps around the mooring float, but they don't keep the pennants from twisting together.

It doesn't seem to matter if the pennants are equal or unequal in length, they still twist together after a few turns around the mooring. I've started wondering if our lines are too long (usually about a boatlength).

Twist, by the way, does seem to be a significant source of chafe.

Anyway, the only thing that seems to work around here is to get out to the boat often enough to untwist the pennants on a regular basis.

[jim trandel]

A well lubricated S/S Jaw & Eye Swivel connector between the mooring and the pendant can & will properly prevent pendant twist as long as one doesn't circumvent the swivel function.

[GLutzow]

I lubricate the swivels on my mooring once a month with water proof grease. It not only allows the swivel to move freely but it retards the %$#^## corrosion from salt water.

[mahalocd36]

I don't know if this is "proper" but seems to work for us.

First, our lines come from the top of the ball, not underneath. We have long pendants, and when there's no wind we would float to the ball and as it passed by the ball, one line would go around one side, one the other, and we'd end up with a tangled mess, with the lines caught under the ball, etc.
And, then there was the twist issue...

So, we actually tied our lines together, from the ball all the way up to give enough slack to easily make the 'v' to the 2 mooring cleats. We also attached floats all along the line. It's not real tightly tied, no so tight as to bind the lines but tight enough so they don't chafe against each other.

Seems to have worked for the past couple of years.

[rtwhitman2]

I very much liked Klem's thorough analysis.
For a number of years my CD33 sat in about 15' of water on a 400 lb. mushroom. As I recall, I ran two lengths of substantial chain from the mushroom eye directly to two equal-length 3/4 inch nylon pendants (skipping a ball). I used a light pliable leather material for chafe protection at the chocks. A pick-up float was attached to the pendants to get them back aboard when mooring. Over time the mushroom worked itself into the mud giving it significant holding power. And, over the winter the chain sat in the mud as well, reducing oxidation. This simple technique (no ball, swivels, twisting, etc.) worked without any problems for 15 years including a ride through Hugo. (I appreciate that this technique may not be appropriate for rocky locations.)
About Hugo -- much to my surprise, my pendants seemed un-phased by the storm (the eyed passed directly over the mooring field). However, as Klem indicated, they had deteriorated from the core outward, having melted from the friction caused by constant flexing. As a precaution, I had arrived before the storm and attached two extra lines from the chain to the boat midship (all four survived). I also removed and stowed below every bit of deck gear, including the boom. However, much as in the pictures included with this topic, the majority of the fleet was standing with anchors, dodgers, sail covers, vents, and all manner or gear exposed to wind. Thirty boats were lost that day including three that surrounded me. I watched them go.

[Duncan]

...we actually tied our lines together, from the ball all the way up to give enough slack to easily make the 'v' to the 2 mooring cleats. We also attached floats all along the line. It's not real tightly tied, no so tight as to bind the lines but tight enough so they don't chafe against each other...

That sounds like it might be worth a try, thanks.

I just realized that mounting a riding sail might help, too, by restricting the tendency to sail around the mooring.