mooring question

[Megunticook]

This spring I had a mooring I keep at a nearby island inspected by some local pros. They said everything checked out fine, they pulled up the topchain and most of the bottom chain, looked it over, then dove on the 200 lb. mushroom anchor. In order to look at the shackle in the anchor eye, they had to pop the stem up out of the mud they told me.

Yesterday I went to haul up my topchain and install the topgear, but after hauling a few feet of line I couldn't bring any more up. After consideration, I figured it could be the mushroom was still upright and the rope had wrapped the stem. After bringing the line aboard my dingy and rowing circles, I managed to free the rope and haul up the chain.

This is the second incident this season that's making me question the skill/knowledge/service of my mooring outfit. I think what happened is after inspecting it they just dropped the chain right at the mushroom and left the anchor upright. It's no wonder the rope wrapped. Wouldn't you think an experienced professional would properly set the anchor by 1)laying the stem down on its side and 2)extending the chain out away from the mushroom? (this is the only mooring in the harbor so lots of room) You could do this in about 5 minutes by pulling all the slack out of the chain with the boat on your way out.

Is it just me or does it seem odd that they didn't do that?

And until that mushroom lays down, there's a risk of the chain wrapping the stem. I tried tugging on the line at low tide but don't think my motor has the power to pull all that weight (it's 30' of half-inch plus 40' of 3/4).

I don't know, it just seems like a half-assed job. Not sure if that's due to ignorance or carelessness. Either way it's eroding my trust.

Am I off base here?

[Kickin Bears]

I was always under the impression that the mushroom anchor setup for a permanent mooring ball needed to be buried in the upright position for the best hold, with as much shank buried with it.

I dug around for a source I’d trust on the matter. See below link, page 26 of 92 (printed pg 2-16), from an NOAA / PADI study and guide on mooring ball effectiveness.

The report discusses how to properly set various mooring anchors. The study also tested holding lbs for anchor type, tested by using a tugboat on various anchors

https://www.coris.noaa.gov/activities/r ... buoy_g.pdf

[John Stone]

I was always under the impression that the mushroom anchor setup for a permanent mooring ball needed to be buried in the upright position for the best hold, with as much shank buried with it.

I dug around for a source I’d trust on the matter. See below link, page 26 of 92 (printed pg 2-16), from an NOAA / PADI study and guide on mooring ball effectiveness.

The report discusses how to properly set various mooring anchors. The study also tested holding lbs for anchor type, tested by using a tugboat on various anchors

https://www.coris.noaa.gov/activities/r ... buoy_g.pdf

That’s a great reference resource. Very informative. In he Virgin Islands helix anchored are used almost exclusively. Usually 3 per mooring chained together with a central riser.

Meginticook, that’s aggravating. I think I would go talk to them and hear what they have to say about it before I made a decision. Also, are there reviews on the company that performed the maintenance? Any harbor masters use that company and do they have an opinion on their level of competence?

[Megunticook]

Thanks for the link, I hadn't seen that. At first glance they don't seem too big on mushroom anchors overall.

Here's what my anchor's manufacturer (Anne's Anchors http://www.annesanchors.com/mushrooms-mudsuckers/) has to say about their special design, which has a stem with a counterweight on the end (basically where the eye is they expand the stem):

The absence of a counterweight in the cast-iron mushroom allows the anchor’s attitude to change to a vertical position. When the anchor is in the vertical position, the anchor chain can become wrapped around the shaft. This can cause the anchor to lose its holding power.

[Megunticook]

Meginticook, that’s aggravating. I think I would go talk to them and hear what they have to say about it before I made a decision. Also, are there reviews on the company that performed the maintenance? Any harbor masters use that company and do they have an opinion on their level of competence?

This is one of the outfits approved by my local harbormaster--in fact they maintain my local mooring. Very experienced, they do a lot of mooring work around here. Other people I know have spoken highly of them.

[Kickin Bears]

Thanks for the link, I hadn't seen that. At first glance they don't seem too big on mushroom anchors overall.

Here's what my anchor's manufacturer (Anne's Anchors http://www.annesanchors.com/mushrooms-mudsuckers/) has to say about their special design, which has a stem with a counterweight on the end (basically where the eye is they expand the stem):

The absence of a counterweight in the cast-iron mushroom allows the anchor’s attitude to change to a vertical position. When the anchor is in the vertical position, the anchor chain can become wrapped around the shaft. This can cause the anchor to lose its holding power.

Yeah ... I’ve read and re-read the setting instructions . I’m trying to understand the thought process that the counterweight should be angled when most anchorage’s have an ebb/flow component (and likely a wind component as well). Meaning the optimum install angle would change based on tidal current and wind conditions, and would seemingly increase the chances of a chain wrap as the boat swings around a shank angled up off the bottom (?)

If the mushroom is buried along with shank up to eyelet, rode wrap should become a non-issue whether set straight or at an angle.

I did notice that the setting instructions state that the anchor may have to be jetted in certain locations to set properly, pending the conditions of the bottom. May want to check how deep the anchor / shank is buried in a few weeks to see if this is needed.

[John Stone]

Meginticook, that’s aggravating. I think I would go talk to them and hear what they have to say about it before I made a decision. Also, are there reviews on the company that performed the maintenance? Any harbor masters use that company and do they have an opinion on their level of competence?

This is one of the outfits approved by my local harbormaster--in fact they maintain my local mooring. Very experienced, they do a lot of mooring work around here. Other people I know have spoken highly of them.

Sounds like they are professional and competent. Have you addressed your concerns with the right person in that organization and if so how did they respond?

[Megunticook]

I did notice that the setting instructions state that the anchor may have to be jetted in certain locations to set properly, pending the conditions of the bottom. May want to check how deep the anchor / shank is buried in a few weeks to see if this is needed.

This is a mud bottom so jetting shouldn't be needed. When the mooring was inspected, they said the anchor was pretty well buried in the mud, but they yanked it upright to inspect the shackle.

I don't really have a way to see what's going on down there, other than to hire someone to dive on it.

[Megunticook]

Sounds like they are professional and competent. Have you addressed your concerns with the right person in that organization and if so how did they respond?

I called and left a VM, then texted when I was at the mooring trying to figure out why my topchain wouldn't come up. They suggested that the line might be wrapped around the shank and to "tug on it" with the boat to get it free. I ended up just circling the mooring after pulling the line aboard a dinghy, after some trial and error I was able to get the chain up.

I didn't get into whether or not it was a good idea to just drop the chain right on top of the upright anchor after they finished their inspection versus pulling out the slack on the chain and dropping it further away. I think I would have that conversation before hiring them to do the next inspection.