mooring for CD 25 -how many cinder blocks

[Chris Dehaemer]

I have a cd25. I need to drop a mooring in Chesapeake mud, up the Severn. How many cinder blocks do I need?
-Chris

[M. R. Bober]

Are you sure that the bottom is mud? Usually the Severn is considered sandy. Many years ago, I fashioned a mooring anchor for a CD27 (on the Severn) out of a cement filled tire. Didn't hold worth a hoot;it never penetrated the bottom. I'm afraid cinder blocks may drag the same way, but you never know.
Mitchell Bober
RESPITE
CD330

[Dave]

Personally I wouldn't use cement at all. I don't remember the percentage, but it looses too much of it's weight in water. I don't know what area you are in, but I say go big. You are less likely to have problems with something that you know is not going to move. I have a 250lbs mushroom with 45' of 5/8" chain. Then there are two penant line that are also 5/8" If there are no seas where you are you can go with less. Hope this helps.

Dave
CD25' R&R

I have a cd25. I need to drop a mooring in Chesapeake mud, up the Severn. How many cinder blocks do I need?
-Chris

ddsailor25@ureach.com

[Steve Alarcon]

Chris,
Are you up river or down river from Round Bay? If up river, I'll let my brother-in-law know to put out fenders.

Seriously though, I'd suggest you do some homework about setting your mooring. There is more involved than just having weight down there. Consult your Chapmans or other reference material for details on chain sizes, etc.

Steve Alarcon
CD36 Tenacity
Seattle



alarcon3@prodigy.net

[Tom Foley]

I had a CD25 on a 1500 pound granite block with 3/4 inch chain in the Saco river in Maine. It never moved and the current is swift. The heavier the chain , the longer it will last. In my case chain was replaced every 3-4 years. Our harbor master inspected moorings every two years and supervised placement. He did not allow concrete block. Check with your harbor master for local requirements. Good luck : I have a cd25. I need to drop a mooring in Chesapeake mud, up the Severn. How many cinder blocks do I need?

-Chris

alewifehouse@mainecoast.net

[marv]

Are you sure that the bottom is mud? Usually the Severn is considered sandy. Many years ago, I fashioned a mooring anchor for a CD27 (on the Severn) out of a cement filled tire. Didn't hold worth a hoot;it never penetrated the bottom. I'm afraid cinder blocks may drag the same way, but you never know.
Mitchell Bober
RESPITE
CD330

dont do it
theyll break up .



mibrinn@aol.com

[Kevin Mulligan]

I had a CD25 on a 1500 pound granite block with 3/4 inch chain in the Saco river in Maine. It never moved and the current is swift. The heavier the chain , the longer it will last. In my case chain was replaced every 3-4 years. Our harbor master inspected moorings every two years and supervised placement. He did not allow concrete block. Check with your harbor master for local requirements. Good luck : I have a cd25. I need to drop a mooring in Chesapeake mud, up the Severn. How many cinder blocks do I need?

-Chris

I would not use cinder blocks. They are not dense enough a material. I once used two five-gallon buckets filled with concrete with four pieces of rebarb steel protruding six-inches out of eight points in each bucket. It held to a storm tide of 12-feet above normal lifted them and floated the boat 1/4 mile. I switched to two eight-cylinder engine blocks chained together with 30-feet of chain for scope and never had a problem. The best is the appropriate mushroom anchor but they are costly.
Kevin



kmulligan@yahoo.com

[Christian DeHaemer]

Thanks for the info. I'm off of Palisades on the Severn. Behind the island from Round Bay. Its calm except for the ski boats.

If anyone has something heavy that will work for this (Perhaps a mother-in-law),and is in the area, and has a work boat, and has nothing to do some Saturday...

Well, I'd be happy to buy you the best dinner to be had in Crownsville, MD.

Thanks again,
Christian DeHaemer

Are you sure that the bottom is mud? Usually the Severn is considered sandy. Many years ago, I fashioned a mooring anchor for a CD27 (on the Severn) out of a cement filled tire. Didn't hold worth a hoot;it never penetrated the bottom. I'm afraid cinder blocks may drag the same way, but you never know.
Mitchell Bober
RESPITE
CD330

dont do it
theyll break up .

[Ken Coit]

Chris,

I think you are already convinced not to use cinder block. Mushrooms aren't all that expensive when you amortize them over their lifetime. I doubt that engine blocks will sink into sand very fast unless there is a washing effect and then I suspect they'll only sink until they are covered.

Another alternative is the screw-in anchor. These are used to set mooring fields and have been tested by Practical Sailor to be superior to anything else of comparable size and weight. See the link below for some more info. There are probably other vendors of such devices.

I have wondered how screw-in guy wire anchors, such as those used by the utility companies, would work. It seems as if one could screw a few of these into the bottom, use a bridle of some sort to equalize the load, and save a lot of money. The galvanized anchors used to be dirt cheap. Maybe this is an experiment for Practical Sailor?

Ken
S/V Parfait
Raleigh, NC

I have a cd25. I need to drop a mooring in Chesapeake mud, up the Severn. How many cinder blocks do I need?
-Chris

[img]http://www.abchance.com/images/mooring.gif[/img]
Parfait@nc.rr.com

[M. R. Bober]