Stress on Mooring Cleat

[William Jarrell]

Hello All..........Happy Thanksgiving
I moor Moonshadow ('76 CD25) in Belfast Harbor Maine (mid-coast, Pendoscot Bay). Now that she is on the hard I was wondering about a practice I have been using to moor her.

First, Belfast Harbor is reasonably protected, however when the tide and winds are right you can get pretty good swells entering the harbor. My mooring is set up to handle this (granite, chain, Nylon mooring cable), but I was wondering about how I am securing my boat to the mooring cable. My practice has been to take the mooring eye of the cable and thread it through the open base of the cleat and loop the eye over each end of the horns of the cleat. I then lash the eye splice to the cleat with the pendant using figure eights and a Single Hitch.

I was wondering if I was putting stress on the Mooring Cleat in a way/manner that it wasn't desighned to handle.

Would it be better to not thread the mooring cable through the open end of the cleat, but rather simple drop the eye splce over the cleat and lash down the same way as I explained above.

What do you think? Thanks in advance for any thoughts you might have.

Bill



billjarr@mint.net

[D. Stump, Hanalei]

Captain Jarrell,

Received your last this instant, and would venture that it probably doesn't make much difference! The first method you described sounds more than adequate and the second the same. If the cleat pulls out of the deck with either arrangement, you've a bigger problem than how you rig the cleat, like a HURRICANE! There comes a point where one does all that is prudent, and if that fails - - Call the insurance company! That said, whatever method you use, it should lead the mooring line fair from the cleat to the bow chock. If it does that, I would think you have done all that you can. Good chafing gear should also be used. FWIW....

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30C

[len]

dave

second your remarks re chafing gear - one year in my fairly sheltered mooring area 3 boats broke loose during a weak hurricane, in each case the mooring line (note none had double lines, another cheap form of insurance) had chafed through

len



md.frel@nwh.org

[Roger Winiarski]

Hello All..........Happy Thanksgiving
I moor Moonshadow ('76 CD25) in Belfast Harbor Maine (mid-coast, Pendoscot Bay). Now that she is on the hard I was wondering about a practice I have been using to moor her.

First, Belfast Harbor is reasonably protected, however when the tide and winds are right you can get pretty good swells entering the harbor. My mooring is set up to handle this (granite, chain, Nylon mooring cable), but I was wondering about how I am securing my boat to the mooring cable. My practice has been to take the mooring eye of the cable and thread it through the open base of the cleat and loop the eye over each end of the horns of the cleat. I then lash the eye splice to the cleat with the pendant using figure eights and a Single Hitch.

I was wondering if I was putting stress on the Mooring Cleat in a way/manner that it wasn't desighned to handle.

Would it be better to not thread the mooring cable through the open end of the cleat, but rather simple drop the eye splce over the cleat and lash down the same way as I explained above.

What do you think? Thanks in advance for any thoughts you might have.

Bill

Dear Bill,

Your method of bending the eye of your mooring line through the double base of your cleat is the correct method. By doing it that way you prevent the line from being pushed off the cleat. The really stress to your cleat will come when there are swells and the boat snubs up against the full lenght of the mooring line.

First, you should have a backing block under the deck and the cleat should be through bolted with machine screws right through the deck and the backing block. Second, you should put a short piece of VERY HEAVY chain in your mooring make up. This is not for strength but for a spring. At the crest of each wave your boat will try to pull the pennent out taught. The heavy chain will resist this action with its weight and after the crest goes by will sink to the bottom again. Putting this "spring" in your mooring make up will keep the line from jerking against the cleat and breaking the cleat or the fasteners.

I spent several years as mooring master and assistant harbormaster in my home town. I never lost a boat that was on a mooring made up this way but saw plenty come to greif that tried to go cheap.




RogerW@Bristolbronze.com

[Max Treece]

Roger, I moor at a dock with stearn in to the dock and the bow moored to a couple of pilings. The CD25 faces out into the lake where it can get some chop built up on some days. Are rubber snubbers worth the cost and effort by doing the same thing as the chain you described at the mooring? Would you recommend them on all four lines or just the front? If so, is there a particular style that works best?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Bill

Dear Bill,

Your method of bending the eye of your mooring line through the double base of your cleat is the correct method. By doing it that way you prevent the line from being pushed off the cleat. The really stress to your cleat will come when there are swells and the boat snubs up against the full lenght of the mooring line.

First, you should have a backing block under the deck and the cleat should be through bolted with machine screws right through the deck and the backing block. Second, you should put a short piece of VERY HEAVY chain in your mooring make up. This is not for strength but for a spring. At the crest of each wave your boat will try to pull the pennent out taught. The heavy chain will resist this action with its weight and after the crest goes by will sink to the bottom again. Putting this "spring" in your mooring make up will keep the line from jerking against the cleat and breaking the cleat or the fasteners.

I spent several years as mooring master and assistant harbormaster in my home town. I never lost a boat that was on a mooring made up this way but saw plenty come to greif that tried to go cheap.

metreece@duke-energy.com