I have moored my boat in the same spot for 10 years and wanted to share some tiips that I obtained by trial and error.dumb luck.and word of mouth. I have an Alberg 23 Sea Sprite which compares to a CD 22 in displacement,windage and wetted surface. Where I moor is in 6 feet of water with a muddy bottom. Some of the following knowledge I have never seen in any books or infact differs from what is out there.
Anchor weight. The books reccommend between 125 and 150 pounds for my boat. A fellow that owned a local sailing center said that although my boat is on a non tidal river the 1 mile exposure to the northeast requires 200 pounds. I didn't argue with that advice. The only downside being that now that my yacht club extended their dock 60 feet my boat's transom in a NE wind only clears the dock by 40 feet and I have been politely asked to move it. since the only person with the equiptment to do this passed away..I have been unable to do this. A 125 I could manage to move.
Chain..The books recccomend a 10 feet of 3/8 bottom chain and a 10 foot top chain. Strenth wise that is fine .buttwo aspects are missing. Firstly it seem that the chain that gets buried in the mud last forever but the foot of chain that says in the layer of silt above the bottom actually disolves. When I had the tackle hauled I was shocked to see my bottom shain was paper thin in this spot. I was lucky. A sailboat marina owner who maintains mooring suggested 3/4 inch bottom chain. Each link is the size of a bagel. That 10 feet of 3/4 inch bottom cahin probably weighs 150 pounds. Not only will it take decades to dissolve but it snubs the pull in the anchor. the bottom chain is so heavy that it rarely leaves the bottom. I use 10 feet of 1/2 inch as a top chain attached to the 3/4 by a swivel. As you watch the boat in heavy conditions the mooring bouy never seems to get the jerk it used to.
Lastly.the bouy itself. I used to have the conventional taylor made bouy. the problem was that they don't reccomend attaching to the top loop and when I used the bottom loop the line would get wrapped in still air. Infact the chafing this caused was the sole reason that the boat broke loose twice.......fortunately just to run aground nearby. Eventually I attached to the top eye with a safety chain to attaching the top and bottom loops. One winter the ice took my bouy and I was luck to find the chain. Ihad taken cross bearing from the shore.Thje replacement bouy is a taylor Made also but it has a two inch hole through the center fot the chain to pass through.a godsend. Also I now use a 3/4 inch mooring line and my boat has been secure for the last 7 years. Infact we had a freak tornado like occurance in the spring with estimated 100 mph winds and my boat didn't move and inch. My main companionway hatch was blown overboard..the yacht club boats all dragged and a CD Ty and a bristol nearby ended up on the beach. forgiv ethe lenght of my post but I wanted to share these tip for some time. I would be curious to hear what others have experience regarding mooring their boats.
hg@myhost.com
Mooring tips.......
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Harris
more...........
I forgot to mention.I'm not too cheap to pay dockage........it's just that damn motor well. On a mooring the motor stays in the cabin and may get used 2 times a year. Also there is nothing like the sight of an Alberg designed boat on a mooring. they just don't look happy tied in slips next to the clorox bottles. It is like 120 feet to row in and I always pause for about 2 minutes for that parting glance......aaahhhhhhhh.
hg@myhost.com
sam wrote: Thanks for sharing. Very educational!
hg@myhost.com