Capturing the Cure

[Bigplumbs]

I have managed to secure a full tide swinging mooring for next year for £600 for and including May - October next year. I don't think that is too bad. What do others think of this price

Dennis

[Ianfs]

Sounds ok, but it depends where it is and it's only six months. If a pontoon mooring is £1200 a year then it's expensive.
What sort of tender are you going for, a cheap rowing boat or a blow up type?

[Bigplumbs]

The Pontoon moorings are more like £2200 for a year so £600 not too bad.

I have a little blow up tender with a 4 hp yam outboard. The one I have blows up very quickly.

I also recon if I fill the boat with petrol and on each outing I take 20 ltrs I think I will be ok.

Dennis

[Ianfs]

The Pontoon moorings are more like £2200 for a year so £600 not too bad.

I think you've answered your own question, just over half the cost of a pontoon mooring, bargain!

Has the leg been anti fouled yet?

[BruceK]

Congrats on the purchase and I wish you many happy hours on her.

My two pence as I have previously done what you are doing.

Radio's - car radio's dont survive the winter if left in due to condensation, especially with a ton. cover
Ton. Cover - Dont allow enough ventilation and cause a constant build up of condensation and promote mildew during a winter layup - would have exacerbated the headlining issue imo on top of the leak. If you use one ensure there is adequate airflow. i.e. not as when towing tight

But what I really wanted to say, and forgive me if I'm teaching you to suck eggs here, was be very aware of the swing mooring. I'd bet that your cleats are not up to the job. They were almost certainly designed for pontoon mooring in still waters and I really doubt you have a stanchion post and bow roller on her. In a storm with any waves if you are in an estuary you will rip the cleats off and loose your boat unless you are absolutely confident that they have a good hardwood backing and of sturdy enough nature. Dont underestimate the forces and continual pounding of a swing mooring. We loose boats every year in the estuary. I replaced mine when I had a cuddy from dinky eight inch cleats on 6mm bolts to a much more substancial 12 inch units on 8mm bolts through a steel sleeve (to prevent hole rounding under constant snatch) with inch thick hardwood backing to spread the load. I used a bridle strop between the two bow cleats that was two feet longer than my bow freeboard ant the Y (you definitely do not want a longer than neccessary strop) and put in a bow fender to protect against the mooring bouy. Buy the best shackle you can for the strop and fit a locking mouse to it.

NEVER moor your boat with the legs in trailer mode. ALWAYS as far down as they will go as any growth on the exposed ram rods will tear out your oil seals when you retract them.

The reason you have a trailer mode button is so you do not lift the trim too high when under way. This will place excessive force on the UJ and not only damage the UJ shaft but also top gearbox bearings and gimbal bearings (looks like you have mercruisers) .

A swing mooring makes a lot of sense. I had one. Just make sure you prepare your boat to go on one.

ANNODES - make sure you got the lot on. Know when they are spent. And no, that's not when they have crumbled off.

If you moor in a tidal estuary. Leave the engine in gear to prevent the prop free wheeling in the current

[Bigplumbs]

Bruce.

Many thanks some excellent advice

Regards

Dennis

[Bigplumbs]

I have not antifouled the leg yet and it has never been done. I am actually not intending to leave the boat on the mooring all the time. I intend to pull her out every 3 - 4 weeks and take her home

Dennis

[Ianfs]

I would have thought it best not to use the cleats but instead the towing eye for mooring, with a painter and one of these.....

Handy Duck mooring aid

[BruceK]

The problen with the towing eye is it is too low and also wasn't built to take that kind of snatch strain being in a potentially weak area regarding enough backing surface due to the angles of the bow point, if that makes sence? It can take load but not snatch forces.
Too low because in any sort of tidal flow you want the mooring bouy chain to take the snatch loads at it's catanery (see pic below) and not at the strop. The strop must almost appear to want to lift the mooring bouy, (in a line extending from the mooring chain without indroducing additional angles). Indeed they do. Watch how an unladen mooring bouy will almost completely submerge in a current at flood as it stretches the chain out, but never does when a boat is tethered to it. Holding the bouy upright promotes the correct catanery angles. The towing hook will exacerbate the issue and then all snatch force will be on the strop and hook. This is why I said make sure your strop is no longer than neccessary. you want between 45 and 60 degree angle and the line taught. A 100kg pull is just that. A 100kg snatch impact can result in forces an order of magnitude more than that. Dont underestimate them. Although OTT I used to float a small 10 inch drogue off the stern in winter just to make sure there wasn't slack in the strop. But as said, a bit OTT and not neccessary if your strop is correct.



Which brings me to my next point. Plenty of strops on ebay of outstanding quality. Never buy direct, approach the shop and get one custom made for YOUR boat. They'll ask and direct you for the correct measurements. Too many times I see people using standard 3m lengths regardless. That's just dumb.

[BruceK]

Loads expected

Boat Length Beam Wind Load 64 Knots Dor-Mor Size Wind Load 100 Knots Dor-Mor Size
20' 8/9' 1,600lb. 200lb. 3,600lb. 400lb.


Notice how the strop is short, steep and appears to lift the bouy




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