Best type of mooring/pick-up buoy for RIB?

[Devs Ad]

Hello everyone.

I've been asked to look at getting three moorings up to spec for the forthcoming season. One is for a Champ, one for an 18' RIB and the other for an 18' 'Dory', a rigid raider type. These are moored in a tidal estuary.

The mooring chains, buoys and bridles all need replacing, so I was looking at what the most convenient - and easiest - system to replace it with is.

Up until now we've had mooring buoys with the bridles attached and with pick-up buoys tied to the ends of the bridles. We boat-hook the bridles/pick-up buoys and hoick them all onto the deck and tie up the bridles. From occasionally helping out, I personally find this a bit of a pain - dragging weed-encrusted bridles onto the deck with pick-up buoys in tow, and fixing them onto the cleats.

I was wondering if this process could effectively be reversed... Ie, have the bridles always attached to the boat's cleats and with, say, a carabiner on its outer end. Then use a mooring buoy with a pick-up eye on top - such as the Castro '43cm swivel mooring buoy with eye rod'. No pick-up buoy required - just approach, boat-hook the mooring buoy's top eye, haul it up and snap on the carabiner.

What method do folk use? Any obvious pros and cons? And is 'Castro' a reputable make? If not, what is?

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Poly]

The fact that almost universally, the preferred approach is the one you currently have makes me think it is likely the most secure.

Carabiners seize in salt water, when left for long periods.
Mooring pennants are often made from fairly heavy weight rope - even for small boats - the sort of rope that’s a PITA to store on a small boat.
It’s a lot easier to pick up a small bouy and pennant when short handed than trying to lean over to clip on to the bouy ring (and vice versa when departing).

Do you remove the pennants each year at the moment? Usually if removed and cleaned for winter that won’t be that bad by the following October. Not sure anyone does anti fouling rope?

[Devs Ad]

Thanks Poly.


What you say makes sense.


Will need to consider it further :-)

[beamishken]

The danger of using carabiners or quick connects of any description is the tendancy it seize or come inadvertently detached its surprising how contorted a rope can become & unlatch things you'd never expect. I would much prefer the rope to deck option where theres less chance of accidental disconnected. But the seafood buffet on the foredeck everytime you pick up your mooring is a bit of a pita

[Devs Ad]

'Seafood buffet' :-)


Thanks Beam - yup, a consensus building.


(Sorry, Poly - yes, we remove the bridles at the end of the season and give them a good clean.)


Thanks.

[smallribber]

I have a 19 foot Bowrider speed boat that I moor on a swinging mooring on the very tidal River Deben.

On the top of my buoy is a loop and I pass a 22 mm poly rope through this and back on its self and have a heavy duty Carabiner clip on the other end.

I have a length or hose pipe on the clip to stop wear on the bow eye and also a short length that I slide over the join to prevent it opening which frankly I think would never happen anyway. See Pics below. I recovered this from my buoy on my first trip out last week as I forgot it last year. It will get a little referb for the coming season.

The rope floats and is easy to pick up with a boat hook from the bow

[smallribber]

Here is the boat just before launch to give you an idea of size and also in the distance on her mooring to the right of the white boat in the middle of the pic

[smallribber]

The main problem I have however is the Seagulls like my Boat

[Devs Ad]

I hope you hid the keys?




Many thanks for your comments.


I get the theoretical limitations of using carabiners - the potential lack of security - but they do make sense in other ways such as their ease of use.


I suspect we'll be sticking with bridles attached to the mooring buoys, but am personally still drawn to the swinging buoy with the hoop visible on top, so it's easy to spot and hook the bridle.


Do you know if the Castro make is reputable? Or what other recommendations are there?



Thanks.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Devs Ad

but am personally still drawn to the swinging buoy with the hoop visible on top, so it's easy to spot and hook the bridle.

if I understand what you are saying though - then hooking that 3" loop is much harder than finding the 3' of rope to the floating pennant - I'm assuming you are a sailing club and these are your rescue fleet? if your helms/crew struggle don't manage to pick up a mooring then I'd have some concerns about their ability to recover an unconscious casualty from the water and focus my efforts on their training rather than the bouys. If you have multiple moorings in the area it can certainly be worth getting different coloured ones just so its easy to say - put that boat in the yellow,blue,orange,white buoy, but bear in mind they all fade.

Do you know if the Castro make is reputable? Or what other recommendations are there?

I don't the brand - but I've seen very similar (i.e. probably those exact ones) around for years - I doubt there's enough margin in mooring bouys for someone to make a shoddy one, so unless they are a new design or a brand new company I can't imagine there's much to worry about a good one. That said you might want to check if your insurers have any specific rules.

[Devs Ad]

Thanks, Poly.


Ha-ha - yes, I think the crew are able to hook a bridle easily enough.


Since I'm having to redo two mooring chains and buoys (and sink a third), I just wanted to explore whether there was a better/easier way out there while I was at it.



Conclusion - there is no great advantage in going 'swing'. Bridles and pick-up buoys it is...



Cheers.