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A simple approach to picking up moorings



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What is the issue?
Picking up moorings with the support of a crew requires a lot of communication and can be highly challenging for boats that are high above the water line. It is a prime time to lose objects overboard such as the boat hook, sunglasses, deck shoes up to and including a crew member. It is also a prime time to receive an injury by trapping a finger in a line.

Performing this singled handed presents a real problem. At the best of times, it will require significant skill and dashing back and forth from the cockpit to the bow. In tricky crowded waters with strong winds or currents, it may not even be possible.

Why address this?
Picking up moorings can present a challenge, never more so than for the single-hander and anything that makes it safer and easier has to be welcomed.

How to address this?
Picking up moorings can be vastly simplified by the use of a lasso to capture good-sized mooring buoys.

This may be easily created by running a long, deep bight of a nylon weave mooring line out of the bow of the boat. Set the line up to run out through the fairlead on one side, around and outside of the pulpit and then back through the fairlead on the opposite side. Then belay each side leaving a good-sized deep loop in between. It is essential that it is rigged outside of the pulpit or the load will come onto this structure and could cause damage.




When all is set up correctly find the mooring to be lassoed and slowly power the bow of the boat up and over it, then halt and simply drop the lasso down around it. As the vessel sits momentarily stalled the non-buoyant and floppy mooring line will sink around the buoy.




When the boat falls back the sunken line will pull itself straight around the mooring line underneath the buoy. This effectively turns the mooring buoy into a large toggle that is trapped by the bight in the line. The weight of the boat is then pushed upon this, which allows you to temporarily tether it to the mooring buoy.




With the boat under control, you may then more easily go about picking up the mooring's pull-buoy and properly attaching a line through the loop of the mooring line. Once this is done release one end of the lasso and physically pull it around the mooring line to retrieve it. It is best not to leave it in place as it may get tangled up.




If conditions are light and it is a brief stopover where the vessel will not be left unattended, and there is a breeze or current to keep the bight tight, just sitting on the lasso is perfectly fine until you are ready to cast off. This can be achieved by simply releasing one side of the lasso, falling back, and taking in the line.

If this is something that you regularly do it may be worthwhile making a special lasso line. All that is required is a short piece of chain with lines attached on both ends to make it sink and catch the mooring line.

However, in big winds, even this lasso technique can prove a challenge. The bow can be easily blown off before reaching the buoy even with a large lasso. And at the best of times, it remains a challenge for single-handers who have to place the vessel in the right area, cut the power and then dash from the cockpit to the bow to throw the lasso. An alternate for these situations is to lasso the buoy off of the quarter.

Fasten one end of the lasso line to a mooring cleat and run the other end of the line to a sheet winch. Then simply motor in reverse to bring the mooring buoy onto the quarter and lasso it from there. By reversing directly into the wind you removed any need to control the bow and the vessel is much more stable stern to the wind. Just be careful not to run over the mooring line.

When the buoy is lassoed draw it in on the winch so you can get hold of the eye. Then the final mooring warp or chain can be run out from the bow, back outside pulpit and stanchions, through the mooring eye and returned to the front cleats. When this is made fast it is just a question of letting the lasso go and letting the vessel fall back on the bow mooring line.


Hauling the mooring up to attach a chain through its eye
Image: Leszek Wolnik


Another complication is with buoys that have no mooring strops on them so you have to feed your own chain through the eye. You can use this technique to haul the buoy up in order to handle the fittings - as photographed.

Reversing up and taking the mooring buoy on the quarter is a more gentle approach that is ideal for single-handers, during big winds, when having to deal with complicated fitting or especially when you are tired.

With thanks to:
Michael Harpur, with thanks to Derek Joyce, Aedan Coffey and Leszek Wolnik.
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