Foredeck Mooring Hardware

[Lew Morris]

Well, I took the plunge... I bought an '85 Dufour 39 (foot). My first "big" boat. She's in great shape, has a great sail inventory, and more than adequate electronics. I'm really excited about getting on with this part of my life.

She's lived in a slip her whole life, except when she been anchored, and there is no foredeck hardware suitable for her new life on a mooring in Port San Luis harbor.

We are exposed to some heavy weather in the winter months, and I'd like to be sure that her gear is properly sized and mounted. The mooring anchor and bridle is engineered, and provided, by the harbor.

Can some one inform me (or suggest a reference source) for the proper deck gear she will need (bitts, chocks, samson post, backing plates, etc.)?

Thanks all.

Lew

[Lew Morris]

boy... this is a surprise.

i thought for sure someone here would have some information about this subject.

[dougfrolich]

Lew,

Your boat will generate about 3000 N of force due to windage in 60 MPH wind, not unheard of in SLO. I am not familure with the construction methods used in your new boat but, I would find a nice thick spot along the stem and mount a 5/16" S.S. U bolt and backing plate, ( Wichard makes a nice one ) to which you could attatch the mooring bridle. This arrangement will help solve the biggest problem- CHAFE.

Doug

[Polarity]

Can some one inform me (or suggest a reference source) for the proper deck gear she will need (bitts, chocks, samson post, backing plates, etc.)?


Hi Lew
Congratulations on the new boat!

Not for this specific question but for lots of others the book you need is the "Boat Data Book" by Ian Nicolson I am sure you will find it very useful!

ISBN 0713647507

Paul

[Lew Morris]

I KNEW someone out there could help!

a "U" Bolt! I was thinkin' skewed chocks, and big, honkin' cleats, 'n leather chafe guards ...

but a "U" Bolt would certainly minimize chafe... because there wouldn't be any... I like it....

and "Boat Data Book"...

Thanks guys!

Lew

~~~~~ (\_ ~~~~~

[Tim Dunn]

I'd make it a 3/4" U bolt, and equally huge stuff attached to it.
Port San Louis is completely open to the south. With a really good set of binoculars, you should be able to see Antarctica, on a clear day.

Make everything else twice as big as you think is excessive.

Do you really need to leave your pretty new boat there in the winter? Just asking.

--30,000 seamiles, over a hundred harbors, and no anchors dragged.

[Lew Morris]

Hi Tim,

Port San Luis, California in Avila Beach, California, (near San Luis Obispo) is my home port. As a result of the decimation of our fishing fleet moorings are readily available.

I might be able to winter it in Morro Bay, it would certainly be more protected. But moorings and slips are hard to lay hands on since it's the only protected harbor between Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara. The bar at Morro is a bit treacherous in the winter months but nothing we can't get used to.

The one advantage that we do feel living here is that the sea condidtions are generally "big" compared to So.Cal. and we get a lot of heavy air to practice in.

Big is never too bad. I do have a concern about how to attach our pendant to a bow eye. It seems like it would be a fairly acrobatic endeavor... especially on some of those 30 knot afternoons (not uncommon).

Your assessment of Port San Luis sounds like you speak from experience... .. .

[Tim Dunn]

Hi, Lew

I've been there, but not in a southerly blow. That would be my idea of a situation to avoid. After trying to beat my way north to Seattle from So Cal I decided it would be be easier to go via Hawaii. It was at Port San Louis that I decided that in 1972, after facing the northerly swell to the north of your port. So, that's what we did.

If I were going to use a U bolt mounted low, I would keep a pendant attached to it, with a short splice, thimble, and a big link, and bring the other end up on deck and cleat it when sailing. I've had good luck with the kind of big link that threads on. Put the permanent type of Locktite on the threads.

If you can't find stock hardware, you could have a welding shop make it for you. It is simple, and shouldn't cost much. They could just use heavy plate. Just weld a plate at 90 degrees to the base, after cutting a nice big hole in the plate that sticks out.

Unlike Doug, I would be much more concerned about the swell than the wind.

Tim Dunn

[Lew Morris]

Thanks for the comments Tim,

I does, in fact, get pretty gnarly in the winter. I've personally seen those breakers come in afrom the south and touch the bottom of Avila Pier (about 20 ft above MMLW). Over the years there has been more than one boat adrift in the anchorage.

We get the "best" of both worlds. In the late afternoon the wind comes down through the slot in the hills NW of the anchorage and it isn't unusual to see 30-32k on our handheld Kestrel. The rest of the day may be spent languishing around at 12k, but come 1600 it's blowin' the dog off the chain. The harbor is protected from the NW swell by the mountains, but you're right, the SW swell in winter isn't too pleasant.

There is a great stainless fabricator down the street from my shop, he's done work for me before. I'll be talking to him this afternoon at beer-thirty.

Thanks again for your input.

Regards,

Lew

p.s. We haven't taken delivery yet. We're going to run her uphill to Avila in steps. Pt. Loma to Dana Pt., then on to King's Harbor or Marina Del Rey, then to Santa Barbara, and on to Port San Luis. We're hesitant to be out over night the first couple of days (just in case something goes "bad"). The rounding of Pt. Conception will obviously take us out after dark, but we'll be more comfortable with a few days under our belts.

We know from local knowledge that we need to standoff five or ten n/miles to minimize the effect of the Baja and Humboldt currents. Do you have any suggestions for any W/coast nav websites, or can you personally pass on any advice about rounding Pt. Conception?

[Tim Dunn]

http://www.irbs.com/weather.html
http://www.swelldirection.com/

A full moon is always nice, if you are sailing overnight. You no doubt know way more than I do about sailing in your area. I've never been in Moro Bay because it looks way too hairy too me. I've sailed down the coast from Seattle to Long Beach a couple of times, but I avoid bars unless it is very calm and there is practically no swell. IMHO, river bars and keel boats do not mix.
I would rather motor north of Point Conception in nice, calm weather rather than beat north in 30 knots of wind and a swell to match, and I'm a guy who has often sailed in and out of dock in keelboats just for the fun of it.

You might want to beef up your hull with some fiberglass work at the attachment point for your mooring attachment. A partial bulkhead, some hat stiffeners, something like that. (Never end any reinforcement in the middle of a fiberglass skin panel. Carry the ends of reinforcements to bulkheads or hat stiffeners.)

Happy sailing!

Tim

[yipster]

Lew Morris,

and if you hear a "bump" in those bigger pacific waves it may be a sea lion (mascot of ucsc) or santa cruz surfer (where i try'd to learn it) it's serious sailing there and i remember a klipper that stranded in the sc bay a long long time ago and could not get free, not even with tugs and helicopter help, with spot lichts at night it did steal the show for weeks tho. salinas also had a big nice sailboat harbour i've spend some happy day's.
good sailing to you!
yipster