Mooring system in a marina, what is your favourite?

Hello peers,

having seen so many different systems for mooring in marinas I still wait to see the one I would call perfect.

What are the systems in your homeport?

Which one is your favourite?

Do you have a idea how to make existing systems "better"?


Please skimp on platitudes like "anchoring is perfect" or "mooring alongside is my first choice" (the latter would be mine too).

Any thoughts?

Regards
Richard

 

...most marinas here Apex are now floating pontoons, plastis rotomoulded boxes under very well made concrete tops, wooden or alloy siding, so docking is all alongside, simple for and aft springs and head lines.

 

You live on a uninhabited continent don´t forget that.
In Europe we just have not the space to moor alongside, and when mooring the "roman catholic" way we either have to drop the hook, or to use a mooring stone system (and there are several)

 

Apex, fill up ya boat with food and water and come here...mooring is sooooo easy when there is space.....

Mediterranean moor, as we convicts here call mooring bow out off a bank, and then walk the plank to shore, is very rare indeed, though they do use it still in Vanuatu to tie to the seawall at the market.......

 

The Best in the orld is made by Hazelett Marine

Hazelett Marine: Elastic Mooring System

www.hazelettmarine.com

Check out their web site and tell the Manager Jeff that Capt Walt told you about them

I spent a few days at the factory training installations and can tell ya.

They are Wicked Good! and Worth Springing the Bucks for!

Get the Best. Get Hazelett


Capt Walt

WickedGoodOutdoors@Maine.rr.com

 

That´s a very atrractive offer mate, thank you. But....

my boatbuilding project is on halt since autumn, you know. So, that might take another while before I provision my own boat again. Then....who knows.

And this question was asked because I am planning a marina again, and search for more info than I have in my rusty brain.

Regards
Richard

 

Not much better here than in Oz what comes to population and mostly like this..

 

Thanks Teddy,

I meant the bow mooring system instead of anchoring, as it is found all around the Med. Sea.
Not the pontoon systems, I think I know them all. (the one in your picture btw. is not the best, and the chain a joke if it´s not a very protected area)

Regards
Richard

 

For the smaller boats we have multi-level storage facilities with full-service launching/loading special forklifts etc. Marinas also have wet docking facilities.

http://www.watersportsfl.com/water-sports-facilities-services.html

http://endeavourmarina.reachlocal.c...l%2Fmarinas%2Band%2Bmarina%2Bservices.zq.html

 

If I have choice with Med mooring I'd go like JollyRoger said in http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f90/single-handed-med-mooring-14965.html
"Whenever I was single handed in the Meddy’ I always drove her in forward, with an anchor from the stern. I had an aft cockpit, so controlling the feed was easy and I’d snub her in just before hitting the wall, then leave her ticking over in gear while I sauntered forward to pass the bow lines over. A center cockpit would need a bit more organization, but not as difficult as backing her in, while trying to pay out a bow anchor, ‘specially in a blow. Doesn’t half look professional as well, and that way you also keep your cockpit privacy from passing gapers. But don’t forget a forward pivot for the boarding ladder."
Not bow mooring I know (but I've never had bow thruster either)

BR Teddy

 

Hey Walt, what happens when the rubber band breaks?....
In all seriousness....?

 

Of course med style is the only way to tie your boat here.
The best places have a heavy anchor chain between slabs of concrete and attach the moorings to the chain. Less harsh than having moorings with just concrete blocks.

The pontoons are murderous in exposed places with short, steep waves.
There is a constant war between the hardware on your bow and the rings of the pontoon. Normally the rings win unless you have shock absorbers on your lines.

 

That is exactly what I was referring to. And there are different systems in different places.
The simplest was in Monte Carlo (making Monaco one of the cheapest Marinas in the Region), you had to call the "Monaco divers" to connect your mooring rope to the mooring stones.
Others use little buoys holding a rope or chain connected to the mooring stone, then there are the ones, running a rope from the stone to the pier parallel to the berth, and so on.

I want to find out which of the more sophisticated systems you prefer.

Not anchoring!
That is not allowed in all those marinas having their own mooring system.

Thanks Teddy
The "bow to" anchoring is not too difficult btw.
Have a rope tied to both sides of the bowrail forming a U shape. To enter the boat, step into one of your bow ropes, let your weight pull the boat towards the pier, "fall" towards the boat, grab the bowrail or anchor, and step with the other foot into the U shaped rope. Looks very artistic but is safe and easy. Though you should try on a warm and sunny day for the first time.....

Thanks Hoyt, but I was talking larger sized yachts (as I always do)

Good question Will!

More thoughts?

 

Well, I confess to making it somewhat tongue in cheek, but it was a serious question. The website doesn't immediately make it clear whether the system has a fail-safe in case the 'rubber band' breaks. I certainly wouldn't be happy reversing towards a concrete wall with nothing but a length of elastic preventing a very embarrasing and expensive collision.
I can't imagine that anyone going to the trouble of engineering specifically for the task hasn't considered this already, so I'm sure that Walt will come back with an answer.
Sadly, I'm unable to help much though...I have no experience with med-style mooring (well...no..not really sadly...I like my alongside floating pontoons )

 

The Hazlett comes with a 20 Year Warrentty and they have had the inventors/Owners Sailboat sitting on the same mooring bands for over 25 years in Lake Champlain Vermont with no issues. The lake freezes hard 3-4 ft thick in winter and the mooring system is left in place all year long.


I have one set up for a 50 ft boat as a Demo if you would like to see it?


All the Rubber Bands are set up in multiples for redundant security and every band is tested in the factory on a custome made streching machine and measured for recovery memory before it is shipped.

Yes we use the higest quality Yale Cordage as a saftey Limit line incorporated into the system design just in case something goes wrong

The US Coast Guard have been using them on their Vessels for a few years with great sucess.

Note the Orange line on the dual band setup in this link. Single Band setups are for small vessels only in rotected waters.

http://www.hazelettmarine.com/pdf/HM Hazelett Elastic Mooring Systems.pdf



If you want to double or triple your Mooring Field income by reducing the vesel swing space or to make your foating docks safer with less maintance down time.

This also eliminates the cost of hauling and inspecting a conventional chain setup. Putting more cash in your pocket

Here are some pictures of the Moorings in use with differnt size vessels.

http://www.hazelettmarine.com/pdf/Hazelett Elastic Moorings in use.pdf

Give me a shout. Ill work up a quote for your complete marina.

Capt Walt

WickedGoodOUtdoors@maine.rr.com