[Public-List] Permanent mooring for A-30's

[Matthew]

HI Hugh,

       My conditions are not unlike yours. My mooring is in Merigomish 
Harbour NS in a cove called Black Hall Gut. The mooring is in 17 ft with 
a tidal range of 6 ft.
My first mooring was a 45 gal drum of concrete that I picked up with my 
1/2 ton at the ready-mix plant owned by a former Nflder. Before pouring 
in the concrete I drove 2 pieces of galv conduit through the drum at 
right angles. It looked a bit like a water mine. I initiallty used 3/8 
galv chain - about 25 feet and fed it through the conduit. I then put on 
two 3/8 shackles. At the top I used a shackle, a swivel and a 40" 
circumference net buoy. I then attached two 3/4" twisted nylon rodes to 
the swivel using half inch shackles through thimbles I spliced on the 
end of the rodes. Previously I had used rode to chain without the swivel 
but I had a rode twist around the chain and chafe pretty well through. I 
then used cod line and bound the two rodes about every 16" back to the 
boat to prevent twisting and fouling. I put a float on them as well. On 
deck I attached leather for anti-chafe protection where the rodes passed 
through the chocks. The two rodes provide redundancy but better still 
when I go sailing I attach the dinghy to one rode and then when I'm 
ready to leave simply drop the rode holding the big boat.
    The mooring held well but when I lifted it to check 4 years later 
the chain was worn very thin at the bottom 6 ft. I replaced chain and 
dropped her back and that fall Hurricane Juan blew through - cat 1 by 
time it reached us. We had no storm surge like the Atlantic side but did 
have winds up to 60 knots clocking from the east to west in about 6 
hours. Our worst direction is SE with a reach of about 2 nm. With no 
power and darkness we could not see the boat anchored 200 ft in front of 
the house. Next morning she lay unscathed.
    I have since changed out my concrete for a railway car wheel because 
it seems to suck in to the bottom even better. Also concrete loses over 
50% of its weight when immersed in water. (However the metal on the 
barrel was still on after 5 years and there was no concrete degradation. 
One theory is the lack of air when lying on the bottom in mud.)  I have 
also switched to half inch chain for longevity and  have increased 
length to about 35' in case of storm surge. You might want longer chain 
because of your exposure to storm surges if you are on the windward side 
of the 'rock' which is about the only inhabitable side eh.

Good luck

Matthew Wynn
Tazar #424

 1188998512.0