# Mooring Help



## kptmorgan04 (Apr 10, 2007)

I plan to keep my new 30' sailboat on a mooring on the West River of the Chesapeake Bay. 
Somewhat of a three pronged question:
I have a quote of $1500-2000 to have a mushroom mooring professionally installed.
I would ideally like to save some $ and have the mooring installed myself. I have access to a floating dock and a whaler to assist. 
The depths I am looking at will be around 6-8ft with a mud bottom. 
Is it recommended that I go with a mushroom anchor of 250-300lbs (about $400 for mushroom anchor, plus another $400ish for chain, ball, line etc.) or construct my own concrete block with a I Bolt?
Any good recommendations for do it yourselfers or those that have had horrible experience trying to get hundreds of pounds of deadweight down to the bottom of the bay?
Thanks!!!


----------



## Michael K (Feb 27, 2006)

I just wrote three paragraphs about my experience of setting a mooring in Galesville, but Sailnet lost all of it. Instead of typing it all again, why not just PM me with your phone number. I'll tell you how I did it myself for far less than $800 and, if the weather is fair, will assist you with the task.


----------



## Dog Ship (Sep 23, 2011)

Most people around here will use a lock-block. It's a concrete retaining wall block that cost's about $100 and weighs about 4500 lbs. They come in full and half blocks.
You will have to have a hole cored through it for a chain or cable to pass through. Placing it can be an issue but if you hire a small tug he can drag it into the water and place it for you. 
You will never have to worry about it dragging on you.


----------



## CorvetteGuy (Jun 4, 2011)

our club uses nothing but morings, have for 50 years now. We use half a 45 gallon drum filled with concrete and a steel hoop embeded into the crete works well in a fairly protected area. Once it settles in the mud they don't drag, and very difficult to pull up for inspection, we use a small deck with drums under for flotation, a steel a frame with block and tackle 3/4 drum would give more weight. Very cost efective


----------



## paulk (Jun 2, 2000)

Before mixing up or getting concrete, check with your harbormaster (or other authority) to make sure it is OK to use. Our harbormaster would not permit such a setup. It creates rock-hard shallow spots for people to hit, and the impromptu or inappropriate for the job shapes often tend to drag.


----------



## Dog Ship (Sep 23, 2011)

paulk said:


> Before mixing up or getting concrete, check with your harbormaster (or other authority) to make sure it is OK to use. Our harbormaster would not permit such a setup. It creates rock-hard shallow spots for people to hit, and the impromptu or inappropriate for the job shapes often tend to drag.


Yes, absolutely, check with your harbour master before putting anything in the water. 
As far as dragging a 4500lb concrete block with a 30 foot boat, I don't think that will be a concern. There are 40-50 foot boats that use this set up with no problems at all.


----------



## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

Dog Ship said:


> Yes, absolutely, check with your harbour master before putting anything in the water.
> As far as dragging a 4500lb concrete block with a 30 foot boat, I don't think that will be a concern. There are 40-50 foot boats that use this set up with no problems at all.


Except it won't weight anywhere close to 4500 pounds under water and this is why many municipalities have made them non-approved... If you were using concrete for a 30' boat in Rockport, MA, a town with well thought out guidelines, the dry weight of the mooring would need to be almost 5500 pounds for a 30' boat.... In a protected anchorage a 4500 pound dry weight mooring should do fine but this needs to be weighed against many factors such as exposure, propensity to Nor' Easters or Hurricanes etc...

Any dead weight mooring is best to be long, low and flat so it can "work in" to the bottom and create "suction" to the bottom to add to the performance of its "dead weight".. Ideally after a few years it would be flush with the surface of the bottom.

This is what a typical dead-weight Maine granite mooring looks like, low and flat..









A mushroom should only be used on a soft mud bottom as they are designed to "screw into" the substrate as the vessel works around it. Once set the bell will be 3-4' below the bottom standing nearly vertical.. In the Chess they usually work very well.

Below are some suggested weights for deadweight moorings. The guidelines below are from Rockport, MA, one town that has studied this stuff rather extensively. They have come up with their own mooring standards after losing boats in storms..



Rockport said:


> Deadweight Anchors:
> Deadweight anchors are commonly used in New England. They are usually blocks of granite which hold vessels in place because they are too heavy to be dragged or lifted by the vessel.
> 
> The holding power of the deadweight anchor is derived solely from it's weight and not by its design. When a deadweight is pulled out of its current resting place, it may settle somewhere else, because its weight provides constant resistance.
> ...


Example 20' Boat:

For a 20 footer using cement you need roughly a 2730 pound dry weight mooring to attain a 1500 pound submerged weight.

Deadweight moorings are easily dragged if not the proper shape or weight and thus require significantly more weight than would a mooring that "sets".

Moorings that set, should be "set" in a settable bottom. The proper orientation for a mushroom is totally buried standing vertically. The entire bell must be able to sink into the bottom and disappear other wise it is basically a deadweight mooring, and dead weight mooring weights should be used not mushroom mooring weights. This is where many municipalities who don't study storm damage, and asses what happened, can get into trouble.

Any mooring should be set for the bottom conditions in your area.

Here is one of the most common and accepted mooring diagrams out there. Image courtesy of Hamilton Marine.









We know what the town or Rockport, MA recommends for deadweight moorings and that is about 3000 pounds (submerged) for a 30 footer..

Scituate, MA requires even more min weight than Rockport at 2000 pounds for a 20 footer and for this harbor the only approved mooring is a granite block, because the bottom is not suitable for setting type moorings. No cement or "home made" moorings allowed unless specifically approved by the harbor master.

The quote below comes directly from Inamar Insurance, one of the largest insurers of pleasure vessels. They know the claims and the failures and why..



INAMAR Insurance Co. said:


> In water, concrete loses almost one-half its weight; granite loses almost one-third, and iron loses only an eighth. This is significant. If a mooring is designed to withstand a 4,000-lb. pull, one needs 8,000 lbs. of concrete, 6,000 lbs. of granite, or 4,500 lbs. of iron. *At a minimum, over one ton is needed for even a small, 25' yacht.*
> 
> To handle weights of this magnitude, a barge crane is needed. As long as this equipment is used to place the anchor, one might as well err on the side of excessive weight when placing it.


Ultimately a helix style mooring would be best but you would need a professional installer, and this gets expensive.

Here in Falmouth, ME where there are more than 1200 boats in the anchorage we have very, very strict rules as to how moorings will be installed, serviced etc... Start with the town first and if they don't have any advice go with the advice of a town like Scituate, MA, Rockport, MA etc.

This is but a sampling of our towns rules:



Falmouth said:


> "All new or replaced permanent moorings shall comply with the following minimum specifications:
> 
> *Each permanent mooring shall consist of a mushroom, granite block or helix, a minimum one-half-inch heavy steel bottom chain attached to a minimum one-half-inch top chain (a single chain is acceptable), mooring buoy and a pennant: polypropelene use is not acceptable. Each mooring must have one (1) top and swivel; all swivels and shackles must be to the appropriate size diameter.
> 
> ...


----------



## kptmorgan04 (Apr 10, 2007)

Thanks all for the replies! Anyone have any experience or reviews regarding the DOR MOR Pyramid Anchors? I figure the 200lb would be sufficient. Looks like West Marine is not selling the Mushroom anchors, and ordering online from another distributer would cost $$$ for shipping.


----------



## tweitz (Apr 5, 2007)

Boat US just published a whole study of moorings, quite critical of concrete and not so keen on mushrooms either. It is based on their insurance claims. Unfortunately, I don't have the cite.


----------



## Dog Ship (Sep 23, 2011)

Maine Sail said:


> Except it won't weight anywhere close to 4500 pounds under water and this is why many municipalities have made them non-approved... If you were using concrete for a 30' boat in Rockport, MA, a town with well thought out guidelines, the dry weight of the mooring would need to be almost 5500 pounds for a 30' boat.... In a protected anchorage a 4500 pound dry weight mooring should do fine but this needs to be weighed against many factors such as exposure, propensity to Nor' Easters or Hurricanes etc...


No, it won't weight 4500lbs submerged it would weigh about 2800lbs. 
More than enough for our conditions here as we don't get hurricanes and the harbour I had in mind is well protected against any weather. That is why I recommended that he consult his local harbour authority with regards to his mooring and the placement of it as well.
Personally, I would never trust any mooring as you have no idea what's going on down below. We have lots of local boats that wash ashore around Vancouver Island after we have had a good blow, and we can experience 20 foot tides at the worst time of year as far as the weather goes. 
If you are not around to monitor your mooring and your pride and joy, then I feel mooring your boat is really quite negligent, as most boats on moorings probably don't have insurance either.
I would also like to add that that is some very good info on moorings, thank you for Maine Sail. I wish more people would pay attention to this.


----------



## kptmorgan04 (Apr 10, 2007)

tweitz said:


> Boat US just published a whole study of moorings, quite critical of concrete and not so keen on mushrooms either. It is based on their insurance claims. Unfortunately, I don't have the cite.


It's a nice article. If you google it, the article will come up. Thanks!


----------



## ggray (Jun 18, 2011)

I have set 3 moorings on the James R., lower Chesapeake, in shallow water --actually the same equipment in 3 separate locations-- that consisted of three 40 lb Danforths roughly 120* apart and joined at the center with 1/2" chain. Swivel at that point and then chain up to buoy at the surface. This was for a 35' catamaran.

This made it relatively easy to raise for inspection. Muddy water made inspection under water difficult. I could set the mooring by myself, but a helper made it easier.

The anchors were not that expensive, and they don't need to be left in place when the mooring is no longer useful.


----------



## dvuyxx (Jun 23, 2009)

The most appropriate for this area is a mushroom. It digs deep into the local muddy bottom...250-300 lbs mushroom should be sufficient on the West River.


----------



## Coquina (Dec 27, 2012)

First: NO to concrete-cement ideas unless you use a LOT of weight, in the several thousand pound range. I thought this was a good idea. I made a 600 pound or so anchor and set it in a protected cove in the Severn. I dove on it a week later and all I could find was a chain going into the mud. I figured it would never move. It didn't until hurricane Fran and the boat dragged the mooring 90% of the way to the beach  About one more yard and I would have been aground. I was quite surprised how easy it was to drag it back too. We added a 100 pound danforth chained to the cement and it never moved again. This worked because of the terrain wind could only come from one direction and that is the direction we set the danforth for 

My current mooring is a 250 pound mushroom in 10 feet of water with 30 feet of 5/8" (or 3/4", can't recall right now) chain. This has been working quite well and has not dragged one inch. Bacon's in Annapolis has mushrooms, chain, swivels, mooring balls, mooring penants, and any other thing you would need to make a mooring. Not sure what facilities you have to handle the anchor, but we used our club crain to load it into my dinghy and then used the boom to lift it out of the dinghy. I used light nylon line from the mushroom to the boom. We lifted it about a foot, moved the dinghy out from under, and cut the nylon.

*WARNING* Make sure the chain and bouy are attached  and make double sure the chain isn't wrapped around your leg  before you let her rip!

EDIT
Nothing wrong with the DorMoor anchors except you have to drive a long way to get one and mushrooms are local in Annapolis. Also buy a bigger mooring bouy than you think you need. Mine is "just right" according to the rating and it floats lower than I would like. I tried to buy an anchor for a ship from the repair yard in Baltimore, but they said the sizes I would use sell fast to tug operators and they had none.


----------



## BarryL (Aug 21, 2003)

Dog Ship said:


> Personally, I would never trust any mooring as you have no idea what's going on down below. We have lots of local boats that wash ashore around Vancouver Island after we have had a good blow, and we can experience 20 foot tides at the worst time of year as far as the weather goes.
> If you are not around to monitor your mooring and your pride and joy, then I feel mooring your boat is really quite negligent, as most boats on moorings probably don't have insurance either.


Wow, that's a little harsh. I guess it depends upon the area. Around here, the towns control most of the mooring fields and there are strict rules for mooring gear. In order to place my mooring I have to first apply for and then receive a permit from the town. Next the mooring gear must be appropriately sized for the boat, inspected by an approved installer, placed in a certain area, and then must be hauled out at the end of the season.

Each harbor has a harbormaster who is responsible for making sure the right boat is on the right mooring, the boat is properly tied to the mooring, etc. The first year I had a boat (and knew very little about boating) I went to my boat on the mooring and found a note from the harbormaster informing me that I needed chafe protection on the mooring pendants.

There are literally thousands of moorings around here and I KNOW that most of the boats have insurance. There are way more boats than there are slips, so moorings are only way to accommodate that many vessels in a relatively small area.

Lastly, I like having my boat on a mooring because I frequently sail single handed and it's very easy to get off (and back on) the mooring.

Barry


----------



## dvuyxx (Jun 23, 2009)

Coquina said:


> Bacon's in Annapolis has mushrooms, chain, swivels, mooring balls, mooring penants, and any other thing you would need to make a mooring.


In the Annapolis/Severn River area, Bacons Sails will also arrange to deliver and drop your tackle in place for about $200 (does not include hardware). Ask for Steve.


----------



## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

BarryL said:


> Wow, that's a little harsh. I guess it depends upon the area. Around here, the towns control most of the mooring fields and there are strict rules for mooring gear. In order to place my mooring I have to first apply for and then receive a permit from the town. Next the mooring gear must be appropriately sized for the boat, inspected by an approved installer, placed in a certain area, and then must be hauled out at the end of the season.
> 
> Each harbor has a harbormaster who is responsible for making sure the right boat is on the right mooring, the boat is properly tied to the mooring, etc. The first year I had a boat (and knew very little about boating) I went to my boat on the mooring and found a note from the harbormaster informing me that I needed chafe protection on the mooring pendants.
> 
> ...


Ditto..

I know EXACTLY what is going on with my moorings as they are inspected yearly and re-chained (top chain) ever 4-5 years. My bottom chain is HUGE USCG/Navy chain. You could not pay me to be on a dock or on the hard in a hurricane. My storm mooring is specifically sized for hurricanes and would rip the bow of my boat apart before it moved......

Our harbor master has a specifications sheet for every mooring in the anchorage including type, weight, chain length, chain size and when any or all of this was last replaced. In the NE we are perhaps 80% moorings and in Maine that number likely pushes 90%.....


----------



## dvuyxx (Jun 23, 2009)

In this area (Annapolis/MD shore of the Chesapeake) there is a certain, disconcerting lack of regulations, standards, or order to the placement or upkeep of moorings. Provided you are not blocking a channel or someone's access, you can pretty much drop them anywhere you want. They aren't registered. There are no regulations on upkeep. So, unless the mooring is yours or one of the municipal moorings for the city, you have no idea how old it is or what is below the surface. It really surprised me when I moved here - particularly with the level of seamanship found in this region.


----------



## Coquina (Dec 27, 2012)

OTOH in the Chesapeake in most places anyone can put a mooring down made out of anything. This is not a problem 95% of the time, but there are a few well known "floating junkyards" where dubious boats are on dubious moorings and sometimes get loose or sink on their moorings.

We have a project at my club to get rid of a few old moorings that no one can recall who owns them or what they are made of. No one trusts them and they take up space. I actually wish we did have a mooring registry. When someone abandons a mooring, or at least it looks like it, now no one can use it because it isn't yours to start with AND you have no idea what condition it is in and you may have no idea - actually 99% chance you have no idea - how to find the owner to find out. My mooring buoy has my phone number on it. So far no one has called, but I would let anyone borrow it if I wasn't headed that way.


----------



## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

City of Annapolis moorings are all screw type moorings. I don't think I would use anything else on the Chesapeake. They are a good solution for our muddy bottoms.


----------



## kptmorgan04 (Apr 10, 2007)

Ok. I have all the gear and a 300lb mushroom. 

I have received some conflicting information regarding linking the heavy and lighter grade chain together for mooring installation. I have read swivel shackle between two grades of chain to help with swing, but then was recommended by marine distributor (fawcetts in Annapolis) to use two regular shackles made together on each end of the different chain sizes as swivel shackles loose strength. 
Any recommendations?


----------



## Coquina (Dec 27, 2012)

I used all one size chain for mine. The disadvantage is the chain is heavy and needs a bigger float to hold the weight. My mooring is in about 12 feet of water so not a big deal. You need to support (chain weight per foot) X (water depth at highest expected tide), not the entire weight of the chain which would be at least 3 times the water depth. The advantage is my swivel is up above water level where I can see it. Keep in mind most mooring articles seem to originate from New England where they will tend to have deeper water, higher tides, and rougher bottoms. A common mooring in Maine might have 1 inch bottom chain which is a fair anchor all by itself it is so heavy.



kptmorgan04 said:


> Ok. I have all the gear and a 300lb mushroom.
> 
> I have received some conflicting information regarding linking the heavy and lighter grade chain together for mooring installation. I have read swivel shackle between two grades of chain to help with swing, but then was recommended by marine distributor (fawcetts in Annapolis) to use two regular shackles made together on each end of the different chain sizes as swivel shackles loose strength.
> Any recommendations?


----------



## kptmorgan04 (Apr 10, 2007)

Just as an update... Mooring drop was a success last weekend. 300lb mushroom, 20ft 1/2" chain and 15ft 3/8" chain. Overkill for the depth of water and size of my boat, but not something to be skimped with. Was able to use a friends Bayliner with full strong swim platform to load the mushroom. Used a hand line to sound for drop spot in about 8ft at low tide. Once spot was found we payed out the chain and ball. Once back in position, rotated the mushroom off of the platform for the big splash. We then hooked up to the tether to drag the chain out over bottom and tip the mushroom on its side. It is about 1000 ft off community dock, so now just need to get some boat projects done before planned mid May launch.


----------



## smurphny (Feb 20, 2009)

Areas where there are a lot of moorings in managed mooring fields are using the helical moorings. I was impressed down in Stewart, FL this winter at the steadfast holding these provide. Was there for a couple of months and never did a boat move although packed in pretty tight.
Boat Moorings

We always dropped our own moorings, sometimes engine blocks or old cast iron pipe but the best for what you're doing should be a mushroom, maybe 200#. Just get a piece of plywood to slide it off your Whaler, get your feet clear and push!


----------



## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

The best form of mooring anchor is one that is heavy enough to resist the boat lifting it, creates enough friction on the bottom to prevent it being dragged and does not "pile up" causing a shallow-water hazard

The most common form of weights used in New Zealand for moorings are old train wheels. They are quite heavy and because they're spoked they settle into sand/mud and simply cannot be dragged.

As an example, I have a mooring comprising three train wheels chained together, then a 20mm-link chain of 5 metres, then a 10mm chain of 10 meters then a 22mm nylon plaited anchor line to the boat.

The train wheels settle into the mud, the 20mm chain is not easily dragged which relieves any stress on the wheels, the 10mm chain is light enough not to drag the float down and the rope is strong enough to lift my boat out of the water.

My boat weighs 26000lbs and in a recent storm with 50 knot winds did not move the mooring at all.


----------



## christian.hess (Sep 18, 2013)

how much do those train wheels weigh each?

I need to make a mooring for my boat im at 15klbs or so loaded up 

currently lloking at anything but cement which all guys mostly use down here wish I would of used my old palmer engine for a mooring

seriously


----------



## Michael K (Feb 27, 2006)

KPT,

We spoke several months ago by telephone. It sounds like you are well on your way. One thing to remember: it takes time for the mushroom to truly settle in and provide holding power. West River's mud is soft but it still needs time. Someone with local knowledge will be a better source than I, but two months may be within reason.

Also, I'm not exactly certain where you located the mooring, but swinging room may be a concern. If so, you really only need as much upper chain to equal mean high tide since you have so much scope dedicated to the hefty lower section. A well-set mooring usually requires just 3:1 scope up to the ball at mean high tide, and your location is pretty well protected.


----------



## findrichard (Jan 16, 2014)

My brother in law had his Pearson 37 moored during a cat 1 hurricane with a 500 lb engine block. They got maybe 80 mph winds and the boat drug a couple hundred yards. 

I am brainstorming a DIY mooring for my next 36' sailboat. I will describe it here hoping to get some feedback. Materials: 26 cinder blocks, cement mix, PVC pipe, galvanized pipe, 2x6 pressure treated lumber, and 1" galvanized chain. 
Construction: 
1. cut pvc (diameter size TBD) into 8" sections
2. place one 8" secton of pvc onto one end of each cement block and fill the blocks holes with concrete. 
3. cut two 16" pieces of 2x6's and drill two holes in each, large enough to thread the 1" chain through and lined up to the two holes of two blocks end to end (ends with PVC holes touching each other)
4. align the cement blocks on the bottom of the bay in 2 rows so I can thread an 8 foot section of galvanized pipe through the two PVC tunnels. all blocks will be touching each other with the ends of the blocks containing the PVC openings adjacent each other.
5. thread the 1" chain through one pipe pipe and through one hole in a 2x6 secton. thread the chain back through the other hole in the 2x6 and through the other galvanized pipe which was threaded through the other row of cement blocks.
6. cap the other end of the blocks with the second 2x6 section and shackle the two ends of the chain together as tight as possible. maybe even snugging with nylon rope.
7. attach pennant hardware to the ends of the 1" chain.

This should be about a 2000 pound mooring with the ability, during severe, weather to attach anchors to the back side where the 1" chain passes between the two rows of blocks.


----------



## Garandman (May 31, 2017)

tweitz said:


> Boat US just published a whole study of moorings, quite critical of concrete and not so keen on mushrooms either. It is based on their insurance claims. Unfortunately, I don't have the cite.


The article called "Everyday Moorings?"

We're checking with Dor Mor, otherwise going with a Pyramid, lower chain, top chain setup. Dorchester Bay Boston, 35' boat, 20' water depth and normal tide is 10'. Even though the mooring tug drags them arounda few times to help set them in, don't think the bottom is muddy enough for a mushroom.


----------

