# Boats lost in Buzzards Bay



## mbianka (Sep 19, 2014)

sailingfool said:


> I believe the issue with many vessels was chafing through the mooring pennants. The town required inspections of moorings in Massachusetts as best I know basically stop at the mooring ball. In Massachusetts I've never seen regulation let alone guidance about pennants and chafing gear, the boat owner rolls their own. So chafed pennants are common, plus the folks who leave their plow anchors in the bow roller. When not cruising, our Rocna is either tied on deck or banished to the stern locker.


My mooring is pulled with the pennant line and is inspected before it's splashed in the spring. My boatyard will just replace it if it looks a little iffy. Though when a storm is threatening I'll add some back line(s) before it hits. I also remove the anchor from the bow pulpit when a storm threatens.


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

Pic of the Mantus Anchor Mate mentioned in my previous post;


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## sailingfool (Apr 17, 2000)

eherlihy said:


> Pic of the Mantus Anchor Mate mentioned in my previous post;


That's a prettyu cool looking device,. While it looks like it would prevent a pennant from hooking under the anchor, does it do anything to prevent the pennat from fraying against the sides of the anchor, as the boat swings in the wind? Relevant discussion and pics here Mooring Preparation & Precautions Photo Gallery by Compass Marine How To at pbase.com


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

Yes, I have read Maine Sail's treatise on moorings and chafe, and agree wholeheartedly with his observations.

On my boat, however, the bow roller is offset on the stemhead fitting, that is, the anchor sits off to one side. This picture - credit D & R Marine - may help illustrate what I mean;









My stemhead fitting looks like the one on the left and in the center. Unlike the picture, my stemhead fitting is cast aluminum, not polished stainless. 

Therefore, the mooring pennant on the port side clears the anchor completely - unless the boat were somehow to turn 90º to starboard from the direction of the wind. Because there is no current where the mooring is, this does not happen unless the vessel is moving forward on her mooring (like when I am picking up the mooring). If the pennant on the port side does touch the anchor, it only touches the center of the fluke, not the edge.

I have the shorter pennant on the port side, and a longer pennant, which hangs below the anchor, on the starboard side. I have never seen either pennant come close to the anchor while the boat is at rest. I am more concerned with chafe at the chocks.


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