Picking up a mooring with no pennant

[macbeth]

Any suggestions on how to pick up a mooring buoy that has no pennant when single handed ?

I had to do this the other night due to weather conditions. The buoy had just a ring in the middle of it. I had to lie down on the deck to reach it and put a line through the ring. I was doing this from the stern as being the lowest part on the deck, single-handed. It wasn't easy ! I approached it very slowly, and I grabbed the ring with a boat-hook, tied a rolling hitch around the boat-hook, tied the other end to a rail and then thought.... what next ?!!

Wasn't made any easier by the fact that I have a lame left hand ! I should have approached the buoy so it was on the port side, so when I laid down on the deck, I would have had the use of my good right hand. !! I guess I learnt something !

I wasn't very polite to Fisheries Canada that night !! No pennant ! Cheap skates !

Also got fed up with the buoy bumping the boat, due to no wind. So I tied the mooring line to the furthest out point of the pulpit, in order to keep the buoy away from the boat. That helped.

I much prefer anchoring !!

[djmarchand]

I have done it once single handed and did exactly what you did. Backed up to the mooring ball, got down on the swim platform and looped a line to the bouy. Then pulled the bouy forward and tied off at the bow. Couldn't be done in any kind of wind.

It is irritating isn't it.

David

[Crimea Cruiser]

lasso?

[Dsanduril]

"They" do make a boat pole/attachment specifically for that purpose if you think you'll be doing it often enough:

MARINETECH PRODUCTS Happy Hooker Mooring Hook Tip at West Marine

Otherwise, the method you found is pretty much it. Personally, it's the one I use, sometimes from the bow, sometimes from the stern depending on conditions.

[JPA Cate]

Have one end of the mooring line connected to a foredeck cleat; lift the buoy and ring to where you can reach it, slip the unsecured end of the line through the ring, take a half turn around the cleat, and lower the buoy to the water, lay the boat hook on deck and secure the line. We sometimes pull the buoy clear of the water so the "bumpy" part cannot reach the hull; only works if your boat has fairly good overhang forward. You wrote that your left hand is "lame", but I don't understand how much of its use you have, and my method does need you to be able to use both hands , hence not helpful. If so, I apologize.

[Dennis.G]

This might help.
Robship Hook & Moor Boat Hook

If anyone has used this, would like to hear a review.

[jeremiason]

The Happy Hooker does not work well of the mooring ring isn't welded in the up position... For rings that lay on their side, the Robship Hook, Grab n Go or other similar devices work best.

[eyschulman]

Use the happy hooker to grab the line under float. use a long line bitter end tied to bow and run back to pole in cockpit . bring your boat along side hook float and then as your boat moves back shorten line up to bow lean over and run a second line through eye and doubled back to bow. Then hook the hooker release loop now you can let out a little of the doubled line and go back to the cockpit and pop a beer open..

[SVNeko]

I use the Wichard simple hook. It works pretty well. If they are cruel enough to use no pennant and a ring that doesn't stand up, then I would drop a rope over the entire ball to hold until I could get a proper line on. Probably easier on a cat.

[macbeth]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Have one end of the mooring line connected to a foredeck cleat; lift the buoy and ring to where you can reach it.

If only !! The water level was very high, so the buoy would only lift about 2" out of the water. And besides, they weigh a ton !

Another time, I'll be more prepared:

1) Have boathook ready with a rolling hitch or better on it with the bitter end of the line attached to a cleat.
2) Take it at the stern on the starboard side.
3) Let it slip around to the actual stern.
3) CLIMB DOWN THE STERN STEPS !! That's what I forgot to do ! Better than leaning over the side ! Might have got my legs wet, but better than nearly falling over the side (which nearly happened !!). You live and learn !

No way I'm going to buy one of those fancy expensive poles, I don't use mooring buoys enough.

Thanks for responses.