Picking Up An Unknown Mooring Buoy ?

[GrowleyMonster]

I got to want to be somewhere really bad before I will go there and pick up a mandatory mooring, unless I am pretty darn sure it is secure. When anchoring is an option, I anchor.

[capngeo]

It's an interesting dilemma, You are forced to take a mooring, yet have to assume all liability for its condition. I would think that (at least in the US) the release you are forced to sign is not worth the paper it is written on were there a loss and it was taken to court.

[Katiusha]

Alright, read through most answers and found only one (Don) who does the same as us: we pick up the mooring (as long as we are directed to it or somebodyconfirms that it's ok for us to use) and then back down hard on it. If it goes, we moor eslewhere.

The logic is that if it can handle our max rpms, we'll be ok should a squall come through. If it breaks, we saved a maintenance check for the restaurant/marina who own this mooring.

We do the same after we anchor. Why would mooring be any different?

[charliehows]

Originally Posted by Dragon Lady

Maybe it depends where you are and what you pick up.
The local visitor moorings around Sydney are maintained by government contractors and seem to be well maintained.
I am very reluctant to trust an unknown mooring that is not a government one.
That said we have had an incident where 20 mooring were damaged by irresponsible boat owners who overloaded other peoples moorings by rafting up with large boats which then were hit by a storm.
So maybe you can't even trust your own mooring if you have been off it for a while.

um, no, they arent (well maintained) ive written 3 times to maritime about a courtesy mooring with a frayed loop (at least its obvious) on a 20 tonne mooring - over a year, nothing, still frayed.
Learnt my lesson at 3 in the morning on a borrowed (abandoned?) mooring when something (probably movement on a dead calm night) woke me to go on deck and find myself drifting lazily to within 2 feet of the next boat before i got under way. At least i know my anchor is well maintained.

[Dragon Lady]

Hmmm, thanks for educating me guys.
I will definitely be rethinking my use of unknown moorings now.

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by Dragon Lady

Maybe it depends where you are and what you pick up.
The local visitor moorings around Sydney are maintained by government contractors and seem to be well maintained.
I am very reluctant to trust an unknown mooring that is not a government one.
That said we have had an incident where 20 mooring were damaged by irresponsible boat owners who overloaded other peoples moorings by rafting up with large boats which then were hit by a storm.
So maybe you can't even trust your own mooring if you have been off it for a while.

I have trusted the WA (US) state buoys with no qualms for 20 years. Last summer I noticed many were missing. I called to find out if they were permanently being removed due to money issues. Turned out their supplier had recently substituted a Chinese brand of chain.