Mooring With a Carabiner

[SeaSon]

While down in Mexico way, I saw the prettiest first mate in a dive boat grab her mooring line that had a caribiner on its end connected to the galvanized eye on the mooring ball. She whipped that line around like a jump rope 3 or 4 spins, and the carabiner just popped right off the ball. Seems she's been doing it that way for years. Never saw anything like it. 'Nuff said?

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by SeaSon

While down in Mexico way, I saw the prettiest first mate in a dive boat grab her mooring line that had a caribiner on its end connected to the galvanized eye on the mooring ball. She whipped that line around like a jump rope 3 or 4 spins, and the carabiner just popped right off the ball. Seems she's been doing it that way for years. Never saw anything like it. 'Nuff said?

A fixed eye on a ball, yes. That is the same as the u-bolt case. That is not what I said. I asked about carabiners unclipping from a flexible pendant. A completely different case, in no way related.

[Whomda]

I did have a carabiner fail on a mooring ball at St. Barts.

I was chartering a catamaran, and they supplied it with a rather large regular carabiner at the end of the bridle for moorings. Not a locking type.

I had never seen it before, and found it super easy to use, but easier than other methods.

But one night on the ball, the winds came up something mighty. I kept waking up, ensuring we had not come loose, and went back to sleep. In the morning, I noticed the carabiner had been twisted nearly open and was barely hanging on the the loop on the ball. A close call.

It taught me the lesson to never let that be the only method of attachment if winds are uncertain.

[Octopus]

Personally, I wouldn't trust a carabiner for more than a few minutes. I suggest a better mooring technique might solve your problem more effectively.

My single-handed approach to mooring a cat is to

• secure one end of the bridle/harness to the (in my case) starboard bow cleat and walk the rest of the bridle/harness to the starboard transom steps (I believe in very long harness lines), temporarily securing it so there is no danger of it getting wrapped around the prop
• stretch a light chain between the hulls at the bottom of the transom steps (my buoy-catching device) - light chain, because it sinks
• motor over the mooring buoy so it passes between the hulls and the mooring riser chain catches on my chain stretched between the transoms
• steer to bring the mooring buoy close to the starboard transom
• leave the props engaged but engine idling to keep the mooring buoy nestled in the corner by the transom steps
• leave the helm and descend the transom steps
• temporarily attach a short tether to the mooring ring/pennant and winch it in tight, using the davit winch, to lift the buoy clear of the water, so the ring is close at hand and immovable (it is worth fitting a convenient fairlead specially for this tether)
• remove my light-chain buoy-catching device
• attach bridle/harness to mooring ring with industrial-sized steel shackle (no half-measures for me in this crucial safety department)
• adjust helm and engine throttle and thrust (forward/reverse) to suit the conditions (current/wind) and to minimise load on the lines as I walk the free end round the boat (see below)
• remove the tether
• walk the free end of the harness around the boat, during which the boat slowly rotates to face the buoy - if I've adjusted the helm and throttle correctly (see above)
• secure the free end of the harness to the port bow cleat, taking in as much slack as possible
• return to the helm to adjust throttle/thrust/rudder, so the boat slowly approaches the mooring buoy
• return to the bows to shorten the harness lines to the desired length
• attach the free end of each harness line securely to the respective midship cleat (to be sure to, to be sure) - in severe weather I use the forward and midships cleats as fairleads and tie the lines off at the stern cleats, as the stretch in the additional rope length plus the additional deck friction reduces the shock loads.

Casting off is a reverse of the above (but no need for the chain) and I winch the mooring up to the transom steps using the port line before attaching the tether.

I haven't perfected this technique yet (occasionally the mooring buoy ducks under the chain) and it's not particularly quick (one of your requirements), but it has worked in some severe conditions and removes most of the stress from the operation. The method has worked under one engine in very choppy conditions, when other methods would probably have failed.

Chris

[tunnelvision]

My Mantus mooring bridle came with one but I feel more comfortable using a line through the eyelet . I feel it's more secure and can be released by releasing one end in bad conditions. The anchor bridle and chain hook are awesome by the way!

[SeaSon]

Originally Posted by thinwater

A fixed eye on a ball, yes. That is the same as the u-bolt case. That is not what I said. I asked about carabiners unclipping from a flexible pendant. A completely different case, in no way related.

Sorry Sire, I did not realize you were the only person on this thread that matters.

[rajsach]

Thank you everybody for all of the replies. I think I'm going to stick with the traditional method of passing lines through the eye of the pennant and doubling back to each bow. I may use a carabiner temporarily while getting everything situated but sounds like using one for more than a short period of time is probably asking for trouble.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by SeaSon

Sorry Sire, I did not realize you were the only person on this thread that matters.

I had an honest, serious question which has not been answered. Every example, all of them valid, assume you are clipping a fixed eye rather than a sling or pendant. I don't understand the attitude.

Has anyone had a carabiner come off that was not clipped to a fixed eye or u-bolt? In fact, so long as both ends are free to swivel they are very difficult to disengage.