Overmoored?

[Anemometer]

Hello out there.
My husband just installed mooring balls on our moorings here so he won't have to put in and take out winter sticks.
However we are on a tidal estuary and my Herreshoff 121/2 seems to be riding very strangely, sometimes rubbing against the ball, and at other times off where she belongs.
The line from the ball to the eye splice is nearly as long as the boat. Will it help to shorten it? How long is right? I saw 6' for big boats in a mooring field, but should mine be shorter still? The ball has a stick on it, and I might be better off without. Appreciate advice. Thanks

[skipmac]

If you are in an estuary with tidal currents, even moderate currents you are probably experiencing what I did when I had a mooring in Bristol RI. Basically if the wind is blowing one way and the tide the other way and neither one is strong then the boat may move one way and the mooring another.

Use to drive me crazy. Even worse was the dinghy which would start banging into the side of the boat in the middle of the night. I tried anchoring the dinghy, Using shorter lines, longer lines, tied the dinghy to the end of the boom. Never did find a perfect solution. Unless someone else knows the answer all I can suggest is to experiment with the lines.

[a64pilot]

I may be misunderstanding the question, but if I understand what is going on, sometimes placing the rudder hard over will help.

[Chenega]

In a tidal area I feel the use of soft inflatable mooring ball is a must. Current will cause boat to ride up on mooring at some point and the soft inflatable ball won't do damage to your boat and is quiet - no thumping!

[JPA Cate]

If you use a very short tether for the boat, you may be able to limit ball bump. We have had to actually lift the ball and chain a bit to keep from thumping. I think you are going to have to experiment and see what works best for your boat with its particular geometry.

Ann

[model 10]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I may be misunderstanding the question, but if I understand what is going on, sometimes placing the rudder hard over will help.

Step on the ball A soft ball sounds great. A bow sprit helps if you rig it over one but then it rubs on the bob stay.
I'm tethering the dinghy these days bow to bow cleat and stern to stern and a big fender on the side. Partly because it makes going over the side to lock up the dinghy at night more fun. You just climb over the side and grab the cable and lock. It seems to be working OK in tidal/river/wind shifts.

[Hydra]

When I kept my boat on a mooring in a tidal estuary, I found that the best solution was to take the mooring ball on the deck: no more bumping the bow in the ball. As an other benefit, the stainless swivel was out of the water and less exposed to corrosion.

It worked easily because the mooring line was mainly made of *massively oversized* rope, much lighter than chain: after catching the ball in the normal way, I hauled on a pendant made fast to the swivel, to pull it out of the water. Then, I took the ball on deck.

Alain

[Anemometer]

Cannot take the ball on board. It is too big. The boat is only 17' overall.
I think I will try a shorter tether. Ball is not inflatable but is soft enough plastic to appear not to be damaging the boat. I am thinking of taping the turnbuckles so they don't fray the tether when it leads from bow to stern.
I miss my old fashioned tether and buoy attached to the eye splice, but this is probably more secure, as last Fall someone ran over the buoy after I moved the boat out and cut the line, requiring a diver to retrieve it this Spring. Thanks for all your help,

[SV Lift]

Haven't tried the inflatable ball or bringing it up on deck but they sound like viable options.

The dinghy certainly has the same problem- but can be solved by lifting it with davits or a halyard. A clean bottom and being harder to steal are just side benefits.

[SVNeko]

Go back to the winter sticks. Don't know where you are but one winter I was too lazy to put them on and our bay froze over, lifted my mooring by the ball and carried across the bay.

Sent from my SM-T210R using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!

[CaptTom]

For the dinghy: Tie it off on the hip. Painter to a mid cleat, and another line from the stern of the dinghy to your stern.

For the ball: Yes, eventually any boat will come in contact with the mooring float if you're on a pennant line. Either pull it up tight (or up on deck) as some have suggested, or use a soft ball that won't make a lot of noise when you brush against it.

[lonesoldier0408]

I'm new to sailing and would like a picture of this, "mooring stick/ball," thingy. I believe those swimming noodles, of the octagon shape, could be cut and slid over it while attaching the line. Instant padded bumper. Hope this helps. Trying to contribute.

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by SVNeko

Go back to the winter sticks. Don't know where you are but one winter I was too lazy to put them on and our bay froze over, lifted my mooring by the ball and carried across the bay.

Sent from my SM-T210R using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Yup