Boating Tip #38: Mooring
Download Boating Tip #38: Mooring (PDF format, 28KB)
Double moorings, such as those found at Santa Catalina Island, consist of a mooring ball, wand (pick–up pole), and two anchor weights – one at the bow and one at the stern. Each weight is attached to a line. The lines are then attached to the boat's cleats at the bow and stern. Double moorings are used to prevent boats from swinging in crowded harbors, and allow a much larger number of vessels to moor in a restricted area.
Picking Up a Mooring
- From the bow of your boat, pick up the wand as you approach it slowly. Pass the wand over your lifelines, and place the wand on the bow of your boat. Later after you are moored, you can drop the wand back into the water if you wish.
- Pull in the line (bow hawser) attached to the wand until a large loop appears.
- Attach the loop to your bow cleat.
- Continue to pull on the smaller (slimy) sand line that is attached to the bow hawser and quickly walk toward the stern of the boat.
- Attach the second loop (stern hawser), or if necessary, the sand line itself to the stern cleat.
- Drop the sand line back into the water.
- Check the stern line tension
- If it is too tight, it will be difficult to release and may cause the weights to drag
- If it is too loose, the boat will move with the water and may drift and collide with a neighboring boat
- Check and adjust the lines with the tide, if necessary.
Leaving a Mooring
- Make sure the sand line is not caught on anything, and is able to sink.
- Make sure the engine is in "neutral".
- Remove the stern, then the bow hawsers from the boat's cleats and drop them into the water.
- Allow lines to sink clear of the propeller before moving.