Buoy Attachments and Security


There has been a large number of boats drifting off their moorings this year. So many in fact, that I felt compelled to write an entry about the correct, seaman-like way to attach your boat to the buoy. I'll reference that post later on. The reason that I am making this update is more ominous.

It is now clear that least one, and possibly three of the detachments were not accidents at all, but deliberate acts. We all know that there are people that can access the boats at all hours, and it now seems that some of these people think it would be fun to set a boat adrift by unclipping the bowline. For a large cruising boat, this can be very damaging.

So this is what I am now advocating: In addition to your primary line, you rig a secondary line that attaches to your boat somewhere on the deck, and cannot be easily undone from the water. In my case, I have run a 5/8 line from its own shackle on the buoy up alongside my primary thru the floating noodle, and then thru my bow anchor roller to a big cleat. There is is secured and tied off. That would be very hard to undo from the water, and would easily hold the boat if someone where to drift by and unclip it. See the picture above for more details.

I hate that we have to go to such lengths to keep our boats safe, but that is the world we live in. You can see more details about how to best rig your primary line HERE.

Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 14, 2010 at 10:20 AM

    Clay,

    Unfortunately, anybody with a sharp pocket knife can cut that deck line. I'm going to get a long bike cable, loop it through the buoy and attach it with a padlock to a cleat on the deck.

    * Sigh *

    Dave

    ReplyDelete
  2. clayJune 14, 2010 at 10:27 AM

    I know (sigh++)...

    So far the MO has been to just un-clip. That 'can' look like owner error or bad luck. Not sure we have seen any cutting yet. But I am watching. Thru the anchor roller, I could also run a small chain... Hmmm.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJune 17, 2010 at 9:03 PM

    I've been locking mine with two heavy padlocks and an anchor chain as a backup to my two mooring lines. Always wondered the pros and cons of that, but I was always worried someone would just unclip it. Jerry W.

    ReplyDelete
  4. clayJune 18, 2010 at 11:48 AM

    Jerry,
    It now seems your worry was warranted. Having a second line that cannot be unclipped is a good strategy. Hopefully we will not start seeing cut lines.

    clay

    ReplyDelete

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