Tackle for course mark

[G Force 0]

I was going to pm Knot Me but i thought others might gain from the info or have some info to add.

I have been asked to assist with our racing marks in Tasman Bay,( Read scuba dive !)

We have a concrete car tire and about 20m of chain and a mussel bouy on the end.This has lasted 18-20 months and the chain has parted about where the chain leaves the seabed the ends are fine but the center has worn through. We have 3 of these all in about 10m of water at high tide.

I have briefly discussed this with Knot Me but lost my "bit of paper"and now we have two weekends to sort this out.

Im thinking mooring then 5m of chain some sort of rope ? diameter ? and 5m of chain under the bouy, I will dive on the two that are still in place and temporary mark them , bolt cut old chain and attach (with shackle?)and mouse off all galv? the new tackle

Your thoughts ?

[w44vi 17]

we have tried all sorts of things we found that if the buoys were only tied on they we stolen, we are currently trying s/s wire (old life lines) as the chain usually only lasted a year or so, normally only one link would be corroded

[TimB 7]

G-force, I presume you guys are still using mussell buoys and one of the issues with those is making sure they stand up, which means (I think) all chain to get enough weight. If you can get hold of some secondhand anchor chain from a large trawler or ship, they have to change it regularly for survey and it usually avaialble for the likes of a club for zero.The likes of Cookes or similar would have it. Ship anchorchain would be heavy enough in short lengths and last longer as it has more metal to corrode.

 

Cheers.

[Guest]

usually avaialble for the likes of a club for zero.The likes of Cookes or similar would have it. Ship anchorchain would be heavy enough in short lengths and last longer as it has more metal to corrode.

 

Cheers.

 

You're dreaming. Due to NZers being stupid, yet again, and showing the world how we do things, pre-loved studdy is now like gold. Maybe slide a crewman a few beers but the days of this stuff being given away are pretty much well over. Comment applies to mussel farming, pine trees, kiwifruit and a multitude of other things. But you are right about big will outlast smaller, often by a hell of a lot.

 

Going all chain will mean wear, don't forget it's jiggling 25/8 so it just wears away.

 

I'd be thinking a bit of big chain to a nice big sized rope. You could use cheap polyprop no worries.

 

Or you can use bonded wire the whole way. It is pretty neutral in buoyancy when immersed so no worries there. Strength is no worries as is servicing. Can be fitted to weights by a diver and a spanner. It's what we use on all the beach markers around Akl and what is now being used by a few Harbours to moor their primary marks (in a bigger size).

 

Basically it's wire with a plastic coat 'bonded' (melted into) onto the wire, knot a tube over wire sort of thing. Being bonded means no water can get in so no rust issues. Every now and again you cut 6" off each end to get rid of the bit where the rust gets in from the ends (assuming you don't seal them up well 1st) and it's good to go again. Up here that happens every 2 years and is about a 15min exercise per buoy.

 

This stuff is real good for ripping stern legs off and gearboxes out if some loony fizz nasty gets too close

 

Now if someone down there can schmooze a fishing boat the chances are very high you could get some off one of those who is swapping it out for new. They use it for the sweeps so after a while it does wear the cover (plastic coat) off and they replace it. You would want some without a broken cover but as you are only looking for a few 10-20mt lengths that could be quite do-able. It's that pile of green, sometimes blue, stuff seen sitting on wharfs by fishing boats often. With luck you maybe able to get some for a tray of beers, bottle of rum or being fishos, a few lines of coke.... knot the bubbly liquid type

 

To buy it new is around $14 mt + gst and you'll need 4 wire rope grips per buoy, 22mm FedSpec ones if you go with the 12 bonded to 24mm. Apart from that you'll need a diver, a spanner, a few cold beers (more is better than less) and the usual hot chick in a skimpy bikini just to lift the look of the whole operation. No G Force, Klinger in any swimsuit, let alone a bikini, will KNOT be acceptable even if he begs, as he quite likely might, besides he has keel issues to sort out 1st

 

Done right, which is very easy, a length could last 15 or more years.

 

Length required?? Water depth at maximum high tide plus the height of the biggest waves seen plus a handful. The buoy won't be able to break this so you just need to make sure the buoy doesn't lift the weights and just float the whole shebang away. A standard mussel buoy can lift around 300kg. 200kg of concrete under water could weigh as little as 80kg. If you like there is no reason you couldn't fit a short length of big chain between the wire and the weights if chafe maybe an issue.

 

Go have fun with that

[Guest]

The chain on my bow to the seawall was got free by my father from Cookes.

Not sure how he managed it.

A mate of a mate worked in there for awhile and there was no freebies forthcoming.

Not that he worked there for long enough to get the pressure on from me.

 

Has anyone tried getting it from the scrap metal guys. The date sensitive lifting stuff must be going somewhere.

[Guest]

By 'date sensitive' you probably mean high tensile. I wouldn't go there on a mooring of any sort. Just for weight, yes but knot as part of the load member. The stuff can start to fizz fast, that's knot a good thing.

 

Free out of Cookes???, that would be a 1st or old time, I doubt he'd be able to swing that one these days

[Guest]

So I understand with the freebies from Cookes.

I was wondering what happens to lifting chain once it has been retired from lifting.

Can it not be used for moorings?

[G Force 0]

Thanks everyone , great info i will pass it on.No klinger hasnt been involved in this project yet although last time he sailed with us he snapped the rudder. As i understand it he might be up for a visit very shortly to discuss some issues with somebody ?

[Guest]

I was wondering what happens to lifting chain once it has been retired from lifting.

Can it not be used for moorings?

Nope. It's like carbon, bloody strong but still quite fragile. It HATES shock loads and gives no warning, or very little of impending failure. One very good reason knot to use it as anchor chain for example, knot to mention you just don't need the strength unless you intentionally anchor in full on hurricanes.

 

If seen in a mooring they will pull it out. It maybe fine but usually it's the first chain to fizz away. In a bad case you can actually see it fizzing, done that a few times. The same applies to Stainless.

 

Generally the lower grades are knot full of some many secret herbs and spices so they are more inert, so to speak. Put a HT or SS in there and the mixed metal thing can easily raise it's ugly head and it's all downhill... or downwind in this case, from there.

 

G Force. I had a word in a Nelson locals ear... PM coming at ya.