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Mooring Hook


col j

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in the past we used a hook, every time we lashed around the bottom of it to stop the chain being able to jump off. then after we got sick of doing that we just shackled an extra bit of chain to the mooring chain with a loop in the end and that went on the bow cleat. after we got sick of that we went on a marina so we could use the boat much more because it was easier.

 

that superstar Knot Me will no doubt pipe up and say something. he does stuff with rope and chain. considers himself a bondage specialist.

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http://www.smartmarine.co.nz/hkm32-32mm-galvanised-mooring-line-hook-p-5466.html

 

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Boats-marine/Parts-accessories/Other/auction-284540948.htm

 

Here is what a galvanised mooring hook is like. On your mooring there should be from the buoy, a (thin / light) lifting rope or chain to a large ring. From this ring, a heavier chain goes to your mooring blocks etc.

 

You need to put that ring into your hook, often on a chain (as in TradeMe photo) or a thick rope from your main bollard or anchoring cleat.

 

You can then put a light lashing around the top of the hook to stop the ring jumping off the hook in a storm. Has happened before which is why the hook is so long.

 

The hook on a short length of chain or rope keeps all the dirty weedy smelly slimy disgusting . . . . bits of marine growth off your nice clean freshly painted bow.

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that superstar Knot Me will no doubt pipe up and say something. he does stuff with rope and chain. considers himself a bondage specialist.

 

He doesn't consider himself an expert rather just a lot better informed than most in his little area of the game.

 

Top chain moorings were about all there was until surprisingly knot that long ago. But these days most are top rope. Ropes are made better, boats lighter, more delicate and some of the old mooring zones where the big dramas happen have ceased to be used as much as they were.

 

What a lot of people do is have a slightly bigger buoy rope (the line that runs from the buoy to the top of the chain) and when the mooring is hooked up, tie that line off around something strong as a back up. Some just put spare line thru the ring on the top of the chain and tie that off well as a back up.

 

Hooks jumping off isn't seen very much, but bare in mind a lot less use that system now which would help that stat decrease, and it wouldn't be called 'common'. Generally as below the ring is all chain, that holds it in the hook, which is very deep throated, just fine. To have one jump out would mean either it's been set-up wrong (hard to do and unusual) or the mooring is in a spot that gets big wave action. In the flatter water mooring areas it basically just should never happen.

 

So we tend to aim most into a rope strop to the hook rather than a chain one and just make sure chafe protection is there also. Having all chain means less chafe worries but then chain does seriously increase mess (rust after a while) and if the chain strop jumps out of the fair lead they can do a lot of damage very fast. Use a decent sized rope and if it looks too small and there is room to fit it just go bigger, the cost difference is minimal.

 

And as always and with all boat gear, the owner/users regular once over off all the gear should notice any dramas at the start so if one is seen to or is possibly happening, either do something about it or ask questions of those who know if you don't.

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Interesting Topic.

 

Of the claims on vessels coming off moorings the assessor can identify the proximate cause in 90% of cases.

 

Hook jumping in our experience only happens with home made hooks, Or "some i got from the freezing works" . Yes someone welded 3 meat hooks together.

 

I can only reacall one instance where a Top chain set up failed. The U Bolt attaching hook to chain was "an old one laying around" and so was used to connect brand new hook and chain. The u bolt pin corroded, failed and the hook was still attached to O ring on sea bed as boat went ashore.

 

Where the failure occurs "north" of the O ring, it is most often the Rope attached to the hook that fails, or the Samson post or cleat.

 

There have been instances where a plastic tube/conduit has been placed around the top rope only to crack/break in the marine environment. The sharpened edge then saws through the top rope. Boat goes ashore.

 

 

I think the best set up is top chain around cleat through a positively retained bow roller with a new U bolt onto the O ring.

 

Aaron Mortimer

Mariner Mariner Insurance

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To translate that a bit into techno talk for Aaron -

 

Hook jumping in our experience only happens with home made hooks, Or "some i got from the freezing works" . Yes someone welded 3 meat hooks together.

The above is what most in the industry call 'a dick' or worse 'an enthusiastic amateur', one of the most dangerous things alive in the world today :)

But I do like that one. meat hooks, brilliant :)

 

The U Bolt
Shackle

 

it is most often the Rope attached to the hook that fails
Chafe, the biggest killer by a long way.

 

or the Samson post or cleat.
No, 4 20mm screws isn't enough to hang your boat off, use big bolts thru lots of meat. Cleats coming off is a fast growing concern over the last couple of years.

 

a plastic tube/conduit has been placed around the top rope only to crack/break in the marine environment. The sharpened edge then saws through the top rope. Boat goes ashore.
Most tubes we see used have no UV protection and will break down very quick and the above happens. Well UV protected hoses aren't cheap but then neither is replacing your boat. Besides most boats would only need a meter max.

 

through a positively retained bow roller
Good point Aaron. More than a few boats have been lost as the rope jumped out of the fair-lead and then chafed through on a stanchion base screw head or something like that during a storm.

 

Situations like the one directly above would be far far more common than the ring jumping out of the hook, a real mooring hook that is. Haven't looked hard at triple meat hooks though ;)

 

The hook used in a mooring is quite unique in how deep the throat is. They are like that for a specific reason.

 

One other option, is to use a Stainproof hook. We have one on the Mullet boat mooring. It 'locks' closed so it can't come off unless you push a little lever 1st. And 'stainproof' is knot stainless steel. It is just steel but some cunning Swedes have found a way to stop it rusting. It works, the mullet boat one is 5 plus years old and still going strong with no signs of bad anywhere. They are a high tensile fitting so frecking strong. The baby one has a break load of 6t. The one to use is the next size up with a bust of over 10t, a physical sizing thing there. Knot cheap but work and last very well. Around 200 notes a pop.

 

NEVER use a Polyprop head rope or strop or in any mooring at all actually.

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I was on a mooring in Hobson bay for 15 years. I can only add my input to MMI ( much as I hate to disagree with knots) in that when I looked at all those boats that ended up on the Tamaki drive rocks or the lucky ones that ended up on Okahu bay beach or the boat ramp, nearly every one had either a chafed tope rope setup or the swivel down under the water had broken. Off the top of my head I can't actually remember a chained hook setup breaking.

And believe me I did tend to look very regularly and very closely at them.

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Chafe and swivel failure are the 2nd and 3rd most common reasons for mooring failures and by a large margin over 4th place.

 

1st place by a big margin is mooring owners knot getting around to having their mooring serviced.

 

The place you emailed this morning re the strop could be worth a suss for those stain proof hooks. But be aware the answer from them is probably going to be something like 'none in NZ due to massive infrastructure work is empting supplies fast than they can be refilled, knot just on those but lots of common gear. But more are on the way'. I'm also sure they'll say 'stand by while we find out exactly what the bloody Swedes have done with the next shipment'. Or so my crystal ball is telling me ;)

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Thanks for translation KM.

 

I'd say your "league table" is accurate.

 

The sadest thing is when those who do it right, suffer a loss because the boat upwind of them in the storm didn't do it right. Shonky set up fails, boat goes ashore after bouncing off a couple of others well secured downwind.

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Totally agree with that call Aaron. Often one wayward boat takes out many innocent others on the way through. One big blow a few years back one boat let go off Devonport and took 10 others with it. Carved a path through the mooring area like a bulldozer. End result was about 3-4 boats totally lost and the rest just beaten up. It was a extreme event but they do happen.

 

For the few who have been asking what the other hook looks like? This -

 

As you can see the eye (loopy bit at the top) is part of the latch (the bit in grey shows it in it's open state) so the more you heave on the loop the more closed it will stay. To open the hook you have to push that little nipple like protrusion sticking out about 1/2 way down the right hand side.

 

And they are strong. One with a 'B' measurement of 40mm odd breaks above 12800 kg. By that stage I'd say most boats would have already had bits torn off.

post-646-141887158995.jpg

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Now to put all that theory into practice! :o :sailor:

 

Nice stormy week and plenty of wind! :clap: :clap:

 

:!: :!: Someone's furler has come loose on shoal bay swings by Harbour Bridge - sail will prob shred itself (Red hull sailboat close to shore, couldn't see what design through truck spray this morning 12/05/10!) :!: :!:

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Just out of interest -

 

There are some of those hooks. Amazing what you find when you go for a rummage.

 

And to the many questions - Do I trust them myself? I have had one on one of my own boats for about 4-5 years now. So it appears I do :)

 

That mooring is 100mts SSE of the boat Flying Pom is talking about. The boat is on a slip having a xmas currently. And coincidently my boat and the one flying apart are almost the same colour. Now there's some real useless info for you :lol: :lol:

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