Anchor or mooring

[backinblue]

Just back from a couple nights away for the 4th. Went to a new harbor to meet up with a friend. Very crowded mooring field with a few spots for possible anchoring. Here's what I don't understand. My friend does not own a mooring in this harbor but goes there often and always pulls up an empty mooring. I chose to anchor. For a busy holiday weekend, he was forced to move 3 times in one day. I was anchored just outside of the mooring field in about 6ft of water at dead low. I have a hard time understanding the obsession with mooring. 1) It's not yours so you might have to move at any inconvenient time or even during the night. 2) You don't know the size of the mooring or what shape the tackle is in. 3) My spot was uncrowded and quieter, away from the partying rafts. I always choose to anchor unless I am paying for a mooring and directed to it. Anyone else have a similar opinion as mine or of my friend's?

 

[syjos]

Just back from a couple nights away for the 4th. Went to a new harbor to meet up with a friend. Very crowded mooring field with a few spots for possible anchoring. Here's what I don't understand. My friend does not own a mooring in this harbor but goes there often and always pulls up an empty mooring. I chose to anchor. For a busy holiday weekend, he was forced to move 3 times in one day. I was anchored just outside of the mooring field in about 6ft of water at dead low. I have a hard time understanding the obsession with mooring. 1) It's not yours so you might have to move at any inconvenient time or even during the night. 2) You don't know the size of the mooring or what shape the tackle is in. 3) My spot was uncrowded and quieter, away from the partying rafts. I always choose to anchor unless I am paying for a mooring and directed to it. Anyone else have a similar opinion as mine or of my friend's?

Your friend is afraid of anchoring, had a bad anchoring experience, doesn't know how to anchor or an idiot.

I agree with all your reasons for not tying to a mooring not belonging to you.

#2 would be my first concern. I observed a 45 Bayliner tying to a mooring and eventually dragging it some distance during the night. The owner of the mooring rowed out, took pictures and called the Sheriff. Bayliner owners were still sleeping when the Sheriffs boat hailed them and knocked on the side of the boat.

The buoy was marked "Private Mooring" and the Sheriff issued the owners of the Bayliner a citation for trespassing. The Sheriff and mooring owners took our witness statements. The Bayliner owners were eventually sued for the cost of returning the mooring to it's original location.

If I had a choice between mooring and anchoring, I would choose anchoring. Mooring buoys are usually near park docks and other attractions so dinghy traffic and noise is a bother. Moorings are located closer together than anchored boats so privacy and noise are negatives. The buoy enjoys waking up up when it thumps against the hull in the middle of the night when the wind dies.

I've also witnessed and read about mooring chains parting and setting moored boats adrift.

I know my anchor and rodes condition. Why would I want to tie to something questionable? I tie to park buoys when anchoring is discouraged or not in calm spots. Newcastle at Nanimo is the only place we tie to a mooring buoy.

 

[foggysail]

I do not subscribe to using someone else’s mooring with their permission. For one thing, you have no clue what is holding a mooring to the ground below. And there are good reasons to fear anchoring even with the best ground tackle.

Anchoring! We anchored 25 boating seasons without using a mooring in Massachusetts waters. That was in our long gone 30’ Hunter sailboat. Times now have changed. Our harbors are so crowded during summers it is rare to be able to have a scope better than 3. Also our harbors now proliferate with ell grass. I had horrible experience with my Bruce anchors (33 &44#s) towards the end of our sailing days because of ell grass.

Anchoring our 40’ Silverton is risky! Found Delta anchors, 55 & 88#s both plow. Plowing was so bad I moved to an 80# Manson Supreme. Yeah.....everybody knows a Manson Supreme always provides reliable anchoring...... SO THEY SAY!!! Sold the 55# but if anybody locally wants a bargain on an 88# like new Delta.....

I was sucked in with Manson’s advertising hype until one day after 3-4 days at anchor we had a 180 wind shift. That occurred when I happened to be at the helm and noticed we were gently sailing across the harbor requiring panic engine starting, pulling the anchor to find it choked with mud. I had to clean the thing before I could re-anchor. I have an unused Fortress FX55 on my boat and am not anxious to use it.

 

[psneeld]

https://www.mansonanchors.com/products/manson-anchors-next-generation/manson-supreme/


"After extensive seabed trialling of scale models and materials testing, Manson were able to develop an anchor that unites immediate setting with Super High Holding Power. This holding has been officially approved by Lloyd's Register EMEA to be the highest of any recognised and certified anchor in the world"

A load of Supreme owners seem to thin the advertising is right on the money.

 

[backinblue]

https://www.mansonanchors.com/products/manson-anchors-next-generation/manson-supreme/


"After extensive seabed trialling of scale models and materials testing, Manson were able to develop an anchor that unites immediate setting with Super High Holding Power. This holding has been officially approved by Lloyd's Register EMEA to be the highest of any recognised and certified anchor in the world"

A load of Supreme owners seem to thin the advertising is right on the money.

Last year was my first year with my new (used) boat, I sprung for an Ultra anchor. Expensive yes, but I am confident that it will set quickly and hold me in any conditions I am likely to encounter. Not sure how it compares to the Manson, but I'm guessing they are relatively equivalent. Peace of mind is worth the $$ for me. With all the money we spend to go boating, why not have the best you can buy?

 

[markpierce]

Found it is a lot less hassle to anchor compared to hooking up with a mooring. Only with the help of a friend:

 

[psneeld]

A 2 mooring ball mooring does sound challenging sometimes, never have seen one out East.

The way some setups out East are, with a huge ball and nice pendant with a big thimble, it's pretty mindlessly easy unless the weather is severe. Bow height may be an issue but most overcome that as other issues with decent boathandling skills.

 

[foggysail]

https://www.mansonanchors.com/products/manson-anchors-next-generation/manson-supreme/


"After extensive seabed trialling of scale models and materials testing, Manson were able to develop an anchor that unites immediate setting with Super High Holding Power. This holding has been officially approved by Lloyd's Register EMEA to be the highest of any recognised and certified anchor in the world"

A load of Supreme owners seem to thin the advertising is right on the money.

There are no perfect solutions in anchoring. Anchor setting tests are done under ideal conditions. I have seen none, zero done using mud choked anchors. Share your anchoring events if any as I did mine so others can prepare for real life challenges rather than URLs.

 

[psneeld]

My opinion of a Manson Supreme is it is just that....it hasn't let me down yet or failed to meet expectations in the last 8 years of ICW snowbird cruising between NJ and the Keys. Hundreds of nights.

I don't doubt it may drag at some point, but I am willing to bet my boat that if it drags so would anything except maybe a danforth type ....and that's a whole different discussion of anchors that are just too hard to set sometimes.

Every Manson Supreme cruiser I have discussed anchoring with has agreed with me and can only recall one internet poster who doesnt.....there's probably more, I just honestly dont recall any more.

 

[markpierce]

A 2 mooring ball mooring does sound challenging sometimes, never have seen one out East.

The way some setups out East are, with a huge ball and nice pendant with a big thimble, it's pretty mindlessly easy unless the weather is severe. Bow height may be an issue but most overcome that as other issues with decent boathandling skills.

Currents in Ayala Cove at Angel Island Park (SF Bay, CA) are about 90-degrees counter the dual-mooring set-up there.

 

[foggysail]

My opinion of a Manson Supreme is it is just that....it hasn't let me down yet or failed to meet expectations in the last 8 years of ICW snowbird cruising between NJ and the Keys. Hundreds of nights.

I don't doubt it may drag at some point, but I am willing to bet my boat that if it drags so would anything except maybe a danforth type ....and that's a whole different discussion of anchors that are just too hard to set sometimes.

You gave more than your opinion on the Manson Supreme. You provided a URL to the manufacturer’s advertising hype. I am fine with your willingness to bet your boat........you have adequate insurance of course?

 

[Nomad Willy]

Anchors are great.
But if I just want a place to spend the night on a mooring .. but not someone else’s .. it’s my choice in areas where there’s many boaters. Because everybody has the same scope and swing. Very little chance of anybody bumping in the night. And you’re almost guaranteed not to be high and dry at low tide unless your boat is real deep.

 

[Peter B]

You gave more than your opinion on the Manson Supreme. You provided a URL to the manufacturer’s advertising hype. I am fine with your willingness to bet your boat........you have adequate insurance of course?

You might want to ask Simi about his faith in the Manson Supreme. He has a very large boat, and anchors out virtually all the time, up and down the Australian East Coast. I know he has a Manson, because when his boat featured here...https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s58/our-old-girl-made-into-promo-video-51315.html#post888308#10

in a promo for the Gold Coast City Marina haul-out facilities, I thought from the appearance on his pulpit it was a Rocna. He soon put me right. Mind you, for mine, I'd still rather have a Super Sarca or Sarca Excel on there...but his lengthy experience says the Manson is good enough.

 

[O C Diver]

Don't think I would ever use someone else's mooring without their permission and knowing quality / condition. That said, properly maintained commercial / municipal moorings are easy, quick, safe, usually inexpensive, and often come with fringe benefits like free pumpout, water tank filling and a dinghy dock. Great for a transient night or two.

My preference is to anchor out and usually far away from the crowd, especially rafting parties.

Ted