Mooring for compac 16'

[Bob23]

   I bought my auger mooring at a local boat dealer, Hance and Smythe in Manahawkin, NJ. A quick look at Defender came up with no results but they do have pyramid mooring anchors which seem like it would work. My auger is a 1" steel rod with an 8 or 10" plate at the bottom spread apart to act as a screw. On top of the 1" rod is a large ring that I shackle my chain to.
   You will need no concrete buckets if you can find one of these. You also don't need one quite as large as mine. Remember, I have a 3000 pound boat that is subject to some high winds and accompanying wave action. I aslo beleive in mooring overkill. See what some other guys in your area are doing.
   I alsoo dive down on my mooring at least once a year to visually inspect the shackle connecting the chain to the auger.
Bob23

[Pacman]

What kind of bottom is there?

Sand is very different than clay/mud bottom.

In Minnesota on a lake with some good clay mud on the bottom, I used a galvanized pipe driven into the bottom about 6' for many years.

Here in Sarasota Bay, with its sand bottom, that would not work.  There have been problems with helix moorings too.  We have traditionally used concrete pads that get worked into the bottom and are very stable in storms.

The mushroom anchors and auger-type helix moorings that work well in the soft bottoms up north just won't do the job in sand.

That said, our little C 16s don't require the holding power of my Contessa 26 and your concrete buckets might work into the sand and provide plenty of holding power.

However, I think that owning a trailer is the best approach.  Then, when a tropical storm or hurricane is headed our way you can take her off the mooring, load up and head for shelter.

That way you won't have to have a storm-proof mooring system and your boat won't get so beat up when bad weather hits.

[Ted]

Yesterday we had really strong winds in Orlando.  I have the gift of working at an organization that has a place for me to moor my boat - a small lake in SE Orlando. Today I was wondering if my mooring held, and I saw the boat from my office window and didn't think much about it.  About 10:30, I got a call from a colleague that my boat was drifting across the lake!

It was quickly retrieved - no damage done.

FYI, the boat was tied only to a mooring screw, about 30 inches long. Nothing else.  It held for the past year with no problem. It held last night in the storm! The difference came this morning when, after a strong wind in one direction, things shifted and the screw came loose.

So.... there is a lesson in how well this type of screw does/doesn't work.

[Bob23]

   I guess there are more variables such as bottom type, width of the plate, etc. My 23 is moored to a 60" auger with a 8 or 10" plate, can't remember. It's been out in 60 mph winds and stayed put. The auger has never pulled up even an inch; I dive on it every season to check. If the chain is too short, the bouyancy of the boat will most likely pull any mooring out.
   Glad your boat was retrieved from her escape! No damage is a good thing!
Bob23

[skip1930]

As long as the chains are inside the concrete of each bucket, I see no problem. Hopefully these three buckets will work there way down into the mud. After a few years you'll have to check the chains for rust-through.

Truck V-8 Diesel engine blocks with no guts in them make great moorings as well.

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