Mooring pendant chaff

[Allure2sail]

I thought I would seek some opinions on this problem that has developed with Allure now being on a mooring instead of in a slip. The mooring pendant line keeps coming in contact with the bobstay. As time goes by I'm sure this will compromise the mooring pendant line. The boat does sail around a fair amount while moored. I do have a bridle to use with the pendant but the marina owner is not fond of it because it reduces the line from 3/4" to 1/2" I don't want to leave my steady sail up 24/7 because in a few month's they won"t be anything left to it and also I'd have to take it down every time I use the boat.. Right now I have the bobstay pretty much covered with the slit 3/8" whit plastic tubing that Forespar sells. I have some chaff guard to put on were the pendant line goes through the chock block block, but I would really entertain new ideas.
Than you for any ideas offered
Bruce
S/V Allure

[skip1930]

I take my old welding gloves and cut off the leather cuffs and using needle and thread sew on the leather around the ware points.
Although there is no such thing as re-renewable energy, there is renewable leather. Periwinkle if you will.

skip.

[peterg]

Bruce,
  I had a length of PVC pipe on the bobstay of my Orion, and it acted as a roller when the anchor rode or mooring line came in contact, thus preventing any chafe. You have to un-do the bobstay to slide it on, but it works well. Alternately, you could use the wooden shroud rollers that keep headsail sheets from chafing, and since they are a split assembly, you'd not have to un-do the bobstay. I think that West Marine might sell them.  Experience has the PVC being the most effective and least costly, albeit, the less attractive alternative. The wood looks better, but being split, has the possibility of coming undone. I will be putting Beagle II on a mooring in Mill Creek, VA and plan to use the PVC. Good luck!
PeterG

[Bob23]

Bruce:
  My steadying sail has been up all summer from May until October for 5 years...looks as good as the day I bought it. And it's a salt water environment. Don't know the brand. I bought it at a nautical flea market for 5 clams.
  That is enough to keep my mooring pendants from touching the bobstay too often. It may be different on a 27...I sail a 23.
Bob23
  I like the pvc idea. Effective and cheap...what could be better?

[capt_nemo]

I'm not familiar with the CP27 bobstay, but if the lower attachment on the hull is anything like a bow eye with some room left in the metal loop and was installed with a proper backing "plate", I have a suggestion which will ELIMINATE CHAFE alltogether.

Attach a strong mooring line to the BOTTOM of the bobstay attachment using thimble and anchor shackle and make it long enough to reach up to the bow pulpit. Use this line to attach securely to your mooring, directly or by pennant, whichever is more convenient, to carry the boat load with nowhere to chafe. And, use one other line attached to the mooring and led to the bow cleat as usual, but let it be SLACK acting as a secondary SAFETY LINE with NO CHAFE! You can add a second SAFETY LINE from mooring to bow cleat if desired. The mooring line stays permanently attached at the bottom of the bobstay. When not in use, this mooring line is secured to the bow pulpit or other convenient attachment point at the bow.

This is a take-off on a proven technique used for anchoring with all chain rode. The Nylon line not only acts as a shock absorber for the chain, but is attached lower on the hull increasing the effective "scope" of the anchoring system.

capt_nemo

[Allure2sail]

Capt_NEMO
The lower bobstay mount is a "V" shaped plate with two through bolts. If I could get at he nuts inside the hull, which you can't. (assuming they are nuts and not a threaded plate) I don't think that setup would work well. There is a 55 gallon water tank tucked in there and I don't believe you can even get at them (the nuts) through the anchor rode locker. If I ran a line from down there to the bowsprit it would create another problem. A sailboat with a bowsprit that the headstay mounts to and that has a bobstay below it to transfer the loads to the lower hull should NEVER BE USED TO ANCHOR OR MOORE THE BOAT. You can deploy the anchor with the roller on the bowsprit but once the amount of line or chain is deployed take it off of the roller and bowsprit and feed it through the chock block and onto the cleat. Once that is done then back the boat down to set the anchor. If you have a chain rode then use the proper size hook with a line attached to it and to grab a link and then feed that line through the chock block and to the cleat. The length of anchor chain between the hook that you grab a link with and the boat itself should have slack in it. The hook and attached line to the chock and then the cleat should carry the load. The reason one should not anchor of the bowsprit with this type of headstay / bobstay setup is every wave and bobbing of the bow sends a tension load into the headstay or fuller mount and sooner or later you will have a rigging failure. Just picture someone jumping up and down on the bowsprit and think of what that does to the cable and connections that make up the headstay. I'm also going to add another piece of chaff guard to the mooring pendant in the vicinity of the bobstay as another preventive measure and monitor it closely, we shall see if it all works.

[bmiller]

Isn't there a bow eye just below the bobstay? There is on my former 27. I always attached the mooring line there. It was lower to the water line thus reducing the angle of pull. I also set a secondary line on the cleats but the load was always held at the bow eye. No chafe.

[capt_nemo]

Allure2sail,

bmiller above has it right.

You misunderstood what I described. What I suggested WILL INDEED WORK! I did not suggest placing any loads whatsoever on the bowsprit. I had a 32' Bayfield and a 35' Island Packet, both with bowsprits, and fully understand how to properly secure an anchor rode to a boat, be it all chain or a combo of chain and Nylon line.

Depending on how large the "V" shaped plate is and how much room is available, you might be able to drill a hole through for a SS anchor line shackle, and still follow my description to rig a CHAFE FREE mooring line.

capt_nemo

[Bob23]

I understood that the bow eye was not intended to handle the loads incurred from mooring. I thought it was to be used solely for a trailering point. I thought I remember hearing this from Rich or Gerry. But if it's worked for you guys, well then, so be it.
Bob23

[bmiller]

Not sure about what the actual intended purpose of the bow eye is/was, but in my experience it works great for mooring. In fact most people use the bow eye to crank a boat up onto the trailer. Think of the force on it there overcoming the friction of the trailer.

One thing I always do is have a back up line. One day I returned to Pooka to find her happily swinging on the back up line. WTF!!! The main mooring line parted. It was relatively new 1/2 inch line. I think we had a microburst, happens a lot here. The mooring was fine and the bow eye had the remants of the mooring line hanging. No issue with the eye.

My procedure was this: Dinghy up to the boat, release the main line at the bow eye, boat now is on the b/u line, get aboard and rig for fun, drop the b/u line which has a pick up stick on it, sail, upon return pick up b/u line via pick up stick, put boat to bed, attach main mooring when leaving.

[capt_nemo]

If there is a bow eye on the hull below the bobstay it makes things quite simple indeed!

bmiller's technique works just fine.

The reason I suggested taking the mooring line with you, by attaching it somewhere at the bow, was in case you traveled to another mooring somewhere else when cruising. A spare kept aboard would serve the same purpose.

capt_nemo

[Allure2sail]

Capt_NEMO
I misunderstood your setup, if my 27 had a an attachment point at the lower mounting plate for the bobstay it would be a different story. My parts boat does not have one down there either. If I wanted to use this setup I don't know that I can even see or get at the two nuts from the bolts that mount the lower plate. Tomorrow I will go into the v-birth and look down into the bottom of the anchor line locker to see if they are visible. I'm curious as to how you cast off, since it is out of reach from the deck of the boat. Do you disconnect from the mooring or the "bow eye" itself and use the secondary line to cast off once ready to leave. How is the boat end of the line setup? Does it have a spring loaded latch hook? Do you do this while you are still in the dingy? Do you leave the line attached to the bow eye and secure the other end up on deck? I did get my two MOBRI'S mounted this morning, just above the spreaders.
thank you
Bruce

[capt_nemo]

Allure2sail,

There are TWO methods for using this Primary mooring line - first, attaching and detaching it from the boat using a dinghy (mooring line is left attached to mooring) and second, attaching and detaching the Primary line from the mooring once aboard the boat (mooring line is left attached to the boat bow eye and secured up at the bow). This second method is used ONLY if you prefer working the Primary mooring line from the bow of the boat, or want to take it with you to another mooring.

See bmiller's technique above for use from dinghy. Remember, this technique leaves the Primary mooring line ATTACHED to the mooring. It is the EASIEST method to use.

For the second method the Primary Mooring Line is PERMANENTLY attached SECURELY to the bow eye of the boat. Use a strong stainless anchor shakle and a stainless thimble to protect the Nylon line eye splice. The line should be long enough to reach up to the bow of the boat where it is secured when not in use. You can attach and detach it directly to the mooring from the bow if you can reach the mooring, which is probably unlikely. Otherwise, rig a second line SECURELY attached to the mooring, long enough to reach up to the bow. Have a back up line attached to the mooring (or pick up line) that is left slack.

Now, once you get on the boat tighten up on the back-up line putting slack in the Primary. Pick up the floating Primary mooring line and bring it aboard. Unshakle the connected Primary lines dropping the one attached to the mooring back in the water and attaching the one from the bow eye to the bow somewhere. When ready cast off back up line and go. On return, secure pick up line (or back up line) and attach to boat. Retrieve floating Primary line, bring aboard and attach to Primary line from bow eye. Use a good shackle and thimbles here to take the loads. Adjust slack in back up line.

capt_nemo