Mooring without pain

By Fred Barter

When you want to pick up a mooring buoy, lying flat on the deck trying to reach down to thread your rope through the ring. Do you wonder sometimes whether there is a better way? I certainly do. There is a pronounced sheer on my boat and up at the front end we are only just able to bridge the gap between us and the buoy. That is if the ring is at least 12 inches above the water. I tend to delegate this tricky task to the younger and fitter members of the crew. But what happens if I'm single handed, which I sometimes am? That I can assure you is a lot more difficult.

I tried this product out over the weekend and I think I've found an answer. It's called Moor Fast and it gives you a reach of over 2m and an ingenious 'claw' which threads your rope through a ring, around a bar or to a cleat. The best way to explain how it does it, is with these diagrams.

Stage 1: Approach the buoy

Stage 2: Push the 'Claw' end through the ring & it opens

Stage 3: Push the 'claw' into the ring & it snaps shut

Stage 4: Pull back and the rope is pulled through the ring

It's that simple. You just pull your rope back on board and tie up. The only preparation to be done is to attach the 'Moor Fast' feeding line to your own mooring warp. Best to use a sheet-bend or a double sheet-bend. It will even lift awkward rings and shackles which are lying flat on the buoy. You can also use the product as means to drop your own mooring warp with a loop over a cleat. Price: £39.95 inc delivery (UK only) For orders outside UK and for more information see their website: www.moorfast.com

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Harry Crossley

Posted: 18/10/05 20:49:27 27

I have something very similar Fred, it is called a Latchway Line Reeve. An excellent piece of equipment. I bought it many years ago, and find it useful for not only picking up mooring bouys but also for latching onto a rung of a dock ladder when you are just too far away to reach by hand. It really does reeve your line around the rung, or ring of the buoy and bring it back to you.


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