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I'd like suggestions on creating a semi-permanent moor on the potomac river. I have a camper where I'd like to moor the boat in the river for occasional overnight and day use. The boat is a 96 montauk. The part of the potomac is wide and long with variable tides, winds, and weather. For the most part I'd not have the boat there when the weather comes on strong and predictable. Im more concerned about squalls overnight that come with summer pop up thunderstorms that can still generate three foot waves, etc. I'd be mooring in water about 20 to 30 feet from shore which would range from three to six feet depth. The bottom is sandy/mud.
I've looked at both the heavy block mooring and the screw in type rods. Anyone have experience with these and their pros/cons would be helpful. I've heard from companies that sell these items, but thought it would be useful to get feedback from unbiased users.
Two anchors, 3 ropes.
1. Permanent bow with buoy.
2. Stern anchor with bungy/buoy. Enough angle & tight enough a onshore wind will not blow the boat onto the beach.
3. Beach rope.
Basically, you make a beach landing in the same place every time bringing the slack bow and stern anchor ropes with you. When you are ready to anchor, secure the bungy stern line and bow anchor lines as tight as you can and shove off holding on to the beach rope and tie it to the fender of your truck or leave it slack.
Use this rope to retrieve your boat.
If the prevailing wind is slightly onshore, you might try leaving a sea anchor out to compensate or run another shorter bungy anchor off the bow quarter.
Two persons (one on the beach, one on the boat will make getting dialed in go a lot faster. Once you like the setup, mark your lines with electrician tape or something & repeat every time.
Running the bow anchor line thru a shiv attatched to the bow anchor is also a good way to remove/add slack when anchoring or retrieving the boat. You may also need a swivel...may not. Go one size larger than your rope.
5/8 import shivs should only cost around $45. You might not even need a buoy ball.
Make a landing bringing the stern bungy anchor rope with you (slack).
Pull the bungy tight to your mark, cast off. Pull the slack out of the bow anchor/block line (a little strain on the bungy). Sleep tight.
In the morn, slack off the bow at the same rate you use the #3 rope to pull the boat back to the beach or the block might twist or foul. Just keep it snug. Remove the bow & bungy ropes, lay aside. go fishing.
Thanks Michael for your extended reply. Sounds more complicated than I had hoped to deal with. So, the idea of a solid anchor off the bow with the boat being allowed to swing with the tide and wind isn't sufficient to the job. I'll look into this. I had thought about a beach anchor as well to direct the boat into the waves coming ashore (when the wind blows that way). As for retrieving the boat, for the most part Im ok with hopping in the water. Although this might give early spring late fall options I hadn't considered.
Jim,
The method Michael describes is excellent and really not that complicated once you've done it once or twice. I use a very similar method but then someone is usually sleeping on the boat too.
Trying to describe the idea in written words is the hard part!
There is a product on the market for purchase that will help accomplish exactly what Michael is describing. I just can't remember the name right now. People use it even when only stopping for picnic lunches.
You mention simply getting in the water, well the problem I have in my area is it could be 2 feet deep at one end of the boat 20 ft at the other and the 2 ft may not be at the end you want it to be. Note Michael mentions using anchors. I've never seen a block or anything that will out perform the proper anchor for this type of situation.
Maybe someone else can remember the name of the product?
Bow anchor with closed 5/8 block system;
1. The block attatches to the end of the anchor chain.
2. The bight of your anchor rope runs thru the block and attatches to the BOW of your boat.
3. The other end of the anchor rope will be secured to something on the beach. Maybe a bumper, a dry anchor, piece of re-bar or wood stake driven into the beach sand?
Do you understand that the length of the bow anchor rope can now be adjusted by a person standing on the beach while nobody is aboard the boat?
This one anchor rope WILL NOT pull the boat inshore or prevent the stern from swinging in if a little onshore breeze picks up in the middle of the night.
Go back to the link in CDNs previous post. Yes, buy this setup and use it on the stern.
You need at least a 5 to 1 scope depending on how much chain, size/type of anchor, density of the mud.
Anchoring 20 ft deep 20 foot off the low water beach mark.
The bow anchor/block needs to be set 80 ft upstream from your camp, the rope needs to be at least 160 ft long, I recomend 200.
Anchoring the block is a little tricky if you dont have a swivel between the block and anchor or the block will twist the ropes.
Try this.
Think of the anchor block as a piling you are going around with one end tied to the starboard cleat & laying slack from the port cleat until you are back to where you want the boat to lay.
Tie one end of the anchor rope to the starboard quarter. This end will also have a small buoy attatched to it. slowly lower the anchor/block down on spot (80 ft above your camp, 20 ft out). once the anchor touches, take it out of gear, drift back deploying the anchor rope from the port side of the boat.
Now, when you get on spot, secure the anchor rope to the port cleat, put the boat in gear, move ahead far enough you can move the starboard end of the rope to the bow cleat. Settle in. Basically your bow anchoring is DONE for as long as you want. Days. Months.
Leave the anchor rope attatched to the bow.
Idle the boat to the shore.
Untie the port cleat, take the rope out of the boat tie it to a stake on the beach.
Tie another 40 ft rope to the port cleat hold on to it, cast the boat off.
When you want the boat back, pull on this rope.
STERN ANCHOR
I probably wouldnt mess with a stern anchor during the day.
We put a block in the bow anchor because:
At night, slack off the bow anchor line 40 ft or so. Toss your stern anchor off, set leave the rope slack as you idle back to the beach about 10-15 ft below your normal landing spot. NOW set the stern anchor, secure it on a cleat finger tight, cast the boat off.
Take the slack out of the stern anchor on the beach by pulling the bow anchor rope thru the shiv. Let er blow. Sleep like a baby.
The stern anchor doesnt need to be as big as the bow anchor. I can toss my little stern anchor & chain 20 ft. If the area is not too congested you can just lay the rope on the beach til you need it due to weather or nite nite.
The bow anchor/block is a little heavy and awkward but light for a permanent setup. Take care.
Get help. Have your lines flaked out behind you when you drop it.
If your bow line doesnt pull easy, it is probably crossed.
A new kinked up anchor rope wont work very well unless you add a swivel.
When the boat is landed on the beach, remove the rope from the bow cleat and cross over the bight and experiment untill it pulls easily.
I'd like suggestions on creating a semi-permanent moor on the potomac river.
.
I'd look into a 135 lb mushroom mooring anchor and mooring ball and just put it in in the spring and haul it out in the fall...semi-permanent.
What others are describing here are wonderful solutions for transient mooring - often used by cruisers. For excellent discussion about this type of anchoring techniques, investigate a local cruising guide which may give you that.
For Great Lakes boaters, Bonnie Dahl's Superior Way Lake Superior Cruising Guide - in it's 3rd edition, is a wonderful resource.
Everything helps. Even if I go with the mushrooming anchor/ball or drive in stake unit, the suggestions re: the block/anchor method is very informative. There are plenty of times that would come in handy.
