"New thing" -Setting a sailboat mooring

[jeff kushner]

This is the piece of "heavyware" used to moor sailboats on the Chester river on Maryland's Eastern Shore, at least at the sailing club Kerry's son belongs to uses them. It comes up to my chest and I'm 6' tall.

A cool day on the water yesterday and despite practically growing up on the Bay, I've never set a mooring so it was a cool thing to do for the first time. That beast on the dock weighs 250lbs+ chain. I had made the decision to come and help instead of chilling at the house while Kerry ran up to help him.....yeah...this was a choice! When I saw it, I began rethinking that decision.

When the "Old guy" from the club took out the blue and white buoy from the store shed, I thought, this wont be bad. Then he said the anchor is around the other building, 1/4mile from the pier.....you can imagine how we felt as we round the corner and saw this beast half sunk into the dirt. He's well aware of me being superman after all these years and I knew he's feel bad so I told him " Don't worry Linc, I'll make it look like you're lifting something". LOL

As he got ready to strongarm it, I suggested we roll it into position to lift it into Kerry's car. They have an elect winch and overhead crane on the pier so we drove it out on the pier to get it in the boat. We set it on the dock then Tech did the rest as I went off to have a heart attack in private.









Above is her son and the club "old guy" John, who was a real mentor & guided him through each step, how the lower chain would last 5 yrs while the upper chain only 2 etc.



We winched it onto protective boards on the 21' 135HP workboat Linc got from his office, then we putt putt'ed it to the correct location. We dumped the buoy, chain then got it into position and I let him do it...better his back for his boat than my back for his boat! He deadlifted it over the bow while avoiding any contact within the arc of it as it kerplunked into the water. Then I dropped him off on his sailboat and continued riding around, went picked up Kerry and generally played while he did his "sailboat thing" and secured the boat, then decided to hose it off at the dock we had just come from....cool stuff.


Linc's boat is the Tartan on the right w/ green sail cover before we set the mooring. It came with a brand new 9.9 fstroke yammy and while the boat needs love, he paid 3500 for it. He did well.

Funny but as I was making the decision to go, I asked Kerry, "Is this just a run him up and drop him back off at his truck or a two and a half hour cluster-mess?"

She assured me a drop and go.

We got there and he needed help....I was glad I went, it was a cool thing to do. It took 3 hours.....and I was beat.

but still cool

 

[wellington]

I have lifted a few anchors in my day. Grew up with a boat. Even small ones are heavier than they look. Then try to lift them when they have weeds and river/lake bottom piled on and you better be strong. Not sure I could do it any more. Glad you survived your private heart attack and actually enjoyed doing the quick/not so quick pick up drop off. Never works out that way. Lol

 

[TammyJ]

Boat stories. Hmm. Mine was Very long ago, a sailboat race in and out of Kingston Harbour, 12 years old, turning my back to the boom while coming about ... you guessed it, right? I survived.

 

[KarenSoCal]

Boat stories. Hmm. Mine was Very long ago, a sailboat race in and out of Kingston Harbour, 12 years old, turning my back to the boom while coming about ... you guessed it, right? I survived.

It's OK, Tammy! Many of us have done that exact same thing, with the same result. Now me?? I have never done that, can't imagine doing that, fully intend to never do that...but many have done it.

Now I, on the other hand, once went on a midnight sail with my cousin in a tiny little sailboat the size of a rowboat, maybe 16ft. Prior to departure, we may or may not have imbibed in a funny looking little cigarette with dried herbs in it...at least that's what we told each other it was. We were well into our teens, and our parents knew we were going sailing.

We had a brisk wind, our mainsail and jib were full, and we were flying across the river. We were heeled over so far that it took both of us sitting on the side of the boat and leaning out to keep it from capsizing. We came about and started our tack toward the opposite shore, when suddenly Glenn stood up, handed me the lines for both sails, put my hand on the rudder, and said "this is gonna be fun!" I knew I was in trouble already. We were again heeled to port, flying across the river, and he stepped up on the starboard rail and started walking forward! He had his arms out Titanic style, and was gleefully laughing...and then silence. It was a dark night, but slowly it dawned on me that I was alone in the boat, still flying, but coming up on the opposite shore really fast. I had never brought her around by myself in a strong wind...well, the best way to learn is by doing, or so they say.

After successfully coming about, I took stock of my situation. Even with my fuzzy mind, I knew I was now angling away from Glenn, and I could not see or hear him. A human head bobbing in the wavy water is impossible to see on a moonless night.

I learned a lot about sailing that night. It took me about 45 minutes to navigate near where I thought he had gone overboard, and soon after heard him calling out to me. When I got to him, he was happily treading water and said he had watched me the whole time. His comment? "You did pretty good, but it took too long." After he fended off my blows with a paddle, I actually dragged him into the boat. I may have had a few words to say to him. 🤬

The next morning, both sets of parents asked if we had a good sail. "We had a great sail! Good breeze, relaxing, nothing unusual." ⛵ 😱

 

[jeff kushner]

That's a hilarious story Karen......I got all the visuals too....you looked pretty scared~!

I have sailed and I enjoy sailing on your boat. I have never owned a sailboat, too much work for me. Around here we sail near Annapolis & although it is the Sailing Capitol of the world, it's also quite a pretentious group. I met the America's cup team one year in a restaurant....decent guys I guess in their world but it was obvious that money was the requirement, not necessarily skill ....not my kind of folks either, same group, on steroids'. LOL

Linc bought his 1st sailboat when he was 16, I towed it from Harford county, 80 miles from his home. We made it fine over the Bay bridge but w/Kerry riding "Eyes on" with an open phone line the entire trip....going over the Kent Narrow bridge I heard over the speaker--"Oh no", I looked in the mirror....I had a runway trailer, complete with boat...on a bridge, superman had to act fast. All worked o, it held on by a single S fitting, smashed my truck bumper cover when I braked to capture the boat so it didn't kill anyone. Buttoned it up and got the heck out of dodge before the cops got there, "to help".

He's 25 now and has bought 3 and sold 3 more sailboats I think. He's never asked me to help get any of them...hmmm?