What's the best mooring in the lake?
Well, I'm by no means an expert on the subject, but I do service over 50 per year and have been doing so for the past 17 years. I can tell you what works and what doesn’t.
Every spring I do the seasonal ritual of inspecting every mooring in my care. I check over every link of the chain, the hardware and then length of rode. Usually everything looks okay then a couple of months later when I do the second check it’s usually a whole new scene. Moorings that are 3 years old now look like a bunch of lifesaver candy strung together and have to be replaced.
Here's what happens: The high acid levels concentrated on the bottom of the lake take it's toll on the iron during the winter months, when the chain is put back into service, particles of iron flake off leaving the good metal left. After a few years it’s just amazing how bad it kooks.
We at WCYC have grown tired of this game and have started using all stainless steel components last year. Now our moorings are permanent. What works for us are: granite blocks (1-4 thousand pounds depending on the size of the boat) 12' of 3/8" chain looped through the 2 holes in the block, a swivel the appropriate length of nylon rode (3/4" with S/S thimbles, 1 1/2 times the depth), appropriate lengths of 5/8" nylon bridle to reach the deck cleats with the proper sized eye splice. We tether the mooring ball with a 6' 3/8" line to the rode so we can bring it on board to prevent any damage to the hull. Stainless steel components that I have put in the water 10 years ago still look shinny new today.
Yes, this is a very expensive way to do it, but so are the boats that are attached to them. We want to feel confident they will be there when we return. As in anything else, there is no compromise in a job well done.
BTW: the mushrooms simply won't work on the lake they just roll around on the bottom and never sink in as they do in the ocean mud. They're okay in a protected cove, but then just about anything works there.
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