Picking Up a Mooring Buoy
Ensure the dinghy painter is tied off short on the bow or amidships and is clear of the prop.
Have a crew member on the bow to pick up the mooring pennant with the boat hook. The bowman
should ready a line from each bow cleat to slip through the eye of the mooring pennant.
Approach the mooring keeping the bow into the wind or current, whichever prevails. The bowman
will direct the helmsman to the mooring, using an already established non-verbal communication
system (a good one is to use the boat hook held high like a javelin to point at the buoy to indicate
direction and also distance by the angle of the hook). Catch the pennant line with the boat hook,
run one of the bow lines through the pennant eye and back to the same cleat.
Once at the mooring, inspect the buoy and pennant for any signs of wear and tear – if you are
unsure about a mooring buoy’s integrity, choose another location to moor up.
Checking clear behind you, reverse slowly up to 1500 rpm to ensure the mooring is secure.
Once set your mooring buoy will be attached either on the port or starboard cleat and the yacht will
head up into the wind. Remember to centralize the wheel and lock it in place to avoid the yacht
sailing around the buoy or the rudder clanging.
Next, attach the second bow line directly to the mooring ball. There will be a metal ring at the top
of the ball or a shackle just underneath the ball. Use the line from the opposite bow cleat and if
possible run the line through the ring or shackle and back to the same cleat. It is always easier to
do this from the dinghy. Do not try to make the lines of equal length. The first line should be
taking all the weight of the boat.
To depart, release the back up line first. Slowly motor the boat forward to create slack, then release
the line from the cleat and allow the pennant to slip from the line into the water. Fall back with the
wind or current and wait until you can see the mooring buoy and pennant well clear before
engaging the propeller.
