How much weight needed to secure mooring ball for CD 22

S

sillawydna

New member
I own a C-Dory 22 and recently moved to a house that’s just above the south end of Chuckanut Bay. There’s a beach just below the house where many of the neighbors have put out mooring balls.

I’m looking for suggestions on how much weight I need to put down to secure the C-Dory on the ball over the summer, say April to October, through the occasional summer blow. The Bay is relatively protected, especially from the usual southerlies, and the bottom is mud, great for anchoring, depth is 20-30 ft.

Thanks for any and all suggestions,
Andy
 
We owned a place on Camano on Port Susan, and had a similar plan. We ended up using a neighbors mooring until we sold the property, but had planned to install our own.

We were going to use a 250 lb. mushroom anchor plus chain. Our parcel went dry on the lowest tides of the year, so we were going to have to place it just outside our parcel line in deeper water. My thought was a mushroom anchor would be easier to explain to authorities as well as easier to remove or move if we had to. Dropping a couple of ecology blocks is often done, but since ours was to be outside our parcel we didn't want to go that route.
Good luck!
 
I don't know if this helpful to you or not but I did a similar thing for a cabin we use in the Gulf Islamds in BC. I also wanted to be able to remove it if necessary so I filled a bunch of milk crate plastic containers with concrete and bent a 2' piece of epoxy covered rebar (green in color from Home Depot)in the top of each one to provide a handle (note:I learned to line the crate with paper so cement doesn't leak out holes when pouring)

They weigh about 150 lbs each out of water and about half that in the water
I have 6 of them chained together now and will be adding 2 more this summer
I like this method because I could do this myself

It works for my 22 during the summer I drop the chain every fall to reduce wear and tie a rope on it to pull it back up. The important thing whatever you do is to annually check everything - especially the connections Never had an issue but I don't want to. Even if you have just one big block down there you still have to check the connection annually

Wish you the best
 
I own a Diving and Salvage operation and I install anchors all the time....What ya do is.....Go to the cement plant...and they will usually give you a monster block .... a half block is 3X3X3...a cubic yard of cement...a full block is 3x6x3...you might have to take them a large ring to make your block but they usually are happy to do it.... the most I have ever paid for a half block (the best) is $50..but they are usually free... You make a big ring, and something like a huge U clamp with a piece of metal on the end..that will go into the wet cement to hold the ring on the top of the block.... These blocks are made using the left over cement in a truck when it returns to the yard...they have to do something so they cast it into these huge blocks.... don't use chain inside your block as chain gets wear spots on it as the water works the mooring chain... I have them load them onto my car trailer then I back into the water to float them off.... 2 or 3 barrels will hold them up while you are towing them to where you want em... I have lift bags ..but they are expensive

I call it Diving for Dollars... it's fun...shop around for your chain and shackles...Don't be afraid of the Chinese shackles...just go one size up and use stainless steel wire to lock the pin...US shackel are way more expensive as they have to be certified and Chinese are not...it is just code...the shackles are always much stronger than the chain... I sell that too..
 
When I am working log booms, I need a really heavy anchor, one that will dig in.... so I use half of a railroad wheel set.... they cut the solid axle of the set in half and weld a strap over that end cut...it looks like a huge mushroom anchor... it costs $300 and you can get them at the railroad salvage...they are sets that have a flat spot on the wheel.... I want to tell ya they really dig in and will hold a monster log boom in a storm...wonderful anchors...you will never have to worry again if you have one of those...any tug boat service can install it for you...they just drop it anywhere you want it....and it's there...I install them all the time....mainly for commercial service...kinda overkill for a mooring...but why not.

Joel
SEA3PO
 
SEA3PO if I'm thinking about what you are describing, I think they are called "eco-blocks" up here. I see them used for walls all over.
 
They do make great anchors...a single block 3x3x3 is plenty for a mooring buoy
if you go to some scrap yard they will have all sorts of junk that use can use inside the block to lock the ring into the cement...the double blocks are so heavy they require much more effort to handle... yes they make neat walls.

Joel
SEA3PO
 
A couple of weak points about ecology blocks. First, our subtidal bottom is leased by the state to geoduck harvesters. They would not like dumping concrete blocks on to their income property. If your boat is attached to it, you may get a removal notice.

Second, eco blocks generally have a piece of U-shaped #4 rebar cast in them to lift them into place. It is not intended for long term saltwater exposure. If the local concrete supplier will help, you can make a U out of 3 or 4" plastic pipe, fill it with wet sand, and have that set down into the top of a block. Use the #4 rebar to hold the pipe down and reinforce the area. Once the sand is cleaned out, that gives you a cast-in place U for attaching galvanized chain or stainless cable (check with a rigging yard).

Third, if tidal, make sure that it is below low low water by several feet. If it is ever exposed, you can be sure that your boat will drift around, find it, and high center when the tide goes out. What we do locally is use an old porcelain or stainless sink (for small boats) or cast iron bath tub (large boats) sunk flush into the bottom and partially filled with concrete. When the tide goes out, my C Dory, moored with a SS kitchen sink, can sit on the sand with no evidence of a large mooring weight. I have clams and eel grass growing in my sink for further camouflage.

Mark
 
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