Mooring ball hitting boat

[gabriel]

Hello all,

Does anyone have a good tip on how to get a mooring ball from bumping into the side of one’s boat at night?

thanks!

 

[Pete the Cat]

Hello all,

Does anyone have a good tip on how to get a mooring ball from bumping into the side of one’s boat at night?

thanks!

Use a longer painter, but put a pool noodle over the line (slice it and secure it with zip ties) so that it floats; otherwise you will get the painter hopelessly tangled in the hardware at the bottom of the mooring ball. As a general thing, I prefer the soft round rubber (I think they are made in Norway??) mooring balls to the hard plastic ones because of noise and hull damage. I was harbor master here in Maine for a couple years and that is the solution we use. Just putting a pool noodle over the painter might do the trick as it will keep the ball somewhat away when the tide or wind is not strong enough. FWIW.

 

[Captain Pete]

Use a longer painter, but put a pool noodle over the line (slice it and secure it with zip ties) so that it floats; otherwise you will get the painter hopelessly tangled in the hardware at the bottom of the mooring ball.

The noodle on the line works great, especially for keeps things from getting tangled when you leave the mooring as Ray mentions.

I have on one or more occasion resorted to putting a kid's blow up ring on a bumpy mooring ball when wind and current aren't cooperating.

 

[gabriel]

Thanks!