I was wondering if anyone had experience of keeping a Nonsuch 26 on a swinging mooring. I am considering buying one but have noted a number of comments of them ‘sailing’ whilst at anchor / on moorings.
I am not worried about times when we would be on board as we could rig a steadying sail but more how she would behave the rest of the time. My mooring is on Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland in around 4m of water. (Whilst relatively sheltered we experienced 50kt winds (with gusts) for 24 hours with a short 2m sea this September).
Nonsuches do have a tendency to wander about at anchor but, because a typical mooring pendant is so much shorter than a typical anchor rode, I would think that tendency would be less pronounced on a mooring. Many owners (not me) keep their Nonsuches on moorings. I don’t know how many of them do so in areas subject to short 2m seas.
We keep BENEFIT on a mooring. Has done fine for over 20 years. It is well protected in a cove. Does swing differently then the nearby boats, maybe reacting differently based on tide and winds. In a strong wind or waves the boat does fine keeping pointed into the storm.
Concerto is on a mooring ball in the harbor at Harbor Springs, quite sheltered from the prevailing westerly winds. But the harbor still can get stirred up quite a bit, especially with strong east to southeast winds. Concerto does swing, or sail, back and forth much more that other boats but there has never been any consequence. Just be sure you have a good heavy line (I use 3/4 inch 3 strand) with quality chafe protection and with a swivel included in your pennant at the mooring end. Check it regularly and be sure the line cannot get cut, chafed or caught on equipment like an anchor etc.
You guys are located in a gorgeous place but how far offshore must this mooring be - it looks like everything tidally “dries out” for quite a ways until the water is deep enough ??
Where, exactly, are you (or where would the boat be moored - Strangford is the largest inlet in the UK) ?
On the East Coast of Canada – we have owned our Nonsuch 26 C #207 for some sixteen years all on a mooring in roughly the same depth as you appear to be moored
I assume that the mooring you use is owned by another party ( Harbour Authority etc.) and therefore you are only responsible for the above water connections ie. the bridles
What we have used here are twin bridles each approx. 25.feet long made from POLYSTEEL 5/8 inch this rope has approximately three times the breaking strength of 3/4 Inch regular poly and is much easier to handle.
We do not use swivels as past experience has shown them to be the weak part of the mooring set up. For approx. six to eight feet from the attachment to the mooring chain we lash both bridles together (about three lashings) This prevents them get caught up/twisting around the mooring chain/ball when you are out sailing.
Also prior to splicing we fit chaffing material from close to the bridle eye which is dropped over the cleats to sufficient length to be well clear of the anchor. We also use the opposite cleat to the”mooring eye” where the bridle comes on board. This gives a much better lead from the “mooring eye” to the cleat.
If extreme weather is forecast ( we do occasionally get remnants of hurricanes) we have a length of 3/8 inch chain which we shackle directly to the mooring chain (ensuring to mouse this shackle) this is then led thru the empty bow anchor roller and made fast with a couple of turns around the forward mooring post and then shackled to itself. The length of this chain is slightly longer that of the polysteel bridles.
Should the bridles give way then the chain certainly will hold as long as the mooring chain.
As far as swing goes when the weather really picks up our “Single Malt” does not swing much more than other yachts around
Thanks for the input. We a located at the SW ‘corner’ of the Lough at the village of Killyleagh where there is ample water (despite a tidal range of 4m). The moorings are in laid so that boats have at least 1.5m below the keel at low water springs which puts us 100m or so offshore. The conditions mentioned in my initial question were exceptional.
I am encouraged by the responses given in the forum so the Nonsuch remains on the list of potential purchases.
Thanks to everyone who replied, I am really impressed with how helpful Nonsuch owners seem to be! The Nonsuch remains on the list of potentials and I might be back with a few more questions as things progress. Best wishes to all.
Bryan