How to Pick Up a Boat Mooring | BoatUS

Captain Eric Sorensen of Sorensen's Guide shows you how to pick up a mooring using two people--one at the bow and the other at the helm driving the boat. First, slowly approach the mooring buoy into the wind and current with your bow person pointing in the direction of the mooring. Once you get on top of it, but not touching it, stop the forward motion of the boat, then have your bow person grab the pennant and loop it around the starboard bow cleat. If there is a second pennant, repeat and loop around the port bow cleat. Back the boat down to get away from the mooring. Then you're ready to spend the day swimming or have a nice lunch. Video includes overhead drone footage so you can see the maneuver from above. If you are planning to stay for a longer time, there are other considerations, but they are not covered in this video. Learn more about picking up at mooring at www.boatus.com...
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[@chrisw2030]

All well and good IF there is a pennant attached. Many times not. Grabbing a mooring with no pennant takes some other skills.

[@marinaservices6436]

Great lesson....... thank you for sharing.

[@GravityGamerXCII]

These videos are so useful

[@boatus]

Thanks for watching!

[@blackrocksailing]

Nice little video. Just curious why you approached from upwind and/or up current (based on the position of the other boats in the background)?

[@boatus]

As Eric states in the video (around 0:23), he's approaching the mooring from downwind INTO the wind and current.

[@blackrocksailing]

I hear you. I was just talking about 1:56 - 2:01. Seemed that all of the other moored boats were facing towards him. As I said, nice little video though!

[@alansugarman2631]

Now show this in real condition if it is blowing 25 knots, waves, on a sailboat with windage, mooring pennant is larger than your chock or hawse pipe. Add in being single handed or challenged crew. Hint: set up a dock line to pass through the pennant for a temporary tie-up while getting things sorted out. Ever try to hold onto a mooring pennant with your hands is a blow as the bow is spinning around? Also, get a double looped pennant with high tensile strength.

[@boatus]

Thanks for the great tips!

[@nicknolanmarketing]

It doesn't' always work that way, at least not with South Florida's mooring buoy program. "Run your boat’s bow line through the loop of the yellow pick-up line. Cleat both ends of your bow line to the bow of your boat. Never tie the yellow pick-up line directly to your boat as it puts undue stress on the mooring anchor." floridakeys.noaa.gov/mbuoy/howto.html

[@boatus]

It really does depend on where you are located. The West Coast is completely different as well.

[@jimhutslar]

As someone who has been installing and maintaining mooring buoys for over 30 years, the way Nick describes it is the best method for tying up to a mooring buoy, no matter where it is located. Tying the pick-up line (pennant) directly to your boat adds unnecessary stress to the buoy system and your boat. Consider the pull on both in high wind, current or waves. Also, never "lasso" the buoy. They are not designed to hold the weight of a boat with vertical pull and you may come back from a dive and find your boat adrift.

[@jimhutslar]

PS: I purchase our buoys from BoatUS/West Marine!

[@kenpfaff5451]

why does no one show picking up a mooring in 20 knots of wind? Anyone can do it when it's dead calm.

[@mkrawats]

If you are lucky to connect to a mooring ball in perfect conditions, with no wind, waves and other obstacles, then this video can be helpful. Here in the warmer climates of Florida, our pennant lines are covered in marine growth. Grab it with your bare hands, and the razor-like crustaceans attached to the line will slice up your hands and fingers. It will also give your hands a terrible infection. Better to always wear thick gloves when handling the wet lines. Also better to always run your own line through the pennant. This will eliminate the need to haul the messy pennant up onto our boat's cleat. And eliminate the need to touch it again later when ready to disconnect from the mooring ball.

[@boatus]

Thanks for your tips, Marc. We've put more mooring videos on our list for consideration, including if the mooring doesn't have a pennant.