[cold water sailor]

Hi

I live in Marqutte Mi and the city here wants to start regulateing our anchorage which has beeen a freebie first come first serve for many years. There is a hodge podge of anchors and no plan. So far demand has been low enough that few problems have happened. Demand is likely to go and it makes sense to step up too the plate and do things better before problems occur. The City wants to stick ther fingers in it now and they have no clue and are asking people like me for advice.


What I would like to know is what the large anchor fields use for anchor gear, spacing, anchor scope etc. The two of most interest to me are Chicago Harbor and Harbor Spring Mi as they have some similarities. We have an exposed area , sometines 3 foot waves when it blows from the SE. Fetch is about 3 miles. 10 - 20 foot depths over mostly sand bottom. I think there is room for 20 mooring spaced on 100 to 125 foot moorings.

I would like to hear experiences of how mooring fields are set up elswhere

CWS

[sailone]

Use Helix Anchors

[Throatwarbler-Mangrove]

sailone, on Nov 9 2009, 09:56 AM, said:

Use Helix Anchors

+1

After Hurricane Bob came through and cleared out Marion harbor, the harbormaster had the Helix guys put one out for a pull test. Dynamometer maxxed out and the towing line failed before the anchor.

Also sounds like you need a surveyor to grid out the mooring field.

[skippertom]

Use a combo of the Helix anchors and Hazelett Marine system. The Hazelett system is basically a giant rubber band that helps keep the boats tight to the anchors and allow for more boats in the mooring field. Bit more expensive than the typical ball and chain, but the maintenance costs over time are a lot lower.

[cold water sailor]

What type of gear is needed to install a helix in sandy bottom in 12 feet of water?

Can the helix be removed for inspection ot replacement in the future or do they end up permanent.

One problem we have now is derilect anchors that are very tough to remove if impossible. If a helix is tough or impossible to move then the spatial plan for a mooring fiels better be right in the first time around.

Are there competitors to the helix system??


CWS

[stevedallas]

You have the old standards of mooring systems (ie. the Pyramid Anchor, which by dead-weight imebedded itself in the bottom forever) vs. the new kids, the Helix and the Manta. Both the Manta (http://www.earthanchor.eu/) and the Helix (http://www.helixmooring.com/) offer a tech alternative to dead-weight anchors, and can be modified and engineered to meet specific soil characteristics with minimal environmental impact.

[tomtriad]

Helix anchor requires a specialized installer. I had one put in 16 years ago by a local marine contractor. He used a trailerable workboat with side stilts which sat on the bottom at low tide, and a small crane with a "drill" on the stern which screwed the helix into the mud. I used 3/4" bottom chain which is still good now (Last spring I dropped the shackle a few links to get a fresh bite - the end link had worn down about 1/8" ). I have replaced the 5/8" top chain twice since original installation in 1993.

The helix does not need to be removed for inspection, which can be done by a diver. It is waranteed for 20 years and the visible end showed little if any wear last year.

If you do wish to remove the helix, the same procedure would apply, using a work boat to twist it out.

[akasideshow]

tomtriad, on Nov 13 2009, 01:41 AM, said:

Helix anchor requires a specialized installer. I had one put in 16 years ago by a local marine contractor. He used a trailerable workboat with side stilts which sat on the bottom at low tide, and a small crane with a "drill" on the stern which screwed the helix into the mud. I used 3/4" bottom chain which is still good now (Last spring I dropped the shackle a few links to get a fresh bite - the end link had worn down about 1/8" ). I have replaced the 5/8" top chain twice since original installation in 1993.

The helix does not need to be removed for inspection, which can be done by a diver. It is waranteed for 20 years and the visible end showed little if any wear last year.

If you do wish to remove the helix, the same procedure would apply, using a work boat to twist it out.

I'm from australia and we don't use "mooring anchors" we have mooring blocks (concrete blocks with chain and line attached)

i don't see the advantage of the anchor type, is it a cost thing?

[Throatwarbler-Mangrove]

akasideshow, on Nov 15 2009, 08:38 PM, said:

tomtriad, on Nov 13 2009, 01:41 AM, said:

Helix anchor requires a specialized installer. I had one put in 16 years ago by a local marine contractor. He used a trailerable workboat with side stilts which sat on the bottom at low tide, and a small crane with a "drill" on the stern which screwed the helix into the mud. I used 3/4" bottom chain which is still good now (Last spring I dropped the shackle a few links to get a fresh bite - the end link had worn down about 1/8" ). I have replaced the 5/8" top chain twice since original installation in 1993.

The helix does not need to be removed for inspection, which can be done by a diver. It is waranteed for 20 years and the visible end showed little if any wear last year.

If you do wish to remove the helix, the same procedure would apply, using a work boat to twist it out.

I'm from australia and we don't use "mooring anchors" we have mooring blocks (concrete blocks with chain and line attached)

i don't see the advantage of the anchor type, is it a cost thing?

Holding power. As I explained earlier, my harbor (Marion, MA) had blocks and mushrooms during Hurricane Bob in 1992. Many of them dragged to the northeast side of the harbor. The storm surge pulled them loose from the bottom, and wind did the rest. A lot of boats were totaled.

Shortly thereafter, the harbormaster tested out the Helix. Shortly after the tests, owners were ordered to upgrade to the Helix, with a few years grace period (harbormasters in Massachusetts have near-dictatorial power). As far as I know, all moorings in the harbor are now on Helix anchors.

I believe that the helix is more expensive initially, and more expensive to install, but lower maintenance cost.

[akasideshow]

Throatwarbler-Mangrove, on Nov 16 2009, 04:06 PM, said:

akasideshow, on Nov 15 2009, 08:38 PM, said:

tomtriad, on Nov 13 2009, 01:41 AM, said:

Helix anchor requires a specialized installer. I had one put in 16 years ago by a local marine contractor. He used a trailerable workboat with side stilts which sat on the bottom at low tide, and a small crane with a "drill" on the stern which screwed the helix into the mud. I used 3/4" bottom chain which is still good now (Last spring I dropped the shackle a few links to get a fresh bite - the end link had worn down about 1/8" ). I have replaced the 5/8" top chain twice since original installation in 1993.

The helix does not need to be removed for inspection, which can be done by a diver. It is waranteed for 20 years and the visible end showed little if any wear last year.

If you do wish to remove the helix, the same procedure would apply, using a work boat to twist it out.

I'm from australia and we don't use "mooring anchors" we have mooring blocks (concrete blocks with chain and line attached)

i don't see the advantage of the anchor type, is it a cost thing?

Holding power. As I explained earlier, my harbor (Marion, MA) had blocks and mushrooms during Hurricane Bob in 1992. Many of them dragged to the northeast side of the harbor. The storm surge pulled them loose from the bottom, and wind did the rest. A lot of boats were totaled.

Shortly thereafter, the harbormaster tested out the Helix. Shortly after the tests, owners were ordered to upgrade to the Helix, with a few years grace period (harbormasters in Massachusetts have near-dictatorial power). As far as I know, all moorings in the harbor are now on Helix anchors.

I believe that the helix is more expensive initially, and more expensive to install, but lower maintenance cost.

very interesting

i might have to look a bit deeper into this