Hi what do you pay for a new mooring to be put in Hobart area for a 35ft vessel. Was qouted $4000 does this seem right ? Was a 2 train wheel mooring.

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MMT said..
Hi what do you pay for a new mooring to be put in Hobart area for a 35ft vessel. Was qouted $4000 does this seem right ? Was a 2 train wheel mooring.

Seems way to much. Mine is in 5 metres of water in Sydney Harbour for a 35ft 6.5 tonne yacht was $1089. November 2016 it was done.

Yeah I was quoted $1200 for a 750kg concrete block in 6m water for a boat up to 30ft in Sydney...

Sounds like $4k is a little steep. Most barges are $350+/hr to wet hire so maybe there's only a couple of contractors capable of laying a mooring in Hobart??? Shop around buddy!!

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Toyboata said..
Yeah I was quoted $1200 for a 750kg concrete block in 6m water for a boat up to 30ft in Sydney...

Sounds like $4k is a little steep. Most barges are $350+/hr to wet hire so maybe there's only a couple of contractors capable of laying a mooring in Hobart??? Shop around buddy!!

$1200 seems very cheap to me knowing price of chain etc

This qoute was using 10m big stud link bottom chain.

And 8 meters of 20mm top chain.

Shackles swivels A4 float 24 mm rope etc

Think it would be hard to buy all the gear wholesale for $1200 let alone rigged and put in.

Contractor said he doesn't use concrete blocks anymore because once the steel ring wears away it's no good etc.

Where train wheels will last a life time.

I'm in 6m of water so I have a lot less heavy chain and only a few metres of wear chain... Yes I agree life of a concrete block will be less but surely at least 15 years... You must be in a fairly deep spot too with all that chain?

Good luck!

I think the train wheel idea is a Tassie thing. We used train wheels 40 years ago in NSW.

Like the OP I also was floored by the price of Tassie moorings. A lot of the cost was the money for moving the barge around as Hobart moorings are stretched over 100 miles of shoreline or more. So about a grand was just moving the barge.

That said, When I made my last mooring the stud chain was picked up at a scrap yard for not much, and I still have some in my shed. As to the idea of train wheels, I am not a convert.

Mass is mass and the idea of being quoted two train wheels at 600kg was not something I was happy with. My 1200kg block in NSW (which is still in great nick after 15 years) may have less density but it still has 1200kg of mass which is what resists changes in momentum/velocity. You still have to pull 1200 kg sideways to get the thing to move. Think of it like a large heavy tug. Sure a tug floats but its mass resists you pushing it sharply. More mass is helpful even if it has some buoyancy to resist changes in motion - inertia has nothing to do with how things float or don't.

When I was shown a pic of the prospective setup it showed two train wheels shackled on after the other. So in effect the boat pulls on one 300kg wheel and then its movement is restricted eventually by the other. So instead of 1200kg of block resisting the boat's pitch moment you really only have 300 with another 300 backup.

Get to a scrap yard and ask about chain required. Make a ply scrap box with lots of reo in it and ask the local concrete company to sell you their leftovers whenever. Add on chain and swivels. You could video the whole thing (for insurance) and then put it in a box trailer, take it to a launching ramp and ask a friend with a large catamaran to tie the block to their forestay and then launch the trailer into the water and the cat floats the block. Let it go where you want.

I did this 20 years ago with a mates cats and the mooring apparatus is still going fine. The idea of concrete not working is pretty easy to rebut as almost all NSW moorings use blocks.

cheers

Phil

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MMT said..
Hi what do you pay for a new mooring to be put in Hobart area for a 35ft vessel. Was qouted $4000 does this seem right ? Was a 2 train wheel mooring.

Tram wheels are about $250 each. Locally a new mooring with one wheel is about $1500. An environmental mooring, big screw into the bottom starts about $3000. Lot more labour because you need two divers. These are for moorings with about 3m of heavy chain and rope risers in about 3 metres of water. I could sell you a mooring with twin wheels in a prime position for $1000!
4 grand for a mooring with all that chain and the head gear is probably not too bad really.

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Kankama said..
I think the train wheel idea is a Tassie thing. We used train wheels 40 years ago in NSW.

Like the OP I also was floored by the price of Tassie moorings. A lot of the cost was the money for moving the barge around as Hobart moorings are stretched over 100 miles of shoreline or more. So about a grand was just moving the barge.

That said, When I made my last mooring the stud chain was picked up at a scrap yard for not much, and I still have some in my shed. As to the idea of train wheels, I am not a convert.

Mass is mass and the idea of being quoted two train wheels at 600kg was not something I was happy with. My 1200kg block in NSW (which is still in great nick after 15 years) may have less density but it still has 1200kg of mass which is what resists changes in momentum/velocity. You still have to pull 1200 kg sideways to get the thing to move. Think of it like a large heavy tug. Sure a tug floats but its mass resists you pushing it sharply. More mass is helpful even if it has some buoyancy to resist changes in motion - inertia has nothing to do with how things float or don't.

When I was shown a pic of the prospective setup it showed two train wheels shackled on after the other. So in effect the boat pulls on one 300kg wheel and then its movement is restricted eventually by the other. So instead of 1200kg of block resisting the boat's pitch moment you really only have 300 with another 300 backup.

Get to a scrap yard and ask about chain required. Make a ply scrap box with lots of reo in it and ask the local concrete company to sell you their leftovers whenever. Add on chain and swivels. You could video the whole thing (for insurance) and then put it in a box trailer, take it to a launching ramp and ask a friend with a large catamaran to tie the block to their forestay and then launch the trailer into the water and the cat floats the block. Let it go where you want.

I did this 20 years ago with a mates cats and the mooring apparatus is still going fine. The idea of concrete not working is pretty easy to rebut as almost all NSW moorings use blocks.

cheers

Phil

Hi, I am in NSW, my mooring is a pair of train wheels that bury themselves approx a metre into the mud and have held my boat and a 55 ft steel cruiser that decided that vacate it's mooring and attach to mine in sustained 35 knot gusting to 55 knot winds, so I am very happy with them thank you very much.
Another point to ponder is that concrete loses almost half its weight when submerged, has a bigger footprint so somewhat less settling into the mud. I would definitely go the wheels over the concrete, particularly if in the contractor's experience they have proven superior in that area.
Anyway, just my 2 cents worth.

I had my mooring laid last year in Pittwater to suit my Swanson 38 using 2 concrete blocks heavy chain swivels and rope total cost $1400

In my opinion concrete blocks should be sunk into the sea bed. I have sunk mine below the sand into the shell bottom and I've had no problems.

But on the mid north coast here I have noticed a trend by commercial operators to use truck tyres filled with concrete. My recommendation is that you should never use tyres as a permanent mould. Why, well I was down at Port Albert some years ago and they had just suffered a big blow [nothing more than what we get up here] and they had several vessels ashore, some a total loss. All were still attached to their mooring apparatus which all included concrete in tyres. Because of the round shape the tyres have no ability to dig in like a concrete block does. In effect they become flying saucers over the sea bed. The holding power of mooring blocks relates to how deeply they are buried.

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...put it in a box trailer, take it to a launching ramp and ask a friend with a large catamaran to tie the block to their forestay and then launch the trailer into the water and the cat floats the block. Let it go where you want.

Haha Phil that's a great idea!! I had all the gear and work on a building site so the reo/concrete/box trailer would have come easy but I couldn't work out how I was going to "Float" the thing out into position... Nosing a 40ft cat into the local boat ramp is a great idea for next time!

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nswsailor said..
In my opinion concrete blocks should be sunk into the sea bed. I have sunk mine below the sand into the shell bottom and I've had no problems.

But on the mid north coast here I have noticed a trend by commercial operators to use truck tyres filled with concrete. My recommendation is that you should never use tyres as a permanent mould. Why, well I was down at Port Albert some years ago and they had just suffered a big blow [nothing more than what we get up here] and they had several vessels ashore, some a total loss. All were still attached to their mooring apparatus which all included concrete in tyres. Because of the round shape the tyres have no ability to dig in like a concrete block does. In effect they become flying saucers over the sea bed. The holding power of mooring blocks relates to how deeply they are buried.

If your going to use concrete and tyres as a mold. Make a concave base by building up some sand with plastic over it. The concave base will suck on the bottom but I would still rather it was at least partially buried. Lots of steel reinforcing/weight as well.

There is a mooring near mine. It started out right next to mine that the owner cast cement into a drum! I tried to explain to him that it will roll on the hard sand bottom. It lasted nearly a week before it rolled in towards the bank where it lodged in a drop off.

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MMT said..
Hi what do you pay for a new mooring to be put in Hobart area for a 35ft vessel. Was qouted $4000 does this seem right ? Was a 2 train wheel mooring.

Hi Mmt

Russel and Lyn from Southern Mooring Services are my choice of mooring contractors in southern Tassie

0439826170

A lovely couple of give great service at a reasonable price

Regards Don

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Donk107 said..

MMT said..
Hi what do you pay for a new mooring to be put in Hobart area for a 35ft vessel. Was qouted $4000 does this seem right ? Was a 2 train wheel mooring.

Hi Mmt

Russel and Lyn from Southern Mooring Services are my choice of mooring contractors in southern Tassie

0439826170

A lovely couple of give great service at a reasonable price

Regards Don

Thanks Don,

What is there ongoing service fee ?

MMT there's an offer going around at the moment as part of a PHD study in Hobart. They'll install a new eco style bungee mooring for free and cover the first two services. PM me if you're interested and I'll email you the pdf.

This was seen today at Camden Haven Inlet. The wire is only 12mm reo. Note the smaller ones on the launch.

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MMT said..

Donk107 said..

MMT said..
Hi what do you pay for a new mooring to be put in Hobart area for a 35ft vessel. Was qouted $4000 does this seem right ? Was a 2 train wheel mooring.

Hi Mmt

Russel and Lyn from Southern Mooring Services are my choice of mooring contractors in southern Tassie

0439826170

A lovely couple of give great service at a reasonable price

Regards Don

Thanks Don,

What is there ongoing service fee ?

Hi MMT

No sure but if you give Lyn a call i am sure she will let you know

Regards Don

Of the same wieght taking in account Concrete buoyancy etc Do you think a concrete block will have a better holding capacity than train wheels. We had severe winds here in Tas and alot of yachts dragged moorings, Over 30 yachts have ended up on the banks in the last 2 weeks, Making Marina costs seem better and better to me.................

Train wheels are best. They sink into the bottom on there own.

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Ramona said..
Train wheels are best. They sink into the bottom on there own.

I definitely second that !!

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Ramona said..
Train wheels are best. They sink into the bottom on there own.

By all reports they were train wheel moorings that dragged. Would 3x 300kg train wheels be enough for a 35ft 14 ton boat ?

In Drummoyne in June16 my 3.7 tonne yacht (5.5 loaded up) dragged its 750kg block for 15 meters damaging the bow rollers in the process. I added a 1 ton block and rebuilt the bowsprit.
Now it is staying where it is supposed to stay.
The double block is only a few bucks more to service than as single one as long as no new parts are needed.
As far as moorings are concerned, the insurance companies can be obstructive if a claim is made on a self made mooring as they might demand a mooring inspection report by a pro.

It is my conviction, especially after a successful claim, that bucks spent on insurance are NOT money thrown into the wind.

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MMT said..

Ramona said..
Train wheels are best. They sink into the bottom on there own.

By all reports they were train wheel moorings that dragged. Would 3x 300kg train wheels be enough for a 35ft 14 ton boat ?

Provided that the bottom is mud a train wheel mooring that is the correct size for the boat on it will not move. If the bottom is other than mud the results may vary.
Not long after leaving school I went to work for a diving company in Sydney and after a particularly severe storm I was the lucky one that was sent to search for a few missing moorings, one was an old train wheel from a steam engine, when located it took hours to break it free from the bottom with a large crane mounted on a barge, the barge had it's bow almost under water. the wheel was from a steam loco so was spoked and webbed and had incredible suction in the mud. Not at all like the concrete numbers.!

+1 for Wheels or anything that will sink into the bottom. For single point moorings, the second most important characteristic is to not tangle the ground chain as the wind/tide winds the rode around in circles. My old dad lost his boat because the local mooring contractor/nazi decided to tow it to the supposedly 'correct' location (been on that spot since 1950). Pulled it out of its sunken position, chain wrapped around same, and a gale pulled boat shorewards into breakers until chain snapped.......
Now, on the Mornington Peninsula (PPB), Parks Victoria will only accept twin-anchor moorings, with a bridle and riding chain. Sure, mostly they seem to work, but at a huge service cost to their owners - and good business for the local mooring/salvage company!!

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MMT said..

Ramona said..
Train wheels are best. They sink into the bottom on there own.

By all reports they were train wheel moorings that dragged. Would 3x 300kg train wheels be enough for a 35ft 14 ton boat ?

Hi MMT

Did they drag or did they fail due to lack of maintenance

A boat ended up on the river bank down here a few years ago and this is why

Regards Don