Swinging moorings...

Leaving a yacht unattended is always a risk, but all the more at anchor, especially with the rate of anchor chain erosion that takes place on the Rio Guadiana. After four years a 12mm chain can be down to 1-2mm at the links.

A safer solution is a swinging mooring, with no chain or metalwork involved. Working with Montinhos builders, who build the shuttering, form the re-bar and pour the concrete, I have incorporated rope loops embedded into the concrete, to which are attached mooring lines with spliced eyes.

The rope mating faces are bound and Sikaflexed with recycled inner tubes to reduce chafe and hopefully lock the surfaces together. Blocks are in the 1,700 to 1,900 kg range. Bespoke designs a speciality as everyone has their own ideas.

After drying the blocks are carried down the slip at Laranjeiras. From here you can collect, which may be a problem if you are deep draughted, or I can deliver. And with a barge that used to carry 32 tons and has a draught at the bow of around 60cm, that can be carried out at just about any state of tide.

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