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March 2007 Konza Sailor Page 5 |
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Above average March temperatures have the BVYC Harbormaster hoping for an early start on mooring maintenance. Mooring maintenance is conducted throughout the sailing season depending on availability of committee members and favorable weather. However, It is much easier to service the moorings before the keelboats are attached to the buoys. |
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New buoys will be slightly smaller than those used in the past. The new buoys have a buoyancy of 60 pounds, meaning that half the buoy will be above water when attached to a 60 pound weight. The club's 40 foot mooring rodes are under the 60 pound weight.
Past instructions said that mooring pendants should be connected to the bottom ring on the buoy. This is not necessary because all BVYC buoys have safety chains from the top ring to the chain rode precluding disaster if the bottom nut fails because of rust.
Again this year, keelboaters will be asked to volunteer on the harbor committee. Working on the barge team is an interesting and rewarding duty that often allows the boat owner to give first hand inspection to the stuff that keeps the boats from floating away. Call 539-4759 to become a member of this committee. By the way... the committee welcomes women as well as men because the team deals with inspections and location decisions often performed more adroitly by women who read maps!! |
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Rear Commodore hopes for early start on mooring maintenance By Bob Mullen, Rear Commodore |
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View of the weak links in the BVYC moorings |
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Last season one third of the moorings were raised and serviced. Three moorings were the first in a series to be completely refurbished. This season the rear commodore has plans for an ambitious project requiring the inspection of 14 moorings that were last serviced in 2004. Some of the 14 will be completely refurbished. Normal servicing requires a team of not more than 3 persons to raise the anchors, inspect all the components and replace chain where necessary. Refurbishment requires the team to replace all chain and replace the buoy or buoy stem. The picture above shows a mooring chain with a pencil thin link that was found in the nick of time. Also note that the 3 buoy stems all have the bottom nuts rusted away. The club will disband the replacement of buoy stems because many of the stems have curves making replacement iffy and not very cost effective.
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Shelley Hays gets her pick of the hotdogs grilled by our master chef, Bob Mullen, after the Equinox Sock Burning had taken place. |
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Photograph by Bob Mullenp |