| On the lake where I sail, there are several secluded | | | | because you want to avoid fouling the prop on the |
| bays and inlets that have a number of mooring balls | | | | moorings anchor line or chain. Now put the boat in |
| that are available for overnight mooring. It sure beats | | | | neutral and grab the ball's ring with the boathook and |
| anchoring particularly if you have no crew to help. I | | | | pick it up enough to pass the un-looped end of your |
| routinely tie up to these balls and have worked up a | | | | mooring line through. You now should have both ends |
| pretty good system for single-handedly grabbing and | | | | in hand with the line passing through the ball's ring. You |
| securing my boat to them. | | | | can now walk to any cleat you desire and secure the |
| Here's how I do it. First, I prepare by having my | | | | two ends to the cleat. When you're ready to leave, |
| mooring line ready. I generally have a loop in one end | | | | simply unsecure one end and pull the length of the line |
| so I can quickly throw it onto a cleat if need be. Have | | | | out of the ball's ring and back onto the boat. |
| the line coiled up with you in the cockpit as you | | | | I don't recommend running the line through the ball in |
| approach the ball. I usually have a boathook handy as | | | | this fashion if you are planning on an extended stay on |
| well however some boats may be low enough to the | | | | the mooring. Since the line is just run through the ring |
| water where a hook is not needed. If I'm sailing, I drop | | | | and not tied to it, chaffing can occur and eventually |
| sail well before the mooring field. It's much easier to | | | | break the line. Not good if you're sound asleep below. |
| single-hand grabbing a ball by motoring. I approach the | | | | Tie off securely to the ring with a bowline if you're |
| ball bow into the wind at idle speed or a little above. | | | | going to be there more than a night or if the wind is |
| Depending on the wind you'll want to adjust throttle to | | | | really howling. |
| where you're approaching very slowly. When you get | | | | During the summer, it's quite warm even at night and |
| roughly three boat lengths to the ball start turning the | | | | any breeze through the boat is welcome. Since the |
| boat away from the ball and put the transmission in | | | | companionway hatch is larger than the forward |
| neutral. | | | | V-berth hatch, I prefer to tie up stern-to the mooring |
| You should now be facing completely away from the | | | | ball so the breeze has more area to come into the |
| mooring you want to secure to. Now put the boat in | | | | boat. We have a screen cover for the companionway |
| reverse and back slowly the rest of the distance to | | | | so bugs are kept out. In higher winds, it is better to tie |
| the ball. Direct the boat where the ball comes to either | | | | with the bow into the wind. The boat will ride the swell |
| side of the stern. It's best not to back directly center | | | | better and be more comfortable. |