Yachting Monthly

Lasso, you mooring buoy!

- Pete Goss

I take about three feet of old garden hose to aid that tricky mooring pickup in windy conditions. By adding it into a big bowline it makes it easy to lasso the main mooring buoy and tame the boat. Once things have settled you can then use the boat hook for the pickup buoy and making off the boat properly without dangerous loads.

Once secure the hose opens up the bowline with a bit of flicking for retrieval. If it doesn’t it can always be tackled with the dinghy when conditions have eased. I have sat and watched so many fingers injured, boat hooks bent or lost as the mooring line loads up before a turn can be taken. This seems a safe option for when things get a bit hairy on the foredeck.

 ??  ?? Unweighted rope can make lassoing a mooring buoy a frustratin­g experience
Unweighted rope can make lassoing a mooring buoy a frustratin­g experience

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