Need tips on tying boat onto a buoy for a week?

[Allan Vargas]

For the first time I will have to rent a buoy to tie my boat on for a week. I have always used a boat slip. Can anyone give me a list of to do's? Bilge pump on or off, What length of mooring line should I use? I must provide my own mooring line. Any other advice would be appreciated....... My fear is I will return to the buoy and my boat will be gone!! Come loose of buoy or sank!!

 

[Scottintexas]

any ropes I would tie with a bowline knot and any hardware I would use "c" clamp, screw lock closed type not the hook with a spring loaded stopper ( I lost an anchor to one of those when the spring loaded portion stuck open) and I would attach it to the bow stop hook

 

[jcyamaharider]

When I was younger we always had our Houseboat or pontoon on a bouy for years. We always had a chain from the bouy to the boat and also a back up safety line. I am sure two rope lines would work. I guess the conditions of the water would play a huge role in what I would use to tie the boat up. We did use the spring latches and never had an issue. Again condition of water. Using the C style with the thread would give me better piece of mind. Defiantly keep the bilge on.

Kind of looked like this:

More piece of mind:

 

[ncnmra]

Bowline, bowline bowline. Best and only knot I use. Never has it failed me.

https://www.netknots.com/rope_knots/bowline

If you want to use the carabiners, you can use two back to back for extra security:

 

[Allan Vargas]

Thanks, all for the information. It's been a great help. Looking on you tube on how to tie a bowline knot.
I think I'm going to use two lines. One mooring line I already purchased 3/8 15 foot with eye loop and a carabiner.
The second mooring line I am looking at purchasing is the following: It's 1/2 12 foot.

 

[Coheeba]

You also need to worry about chafing, line on line or line on steel/metal will eventually chafe through. The carabineer's are good to prevent this. A bowline is a great knot but if you know how to splice line, do it. I like the picture of the carabineer's opposing gates, one is none; two is one.

 

[jawsf16]

I hold my anchors with the opposing caribiners and it works great.

 

[smack]

I use a screw gate carabiner on my anchors, any ropes I take on and off on a regular basis that I like to have secure - same convenience as a carabiner with added security of a locked gate. I prefer to use a climbing grade carabiner on my marine equipment.