7 buoys tips

Each sailor knows what the buoy is, but for some of them, sleeping on a sea yacht moored to the buoy is the daily bread, while for the others it is a complete novelty. What to look for? What should be remembered? Today we are going to reveal some “buoys” tips 😉

Why buoys?

Mainly because more yachts can be placed on the same water surface than on an anchorage. The second reason is that anchors damage the seabed, so buoys are often located where many yachts anchor. In addition, many people consider stopping on a buoy safer than on an anchor.

Yachts on a buoy

Is it safer than an anchor?

Opinions are divided, each sailor has his own experience and thoughts on this issue. Some sailors prefer buoys because the anchor can “let go” and the yacht will drift at night, pulling the anchor. Others prefer the anchor, because if the buoy breaks, it will not pull anything, but it will immediately leave you for the darkness of the night. When the yacht begins to pull the anchor, we will have some time to react, and, perhaps, even the anchor will grab the bottom a little more.

Where are the buoys located?

Everywhere 🙂 Nevertheless, in the practice of sailors in warm waters, mooring buoys are most often found in Croatia and the Balearic Islands. Information on buoy installation locations can be found on the routes and on the Internet. You can also usually find information on the amount of parking fees on the buoy.

How to catch it?

There are many skippers ways, and it is multiplied by the variety of buoys. The most popular one is a classic approach to the bow of the buoy, known from small sailing boats, which is more difficult to implement on a large marine yacht. A strict approach, and then “execution” of the bow. A rigorous approach with a mooring to stern from the bow of the yacht and a surprisingly effective, rarely used fishing buoy in the bow loop. It is better to choose the method, taking into account the number and experience of the crew, weather conditions and type of buoy.

Will the buoy hold us?

Probably, yes, but it is always worth checking the condition of the buoy, especially its underwater part. Look at the block to which it is attached, the ropes and their connection with the buoy and the buoy itself. If you have a large yacht, you can check with the cashier, who charges a buoy, whether the block to which the buoy is attached will be enough for your yacht.

Put on the second pier

Good practice always requires to set up two moorings on a buoy, of course, it makes no sense when we stop for a moment and stay on the yacht. However, when we are afraid to sleep, there is a strong wind, and there are big waves, you must definitely do it. The second one should be placed as low as possible under the buoy to eliminate as many “weak spots” as possible.

Not too short

A string laid on a buoy should not be too short, in fact, the longer the better. The longer string causes that the forces acting on the underwater block to which the buoy is attached to be distributed more favorably. Of course, the length of the mooring line cannot be exaggerated, because we can tie the stern to a neighboring buoy, and the long string also like to get very tangled.

You can see how it looks in practice in our video  😉