MOORING BUOYS

Mooring buoys usually have a ring (A) to make fast to or some form of 'pick-up buoy'. The pick-up buoy can either be attached to the chain strop on the large buoy (B) or to a ground chain (C) with an eye in it.

To help the helmsman judge direction and distance point the boathook like a spear.	Grab the pick-up buoy and bring it in under the rail. Haul in the line until you reach the chain strop and drop the eye over a cleat.

	Round turn and two half hitches	Round turn and a bowline	Chain
To attach a line; one crew member hooks the buoy with a boathook (A) while another lies down and passes a line through the ring (B). The line is then handed up to the first person who takes it forward (C). A 'snap-on' boat hook (D) makes the job easier. The boat can be attached by (E) or (F) (gets the knot nearer the boat) or (G) if it's going to be rough. If the load on a boathook becomes too great LET IT GO, otherwise you could overbalance and fall in!