Boat owners · Posted by the MoorSafe team · · 4 min read
What to ask your mooring service about chain wrap
If your boat sits on a mooring, somebody else usually sets it, services it, and decides which anchor goes on the bottom. That person is your best source of information about chain wrap, and the right person to ask for a better anchor.
Here is what to ask, and why each question matters.
First, what chain wrap is
On a traditional mushroom anchor, the stem is a vertical post. As tides, currents and wind swing your boat through 360°, the chain rotates around that stem. Once it catches, every cycle pulls it tighter.
When that happens, the effective scope shrinks and peak loads rise. Mooring balls can pull under at high tide, chain or shackles can fail under load, and boats can break free. (More on this in our explainer on chain wrap.)
The questions
1. What kind of anchor is on my mooring?
If it's a mushroom anchor, the vertical stem is where chain can wrap. Knowing what's down there is the starting point for every other question.
2. Have you seen chain wrap on moorings in this harbor?
The person who works the harbor every season can tell you whether this is a real concern for a boat like yours, in a place like yours.
3. How much scope is my mooring set to, and what happens to it if chain wraps?
Wrap shortens the effective scope and raises the peak loads. It's worth knowing what your mooring is designed to do, and what changes when the chain is no longer free to swing.
4. When was my mooring last inspected, and what was checked?
Chain and shackles are the parts that can fail under load. Ask what was looked at, and what, if anything, was replaced.
5. Is my anchor the right size for my boat?
Sizing depends on displacement, scope and exposure, not just boat length. Ask your mooring service to size it for how your boat actually sits in your harbor.
6. What would it take to set a MoorSafe instead?
MoorSafe is a mushroom anchor with three bars that form a cone above the stem, so the chain has nothing to catch on. It uses the same chain, shackles, swivel and pennant you use today, attached at the top eye, and it is lowered with a mooring barge or service boat at the same scope as a mushroom. Any mooring service provider will be familiar with the process. For a side-by-side look, see mushroom anchor vs MoorSafe.
7. What would it cost, and what is included?
MoorSafe is priced by quote. The anchor price excludes chain, hardware and installation, and shipping is quoted by destination. Ask your mooring service for the installed cost, and request a quote from us for the anchor.
What to say
You don't need to be an expert. Something like:
"I'd like to look at the MoorSafe anchor for my mooring. It's a mushroom-style anchor with three bars that form a cone above the stem, so the chain has nothing to catch on. It uses the same chain and shackles and goes in the way you already set a mushroom. Can you set one, or tell me what you'd need?"
About MoorSafe, and what it can't promise
MoorSafe is designed and built in Maine, with a cast-iron base and welded steel bars. It was tested for tensile strength at Yale Cordage in Saco and in a 28-day field test in Casco Bay. See how it works and the test results.
MoorSafe significantly reduces the risk of chain wrap. It can't promise that chain wrap or a mooring failure will never happen, and sizing and installation should always be done by a qualified mooring service.
Are you a mooring service or harbormaster? See what MoorSafe looks like from your side.
Not sure where to start?
Send us your boat length and your harbor, and we'll help you work out whether the 400 lb is the right fit.