The following issues should be considered:

• is the location protected from wind and tide effects
• can it be easily accessed for use and regular maintenance
• will it interfere with any other mooring or property
• will your vessel have full swing clearance?

It is recommended that a professional install the mooring for you once you receive approvals from the relevant authority. Check the condition of lines and attachment points on your vessel for damage and wear regularly.

When you are ‘picking up’ (attaching to) a mooring:

• travel slowly
• observe wind and/or tidal flow before approaching a mooring
• don’t take other boats’ positions as a guarantee of wind and current; some boats lie in the opposite direction to the wind and/or current, as surface effects of wind may differ from general tidal or current effects
• use the small pick-up buoy as an indicator of drift direction
• approach slowly into the wind or against the tide, using the stronger of the two as a ‘brake’
• don’t overrun the mooring buoy as this risks fouling the propeller on mooring lines
• use a boat hook to capture the pick- up buoy
• secure the line or chain to a bow cleat.

When you are leaving a mooring:

• warm up the engine – or prepare the sails if sailing
• check for other boats nearby
• travel slowly, and make sure your passengers and crew stay within the boat itself—not on the side decking or the bow, where they could block your view or risk injuring themselves
• relieve any heavy strain on the mooring by using the motor or sails to come up to it
• release the chain or rope from the bow cleat, and drift back to clear the buoy before moving away. As you drift, check for trailing ropes that may get caught in your propeller.