Mooring Components:

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• 6' pickup buoy

• 5/8" Yalex bridle w/ thimble

• 1/2" shackle w/ SS wire

• Polyform A-3 mooring ball

• 1/2" Polyform shackle w/ zip tie

• 5/8" shackle w/ zip tie

• 1/2" self-color chain, 11' length

• 1/2" shackle w/ zip tie

• 1/2" eye-eye swivel

• 1/2" shackle w/ zip tie

• 5/8" self-color chain, 34' length

• 3/4" shackle w/ zip tie

• 4x4x1' concrete mooring block (1,200 lbs in-water weight w/ dual 7/8" bails

Mooring Inspection — 5/6/20

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This mooring is in poor shape due to an extremely worn section of the 3/8" chain along the section where the chain first meets the lake bottom. The chain itself looks fairly new & has only a small amount of surface rust.

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The mooring block has flipped upside down with the chain coming out from under the block to the north, indicating it flipped in a south wind. However a prior imprint made by the block is visible a few feet to the north indicating it may also have dragged south in a separate storm, before flipping.

This mooring location is very exposed to the southwest. It has roughly 2:1 scope which is shorter than recommended, but typical for a mooring field although not an exposed one.

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The combination of all-3/8" chain rode, short scope & exposed location are not good. This mooring is an especially poor candidate for all-3/8" chain rode, as evidenced by the severe chain wear & the flipped block.
 

Recommend flipping the block back upright & switching the bottom chain to at least 25' of 5/8" chain due to the exposed location, along with 11' of new 1/2" top chain. With 5/8" chain it's possible to keep the 2:1 scope due to the mooring field, although it looks like going to 2.5:1 would be fine in terms of the surrounding moorings -- only adds 9' more chain & would be safer.

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A lot (~18') of the upper section of 3/8" chain is in very good shape & can be reused elsewhere.

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The waterlogged mooring ball may need to be replaced if heavier chain is used.

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During spring 2020 setup, the bridle was provided with a 5/8" shackle & no swivel. The 5/8" shackle does not fit into the 3/8" chain so I used a new 1/2" shackle to connect the bridle instead.  With occasional use, the lack of a swivel is less of a problem than it would be with full-time use.

Cursory Mooring Ball Inspection — 11/19/19

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This mooring appears to be in very good condition. Waterlogged buoy but buoyancy is still good enough. No pickup buoy. I'm assuming there is a swivel farther down the chain rode -- will double check in the spring when I do the full inspection.

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Recommend adding a pickup buoy.