Yup [Motor Grader?? we call'em Graders]... used grader blades.... worn and
tossed are about 8" to 10 " high and about 7' long. They have a 3/4" bolt
hole every foot or so. That's what I use.... each weighs about 100 to 125
lbs.

Your local highway yard has a pile of them in their yard at any given time.

CM



"Scott Vernon" wrote in message
...
What exactly do you call 'grader blades'. Around here, it would be
the blade off a motor grader. 7' long, 2.5' high, about 800 lbs.. I
doubt you're using 15 of these.


--
Scott Vernon
Plowville Pa _/)__/)_/)_


"Overproof" wrote in message
news:m3psd.229833$df2.178709@edtnps89...
Heh Barett... thanx for a sailing related question! :-D

Couple of questions...

"Barrett Bonden" wrote in message
...
Whole new mooring (mushroom , chain, ball) in 2001. Left it in 3
years,
figuring less rusting than sitting in a yard over the winter and
better
holding as the mushroom buried itself. . Checked upper links with
diving
periodically and all was well.

That's a proper maintainence schedule.
You seasonally cleaned and inspected each link and the shackle to
the
mushroom as well as the shackle to the Mooring ball? Your chain
lenght was
1.5 times maximun high tide? You utilized oversized swivel shackles
on each
end?


After haling out the boat 3 weeks ago , I noticed the top shackle
was
sliding into the ball,(junk) and I called the yard to have it
pulled.
Yard
guy was out of town, said he'd get to it this week. I check on it
yesterday, and the ball and 10 feet of chain have drifted off to
shore.

Could you elbrate on the phrase.... "I noticed the top shackle was
sliding into the ball,(junk)".....


The chain ends with a shackle and a swivel ; the bottom of the
swivel is
fine. This means (?) that the top link of the heavier chain has
rusted,
and
that it must have gone from being able to hold a 30 foot sailboat
to
powder
unable to hold itself in 3 weeks.

Need a bit more info here..... you have a shackle and a swivel
between your
chain and the mushroom anchor?

When you state " heavier chain"... do you mean a seperate section of
heavier
section of chain placed between the mushroom anchor and the main
mooring
chain to the mooring ball?

What are you using for chain?

Is this possible ?

Look Barett... anything is possible... from link failure to the yard
guy
trying to haul it and breaking the chain. I check moorings and have
placed
moorings that have lasted for 10+ years. Go oversize... refer to
first
question.... inspect it seasonally and any other time you get a
chance. Wire
brush the chain and shackles every year. Replace anything that looks
deformed..... I keep records and a photos of inspections for
insurance
purposes.

I haven't tried the mushroom anchor yet .... I generally like to go
with 15
grader blades of high carbon steel. I string them with threaded bar
[1/2"].... and appropriate nuts and washers, I then place a 1 inch
dia. PVC
spacer cut to 4" in length on each rod between the grader blades.
You end up
with a 1500 lb weight that has immense holding power in silt and mud
due to
it's wide foot print and the cupping action of the grader blades
under
lift.. I used a three point attachment to the structure, fastened by
shackles to the grader blades. This terminates into a single swivel
shackle
which is shackled to the main mooring chain and mooring ball.

Hopes that helps.....

Capt. Mooron - "Moor On with a Moorons Mooring"

[Treat Your Crew with Disdain... and Other Vessels with Distaste"]