"DSK" wrote

Why fumble about trying to scoop up your mooring with a boat hook?
Why not put the mooring line on a vertical pole... like a
man-overboard pole only with the mooring line attached? That would
be quick & certain.

This is an excellent suggestion. There is a lot you can do to make
your own mooring easier to pick up. A light pick up rope on a long
pole will keep it in sight and you can quickly make fast with the
light rope that will keep things under control until you can bring the
heavy pendant on board.

While cruising however, you will encounter lots of poorly set up
mooring that may be in equally obstructed areas and you will want to
be competent at picking them up.

Someone suggested practicing on a channel marker. That's the dumbest
idea I've heard in a long time. Those things are heavy and go way
down in the water. Hitting them is like hitting a piling. Take a
milk jug on a long light line with an anchor if you can't find
something else that is light and attached to the bottom.

Just like landing a plane, assuming that you will go around and having
a plan to do it is your best safety net. It may look like there is no
way to recover from a botched mooring pick up at your home mooring but
there must be. Spend some time figuring out exactly what you will do
if you miss or your crew drops the pendant. It's going to happen
someday. Practicing that maneuver is as important as practicing the
pickup.

--

Roger Long