ECOMOORING© will revolutionise mooring systems for all type of boats. It is designed to achieve one primary purpose; eliminate environmental damage to the sea floor, bringing moorings into the 21st century.
Current mooring design has a length of heavy chain connected to the sea floor mooring block, and the mooring rope then connected to this chain. The chain acts as a form of suspension between the mooring block and the moored vessel. The chain must be hauled straight before the mooring block takes the total weight of the moored vessel, and the weight of the chain is constantly working against this straightening.
The downside of this design is the damage done to the sea floor by dragging the chain (FIG 1). As the vessel moves around its mooring due to wind and tidal changes, the chain is dragged over the sea floor, uprooting any and all vegetation growing on the sea bed and damaging anything else that may be present, such as coral.
ECOMOORING© also uses a heavy chain as part of its design but is engineered to suspend above the sea floor thus never making contact and preserving the marine habitat. The best part is they can be installed as new or replace existing mooring systems utilising the same mooring block.
The ECOMOORING© can be done in a combination of three stages. The preferred method is taking the design as a whole, from the seabed mooring block to the secondary mooring buoy. However, where there is a mooring block already installed which can be re-used, the ECOMOORING© can use that block and change the design into an ECOMOORING© by using the primary and secondary mooring buoys. The third combination, where the mooring buoy must be to a proscribed design, the primary mooring buoy may be used with a standard design (secondary) mooring buoy.
ECOMOORING© accommodates for more moorings per square metre of seabed floor. Primary and secondary buoys stay together directly above the mooring block when not in use, and when in use the circumference of area covered by the vessel is considerately smaller.
The complete ECOMOORING© system consists of THE MOORING BLOCK (A), THE PRIMARY MOORING BUOY (B) and THE SECONDARY MOORING BUOY (C).
This far superior design bonds to soft seabeds due to its vacuum effect from the circular domed concrete block and concave cavity.
Advantages - the vacuum effect achieves increased holding power, while the low profile allows the block to merge into the seabed quickly.
By adding an external structure to the mooring block it can act as a Fish Aggregating Device (FAD).
This the centre of the environmentally friendly design, holding the chain. The chain is a heavy large link chain, minimum of 100kg. As in the traditional mooring design, the chain must be straightened before any direct load is placed on the mooring block. However, with around 100kgs of reserve buoyancy in the primary mooring buoy, once this chain is straightened, the primary mooring buoy takes over, staying afloat as the forces attempt to pull it under.
This is a revolutionary design that keeps the mooring rope that attaches to the vessel mostly dry. The rope from the chain to the rope loop is one piece, ie., the secondary buoy is simply clamped to the rope at the appropriate place.
Advantages - No more slimy ropes to handle. No need for a boat hook, simply lean over the bow and pick up the loop by hand.
The primary reasoning behind ECOMOORING© is environmental, by keeping the chain off the sea floor the marine environment is maintained in as near a pristine state as possible. In areas where this is vital, such as marine parks, ECOMOORING© is the only sensible approach to providing a secure mooring for vessels that visit such areas. In areas where anchoring is banned, there is no choice, moorings must be laid and these moorings must be environmentally friendly.
ECOMOORING© can retain the traditional mooring block, with small changes to enhance its holding ability and ecological soundness. The mooring contractors retain their familiar methods, with some minor changes, meaning they can carry on their business with only small alterations.
The buoys are large and easily seen, reducing the number of buoys being run over and cut.
The mooring rope attaching to the vessel is designed to be picked up by hand, boat hooks should not be needed.
The mooring rope attaching to vessel remains dry, hence no algae or slime to handle.
There is no buoy 'wander' when not in use, buoys maintain station directly above the mooring block.
The ability of the mooring buoys (when in use or unused) to maintain station translates to increased moorings per square metre of sea floor.