Mud Weight Dragging

[Andrewcook]

 Hi all here's this question When dropping Mud Weights in the Middle of Salhouse Broads or Ranworth Broad with a breezy or not the Mud Weight tends to drags how can you stop this ? Are they not Heavy enough for that type of Boat ? Is they any advice on that ? 

[CambridgeCabby]

Drop the mud weight as opposed to lowering it as it is the suction with the mud that creates the anchorage , make sure your bow is facing into the wind , and yes it maybe that your weight is undersized , what is your boat and what weight are you using ?

[Broads01]

Also, make sure you leave enough slack on the rope to cope with changes in water level, especially on the south Broads. I forgot that at Bargate once and when the level rose we drifted a long way.

[stumpy]

I've always found Salhouse to be poor holding as it's a sand bottom rather than bottomless black mud - tucked up in the corner Wroxham end seems the most sheltered. 

[Andrewcook]

Hi Cambridge cabby I should have mentioned Hiring Boats I have been on . Yes I had  that problem at Salhouse  and be going again in October. 

[Regulo]

Let out plenty of rope. It allows the pull on the weight to be more horizontal through the mud, with a better chance of holding. A short rope allows the weight to dance and skip along the top of the mud.

[MauriceMynah]

You just beat me to it Ray!

[oldgregg]

16 minutes ago, stumpy said:

I've always found Salhouse to be poor holding as it's a sand bottom rather than bottomless black mud - tucked up in the corner Wroxham end seems the most sheltered. 

Yeah, Salhouse has always been a bit of pain in that regard. We've often had problems at forum meets with a whole line of boats moored stern on but sitting diagonally because of a strong wind.

With most of the other Broads, give it a good lob and it sinks nicely into the mud. The conical design of a mudweight is deliberate so that a gentle pull (such as from the weight of the boat) will not dislodge it.

Places like Womack have mud so sticky that most of the time you have to tow the mudweight off with the boat and then leave it at the surface for a couple of minutes when under way to get it clean.

[Wussername]

What is the best way to "lob" a mud weight. Employ a Geoff Capes stance at the bow with said mud weight under chin. (Some might prefer a bit of a "run up" along the deck).  The SL approach is favoured by some. The Swinging Lob for the uninitiated. Stand with feet apart and swing the said mud weight by the attached rope in ever increasing momentum. Having reached optimum velocity and desired projection one lets go. The mud weight should quite literally sail through the air. Where it ends up is a bit of a lottery, in the bobbing up and down stuff, or the windshield. Do not under any circumstances delegate this task to a crew member of limited vocabulary as his reaction may upset crew members of a nervous disposition in the latter being the result.

There you have it. For me a gentle lower, in consideration of my dear wife who will be tasked in lifting it up and out.

Old Wussername 

 

[marshman]

Malthouse is notorious for dragging - doesn't help if your neighbour drags on to you and then not much chance of yours holding two.

I just think the amount of mud weighting has probably made the bottom softer and less likely to hold!

[BroadAmbition]

Let out plenty of rope. It allows the pull on the weight to be more horizontal through the mud, with a better chance of holding. 

Agreed.  Letting our plenty of rope is otherwise known as 'Scope'

If you plan to do a fair amount of mudweighting, ask the yard to provide a second one.  We always take a second mudweight for the Jewels every October,  H.W's are happy to provide.  We also have a secondary one permanently onboard 'B.'A too

Griff

[ranworthbreeze]

6 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

Let out plenty of rope. It allows the pull on the weight to be more horizontal through the mud, with a better chance of holding. 

Agreed.  Letting our plenty of rope is otherwise known as 'Scope'

If you plan to do a fair amount of mudweighting, ask the yard to provide a second one.  We always take a second mudweight for the Jewels every October,  H.W's are happy to provide.  We also have a secondary one permanently onboard 'B.'A too

Griff

We do the same Griff and store the additional weight in one of the upper lockers.

[stumpy]

The second weight is also dead handy if you're ledgering in the middle of a broad to stop the boat swinging. 

[ChrisB]

I always carried two mud weights and a 2mtr length of chain shackled to a Danforth  which could in turn be shacked to the eye of the mud weight.

We rode out a real overnight blow using the above but the mess on deck on retrieval had to be seen, in fact not only the deck over me as well.

[ChrisB]

If you have room to stow it, a Bruce on chain is great for mud. Better than CQR imho. I would reverse that if you are in clay however.

[grendel]

to be fair Chris, if you are on a hire boat none of those options will be available to you, so Andrew, its always worth asking for a second mudweight, if its windy, dont deploy them fore and aft as if the wind direction changes they will pull out, but stick them both off the bow fairly close together, and with plenty of slack, and check you have a boat length to swing with the wind in all directions.

[annv]

The heavier the mud weight the better holding, But!! you have to lift it, a winch of sets this But cost, i have a 90kg mud weight no problems with this one. John

[OldBerkshireBoy]

People say to throw the weight rather than drop it but how can you do this solo with an electric winch?

[Helian]

1 hour ago, OldBerkshireBoy said:

People say to throw the weight rather than drop it but how can you do this solo with an electric winch?

I think most electric winches (my Lewmar certainly does) allow it to free drop, i e you dont "winch out".

[PaulN]

There is no point in throwing a mud-weight when mooring in a broad, you can let out all the scope and motor gently in reverse, which will also help to dig it in. 

If it is your own bot, then don't use rope, replace it with 100% chain if you have a winch with a chain locker, then let out 3 times the depth and it will lie along the bottom and not drag.

[ES2]

18 hours ago, ChrisB said:

If you have room to stow it, a Bruce on chain is great for mud. Better than CQR imho. I would reverse that if you are in clay however.

Yep,  Bruce is a good anchor, I use one myself with two metres of chain on the end of my anchor warp. However, the Bruce is very good at snagging obstacles on the river/broad bed and I always use a tripping rope  secured to the small hole on the knuckle of the anchor so that I can retrieve it easier. The tripping rope should be attached to a small buoy or even a plastic drinks bottle to stop it fouling the main anchor warp.

[annv]

The reason you should throw/swing a mud weight by hand is to stop you being bitten ie the splash of water that you get in the face if just dropped, by swinging it away from you the splash is directed away from your face/body, letting down slowly could give you a rope burn to the hands. John

[grendel]

the splash always gets me no matter which direction I throw it

 

[Smoggy]

2 hours ago, grendel said:

the splash always gets me no matter which direction I throw it

 

You are supposed to let go!

[CambridgeCabby]

8 hours ago, grendel said:

the splash always gets me no matter which direction I throw it

 

You’re normally drenched from falling in anyway