Mooring Whips

[scrit9mm]

A fella at the lake has this for sale:
"For Sale: Set of Dock Edge 12' Mooring Whips (part number 3120-F); for water craft up to 23' and 4000lb; used one season - in excellent condition; will email pictures if desired. $199.00 "

I am not sure of my boat weight (99 200 bowrider ChrisCraft) but I dont think it would put more than 4000 lbs of pressure on the whips while in the water. My slough is a no wake zone but during a storm waves have gotten up to 2'. Does anyone have this certian model whip and how do they perform?

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Mooring Whips

I have not used that model or brand of whip, but the size is adequate for your boat, I would think. Everyone here on the Barnegat Bay needs to use whips. I my house it can often blow 40MPH from the NE. We can get 6' waves during some storms

 

[scrit9mm]

Re: Mooring Whips

Got them for $160. Hope they work.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Mooring Whips

If they're designed the same as Taylor whips, the whip slides into an aluminum base and is secured with a steel set screw. I made the mistake of not taking the screw out once in awhile to grease it or put an anti-corrosive treatment on it. The screw eventually rusted into the base so it couldn't be removed, and (presumably) rusted out inside the base as well. After 3 years, one of whips pulled out of the base in a windstorm. My boat sustained a couple thou worth of gelcoat and rubrail damage. Soooo, keep an eye on that.

When set up correctly, whips work very well. You want the whip bases to be mounted exactly the same distance apart as your bow and stern boat cleats. Use spring lines on the boat and dock to keep the boat from moving fore and aft more than a few inches in either direction. That way, you get the maximum amount of force keeping the boat off the dock, with the minimum amount of strain on the whips and bases.

My .02

 

[scoutabout]

Re: Mooring Whips

Those should be good. Remember a 4000# boat isn't putting 4000# of stress on the whips. The boat would have to be suspended in the air from the whips to do that.

I used whips for years with success in a busy bay. Even though some of them come with lag bolts to mount to the dock, I'd recommend you use nice hefty back plates, big washers and appropriate lock washers and double nuts.