Mooring buoys

Post by **sandymercer** » 21 Feb 2012 05:13

Hi,

Looking at pictures of shows you guys do, I really like the look of the mooring buoys you use.

It would be nice to do something similar here in the UK for our National Warship Weekend this summer, could anyone post pictures of the buoys and describe how you make them, please?

Thanks in advance.

Sandy

Post by **BsHvyCgn9** » 21 Feb 2012 09:18

G'day Sandy,
I use a short piece of PVC plumbers pipe (from memory 32mm(ish)), drill a hole 1/2way along each side for the line to attach to (I use fishing swivels CA'd in place) and CA some scrap styrene sheet on each end (left to dry for a bit clamped tight) then I just roughly trim the styrene down with my pliers, the file it to the shape of the pipe. Some people leave the bouys bare (just painting them) and some of us add some strips of styrene along the sides.

We use a single bouy for models under 2.4m and fore N aft bouys for anything over 2.4m

Cheers Bruce (B2)

Post by **cootafleet** » 21 Feb 2012 09:37

OW YA GOIN, B2
32mm pipe?
B1

Post by **steppenrig** » 21 Feb 2012 17:48

Hey guys,

I was curious about the buoys myself, cheers for the info.

Dave
Fleet base Canberra

Post by **BsHvyCgn9** » 21 Feb 2012 20:48

G'day B1,

Goin good mate!!

Checked the pipe for bouys earlier, I used its 42mm outside dia! not 32mm.....I was close!!

Cheers Bruce (B2)

Post by **grahamwpd** » 22 Feb 2012 07:47

G day, Further to the Buoys , after you paint black bottom ,top white, you can put your pennant number to your buoy (stops them getting mixed up,). You can also use plastic chain to tether the base weight. (I use a heavy fishing weight bought from local tackle shop) Cheers grumpy

Post by **grahamwpd** » 22 Feb 2012 07:58

OOPS!

for fishing weight read SINKER , also dont use metal chain as dependant on length it may drag your buoy under water. also I use an eyelet screwed top/bottom through the pipe into a piece of wood secured within pipe, you can shape the wood to ruffly the internal diameter of pipe.Cheers

Grumpy

Post by **MichaelB** » 22 Feb 2012 08:43

If RN, the buoys are painted yellow, often with the side strips painted black.

Post by **RussF172** » 22 Feb 2012 09:15

Hi Guys, Alien Pew and I made about 60 of them when the club started in 95 and sold them off to make some money for the club at the regatta. Very basic but they work and I still have mine from then but modified a couple of them with little platforms on top and ladders up the sides. We used 55mm diametre PVC pipe for ours and cut them around 95mm long. Had a hook on the bottom for chain and weight to hook onto and a small piece of model chain on the top to go through the bull ring on the bow and hook onto something. I have a loop at the end of my chain which goes around one ofthe capstans which are pinned into the deck. Haven't lost one yet.

Post by **sandymercer** » 23 Feb 2012 02:11

Hello everyone,

Thanks for the replies.

Sorry to be a pain, but could anyone be able to post a picture of one out of the water, just so I can see how the attachments work?

They do look splendid .... but then again, all your moored ships look splendid. It must be the bright sunshine, sparkling waters and clear blue skies.... just like we get in Scotland too.

All the best
Sandy

Post by **MichaelB** » 23 Feb 2012 15:20

Variations on a theme for you in the water. Painted in diff colours, floating & slowly sinking.

The little one on Collie is an old railway oil tanker body, just rip it off the bogies & seal up the holes etc.

How is Ian McGhie?

Michael

Post by **MichaelB** » 23 Feb 2012 16:03

An old original one from Russ & Al which, like its owner, has seen better days.

The one on Hobart is RAN who can afford nice new buoys unlike the RN which can't even afford to paint theirs.