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pulling out mooring pins


XLD

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I often have to leave my boat, moored up on pins, for several weeks. These pins are hammered in so that only 4 inches remain above ground (which is essential due to boy racer boaters). 4 lines, sprung correctly etc. The pins never move but are often very difficult to extract. Has anyone ever used some kind of ratchet and belt device to pull pins out? I'm thinking of some kind of tripod with a ratchet to save my back.

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9 minutes ago, Tam & Di said:

Put a pair of stilsons on the top and give them a twist??

 

Tam

Yeah I've resorted to that in the past👍 but I'd still like to sort out some device to pull the pins out.

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1 minute ago, RLWP said:

Kick the pin a couple of times at 90 degrees, then pull it out using the mooring line through the loop

 

And if they still won't budge, tap them sideways a few times with the mooring hammer.  It's not often you'll need to resort to this though - a kick and a twist usually does the job.

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2 minutes ago, RLWP said:

Kick the pin a couple of times at 90 degrees, then pull it out using the mooring line through the loop

 

Richard

Wearing steel toecaps helps so you can give them a good few kicks.

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My pins are 3ft long, a proper size.

I also use a 10lb sledge hammer to put them in so they are never easy to remove.

Hit them them hard at 90 Deg with the sledge in 4 directions.

Place a rope through the eye in the same plane as the pin and round my shoulders, bend knees, tighten rope then stand up pulls them out with ease usually.

Before anyone says that's only good if you are young and fit I am 70 and definitely not fit 🤔

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We use a sledgehammwe to bang 'em in, lumphammers are just not up to the job, getting them out is easy, stand by the pin, pretend you are Joe Root and swing the hammer to give a mighty thwack at 90 degrees to the thing and it usually just pulls out, if it doesn't then go for a boundary from the other side and sooner or later it gives up and lifts out. Edit, crossed with Loddon !

Edited by Bee
missed a bit
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If you use pins which have a metal loop near the head, use a spare long pin as a leaver. 
Insert say a 1/3 of its length through the loop, then with its pointy end braced against the ground, pull repeatably up sharply up on the other end using it as a lever. This gives a mechanical advantage and gets the extraction started so it’s usually easy from there. The longer the pin, the greater the potential leverage that is available.


Another benefit of this method is that it’s a very quiet way compared to using a mallet when trying to do a stealthy early morning departure without disturbing any neighbours😏.

If stealth is not a factor, tapping the head of the pin in various directions prior to levering out usually makes things even easier.

 

One point of caution, heads of pins can become very sharp over time from hammering.

 

edit - sorry Cheshire Cat beat me to it and was much more succinct😏.

Edited by gbclive
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6 minutes ago, RLWP said:

 

Attached to what - a skyhook?

You bang another pin in and put the ratchet in that to pull the mooring pin out, then you give the ratchet pin a good few kicks and pull that one out 😀

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I've used combinations of most of the suggestions so far on various occasions. My mooring pins have welded eyes on them, which gives the most options.

One that hasn't been mentioned yet. Put a loop of mooring rope through the eye and pass it over your shoulder(s) and hold in your hand. You can then squat slightly, just a few inches, pull the rope tight and stand up. This uses your leg muscles where they are strongest, almost fully extended and keeps your spine straight.

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2 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

I've used combinations of most of the suggestions so far on various occasions. My mooring pins have welded eyes on them, which gives the most options.

One that hasn't been mentioned yet. Put a loop of mooring rope through the eye and pass it over your shoulder(s) and hold in your hand. You can then squat slightly, just a few inches, pull the rope tight and stand up. This uses your leg muscles where they are strongest, almost fully extended and keeps your spine straight.

 

 

Loddon beat ya to it!!

 

https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/115802-pulling-out-mooring-pins/&do=findComment&comment=2818947

 

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3 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

One that hasn't been mentioned yet. Put a loop of mooring rope through the eye and pass it over your shoulder(s) and hold in your hand. You can then squat slightly, just a few inches, pull the rope tight and stand up. This uses your leg muscles where they are strongest, almost fully extended and keeps your spine straight.

 

 

3 hours ago, Loddon said:

My pins are 3ft long, a proper size.

I also use a 10lb sledge hammer to put them in so they are never easy to remove.

Hit them them hard at 90 Deg with the sledge in 4 directions.

Place a rope through the eye in the same plane as the pin and round my shoulders, bend knees, tighten rope then stand up pulls them out with ease usually.

Before anyone says that's only good if you are young and fit I am 70 and definitely not fit 🤔

 

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10 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Thought I'd read the thread through. Obviously not!

 

 

I get this too. I read a thread, add a comment then an old post that wasn't there before appears, saying exactly what I said!! 

 

 

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