The mooring bitts pictured above had a D-ring attached to them, which was used as the strong point for connecting a rope stopper. When the weight of the mooring line came onto the stopper, the D-ring’s connecting screws sheared off, and the D-ring was fired into the air towards the mooring party. Luckily, no one was injured.
CHIRP Comment
Stoppers – and whatever they are connected to – must be capable of supporting the loads transmitted through the mooring lines. The small-diameter screws connecting this D-ring to the bitts were entirely inadequate for this task. A better arrangement would be to attach the standing end of the stopper around the bitt or a nearby cleat.
Key Issues relating to this report
Design—If your super yacht has a similar design, ask the manufacturers to confirm its safe working load (SWL).
Local Practices: Any equipment designed to take a load should be documented in the vessel’s SMS and inspected/tested as appropriate.
