The Solent Forum
Working in partnership for the future
The Solent Forum, working with partners, has provided this information hub to share knowledge and best practice on Advanced Mooring Systems as a service for Solent Forum members.
Traditional swing moorings are most commonly used in UK waters by recreational boats, consisting of an anchor, chain (rode) and float. But they can result in abrasion to seagrass beds and other sensitive seabed habitats.
As the tide rises and falls, differing amounts of chain will lie across the seabed, abrading the seagrass and leading to mooring scars. Changing these systems to environmentally friendly designs to remove abrasion can help to address key pressures from this recreational activity. Therefore, Advanced Mooring Systems (AMS) are becoming more popular as their ability to protect key habitats such as seagrass beds from damage becomes more widely understood.
The LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES project demonstrated the effectiveness of Advanced Mooring Systems (AMS) as an alternative to traditional swing chain moorings which abrade seagrass beds through trials in three Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) in subtidal environments. In addition, there is some existing information for harbour authorities and sailing clubs to use to help inform potential options for installing AMS and the systems that are available e.g. Advanced Mooring Systems (AMS): LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES: Lessons learned and good practice guide. However, further support and guidance is needed to get from this general information to actually installing a mooring in a specific location with specific environmental conditions, particularly for intertidal areas.
To assist an easy to understand and accessible toolkit for harbour authorities, sailing clubs and private mooring owners has been produced providing bespoke information on the options available for specific mooring locations and environmental conditions in the Solent, including information on design options (anchors and risers), potential manufacturers and suppliers, installation and maintenance.
