Isn't it a pain when you have to move your mooring?

December 2017 - Whether you are on a marina or simply keeping to the 14-day rule it can often seem a pain to have to move your mooring. Peter Underwood has taken a photographic look at the problem on a far larger scale.

It does sometimes seem a bit of a faff to have to untie the boat and shift it somewhere else but it could be worse. The Royal Navy Auxiliary supply ship Wave Ruler has been in Cammel Laird's shipyard for some months and today three tugs arrived just before high tide on the River Mersey.

With another naval supply ship in dry dock alongside and the British Antarctic Survey Vessel being built in the massive sheds on the other side it had been decided that Wave Ruler needed to move and there was a window at high tide when the tugs could do the job of moving it from one side of the massive wet dock to the other.

So the next time moving a mooring seems a bit of a hassle you can console yourself with the thought that at least you don't need three tugs and a high tide to complete the job.

Photos: (1st) Tugs arrive at dock gates, (2nd) Tugs waiting for the gate to open, (3rd) Wave Rider in its mooring, (4th) Tugs move into the dock, (5th) Tugs move in, (6th) Tugs take a line, (7th) You pull, I'll push, (8th) She's on the move, (9th) Like sheep dogs herding a recalcitrant bull, (10th) Now if we all push on this side, (11th) Over she goes, (12th) Just hold her there while we tie up, (13th) Here we are in our new berth, (14th) The Mersey Ferry gets in on the act, (15th) That's it, the tugs head back onto the Mersey, (16th) And head downriver, (17th) The dock gate slides back into position, (18th) And the Mersey gets back to normal business.