Making the connection

Credit: Al Plueddemann©WHOI

A Coastal Profiler Mooring buoy is connected to a hauling line for recovery. The deck team uses snap hook on the end of a pole to clip into a bale on the buoy deck. The pole and hook are designed to pull apart, leaving the line connected to the buoy. The line is fed through a block on the A-frame and then to a winch that is used to lift the buoy out of the water. Getting the hook into the bale when the buoy is pitching and rolling in rough weather is not easy.