Running Moor

A Running Moor is a mooring technique for vessels anchoring in a restricted area in which the swinging circle needs to be kept small.

Commonly, it is used in tidal rivers where a vessel can expect to turn on the tide, but does not have space for a large swing circle.

A Running Moor is used in confined areas where a vessel expects to swing on an anchor, but might not have space to swing around the full length of cable.

Mooring on two anchors allows a vessel to lay to one anchor when the tide is flowing from one direction, then swing to the other anchor as the tide turns.

The Running Moor in particular is used when the vessel continues running ahead after dropping the first anchor. This contrasts with the Standing Moor where a vessel instead lays to the first anchor and drops back on the cable to lay the second anchor.