NEWSFalmouth’s eco-mooring trial15/08/2022Save articleFalmouth Harbour has begun trials on a unique eco-mooring system designed to protect sensitive areas of seabed from traditional mooring chain scouring.SHOW FULLSCREENSource: Falmouth HarbourFalmouth Harbour’s AMS eco-mooring trial will be monitored off Flushing Beach for the next two monthszoom inzoom outThe Advanced Mooring System (AMS) in place off Flushing Beach has been designed by naval architect and engineering firm MOREK, and uses floats along the length of the mooring chain to lift it off the seabed.“Ongoing monitoring of the scour patches by the University of Exeter shows the seagrass is regenerating itself which is fantastic and if the AMS functions as well as we hope with a yacht attached, we potentially foresee using them in environmentally sensitive areas, or on the fringes of these areas,” said Vicki Spooner, environment manager, Falmouth Harbour.Environmental protectionFor this project MOREK’s engineers took the existing Stirling design and optimised it, focusing on reducing strain on the vessel’s cleats and its movement around the mooring.They also used Orcaflex software to model the likely performance of AMS within Cornish Harbours for TEVI and Natural England.Falmouth Harbour is now monitoring how a yacht attached to the AMS sits in the water in all weathers and tides to gauge how safe and practical the system is as a way of minimising impacts on sensitive seabeds in the harbour environment.The harbour, which sits within the Fal and Helford Special Area of Conservation, was successful in gaining £3,000 backing for the trial in 2021 from the EU-funded TEVI, a venture set up to create economic and environmental growth in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.Topicsadvanced mooring systemAMSeco-mooringFalmouth HarbourMarinasMarinas

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