Dave Merrill Leads 2013 Helix Mooring Installation Workshop in Saba Marine Park

Dave Merrill, founder of ecomooringsystems.com and field expert conducted a three day workshop at the Saba Conservation Foundation to educate their marine park staff in mooring installation and maintenance.

The first day of the workshop was a general education of the subject in a classroom setting. Dave gave an overview of Helix anchors and Boatmoorings.com, acquainted participants with the necessary equipment and how it works, and explained what is required to insure the safety of all participants in these types of Helix Anchor installations.

On day two of the workshop, Dave led participants through a mock install on land where each individual could personally be involved in the installation process. This hands-on approach prepared the participants for what to expect when drilling the sea floor. They assisted in the assemblage of the equipment until they understood the steps of carrying out the entire installation process and all the necessary components to make the process a success. Drilling techniques were also taught so participants could understand the different types of soils, whether or not they are conducive to helix anchors and how to choose the appropriate anchor and drill site.

When on-shore training concluded and each participant had a firm grasp on each factor in the process, they boarded the boat for the underwater install on day three. They went through site selection, anchoring the work vessel, the preparation of the equipment and installation/removal training for the Helix anchor. The dive team went down and physically installed and uninstalled the mooring system from the sea bed using the techniques they had learned on land. Once the system was completely uninstalled and removed a de-briefing was held to go over the success of the mission.

This was the first workshop of the kind at Saba Conservation and it was met with great success. The one-on-one instruction and hands-on approach inspired the participants and gave them active roles in the process. The workshop was able to bring the subject matter to life in an informative, as well as interactive way.