A metal D-shackle with a silver body and a blue screw pin is shown on a white background.
A small sailboat with two people on a lake near Great Northern Docks, birds soaring above, all surrounded by a compass rose design.

Mooring Equipment — Secure Your Boat the Right Way

Mooring hardware helps securely anchor boats, docks, and floating structures through wind, waves, and changing water conditions. Great Northern Docks carries anchors, mooring balls, pennants, chains, shackles, swivels, and other essential parts for new installations or replacing worn hardware.
Black and white compass rose with eight main points and decorative outer rings, featuring a fleur-de-lis at north—perfect for accenting Great Northern Docks or Maine Docks.

Find the Right Fit for Your Waterfront

This category covers the full mooring system: the anchor that holds to the lake bottom, the chain and pennant that connect it to the surface, the ball that marks the spot, and the shackles and swivels that tie it together. The right anchor depends on your bottom and how exposed your water is – and we can help you figure it out. For dock cleats and tie-up hardware, see our Boat Tie Up and Bumpers category.

Request a Free Quote

Tell us about your project and we'll get back to you within one business day — usually sooner.

1Contact
2Your Project
3Your Waterfront
4Final Details
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Your Info

By entering your email, you are consenting to receive marketing and service-related communications from us. You can unsubscribe at any time. See our Privacy Policy for more information.

  • 47 Years in Business
  • Made in Maine
  • Free Quotes, No Obligations
Prefer to talk? Call us at +1 (207) 693-3770 Mon–Fri, 8:30am–5:00pm

See What Our Customers Say

...the entire experience was professional but also stress-free and fun. Best of all, we got the dock of our dreams...

View Full Testimonial

From Destin’s welcoming greeting when we entered the store, through the dock design process, delivery and installation by Tino to the final product… the entire experience was professional but also stress-free and fun. Best of all, we got the dock of our dreams.

Rebecca Poma
Maine
Rebecca Poma
Maine

...LOVE THE PRODUCT, super high quality! Shipping to Alabama was great! Love my "Great Northern Dock" stairs down here in the south!

View Full Testimonial

I worked with Gretta ordering the dock stairs descending into the water. Since I could not see the product, I was a little nervous ordering on my own. Gretta helped answer all my questions, and helped me figure out the best system for my situation! I don’t think I would have purchased had she not been such a great help. LOVE THE PRODUCT, super high quality! Shipping to Alabama was great! Love my “Great Northern Dock” stairs down here in the south!

Carol Smyser
Alabama
Carol Smyser
Alabama

...Their product is unmatched in Quality, Longevity and Look. There is no application or shoreline their docks can't accommodate. Not only are Great...

View Full Testimonial

Great Northern Docks is a first-class company with the best product on the market. As one of the larger dock installation companies in southern Maine I have worked directly with Great Northern for years. Their product is unmatched in Quality, Longevity and Look. There is no application or shoreline their docks can’t accommodate. Not only are Great Northern Docks in a class by themselves they are also the most installer friendly dock systems on the market. My dock business has been exclusively with Great Northern for years and they will always be the only company I will work with. From start to finish you will never be disappointed investing in a Great Northern dock system.

Shoreline Solutions LLC
Maine
Shoreline Solutions LLC
Maine

I just wanted to thank you for your help.  I LOVE my dock stairs! I was nervous to order a big ticket item half the country away but your kind attitude and help

Read Testimonial

I just wanted to thank you for your help.  I LOVE my dock stairs! I was nervous to order a big ticket item half the country away but your kind attitude and helpful answers gave me a sense of security. I just wanted to thank you for your help.  So, all the way from Minnesota,  I send a shout out: “Yay for Seth! ”Thanks again,

Linda
Minnesota
Linda
Minnesota

I purchased a new dock this season from Great Northern Docks and was extremely happy with the quality and service. From the initial site review, where the team

View Full Testimonial

I purchased a new dock this season from Great Northern Docks and was extremely happy with the quality and service. From the initial site review, where the team came out and created options on paper, to the prompt delivery, everything went smoothly. When my installers were short some pipe, I called and GND quickly cut a 20’ pipe into two pieces and had it ready to go within the hour for no extra charge. They also gave me a refund for a few extra pieces that I had left over after installation.The dock itself is great looking, well constructed, and very functional for fun summer days on the lake; whether boating or just relaxing on the dock. Thank you GND!

Eric Miller
Maine
Eric Miller
Maine

Lindsay and the team at Great Northern Docks provided excellent support and guidance in the entire process of selecting the appropriate dock

View Full Testimonial

Lindsay and the team at Great Northern Docks provided excellent support and guidance in the entire process of selecting the appropriate dock that meets our needs and budget. Assembly was straightforward and the quality of the material as well as the craftsmanship was excellent. My wife and I are looking forward to adding additional accessories next year.

Christopher Cortez
Maine
Christopher Cortez
Maine
Fully Welded Stairs with railings lead through trees to a Maine dock over clear, shallow water, with sunlight streaming through the leaves.

Stairs

Easy-to-install, multi-purpose outdoor stairs.

Show more

FAQ

How do I choose the right mooring anchor for my boat?

Start with three things: your boat size, your lake bottom, and whether the mooring is permanent or seasonal. Those three answer most of it.

On the soft mud and sand bottoms common to Maine lakes, a mushroom anchor is the traditional permanent-mooring choice. It’s a heavy deadweight that settles into the bottom and builds suction over time, which works best in calm, protected water. A helix anchor screws into a sand or soft bottom and gives you high holding power for its size, so it’s a good call for larger boats or exposed water, as long as the bottom will take a screw.

Where the bottom is too hard or rocky to screw or bury into, a concrete deadweight anchor will hold by sheer mass. If you’re not sure what your bottom will take, call us. We’ve worked with hundreds of different lakes and can point you to the right hardware for yours.

Can I ship a mushroom anchor, or is it pickup only?

Mushroom anchors, concrete anchors, and chains are pickup only at our Naples shop, where forklift loading is available for the heavy anchors. The lighter hardware, like helix anchors, mooring balls, pennants, shackles, and swivels, ships without a problem.

What do I need for a complete mooring setup?

Four parts, plus the hardware that links them. An anchor on the bottom, chain running up from the anchor, a mooring ball at the surface to mark the spot and keep the line off the bottom, and a pennant from the ball to your bow cleat. Shackles and a swivel connect it all and let the ball rotate without twisting the line. If any one part is undersized for your boat, the whole setup underperforms, so size the system to the boat, not just the anchor.

Choosing the Right Mooring Equipment for Your Boat

The right mooring setup depends on your boat’s size and weight, the water depth, bottom conditions, and how exposed the location is to wind and waves. A pontoon in shallow, protected water may require a very different setup than a sailboat moored in deeper water off an exposed point. An offshore mooring can be a dependable alternative when shoreline conditions are too rough for a dock or when you want to keep your boat safely away from shore. Using proven mooring components and a properly sized system allows your boat to move naturally with changing wind and waves while remaining securely anchored. It is also a practical option when you are away and cannot keep a watchful eye on the waterfront. A typical freshwater mooring system includes an anchor on the lake bottom, a length of heavy chain, a mooring ball at the surface, and a pennant connecting the ball to the boat’s bow cleat. Each component must be selected and sized to work together properly.

The best anchor depends largely on the lake bottom. Mushroom anchors are a traditional choice for permanent moorings in soft mud and protected water. Helix anchors screw into sand or other suitable soft bottoms and can provide strong holding power when properly installed. Concrete anchors may also be used when their size, weight, and placement are appropriate for the boat and conditions.Because mushroom anchors, concrete anchors, and heavy mooring chains can be difficult to transport, these items are available for pickup at our shop in Naples, Maine, with forklift loading available.

Great Northern Docks also carries mooring balls, pennants, shackles, swivels, chains, and other components needed to complete or maintain your mooring system. These items can be shipped right to your front door.

Mooring Whips for Pontoon Boats

Mooring whips are used alongside a dock rather than as an offshore mooring. Their spring-loaded fiberglass poles gently hold the boat away from the dock, helping reduce repeated contact caused by wind, waves, and boat wakes.They can be used with pontoons, runabouts, fishing boats, and other recreational boats. Mooring whips are selected according to the boat’s length and weight, so the system should be properly matched to the boat rather than chosen by length alone.

A wooden dock with chairs overlooks a calm lake, surrounded by trees. A sailboat floats nearby, and a lifebuoy hangs from the Maine Docks railing.
Two people in swimsuits joyfully jump off a Great Northern Docks wood dock into the water, with a bench and bottle resting on the dock.

Ready to Build the Perfect Dock?

Custom Request