Recessed and retractable mooring line assembly

A mooring line device comprising:

• a mooring line having a diameter of ½ inch or less;
• a housing having a mooring head that is configured for projecting through an opening or recess of a mounting structure so that an upper surface of the mooring head does not project from an outer surface of the mounting structure, the mooring head having a line aperture formed therein, the upper surface of the mooring head having a maximum width or transverse dimension of 5 inches or less, the housing including a reel assembly housing located below the mooring head, the reel assembly housing being coupled to the mounting structure;
• a reel assembly coupled to the reel assembly housing and positioned below the mooring head, the reel assembly being configured to take up mooring line that is passed through the line aperture of the mooring head, the reel assembly comprising:
• a rotatable spool for winding the mooring line upon the spool, the spool having a spool aperture for passing the mooring line through the spool and a spool recess that is in communication with the spool aperture, the spool recess being sized and configured for receiving a knot of the mooring line when the mooring line is passed through the spool aperture for coupling one end of the mooring line to the spool
• a ratchet wheel being coaxial with and coupled to the spool so that the ratchet wheel and spool rotate together, the ratchet wheel having projecting teeth circumferentially spaced apart about the perimeter of the ratchet wheel;
• a biasing element coupled to the spool for exerting torque upon the spool to facilitate rotating the spool for taking up mooring line on the spool;
• a pawl having a ratchet engagement portion for engaging the projecting teeth of the ratchet wheel, the pawl being pivotally coupled to the housing so that pawl pivots about a pivot point between a locked position wherein the ratchet engagement portion engages one of the projecting teeth to prevent rotation of the ratchet wheel and spool, and an unlocked position wherein the ratchet engagement portion disengages from the projecting teeth to allow rotation of the ratchet wheel and spool;
• and
• a mooring head assembly comprising:
• a line anchor that is accessible from the upper surface of the mooring head for securing to an opposite end of the mooring line, the line anchor being configured so that the line anchor is received in at least a portion of the line aperture so that the line anchor does not project from the upper surface of the mooring head;
• a pawl actuator that is accessible from the upper surface of the mooring head, the pawl actuator being movable between first and second positions so that the pawl actuator engages the pawl so that the pawl is pivoted to the locked position when the pawl actuator is in the first position, and the pawl is pivoted to the unlocked position when in the pawl actuator is moved to the second position;
• a biasing device for biasing the pawl actuator to the second position;
• and
• an actuator lock that is accessible from the upper surface of the mooring head, the actuator lock being movable between an engaged and disengaged position wherein the actuator lock engages pawl actuator when moved to the engaged position to retain the pawl actuator in one of the first and second positions, the actuator lock being biased by a biasing member toward the engaged position;
• and wherein
• the line anchor, pawl actuator, and actuator lock are each received in corresponding recesses formed in the upper surface of the mooring head.