While driving a mooring pin into the ground, the mallet's head separated from the handle. This bank is quite hard — no chance of pounding in a pin just by holding the head in my hand. Those would be love taps.
When I went to a nearby boat to ask to borrow their mallet, I noticed they were tied to rings, with more rings ahead of them.
So I moved the boat up to the rings, of course.
But I do need a new mallet.