[mikehoyt]

A lot depends on how you plan to use your boat. If you plan to spend time aboard while tied up then a finger pier/dock with bathroom & laundry facilities, dockside power, water, etc... is very convenient.

On the other hand if you are mostly day sailing then a finger pier is not really necessary. Most yacht clubs & anchorages have reliable and friendly tender service for their mooring fields. You do not have to row back and forth to your boat. In Nova Scotia a mooring is typically 40% of the cost of a finger pier.

Also as has been said many times before it is much easier to pick up a mooring than to dock at a pier! This one comes from experience of attempting both.

You can''t beat the convenience of a dock but a mooring is probably better for both the boat and the pocketbook.

Mike