Mooring risk benefit analysis

[davidpm]

In central Connecticut on the long island sound the marinas charge from 2,000 to 4,000 per six month season for a 27’ boat. My captain is paying 3,000 which is $500 per month, ouch.
I know a guy who moors his 28’ Pearson Triton in a not particularly sheltered spot. He pays a local marina $150.00 twice a year to haul and set the mooring. He has to dingy to the boat of course and has an arrangement with the people who own the beach so he can leave the dingy on the beach.
Any thoughts about how this may work out.
Any other ideas of how to keep the boat in the water and not pay “Brewers” prices?
I thought I had a good idea but I found out that even the retired people who have docks on their property charge 2,000 to 2,500 and the water depth is not so good.
The town mooring is cheap only $500 per season but the waiting list is 10 years.

[BlowinSouth]

I've moored before. The boat should be perfectly safe as long as your painter is secure (actually even safer than at a dock... nothing to bash into in heavy weather), chafe is something to watch out for, I'd put on a leather chafe sleeve. And however it's kind of a pain to dinghy in and out especially with supplies and of course you have no shore power. And friends seem to be less than impressed when you have to row them out in a dinghy for a day of sailing.

I'm perfectly comfortable on a mooring but I'm kind of a cheap skate so maybe it's just me.

I would go ahead and moor and get on the waiting list for the city dock and you never know you might be able to slip the harbor master a $100 or so to discover that your name has some how moved to the top of the list. (Seriously, you'd be surprised how much clout 'Benjamin" has!)

[wiseleyb]

Man - I wish I could find a mooring out here (Seattle). Docks suck!

[uspirate]

Originally Posted by BlowinSouth

you'd be surprised how much clout 'Benjamin" has!)

Hehe, so true. while just as morally sound as our poiticians, I was on a 3 year wait list for two weeks. and then got to choose my own slip

[chucklesR]

Check out the laws in your area regarding planting your own mooring.
Friend of mine researched the laws, went to the Natural Resources office with a map, then planted 500 pounds of concrete, 200 pounds of chain etc.. and made his own mooring for around 300 bucks off to one side of our creek.

I'm making up a 'hurricane' mooring myself back in the shallow end (I draw 18 inches) using a helical screw (easy to put down and pull later). I'd rather blow into the marsh than bang a dock during a real blow any day.

[USCGRET1990]

Keep in mind, (and you've probably seen pics of this) if a boat breaks loose during a storm, the storm surge will deposit the boat well above the high water mark. It is very expensive to retrieve a boat in this situation!!

[rperret]

David
Where are you in central connecticut? I moor in the Bridgeport area and live in Fairfield.

Moorings are controlled by the local harbormasters - if you plop a mooring down in the wrong spot - bye bye boat....

Seriously - there are situations where local homeowners have water rights OR local marinas have an "understanding" with the harbormaster and they let them place moorings.

Pricing you state is about normal - and even higher in SW CT. We are stuck with high prices due to limited access. Again, where are you in central CT? Try calling all of the harbormasters within an hours drive to see if you can get a mooring. Try a mooring up the CT river if you can. Or place a "wanted" ad in the local paper or craigslist or boatyard.

Another thought is to try the local yacht clubs - are you a member - some have mooring rights and access.

In Fairfield, the town slips are cheap, but waitlist is 10-20 years....

Lesson I learned is FIRST find a place to keep the boat, then buy the boat!

[chucklesR]

USCGRET:
Pulling the boat off a muddy bank doesn't cost as much as pulling a boat off the piling that impaled it, fixing the hole and other dock rash. Besides, helical moorings and trees are nice and strong once chafe is accomodated.
Rperret:

Rights are for unimpeded navigation; usually taken as a clear channel to the clear channel. Checking with whatever passes for the local water police, read up on the local law and ordinances and if all else fails take one of the water police by the spot and get concurrence. Worked for my friend - he plopped his ball at the edge of an existing mooring field 100 ft from the main channel and 80 away from any other ball.
Some of the 'moorings' in my creek are only two anchors and a ball; untouched for years.

[rperret]

ChucklesR

Perhaps your strategy works in MD, but in CT moorings are controlled by CT General Statute Section 22a-361(d). Since the poster lives in CT, as do I, I recommend that he work thru his harbormaster, else suffer consequences.

His risk.

Rick


Rperret:

Rights are for unimpeded navigation; usually taken as a clear channel to the clear channel. Checking with whatever passes for the local water police, read up on the local law and ordinances and if all else fails take one of the water police by the spot and get concurrence. Worked for my friend - he plopped his ball at the edge of an existing mooring field 100 ft from the main channel and 80 away from any other ball.
Some of the 'moorings' in my creek are only two anchors and a ball; untouched for years.[/quote]

[kwaltersmi]

I'm definately pro-mooring. I've done both. Here on Lake Michigan (Grand Haven) a slip for my 25' boat runs $3000 per year and includes put-in, haul-out and powerwash. I have a mooring ball further north, just off of Lake Michigan that's part of a home-owners association. The mooring is free (or rather, taken care of as part of association dues and property taxes).

I'm perfectly comfortable leaving the boat on the mooring. Granted, I don't have to deal with tides and the mooring is in a protected bay on an inland lake (connected to L. MI via a channel). My only concern is keeping my bilge pump functioning while I'm gone.