Mooring vs slip?

[SkywalkerII]

Here's a vote for a mooring. Sail on and off with ease, private, and often safer for the boat, providing your neighbors maintain their tackle!

Skywalker

[Minnewaska]

This is simple. Take a look at just how much more expensive a slip is. That is precisely how much better one is, or people wouldn't pay it.

No slips available, but there are moorings. Again, the vote is in.

We've all been on mooring for one of two principal reasons.

1. there were no slips available
2. they are less expensive

I agree with some of the other ancillary niceties of a mooring, such as privacy or ease of landing, but they are grossly outweighed by access to power, water, bathrooms, your car, guests, loading groceries, etc.

Much harder to manage a holding tank from a mooring too. If we are going to be away, we keep the level low and avoid "solid waste" sitting stagnant all week, by using shore facilities for that after we pump out. My kids call it "the walk of shame", as all know why you are walking to use the bathroom ashore.

You're probably rugged enough to deal with getting to your mooring in the rain. Wait until you have to get your guests there, who've never been on a boat before.

I hope I never find myself back on a mooring for a season. Having the fridge stocked like it is home, the dehumidifier running when we are away and not worrying about the charge state of our batteries is remarkably better. Your batteries can and typically do, take a beating from the inconsistent charging, especially without solar or wind.

I have to start the winterizing process this weekend and will undoubtedly be on and off dozens of times at our slip. That's just not possible on a mooring.

Can you make a mooring work. Sure. But a slip is worth every penny if its an option for you.

[CorvetteGuy]

Our club has 30 plus swing morings but docks are avalible for loading unloading cleaning ect. We can sleep on the docks but often I find myself going back to the hook in the middle of the nite due to the squeeks and knocks from fenders ect. Slips are convienent but at a cost..

[IronSpinnaker]

Mooring fields look cooler than a marina full of slips.

[Sunday Driver]

We are on a mooring ,
i enjoy it , though storms are always a worry ...

we used to have a dry dock for the dingy , till we finaly smarten up and put in for a dingy slip .
now its the best of both worlds , still have to taxi things out but the dingy slip is a big help
no more ramps at low tide , and the slip is cheaper then the launch service they offered.
always bugged me they stopped the service 1/2 hour before sunset .
thats is the best time to be out .

also we added a solar pannel no issues with power now should have done that years ago !

[caberg]

When we bought our boat in the middle of the summer, we couldn't find a slip so had to get a mooring. Next summer I'm definitely sticking with the mooring. The benefits of a slip are obvious, but here's some of the benefits of a mooring:

* cheaper
* better place to hang out when not sailing (we'll often have dinner on the mooring--to me, it's better scenery than crammed into a slip)
* more privacy for sleeping or hanging out
* no banging against a dock
* easier to come and go. Docking, especially in a tight or hard to access slip, with wind, can be stressful and even damaging. Picking up a mooring is cake.

I was dead set against a mooring, but now would never go back. Get a good, stable dinghy and it's really not an issue having to dinghy out every time. We keep our dinghy in the water at a dinghy dock, and then it's a 3 minute paddle to the boat, so it's just really not a big deal for us.

[cb32863]

I didn't mind being on a mooring this season and getting to and from the boat was pretty easy, like some have said, you get used to the process. It really depends on what you do with your boat and where you are. I am on a nice lake in the Twin Cities metro area so no need to worry about hurricanes and all that. My biggest worry is all the other boaters out there, like the nice ladies that ran over the no wake buoy with their rented pontoon boat. I also have a dock area I can head over to to pick people up and all that. For my situation, having guests in the rain is not going to happen. The only thing I am going to change for next season is to be on a different mooring as the one I was on was right at the no wake line and well, let's just say that certain folks really have no idea what that means.....

Try the mooring first and then if it is not your thing, get in line for a slip if you can afford one.

FWIW

[chucklesR]

I have my boat at my slip in front of the house. You can't beat the convenience.

Having said that:

I've considered laying down a storm mooring. There are pluses and minuses to everything in life. Not having to pick wood chips out of my gelcoat after a storm is a plus.

[RobGallagher]

Pro's:
My mooring is at least 10 degrees cooler on a summers night than at the dock.
I'm out just far enough where there are NO BUGS.
I can play music and have drinks with friends till the wee hours, no worries about keeping awake those people 10 feet a way.
There are exits from the mouth of the river due east and SSW from my mooring. This means I sail on and off the mooring regularly.
Access to my mooring comes with a T-head with water and power. I use it for repairs the occasional battery charge and water top up.
My harbor has a free pump out boat that I can even set up an appointment online and don't even need to be on the boat for the pump out (I choose to be there, but, it's an option).
My mooring is about 1/3 the price of a slip.
My Dink has wheels and I leave the outboard attached so I only need to roll it down the ramp.

Con's:
Constant power at the dock.
Easier access to the car, marina head.
Easier to just stop by the boat for an hour after work and tinker with something.

Other concerns:
Loading and unloading for a trip is pretty much a wash as I have access to the T-head.
Having a decent size inflatable with a reliable outboard is important. My inflatable will easily hold 1000 lbs. How much crap do I really need to go away for a weekend

[Familycruisers]

I love being on the mooring, way better nights sleep swinging. My marina does have a tender which makes things easier, ie leave the dinghy tied to the boat. My marina also allows mooring holders to pull up to the docks for pump out/cleaning/charging for free. If I want to stay the night, its a smaller fee ($15) than regular prices.
During storms the mooring is so much better than bucking in a slip worrying about lines and bumpers.