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Living on a mooring

18K views 56 replies 27 participants last post by  156680 
#1 ·
I tried to live on Mooring in a Bay in NJ one summer and got beat up.
Has anyone else parked on a mooring and had good luck living for a summer season.
I found the wind and weather just took its toll on my body and boat.
Maybe I need to eat more spinach!

Conery
 
#3 ·
We've lived at anchor for weeks at a time - while working, not cruising. Lots of drawbacks, like no air conditioning - but the boat points into the wind (unless the current is strong) so you usually have a fresh breeze. You have to pick your spot to avoid the gassholes with the big wakes. Most of the time the seclusion is very nice. We love each other and even more, we enjoy each others company. I wouldn't want to do it by myself.

There are a couple of guys in our marina (each on his own boat) who prefer living at a mooring. In the winter, they have to come in to the docks. One always gets a T out on the end so he still has his view of the water. Both actually prefer their moorings.
 
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#4 ·
We love being out on a mooring but for permanent liveaboard when you have to go to work it's a bit of a pain.

If our new boat comes through we plan on moving aboard if and when we dispose of our main business and just do a bit of consulting were we don't need to keep regular office hours. Even then we are seriously thinking of moving from mooring to berth cos it's simply more convenient.

Hopefully we'll even ditch the consultancy and just go cruising, then we will certainly spend most of our time anchored, maybe berthing if we are visiting a town where we'd want to spend days exploring.

Nonetheless, if the mooring is in a quietish bay , its our preferred option. Even in a relatively crowded port it's nice having that space around you, particularly if you are relatively antisocial.
 
#5 ·
I've spent 3 months here at Boot Key Harbor on a mooring. On the plus side, it's cheaper than dockage, and that's about it for pluses. At least here, you get a weekly pumpout and dinghy dock with your mooring. That means using the dinghy though, for everything you want to do. From showering at the marina, to shopping, to dining out. But you either have to take the boat in, or ferry jerry cans for water. I wouldn't want to do it if I didn't have alternatives to the engine for charging my batteries.
 
#6 ·
PBzeer's got a good point... You shouldn't live on a mooring, unless you've got alternative ways to charge the batteries on your boat, other than running the engine. If you have to run the engine everyday to charge the batteries, it won't be good for your engine.
 
#7 ·
Ah this one is right up my alley.

I live aboard my Pearson on a mooring with my wife and 2 kids. Granted right now we are staying with my grandparents on land, we do still spend alot of time on the boats.

When we were living aboard, it was a bit tough. The marina won't allow anyone from the anchorage to use the showers, so it was either a solar shower on the boat or grab one at my grandparents(or sneak in to the marina and get a quick one). The kids love the boat, they sleep alot better out there. We have learned to cook without the use of a microwave or anything that runs on AC power. Our fridge is an icebox. That does get a little old after awile, but ive gotten used to hauling ice every 2 days.

As for power, we dont have an inboard so i have a 1400w Onan genny setting in the back of the cockpit behind the pedestal. Its noisy so it only gets run when we arnt there. The 12v system is decent and keeps enough power to run our lights and TV at night. We dont have pressure water, so there is a foot pump in the galley. I keep the water jugs in the skiff and fill them as needed. I dont use a normal dingy, ive got a 14' skiff with a 9.9 Johnson on it. We also have a smaller rowing dink with a 3hp motor on it.

Overall, we do enjoy living on the hook better than we enjoy marinas, but we do still visit the marina with the smaller boat for the weekends when we have the extra money. Our biggest perk to being on a mooring is there is no one to bother us. Marinas are full of drunks and loudmouths and we dont care for either.
 
#8 ·
I lived on a mooring for 3 months while waiting to find a house. I stayed in a hotel for 3-4day here and there (work). The dink dock was 1 boat length away. I thought it was the best of both worlds. Get close if you want easy, get far if you want to be alone. Never slept better.
 
#9 ·
some marinas utilize dolphins or pilings in channels, they're an alternative to the mooring, but it's a little difficult to tie-up single handing. The genset/generator is the way to go for consistent battery charging, the wind generators, I’ve never used, so can’t comment.

But living aboard without the convenience of electricity is one thing, but how close is the pump-out for you? That’s more important.
 
#10 ·
About the charging the battery with engine... Aren't diesels supposed to be ran as often as possible like daily basis unless they are winterized? That's what I know from my previous power boat... I had a automatic starter and shut off for the days I couldn't get to the boat back then...
 
#13 ·
Running a diesel under a very low load for extended periods of time, like charging the batteries can cause, can lead to the cylinder walls glazing and carbon deposits building up in the engine. Both are bad.
 
#11 ·
Like so many things in life...choose your mooring wisely. Some of my best nights asleep were spent on my mooring in lake Champlain! As long as the wind is coming from the right direction there can't be any more peaceful place. The sun sets and you are all alone with only the sound of frogs, fish jumping and the water slapping against the hull. It sounds corny but it really is great! Slipping into the dark cold water for a swim is awesome and one more way to eliminate fear from our boring lives. As for all of the other concerns...i am a minimalist at heart. When the wind blew from the west though, lots of pillows in the v-berth worked wonders :)
 
#12 ·
I live in the ship the whole year. From 1. april - 1. november I am at a mooring. The rest of the year I am slipped at the local diesel distributor that is closed in the winter.

Electricity is a challenges, so I use a generator (2,5 KW) that works around three hours a day. Usually during the evening when I am looking at TV or using the computer any way. That takes care of charging the batteries (440 amp/h) and heating of the water for shower and dish washing/clothes-washing. If I need to use power-tools during daytime the generator takes care of that as well.

The generator is an inexpensive one, so the current is "filtered" through a 1500 watt pure sinus inverter for delivering power to the applications that demand (clean) 220 volts, like portable computer, TV and some of the power tools.

Rowing the dinghy ashore for shopping takes care of the surplus weight.
 
#15 ·
Lived aboard 4 summers in RI on a mooring/anchor. I prefer it to the dock. I would struggle with it in FL during the summer. It is nice to have the dockside Air/fridge/unlimited power ,but the isolation/view/dinghy ride was worth it. I lived abourd 4 years after that at a dock in FL and did not enjoy it as much. I am almost done with my 1st year in an apartment after 10 years on a boat. I am moving back on the boat in May. :) And back up to New England :) :)
 
#16 ·
How does this work?
I am all paid up 'till next spring (wow), but that was a big check, for me at least...
I am trying to figure out if it would be possible to live on a mooring in the summer. A few winter livaborders are moving to the ball and chain life style, but I am apprehensive. My boat does not have the holding capacity or the water tonnage as the bigger cruisers. I used to have a mooring near one of the islands in Casco Bay, but it was too shallow....
Do marinas usually allow people on the mooring to dock the dinghy and park the car? How about showers and laundry? Pump outs? Water?
What is the usual payment arrangement? Monthly, seasonal? Per week?
I could just get a personal mooring from the city and pay the $50 seasonal fee, but I would be on my own, no place to tie up the dink or secure parking...
I have seen people do it... but...
Any one's personal experience would be helpful...

The Seeker
 
#18 ·
A lot of this depends on the mooring contract. IF the marina owns the mooring, and you pay the marina the mooring fees, then you probably have some rights to use their dinghy dock, showers, and parking lot... but it will be spelled out in the contract more likely than not. If the mooring isn't owned by the marina, chances are pretty good that you don't have any rights to use any of their facilities.

Most moorings are rented seasonally, at least in New England. Getting a mooring from the city might save you some money on the front end, but it would cost you more in the long run, in terms of convenience. A seasonal mooring is probably $800 or so from a marina, but generally would have amenities like a launch service or use of a dinghy dock, water, showers, laundry and such.
 
#17 ·
I believe that the most important issue to consider when mooring is the watersupply. Somehow, once a month if I am alone in the ship, once a week if I have female company, the water tank needs to be refilled. In Norway it is allowed to dispose of the wastes into the waters at a distance of 300 meters from the shore.

The second important issue to consider is deciding whether you are going to have female company or not. Female company is very demanding on the resources like water and electricity, particularly hot water. Not to mention the heating system. The mood of the female, at least those I have met, seem to be proportional to the output of the dieselheater.

Further, mooring with female company entails mooring within acceptable distance, that is acceptable to the person rowing the dinghy, to a shoppingfacility. I have never met a woman who have regarded rowing 30 minutes in rain and wind as romantic.

So, the selection of mooring place, with or without female company, are two entirely different procedures.
 
#19 ·
For most of the 37 years my wife and I have lived aboard we have been in a slip, but after retiring in 2002 we have been away from the dock for about ten months of the year. We don't tend to stay at any one place for more than a month and prefer being on our own anchor than a mooring, but we don't hesitate using a mooring when little else is available, i.e. Annapolis, Vero Beach, Portland Me., Ft. Myers Beach,...Most all the mooring fields we use offer amenities,-showers, dinghy dock, water, internet wireless, pump out... 'take care and joy, Aythya crew
 
#21 ·
A cruising guide of where you'll be travelling will often list marinas and whether they offer transient moorings. So will many charts, like the Maptech waterproof chartbooks, which have a summary of marine services in the back.
 
#22 ·
I tried to live on Mooring in a Bay in NJ one summer and got beat up.
Hmm - can't imagine there was a whole heck of a lot of competition for a rubber ball floating in the harbour.... Who attacked you ??? Seagulls ??? Codfish ?? ;)

Has anyone else parked on a mooring and had good luck living for a summer season.
Uhmm ... lemme think ... nope ! I think there are some folks who have tied their boats to moorings and tried to live on the boats, but as far as the mooring itself goes ... are you sure it's legal ??? How do you do your "Number 2" ????? :(

I found the wind and weather just took its toll on my body and boat.
Yup - that happens. Not a lot you can do about it... Maybe if you got on the boat and found somewhere sheltered to come alongside rather than floating around in the middle of the shipping lanes.... (just a thought )
Maybe I need to eat more spinach!
Sure - whatever, eat something :) Maybe you can drink a liittle more too...

Good Luck ! :)
 
#24 ·
#25 ·
Mooring seems to be different in different countries. In Norway, until quite recently, putting out a mooring was considered to be a civil right. A landowner owned the land out in the sea as far as "a horse can wade". Outside this limit anyone was free to put out a mooring provided the mooring was not in tracks of the shipping traffic, that was governed by the municipal harbour authorities.

Now, since the ownership of leisure boats have exploded, the putting out of moorings is regulated. The mooring I am tied to is owned by a slipway. This slipway have about 10 moorings in a bay close to the slipway. Originally I believe the moorings were used as a "waiting place" for boats that were going on or off the slipway. Now, due to lack off places to slip, the moorings are rented out as permanent slips. For some the whole year, for others in the summer season.

Whether one lives in the boat or not is of no concern of the owner of the moorings. This of course in turn represents some logistic challenges. I need to shore the dinghy, when I for some reason want to go ashore. I need fresh water, I need electrical power and I need to get rid of the wastes of all kinds.

Getting rid of the garbage is the biggest problem. I must more or less "sneak" my garbage into the containers owned by others. So I have learned to reduce my garbage to a minimum. My not so dear neighbouring seagulls, ducks, swans, fish etc. take care of the wastes from the cooking. When I buy anything in the local stores, all sorts of wrappings are left behind in the store.

The riddance of more personal wastes are solved when moving the ship on the way to the gas station for diesel or water as it is allowed to empty the holding tank at a distance of 300 meters from land. The yearly debate of whether this permission should be banned is one of the signs that the spring is coming. But science has proven that the wastes from boats represents less than 1/000 of the total wastes from the community.

Electrical power is only a financial problem. Gasoline is forbiddingly expensive. I spend around $1 a day on gasoline to produce my electrical power by a generator. The solar cells and the windmill do not produce enough to keep my PC, refrigerator, TV, water pumps etc. going. Besides, living in a mooring means that all kind of power tools must get their power from homemade electricity.

Owning a car is impossible, so I walk or row to any destination.

 
#26 ·
tjaldur,

Mighty fine looking ship! My neighbours in Portland, Maine, USA. live on a similar boat, North Sea trawler, they call it. Built in Scotland, 1965.
They stay in a marina, mostly, but have traveled around Newfoundland and lived in Greenland, for a few years. You will never see them below Cape Cod, though. That is their southern range....
Sounds like you have the living on the mooring part figured out.... I am just getting ready.

Nice boat!
 
#27 ·
For the last 3 years I have lived aboard in a marina because Im still in the working world. Ive been invited to join another yacht club and they have moorings. Been told they have several people who liveaboard there and work still. Im debating on it but thoughts of wind turbines and a generator come to mind. Ive already considered satelite internet and want to equip the new boat for cruising but I need to generate enough energy for my 12 volt converted icebox. I can install a gimbled 2 burner stove with oven so cooking isnt an issue.

I think my biggest concern is the first day I wake up to pouring rain will I really want to row back to the dock to go to work lol.
 
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