[Don L]

So I have owned a sailboat for 6 years (2 years a 39' and 4 years a 43') and have NEVER stayed at a slip or even pulled into one. I've been to the dock 4 times or so each year to get water/fuel, but never into a slip.

What do you think of that

 

[MarkofSeaLife]

Well, you're not a queen. Dock queen, I mean.

 

[GeorgeB]

Don, All that I can say is: "Man, you must have one heck of a holding tank!"

 

[socal c25]

Don, All that I can say is: "Man, you must have one heck of a holding tank!"

LOL... It's nice being on the hook or mooring but I also do enjoy the camaraderie of marina lifestyle.

 

[Sal Paradise]

What about winter? Where are you?NH??

 

[oysterman23]

Isn't this where the "New" anchor thread starts? Having so reliably done without all these years what sort of tackle have used etc..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk

 

[mr_f]

I owned my first "big" boat for approximately 5 hours before my first experience entering a slip. It didn't go very well.

(But no harm was done)

 

[RTB]

Maybe Don is on the hard? Probably you should splash someday. Hey....check the keel, rudder, and tabbing first though!

Ralph

 

[Don L]

Don, All that I can say is: "Man, you must have one heck of a holding tank!"

Have 2-25 gal tanks of which only 1 really gets used. There is a pump out boat in the harbor that I call about twice a year. The rest of the time I do this really weird thing. I sail my boat and pump while out.

 

[Don L]

BTW - I've read a lot posts over the years "suggesting" my boat is a dock condo

 

[Seaduction]

Never say NEVER.

 

[Group9]

Living in Annapolis, I had the same experience with my Cal 25 for 5 years. In the boatyard once for a bottom job, and on a mooring the rest of the time. I used to pull it up to our neighborhood dock for loading, unloading, etc., but it never spent a night there.

Slips are a rare commodity there, and not really worth the money for an inexpensive boat.

 

[pdqaltair]

Bear in mind the issue of space.

First, if we all decided that moorings were cheap and great, and everyone in Annapolis used a mooring, I doubt there would be room for more than 15% of the boats. Sort of like if all apartment and townhome dwellers decided they wanted land. The math does not work.

Second, in crowded areas, boats on moorings are a huge pain to transients trying to anchor. In some areas, good anchorages have been ruined by "mooring queens," or simply by a few owners out to save a buck. Again, what if we all decided to plop our boat in the middle of a favorite back creek?

In virtually all states, navigable waters are a free resource; the marina does not pay for the land they use for docks and the mooring does not pay to use the middle of the creek. Both seem a little unfair, when a large marina ruins a favorite cove with docks and balls. But we all have to park somewhere, so we accept the evil. We gripe when mooring is restricted, and it isn't always regulated wisely.

So while the OP has an interesting statement, I think closer examination is required before we call it a virtue. Like camping out, it works when only a limited number of people do it. After that, it becomes a Hoverville.

 

[Group9]

Bear in mind the issue of space.

First, if we all decided that moorings were cheap and great, and everyone in Annapolis used a mooring, I doubt there would be room for more than 15% of the boats. Sort of like if all apartment and townhome dwellers decided they wanted land. The math does not work.

Second, in crowded areas, boats on moorings are a huge pain to transients trying to anchor. In some areas, good anchorages have been ruined by "mooring queens," or simply by a few owners out to save a buck. Again, what if we all decided to plop our boat in the middle of a favorite back creek?

In virtually all states, navigable waters are a free resource; the marina does not pay for the land they use for docks and the mooring does not pay to use the middle of the creek. Both seem a little unfair, when a large marina ruins a favorite cove with docks and balls. But we all have to park somewhere, so we accept the evil. We gripe when mooring is restricted, and it isn't always regulated wisely.

So while the OP has an interesting statement, I think closer examination is required before we call it a virtue. Like camping out, it works when only a limited number of people do it. After that, it becomes a Hoverville.

My mooring wasn't actually in Annapolis. It was across the Severn in Chase Creek. Lot of weird water rules in Maryland. It was almost impossible to build a new dock or pier (people would hire divers to try and find remnents of pilings to justify applying for "maintenance on a existing pier". I left in 2001 and would not be surprised to find that they had changed a lot since then, and are now even more restrictive.

 

[JonEisberg]

BTW - I've read a lot posts over the years "suggesting" my boat is a dock condo

Well, I'd be surprised if anyone has actually suggested your particular boat is a "dock condo", as it certainly doesn't appear to apply in your case... However, I'll bet there's probably a sister ship or two out there that might qualify as such...

i'm guessing very few of us here sail a particular type/brand/model of boat to which that might not apply... Likewise, I've seen plenty of 'Bluewater/Ocean Thoroughbreds' that, under certain ownership, have been put out to stud, and have become nothing more than dockside or mooring ball weekend/vacation cottages...

As usual, It Depends...

)

 

[jameswilson29]

So I have owned a sailboat for 6 years (2 years a 39' and 4 years a 43') and have NEVER stayed at a slip or even pulled into one. I've been to the dock 4 times or so each year to get water/fuel, but never into a slip.

What do you think of that

You are definitely missing out on one of the greatest experiences in life. It is quite exciting to tie up at a slip. The wooden piers are all quite different, from weathered planks to newer wood grain plastics. There is a lingering odor of creosote in the air. You see a variety of cleats on the piers - no two are exactly the same. Some docks have electrical connections and even water spigots! A shiver of anticipation will go up your spine every time you board the boat from the pier. Wow, what an experience! (Don't trip and fall in the water in your excitement.)

Not to mention, you get to pay large sums of money to someone every month or several times a year! I don't know if I can stand this much excitement....

 

[Ajax_MD]

So I have owned a sailboat for 6 years (2 years a 39' and 4 years a 43') and have NEVER stayed at a slip or even pulled into one. I've been to the dock 4 times or so each year to get water/fuel, but never into a slip.

What do you think of that

I don't really understand this post. You ask what we think of this. What are we supposed to think?

I don't really think much about it, one way or the other.
Are you searching for accolades? Trolling for criticism? Genuinely curious about what people think?

Pretty much the only thing I care about, is that you are the regulation 3 miles offshore when you're pumping your holding tank. If you are, then many thanks to you.

The totality of circumstances that drive boat owners to slips, moorings or anchorages vary so widely, that I could hardly find fault with what you are doing. I'm not in your circumstances, so I couldn't really offer a coherent opinion.

Seems like a confrontational post for no good reason.

 

[BoxedUp]

Residing on Long Island and the Sound is the preferred sailing area, slips command a premium compared to a mooring. Different strokes for different folks but I prefer the solitude of a mooring. If I'm looking for camaraderie , that's when I head over to the shore-side pubs!

BTW Don, what system do you use to keep your batteries at full charge?

 

[travlin-easy]

BTW - I've read a lot posts over the years "suggesting" my boat is a dock condo

There's nothing wrong with dock condos - that's what my boat was before I purchased it. No wear on anything other than the bar racks where the booze was stored.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[jameswilson29]

...
Seems like a confrontational post for no good reason.

Pretty much sums up the majority of posts in the off season on sailing forums...