cost of mooring

[chase]

Just curious, what do folks pay for a mooring(not a personal one)? They seem to be ubiquitous from mid atlantic up and in Florida. Here in NC/SC, you don't see them much as an option.

For personal ones, do folks have to get a permit? What are the basic regulations?

Dockage for a 30' vessel in NC goes for $200-400/month. Have never priced out a mooring since they are not here.


Thanks!

Chase

[Sea Hunt]

Hello Chase:

The only "commercial" mooring field I am familiar with in South Florida is operated by a local sailing club. It is on Biscayne Bay. You must be a member of the club to apply for a mooring. Club membership is $1,000 initiation and $550/year dues.

They have 250 moorings and charge $7.00 per foot per month for a mooring. They allow sailboats only up to 41 feet. The $7.00/ft/mth includes 24/7 launch service. There is also a small "loading" dock that you can use on a first come first serve basis for short periods of time for guest boarding, etc. This dock has water, electric and a pumpout station

I hope to apply for one of these when I get my Cape Dory. I think right now there again is a waiting list for moorings.

I believe the Miami Yacht Club also has a small mooring field near McArthur Causeway. I am not familiar with costs, etc.

Miami-Dade County operates several public marinas and docks. They charge about $350-$380/mth for boats (power or sail) less than 35 ft. I think it is $400-$450 for boats over 35 ft. The docks have water, electric (included in mthly rental) and most (not all) have a pump out station.

There is a long waiting list for dock space at all county marinas. I am on two separate marina waiting lists. One is approximately a 2 year wait The other, closer to my home and very nice, currently has a 5-6 year (estimated-"could be longer") waiting list I know because I just called to confirm my name is on the list. I may bequeath my spot to my goddaughter

There are other areas where owners just drop a large truck engine, etc. and create their own mooring. I know very little about this process. Some say it is illegal but unenforced. Others say it is perfectly legal.

Fair Winds,

[Judith]

Wow. . .This is very eye-opening. And I'm seeing the benefit of being tucked away in a less-developed/-frequented area.

When we bought Morveren, we priced out a couple of other marinas in the area, then elected to keep her here at McCotter's. Fees for the slips vary, depending on whether you sign up for month-to-month, 6 months, or a year; all include free water and electricity (I assume that's standard). Our slip (finger dock, like all the rest) works out to under $130 a month. There was no waiting period. I don't know if it's more for power boats, under the sheds.

We're not in the high-rent district--that's next door, I assume, at the Washington Yacht Club--but we have the usual bathroom/shower facilities, pump-out, a sail/canvas-work shop, a mechanic, maintenance resources, haul-out. . .plus owners are free to do anything they please, as far as DIY ambitions are concerned. That last bit--being able to work on your own boat without charge--was another revelation, thanks to this board.

I'm starting to sound like a PR person, which isn't my intent at all. But I am truly amazed at the differences! Ouch!

[Dalton]

cost $1,700 for the season, which we all feel is a case of "tax the boaters" When we first got our mooring in '87 it was $470. They call it "Facility use" but the only facility is a shower. We must provide our own ground tackle and if we want it hauled it costs $400 or $500 both in and out. A classic case of supply and demand, the waiting list is 5-7 years. But if you know someone you can get in. No wonder there's a wait. They even charge extra if you want a premium spot on a floating dock for your dinghy. But if you're going to live in the New York City burbs your gonna pay. Winter storage is another matter. Reasonable, I think at $800 for haul, powerwash the bottom, brace-up and back in. We supply our own stands or cradle, hire a crane on our own, store the mast on sawhorses alongside the boat and do our own work or hire professionals. They must pay a fee to work in the yard though. Add to that membership in the local yacht club, additional for launch service and we're up to around $3,500. But what a treat to walk down the dock, step aboard the launch, get and whisked out to the boat. No bridges and we can be sailing as quickly as we can get the sail covers off and the sails raised.

[Joe Myerson]

I kind of hate to tell this to you Southern sailors (not really, after all, you can sail all year long), but as a taxpaying resident of my town on Cape Cod, my annual mooring fee is $50. (That's double what it used to be, and there's talk of increasing it to--gasp--$75.)

I pay the mooring contractor about $100 a year to put up a winter stick at the end of the season and reattach the mooring tackle in the spring. Every three years he has to inspect the mooring, for a grand total of $150.

The initial cost of the mushroom anchor was quite a bit more, and I had to upgrade when I got my CD. But that was a one-time cost.

On the down side, there are no new mooring spaces available in the town waters; I've had this mooring since 1988. And moorings can't be transferred, so when I'm too old to sail (or when I sail for good over the horizon), the permit goes to somebody on the waiting list.

Being moored in a small salt pond has plenty of disadvantages: I don't have any shore power, and the community dock that I use has no fresh water, so I wash down the boat with a garden sprayer. And the town Sanitation Department harasses anybody who thinks they'll live aboard on a mooring (even though there's free pump-out service). There's one guy who lives on his boat here year-round, and he's in a running battle with the town. (His parents live nearby, and I think he signed some kind of pledge to go ashore and use their facilities.)

On the other hand, I keep my boat at a yard, and the annual fees there are $4,000 and climbing. If I stored the boat on the lawn, I'd save much of that.

So I guess it all evens out.

--Joe

[novotny]

We have a cottage on Chautauqua Lake in upstate NY, 50 ft of waterfront, dock, etc and I have a mooring 150 yds out for my Typhoon, cost: $10.00 year for in and out at a marina launch ramp a mile down. Or one could make an argument that the cost is $3500.00/yr since thats what we pay in property taxes (got to love NY). However we have had people moored on our bay that didnt have property on the lake and they used public waterfront access to get to their boats. I have never been able to find out what the exact laws are concerning this, I am sure they vary fron state to state. I do know that in 20 years of being on the lake I have never heard of anyone having a problem with any authorities as far as mooring. I think it would be worth while finding out for anyone anywhere what the rules are governing moorings on public warterways near public waterfront access.

[Joe Myerson]

Novotny,

Oh yeah, property taxes. I forgot to mention those.

(They claim our state has lost its monicker of "Taxachusetts," but that doesn't apply to property taxes.)

--Joe

[car1260]

If you join the Sarasota Sailing Squadron (Family membership $340/yr) you can purchase a mooring for around $1500. There are no mooring fees from the squadron. If you want you can rent one from an owner for around $200 yr. You can also dock your boat 3 days a month for free, use the hoist(under 6000 lbs only), work on your boat in the yard and use the clubhouse with honor bar(beer is .50). It's the best deal in Southwest Florida!

[Carl Thunberg]

Chase,

I have a total of three moorings. One is in New Hampshire and two are in Maine. Maine and New Hampshire have very different mooring regulations. In New Hampshire, just because you own shorefront property, doesn't mean you have any rights to place a mooring in front of your property. Mooring sites are owned by the State and there is a waiting list for mooring permits. I waited 13 years for my current mooring, which is in one of the more desirable mooring fields. I own the block and the ground tackle but the state owns the bottom on which it sits.

Because I own shorefront property in Maine, all I had to do was meet with the harbor master and pick two spots. I then hired a marine contractor to do the work. No annual fees, no inspection requirements. It's actually pretty scary that it's up to the owner of the mooring to maintain his mooring in any way he sees fit. Buyer beware. Think of that next time you pick up an unattended mooring.

My point is, you need to check the administrative rules for whatever state you're in (N. Carolina). Owning shorefront property doesn't necessarily grant you a right to place a mooring. I'm assuming the ownership of the mooring would need to be in the name of the property owner.

As for construction, I absolutely agree with what Acoustic said in another related thread. I sleep well knowing I have a 4,500 lb hunk of granite and 3/4 inch chain holding my boat. I only have one pendant, but after reading his response, I'm thinking of installing two.