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Old 05-18-2017, 03:35 PM   #1
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Cheap sailboaters

Spent a couple nights in the Annapolis mooring field this week. $35/night for up to a 55' max. I've always found that reasonable.

Most of the moorings were empty around me when I went to bed. In the morning I see a late arrival had picked up a nearby mooring. A few minutes later they leave, well before the harbormaster staff arrives. Skipped out on the bill I think. Damned sailboaters.
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Old 05-18-2017, 03:36 PM   #2
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..except it was a Fleming.
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Old 05-18-2017, 04:31 PM   #3
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..except it was a Fleming.
That's how he pays for the Fleming.
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Old 05-18-2017, 04:48 PM   #4
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I am not defending the Fleming owner, however.

If I get into a place after dark and there is no staff there to take my money, and I am planning on leaving quite a bit earlier than when the staff will be there to take my money, they will need to have a VERY convenient night drop to leave the check or cash.

I'm not saying that I would make plans to arrive late and leave early to avoid paying a fee, but if that was what happened, I am not going to delay my departure for a couple of hours just to pay them the fee.

Best option is if the marina has an online pay system so I could just electronically pay for the mooring. I would do that. Now, maybe this marina does, and the Flemming either reserved a mooring ahead of time with payment, or called in before the staff left and made payment arraignments over the phone. I have done that as well.
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Old 05-18-2017, 04:59 PM   #5
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How do you know they didn't pay with a credit card over the phone? The MF may have just said "don't worry about it". I've had that happen when we were coming in after hours. A marina slip is a little different.
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Old 05-18-2017, 05:22 PM   #6
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As others have said, things aren't always as they appear. I'd also say the same if it was a sailboat.
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Old 05-18-2017, 06:06 PM   #7
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Mooring balls should be free. Before I am nailed on the wall to say this, what is the cost for setup of a mooring ball, and with 35$ a night how many moorings needed to have a return on investment? Moreover you get make money by the service you may bring to the people moored and by making mooring free you attract people that would got ashore and spend money in the surrounding establishments developing local tourism business. Ok I know I am a dreamer but I saw some places where they cluttered an anchoring spot with mooring balls so you cannot anchor anymore and you have to pay the price to stay overnight... is it fair?
There may be some reason to force people to get a mooring like marine parks but most of the time it is not.

Sorry for my special point of view

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Old 05-18-2017, 06:22 PM   #8
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Guess it depends where you are. Most good mooring fields are engineered, have screw in anchors and the moorings are inspected at least annually for liability reasons. An initial investment can run up to $10k per mooring depending on many factors.

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Old 05-18-2017, 06:45 PM   #9
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I have arrived after hours and departed early or during holidays and have paid by credit card over the phone.....not going to use any kind of drop box except at Chesapeake City free dock...the mail slot is fun and it's cheap anyway.

The marinas appreciate my effort and seem amazed at the honesty.

I imagine some places have video surveillance but don't pursue skip bozos because of the hassel.
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Old 05-18-2017, 06:52 PM   #10
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We called for a mooring a couple years ago at Vero Beach. Later that night, I butt called the last number (the marina). The next day the marina called asking if we had tied up to the fuel dock last night. A power boat had came in after they were closed, tied up for the night and left before the opened in the morning. They wanted to know if that was us because of the after hour phone call. I mentioned that we were out in front on a mooring and they apologized. The operator said he was just tracking things down and hadn't tied everything together yet. He did say security cameras had recorded the boat name and hailing port and he figured he'd start with the after hour phone call first. Busted.!
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Old 05-18-2017, 06:55 PM   #11
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Scott

I'm amazed! Just kidding.
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Old 05-18-2017, 07:01 PM   #12
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Scott

I'm amazed! Just kidding.
Your dock is the only one I sneak on and off of....
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Old 05-18-2017, 07:50 PM   #13
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In February I was moving a boat from the East Coast of Florida to the West Coast of Florida.

I made arrangements to stay at a marina that was attached to a waterfront restaurant. When I say Marina, I mean the restaurant had a dock that they charged an overnight fee for but it included electricity.

I called ahead and they said that they would be closed but the restaurant would be open. The plan was to eat dinner and settle up with them in the morning.

We arrived about an hour before the restaurant closed and or able to get a quick bite to eat. Due to a schedule change we wound up leaving around 6 o'clock in the morning which was well before the "marina" opened.

Around 9 AM I called the marina office and told them who I was and what we had done. The marina manager was very surprised that we even bothered to call. She thanked me for my honesty and said there would be no charge for our stay because of it.

This went along way in my book.

The point I am making is, integrity is like for virginity. Once you lose it you don't get it back.
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Old 05-18-2017, 08:11 PM   #14
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Guess it depends where you are. Most good mooring fields are engineered, have screw in anchors and the moorings are inspected at least annually for liability reasons. An initial investment can run up to $10k per mooring depending on many factors.

Ted


Yup. A decent mooring is not a drop and forget affair. Not only do you have to install and maintain it, maintain the necessary permits, but also maintain the liability insurance for having it.

FWIW, this thread reminded me to renew my WA State Marine Parks yearly permit. $5 per foot and allows me to use all the moorings, linear moorings, and docks with no overnight or daily charge. Normally, the nightly charge on a mooring or at a dock is $15/night. So I break even at about 14 nights a year. I normally don't state that many nights but it is certainly a convenience to not have to row to shore to pay the fee. No cash, no checks, no hassle.
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Old 05-18-2017, 08:43 PM   #15
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You wouldn't have to sneak away, I wouldn't charge you anyway!
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Old 05-18-2017, 09:22 PM   #16
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The point I am making is, integrity is like for virginity. Once you lose it you don't get it back.
Ohhh, that's good!
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Old 05-19-2017, 05:27 AM   #17
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Originally Posted by Lou_tribal View Post
Mooring balls should be free. Before I am nailed on the wall to say this, what is the cost for setup of a mooring ball, and with 35$ a night how many moorings needed to have a return on investment? Moreover you get make money by the service you may bring to the people moored and by making mooring free you attract people that would got ashore and spend money in the surrounding establishments developing local tourism business. Ok I know I am a dreamer but I saw some places where they cluttered an anchoring spot with mooring balls so you cannot anchor anymore and you have to pay the price to stay overnight... is it fair?
There may be some reason to force people to get a mooring like marine parks but most of the time it is not.
In addition to the costs which O C Diver mentioned, there are other reasons to charge for use of mooring balls. One example is to keep derelict boats and/or squatters away. If they were free, there would be costs to police the fields to keep these boats out (if that is possible).

A second reason is mooring fields are usually in very popular areas and by charging for them, the costs are somewhat of an economic allocation system to allocate the moorings to those who are willing to pay the most.

I like free too but when there are too many boats vying for limited resources and even popular anchorages are a limited resource, a for pay model is needed.
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Old 05-19-2017, 05:45 AM   #18
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Many moorings come with a traveling Honey Bucket boat and a trash dumpster on shore.
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Old 05-19-2017, 05:57 AM   #19
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As others have said, things aren't always as they appear. I'd also say the same if it was a sailboat.
Ding ding ding. We have a winner.

Exactly the point I was going for.
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Old 05-19-2017, 06:23 AM   #20
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Mooring balls should be free. Before I am nailed on the wall to say this, what is the cost for setup of a mooring ball, and with 35$ a night how many moorings needed to have a return on investment?

FWIW, the mooring field in historic Annapolis -- much of it just off the US Naval Academy grounds -- is a very big deal. Costs them boatloads to lay out every year (helix anchors and so forth), maintain, manage, fund the harbormasters workforce, etc. The fee is quite reasonable.

The city's slips in the central harbor (aka Ego Alley) have become a bit expensive recently, but they did a major renovation last year and I suspect the higher costs now are mostly about paying for that, too.

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