Single private mooring rentals

[fishinnnc]

Hi All,
I wanted to get the sites opinion on the feasibility of me installing mooring buoys that could be rented either on a monthly or a over-night basis? Two for rental with helical anchors for up to 3500 lbs. break-out force. The site would include access to a bathroom with shower, and laundry services. I would also keep a tender on site, and there is an area where a renter could park their vehicle for extended stays. Think there would be any demand, and ideas on forums / sites that most transient boaters use? Water depth is 6 foot, and anchors would be helicals. I'm trying to justify the cost of installing three, one will be for my own boat, so I figure why not go ahead and install multiples while I am at it.

 

[rgranger]

So many questions…

where?

what are the legals of dropping a mooring?

would you have legal ownership once they are set?

etc.

 

[jssailem]

I’d start by exploring the state rules regarding mooring fields. States believe they own the water. You can buy land down to often high water mark, but the water is all theirs. You may be able to put up your own mooring ball, but renting out multiple moorings sounds like a small business and you know the state’s lawyers are going to be all over that seeking a piece of the pie.

 

[smokey73]

Not to mention liability! How much are you willing to risk of your own personal assets for the expected ROI? How will you shield your personal assets from law suit if something happens? Are you going to be an LLC? Do you need a business license in the location (city or county)? If it is New Bern, you are in the Hurricane Zone. Do you plan on having the mooring tackle inspected at least once and probably twice per year and replaced periodically? Will the moorings be professionally designed or DIY? Will you carry liability insurance on the tender? Will you require anyone using the mooring to provide "proof of insurance" prior to use? How will you do this? If you can even control who ties up, how will you "police and enforce" or evict a squatter? Will you require a boat on your rented mooring to vacate if a named storm is forecast? If someone gets hurt stepping from the tender to the pier or while walking to the shower will you be liable? Since your moorings will not be in a "Designated Anchorage" you and your renters will be required to display the required lights and devices indicating you are "at anchor" (an all around white light) when on the mooring how will you enforce this? If someone runs into them at night and they do not have the required light, are you partially liable? It is your mooring device. You probably won't be cited by the LEO's (local marine authority or USCG) but if some collision happens the lawyers will be happy to go after everyone, including you.

Sounds like a can of worms for a limited return on investment to me. If allowed by local and state regulations put up in your own mooring ball but you may still get an occasional squatter when you are away from your ball.

I'm not a lawyer but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night

 

[dLj]

Besides the legal issues of being permitted to do this, the description of how you are thinking to execute the moorings, plus the limited depth I consider very poor.

3500 lbs is far to small for commercial use. The use of a screw anchor is also not what I would consider appropriate for commercial use. You are creating a commercial use mooring system.

There is a lot more I could add. But in short - sounds like you need to do some serious homework before going down this road....

dj

 

[Project_Mayhem]

There's probably an app for this that includes insurance. Beyond that you'd have to do some research on your local jurisdiction if you're not looking to fly under the radar

 

[PaulK]

Hard to fly under radar with a mooring for one boat, let alone three.

 

[capta]

My mooring in Tyrrel Bay has (had) three screws and a length of 1"stud link chain. Then 3" polypro and 1" nylon. Every line was spliced except the polypro, and there was no weakest point. That held 77k# plus, just fine.

 

[Skipper J]

If you could work out all the above-mentioned bugs, I might be interested in a setup like that in the distant future. I often wonder where I would park my car and trailer if i went cruising. What you are outlining improves on the marina live-aboard setup by spacing out boats for privacy. Yeah.

 

[Crusty Ol Salt]

Do not forget about the Army Corp of Engineers. They will want their pounder of flesh for that.

In Virginia there is a thing called the kings grant. there are titles dating back to mid 1600s where the King of England deeded the land there to owner. I think it is settled law with everyone but, you guessed it, the Army Corp of Engineers.....

My marina has me provide a certificate of insurance. I have my carrier send it to them via email when I renew.

I hope you do it the logistics worked out. Good luck and keep us updated.

 

[RoyS]

Another transient anchorage gone?

 

[shemandr]

In the Great Salt Pond of Block Island there are private moorings. But the town has jurisdiction over them and can place transient boats on them if they are not occupied. In my former town of Southold NY if you owned waterfront property generally you could put a mooring out. The Bay Constable had to approve the site.
As one post stated bay bottom ownership can be quirky. Again, in Southold, some families have owned portions of the bay bottom for generations. The State usurped the rest of the bay and sold leases to oyster farmers.
If you want to do this find a local expert in Riparian Rights. In Southold it is the elected Town Trustees.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

@fishinnnc

As a former sailboat dealer in North Carolina , there is a lot to deal with to include the ICW, Albemarle Sound, Pamlico Sound, etc .. Before you spend anything, I suggest that you talk with some of the marinas over in Little Washington and Oriental as an example. @smokey73 said it best.

 

[tfox2069]

I like the business idea; a lot of worthy considerations have been proffered. The state of Maryland has a pretty good page addressing the high-level considerations here: Mooring Buoys in Maryland . A quick look revealed this document regarding NC law: Microsoft Word - t14a_07h.doc (nc.gov) , but you'll need to get the latest and most applicable laws and local regulations. Local laws can be significant - Annapolis and other areas in MD have local laws which are more restrictive than the state laws.

It looks like the business idea is probably workable with state regulations. The bigger conversation will be with an insurance company. I sure wouldn't want the possibility of someone's expensive boat on my mooring to end up wrecked on the shore in a storm (possibly damaging other boats and property in the process) and me be on the hook for it without insurance, as well as the other myriad of liabilities that others have mentioned. This is a litigious country and you need to protect yourself.

 

[smokey73]

IA quick look revealed this document regarding NC law: Microsoft Word - t14a_07h.doc (nc.gov) , but you'll need to get the latest and most applicable laws and local regulations.

It looks like the business idea is probably workable with state regulations.

A look at the following section clearly indicates that the "business idea" of leasing out moorings by a private individual is specifically prohibited, at least in North Carolina. The regulations cited allows the exclusive use by the landowner who holds the permit granted for the mooring.

15A NCAC 07H .2204 GENERAL CONDITIONS (a) A "freestanding mooring" is any means to attach a ship, boat, vessel, floating structure or other water craft to a stationary underwater device, mooring buoy, buoyed anchor, or piling (as long as the piling is not associated with an existing or proposed pier, dock, or boathouse). (b) Freestanding moorings authorized by this permit shall be for the exclusive use of the riparian landowner(s) in whose name the permit is issued, and shall not provide either leased or rented moorings or any other commercial services.

 

[American_Mainsail]

Consider talking to some local businesses in the area that are renting moorings to see what permits and insurances they are using, and how the business is performing. I think that the success of this business is probably tied to a lot of specifics that you'll have to drill down based on your locale. When starting a business, I think it's easy to get into the mindset that other businesses are "the competition" and you end up staking our your claim all on your own, reinventing the wheel at each step. It's not like renting moorings is a brand new business model. There's a wealth of people that are in that business already that I'm sure would lend you a helping hand (information-wise) at getting started.

Try to assign some dollar costs on what permitting will be needed, installation cost, yearly maintenance, liability insurance, etc. Consider talking to an attorney about what you'd be looking at for liability should the worst occur.

I suspect that only one mooring wouldn't make it worth the effort and expense in the end, unless you're in a location that you could charge premium dollar for. If you could drop in a few more, say 10, that might change the math up.

You may even be able to get yourself signed up on Dockwa to handle the admin side of bookings; that would be slick.