Dealing with your dinghy

[SailingHarry]

I'm not sure about other places, but around here the only way to have a mooring is to either be associated with a club or marina. Unless you have your own waterfront access or lease access from a private owner. I guess I'm confused in how or why you would want a mooring on a water front that gives you no access? How do you get to your boat? You still need to park somewhere? There was one bay here that had a state run fishing access, and a few people dropped mooring there. They used to chain there dinghies to the trees at the fishing access. After awhile the state sent notices to everybody tell them to remove their dinghy.

Mike

Mike,

I sort of agree with your sentiments, but the OP's question kind of led me down the way I answered. If you are renting a mooring from an establishment, it almost goes without saying that they tell you how to get to your boat, and where to keep your dingy. The question about "where do I keep my dingy" sort of implies that he's not using a commercial mooring. One response showed a marina that charges $400 for dingy storage for the year if you use a private mooring, which is about what I would expect for that service. A private mooring, which would be very tempting (installed cost probably less than a years slip fee!) would be very difficult to make work because access would be impossible. As a kid, before the City of Annapolis laid claim to most of the water, many people kept boats on moorings and kept a dingy at the foot of the street.

Harry

 

[Tom J]

Have you considered Padanaram? Great boater's town. Lots of moorings and docks everywhere. Shouldn't be hard to find a dinghy dock there.

 

[Southcoasting]

Have you considered Padanaram? Great boater's town. Lots of moorings and docks everywhere. Shouldn't be hard to find a dinghy dock there.

Wow! Thanks for all the responses!

I have not secured a spot anywhere yet but in case I do, I'd like to know what people generally do...I like the idea of rowing only because it won't be another engine to deal with, I won't have to register it, I won't have to haul the weight of an engine, and I like the idea of exercising a bit since I don't plan on exercising much when I start sailing next summer...

I will most likely not have a marina to store my dinghy and I don't plan on paying one for doing so at least not in my first year...

I have considered keeping it at Padanaram indeed for my first year but I live in Fairhaven near the town center and literally within 3 blocks of the water where the marinas/dinghys are...If I don't get a spot over here in the New Beford/Fairhaven harbor, then Padanaram will be it for sure...Driving there would still only be about 15 minutes so not bad either and I have met a few people that can guarantee a mooring for me for next year there...Although that harbor is beautiful and I wouldn't have to deal with the big boats over in our harbor, as a rookie with tons of excitement and anxiety, I would prefer to look at my boat when taking the dogs for a walk...

There is a public boat ramp here as well which with a small dinghy, I won't have to trailer it or launch it from a ramp if I had to...

I guess depending on what happens with the mooring situation will determine what kind of dinghy I get...

Good info on the club memberships...I know there is a club out of Dartmouth but not sure of any others...

 

[AtlanticAl]

their is one other way, if you are in protected waters, and no one is going to mess with it. Used to do this years ago, because of the tidal range where we were, and because of the weight of a clinker built wooden dinghy. We would have one mooring for the boat, then a second mooring, close to shore for the dingy, but the second mooring, had a rope running, through an eye, just below the buoy, which ran to the beach, then back to mooring, making one continuous loop. When we rowed from the boat back to the beach, we would then tie the painter of the dinghy to this continuous loop, and haul it out to the second mooring. In the morning, we would then pull it in, and row back out to the boat. You can even put chain on the last bit of rope, when you secure it to a ring, or a cleat on a dock, you can lock the chain, and no one else can pull it ashore.

 

[We2Sail12113]

Giffird Street (NB) or Elm Street (Fairhaven)

So I've been lurking and reading as much as I can about sailing for the past 3 months and bought my first boat but have been thinking lately, what do I want to do about my dinghy situation since the boat will be in a mooring?

:snip

If people need to transport their dinghys each time to get to their boat, I'm assuming they are light enough to put on top of their cars etc?

It is times like this I feel a little like a dummy for not reading your location.

In New Bedford, for moorings only check out Bayline, Inc on Gifford Street. They are the guys who do my hauling for my boat "Second Nature". (The Hurricane Barrier protected the moorings during Hurricane Irene and the Rte 6 causeway protected Cozy Cove.

In Fairhaven, Cozy Cove, as far as I know, it is slips only and mostly power boats, on Elm St, off Main street near the High School.

Just be aware the MLLW around Popes Island is 4 feet, and was only a problem for my 4 1/2 foot draft during a spring tide. It has since been dredged and no issues since.


A Tartan 27, hmm Sounds familiar for some reason. If getting your own mooring, do you need to go through the NB Harbor Development or Corp of Engineers?

Bob

 

[jconnor3]

My RIB dinghy doubles as my fishing boat on the east coast of Florida. I live in Orlando. I prefer the west coast for boating but sometimes I cannot get away for a long run. So I trailer dinghy and can enjoy both coasts but I miss the sailing terribly when I am on the east side. Sailboat is located in St. Pete area. This is the life.

 

[OdayDave]

I've got two modes of getting myself and guests to the boat. Most often, I use the Stearns inflatable kayak that stays in the trunk of the car all summer. It takes less than 5 minutes to inflate and when it's just me, that's the easiest way to get to the boat. The boat is probably 50 yards from the launch ramp. Once I get to the boat, I can then bring the boat to the launch ramp to pickup people if I need to. If it's crowded or if the wind is really cranking, I try to avoid that. In that case, I bring my Walker Bay 8 and ferry people out. It takes a little more time since I transport it on the top of the car, but it's a good alternative with a group of people. Next year we are joining the local yacht club so we may get the tender service which means we get a ride back and forth if we need to.

Dave
s/v Lagniappe
O'Day 25