Slip vs. mooring

[Roger Long]

I decided to just use the mooring this summer since I expected to be away a lot more than I was and was looking forward to having my boat always hanging off on her pendant instead of worrying about fenders chafing the topsides.

Wow, was I ever wrong. The tide runs hard through the channel where my mooring is and it seems like the boat is always pushed hard ahead against the ball with the wakes sawing it up and down. I had a line set up at the marina dock such that the fenders hardly ever touched and the gelcoat has gotten more wear in this one summer than three seasons at the marina dock.

In addition, the constant wetting of the lower topsides by the constant wake and chop in my rather exposed mooring location have resulted in a nearly foot wide band of green growth above the boot top. I also used to hose the boat down at least once a week and after hard sails at the marina. The effects of the salt sitting on the boat at the mooring are quite evident. The boat looks like she's been ridden hard but I did run 1500 - 2000 miles of water under the keel this summer.

Hopefully, I'll only be on the mooring for a couple weeks before and after a summer long cruise next season. If I do end up having to stay close to home, the price of a marina slip is not going to seem as high as it did last spring.

 

[SanderO]

It certainly depends on where the mooring is located. This summer I moored in a beautiful location but not optimal as a mooring because of wakes, current and overall exposure. When things are pretty calm it is really lovely and peaceful. I much prefer this to the inner harbor which is like living in a ghetto, one boat on top of the next, no privacy what so ever.

And for me the convenience of a slip is offset by the high price, the lack of privacy and time it takes to get underway and back. I've never liked slips because I much prefer the feeling of getting away and you feel like you are in a trailer park in a marina, despite how upscale it may be.

 

[Maine Sail]

In contrast

In contrast I am in Falmouth, ME and get zero growth, zero mooring ball damage and zero rust stains at the waterline. I use a soft ball and keep it clean and treated with 303 Aerospace Protectant. With an Awlgrip finish I am very careful and cognizant of any sort of abrasion of my top sides. I bring my boat to the dock once per week to wash it and my hull looks about as good as the day she went in the water back in early May.

I have been at docks and will likely never do it again. Your location is the problem, not being on a mooring in general. Your mooring location is about as bad as the dock location at Portland Yacht services...

 

[higgs]

I kept my boats moored for pretty close to 20 years and have slipped them for about the same at this point. I have not suffered any serious damage at my slip. I cannoot say the same for the mooring, where in one 80 kt. storm on Lake Michigan I sustained $4500 worth of damage when the storm blew through and made a shambles of the mooring field. Boats in slips fared far better, though some were indeed damaged.

 

[Roger Long]

Your location is the problem, not being on a mooring in general.

I certainly agree with that and probably should have made the point clearer in my original post.

The current is the problem. I've seen it hold the stern straight into a 1-2 reef breeze with the counter throwing off waves like a powerboat bucking straight into a head sea. It's times like that it's nice to have a yawl or ketch so you can set the mizzen.

BTW what are you doing on the computer on this perfect sailing day? I'm getting over a flu like cold I came back from my last cruise with. I rowed out to the boat at noon but was so tired by the time I got there I just came back and took my second nap of the day. Broke my heart. I'm really getting sick of this.

 

[zeehag]

i keep both my boats on moorings in dago bay----there is a 4 kt current when tide is running 4 times every day in out in out......there are ways to keep the ball from banging on the hull---use of whiskerpole to fend off the ball is a good one, or make a rig to keep the ball away from the boat another way---i have a sprit, so i bungee the anchor roller to top of ball while using 2 lines to samson post of formosa---ericson i keep line very very l ong and i use firehose and floats on the line for prevention---the firehose keeps the line from rubbing agaqinst th eboat for a few months....placing a t shirt or carpet over ball helps also--i prefer mooring to marinas....have now for over 10 yrs...LOL....

 

[chuckwayne]

Sorry to hear that, Roger! Hope you feel better soon! You missed a great day-light chop, 18-20kts most of the afternoon, lots of sailboats out.
Chuck

 

[Maine Sail]

BTW what are you doing on the computer on this perfect sailing day? .

Was out sailing until about noon, no wind though, and then had a wedding to go to. Came home from boat hit the keyboard, went to wedding now I'm back. Will be out there tomorrow if it's not raining to hard.