The Cost of a Night's Moorage

[Gary Wyngarden]

We spent last Saturday night at the marina in Roche Harbor, San Juan Island. Roche is an upscale, spendy kind of place with very nice docks and services and a formal striking of the colors every sundown. Price tag for a night for our 37 foot boat was $52 or about $1.40 a foot.Spent Wednesday and Thursday nights in Squalicum Harbor in Bellingham. Very nice docks, clean washrooms and laundry facilities, power, water,lots of services available, good security. Cost per night of $18.50 or $0.50 per foot- about one third of Roche Harbor (had to watch the sunset with listening to taps though).We cruise in Canada a lot. Going rate is about a $1.00CDN per foot with hydro (power) extra. Might be a little higher in peak season and might be lower off season. We spent $20 to $30 per night on our charter in the BVI's last winter for mooring buoys with no services. Of course there's always the good ole anchoring out for free.Just interested in what everybody else is running into in terms of transient moorage costs?Gary WyngardenS/V Wanderlust h37.5

 

[Ross]

That kinda makes an anchor and windlass

look like a real bargain.

 

[Rich Stidger]

In the northeast, prices are MUCH higher

Moorings run $20 to $65 per night. Launch service is sometimes included, but not the rule. Nantucket gets $65 with a 2 or 3 night minimum.Dockage runs from maybe $2 per foot to $4 or slightly more at Newport or the Hamptons.I almost never take a mooring or dock. I anchor all the time.

 

[mortyd]

moorage

and rent in midtown manhattan is higher than in des moines. the san juans are a treasure and teasures don't usually come cheap. i was a photographer all my life and constantly saw people who spent fortunes on vacations worrying about taking too many pictures. i don't know how much you spend on your boat annually, but my transient charges - at least as high as yours - are a drop in the bucket. right now it's almost august and i'd pay five times as much if i could get few days in a row of sunshine without lightning.

 

[Dave D 94 H26]

maybe it's just me...

but consider the travel and hotel expenses with spending time in these places. Sure money doesn't grow on trees, but isn't the experience of SAILING to and enjoynig these locations worth it? Plus think of all those poor landlocked souls! Ah, but what do I know, I'm stuck on a lake...for now

 

[rsn48]

On the hook

The problem is how do you make a buck in our short seasons of sailing compared to more southerly climates. Pretend you own the marina and you knew you had to recoup your yearly expenses in about 5 months, with the majority of the revenue coming in over three months.There was a good article in Pacific Yachting lamenting the loss of good marinas; the gist was the cash flow problem many of them experienced.We're fortunate in that we are not like California with not that many great free anchorages. With 3000 Islands in BC you know you'll be able to find a place to anchor - life on the hook. I save the marina for something like every fifth night to restock, and the military 4 S's.In my head, if I'm cruising from marina to marina, that's just day sailing. Heck I could go to most of those places in a car and stay at a motel 6 or the equivalent.But if I want marinas with full service, I know I'd better be prepared to cover their expenses in Nov - Mar when no one is there.

 

[TJ]

is anchoring out free?

We also were at Roche Harbor this month, but on the fourth of July.No moorage was available so we anchored with many hundred others waiting for the evening flag ceremony and then the fireworks later.Lots of boaters anchored and stern tied to the bank, including us. This way you can really pack em in tight.Just at dusk the wind kicked up and the 38 foot trawler beside us started to drag anchor into our 28 foot sloop.No one on board the trawler, we fendered him off until our stern line was about to break from the strain of holding two boats, finally we dropped our stern line and swung clear hanging by our bow anchor.Meanwhile the folks in the next boat he was dragging towards climbed aboard, found the keys and got the motor going just before the trawler dragged into the rocks that his stern line was swinging the boat towards.If you have read this far, keep reading, "this is the good part"The good samaritans then pulled up the useless anchor and took this trawler to the "customs only" dock where they left it tied up. and returned by dinghy to help us re anchor.Everything was ship shape by dark, the wine was fine and the Roche Harbor fireworks were relaxing after all the commotion.Final tally, no damage to anyone and anchoring out was indeed free, "this time".PS. we never saw or heard from the folks on the trawler, but your not supposed to tie up to the customs dock unless you want to talk to homeland security.

 

[Rick Webb]

Yacht Club Route

One of the big advantages of the yacht club membership is the transient dock reciprocity. Most club will give you on free night when visiting.

 

[OldCat]

Catalina

Catalina was in the low $20's for a mooring as I remember for a 34' boat. The charter company that I used does not allow anchoring except in emergencies. Charter rates are also cheap in SoCal - so not a bad deal overall.

 

[nick maggio]

$3.50 per ft per night

I was told the new greenport,ny docks are great but $30 to tie up for the day and $3.50 per ft per night and water and electric.I love being out on the hook is just great in shelter island,what does greenport think they are the hampton inn I don't think sag harbor charges that hight if you can even get a slip.

 

[tom h]

put-in-bay

PIB is $80.00 per night for a mooring ball.Most marinas in the area (Lake Erie) charge $1.50 to $2.00 per foot per night (I have a 37').Reciprocity is, but is a mixed bag, and you have to go 30 miles away to qualify.

 

[Jeff Bacon]

PIB Typo ?

Put in Bay is actually $35 per night on Fri and Sat. $27 other nights for a mooring ball. Slightly higher for larger boats that need more seinging room.Even so, they are about to price themselves out of the market for me. For another 15 / 20 dollars, I can find a slip with water/elec/heads/showers. Try Middle Bass island 1/2 mile awayJeff

 

[Tsehum Pete]

Join a Yacht Club

When I bought my boat 3 years ago I joined the yacht club adjacent to my marina. My club has a huge list of yacht clubs in both Canada and the US that offer free reciprocal transient moorage to members of listed yacht clubs. I use reciprocal moorage quite often and also anchor and use marinas. I do not even have to pay the $4.00 power charge as I have solar panels. Joining this club has been well worth it for me for many reasons.

 

[mike16337]

prairie sailing

hi .its around 7.00 a nite here .$300.00 to$400.00per season for a slip ,not much in the way of services but we have a couple of nice marinas. happy sailing Mike .