Mooring Buoys

[tsadpt]

Hello everyone, havign spent the past 5 years as a boat owner predominantly sailing from marina to marina (with the odd night at anchor), I have decided to make more use of buoys if I can... Obviously, buoys marked clearly as visitors are to be used as such, and the owner of the buoy has every right to charge a fee. However, in chichester harbour there are plenty of vacant, sizeable mooring buoys in deep water, with no markings.

I seem to remember from my youth that it was "OK" to use a vacant buoy, so long as you are prepared to move should the owner return.

However, is this still the case, or might I be subjected to "Sea rage"? what do you all fee about using vacant, but not specifically "Visitor" buoys?

Thanks

David

 

[alexrunic]

on the north Norfolk coast i often pick up a vacant buoy and have never had a problem, if there are any other boats about i ask which ones are free otherwise just pick one. i would only do this for the odd night though.

 

[VicS]

Many of the buoys in Chichester harbour are conservancy owned and I guess they would still have the right to charge you for their use.

Others are yard owned, again the yard would be within their rights to charge you, similarly with those owned by sailing clubs. (although they may just chase you away)

A relatively small number are purely privately owned.

I suggest you try to find out the code on the buoys, All will be marked with 2 or three letters (and a number) which indicate the ownership and location.

More importantly make sure you know the letter and number code that indicates the depth/drying height and the maximum size of boat they can accommodate.

If you do use someone else's mooring, do not leave your boat unattended and if the rightful owner/lessee turns up be prepared to go immediately what ever time of day or night it may be and what ever your state of undress or activity at the time. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Bodach na mara]

I always find that, when I pick up a buoy for lunch (a thing I actually do very rarely) the boat approaching about 200 metres away is the one to which the buoy belongs.

 

[Gordonmc]

Can you be confident that a vacant mooring is safe?
See http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/2255580/an/0/page/1#2255580
I would have no problem with picking up a mooring of unknown provenance for a a brew up but I would want to know a bit about a mooring if riding a gale or staying overnight, even in benign conditions.

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
Can you be confident that a vacant mooring is safe

[/ QUOTE ] All moorings in Chichester should be safe but there will always be a question mark hanging over privately owned ones. The Conservancy owned ones would be the best option for an overnight stop if its expected to blow a bit.

 

[saltwater_gypsy]

Lunch time stops OK
Calm overnight OK
Owner comes back. "Thank you and Good bye"
Anything else Anchor or buy a berthfor the night.

 

[Poignard]

[ QUOTE ]
Can you be confident that a vacant mooring is safe?

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a very good point! I always feel uneasy on vacant moorings of unknown provenance. If I pay for a mooring e.g. at Alderney or Dartmouth, I have the small consolotion that if it fails I might be able to sue somebody, but if it's a private one I might lose my boat and have to pay the owner to have his mooring repaired. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Anyone know how the insurers view this?

The problem is that so many potential anchorages are now full of moorings and marinas there's less room to anchor safely.

 

[PetiteFleur]

I regularly use vacant moorings here on the East Coast, but always on the provision that if the owner turns up you immediately vacate the mooring. It's all very friendly and when found boats on my mooring they have always immediately left. The only time it didn't happen was a few years ago when I returned from my summer cruise and found a much larger Dutch boat on my mooring with the owners obviously ashore. I tied up alongside, unloaded all my gear, left a polite note on the visitors boat and went ashore. When I returned the following weekend, my boat was securely moored, all my warps beautifully coiled, fenders stowed and a note thanking me and inviting me to visit their club in Holland if I was visiting.

 

[Poignard]

[ QUOTE ]
I tied up alongside, unloaded all my gear, left a polite note on the visitors boat and went ashore.

[/ QUOTE ]

What a gentlemanly attitude!

Not at all in keeping with the finest traditions of this forum, some of whose contributors would have proudly boasted of "decking" the owner, drilling holes in his boat, casting it adrift, etc.