Mooring Swap Forum

[Major_Clanger]

I'm wondering whether there might be scope on YBW to have a separate forum for vacant mooring opportunities? An example would be that I'm planning on a trip to Cornwall next year but know that in many places it'll be hard to find a mooring, and anchorages may be busy too. But people down there with a mooring may be cruising elsewhere and so have a vacant buoy for a day/week/month etc... In turn, I'd be leaving a mooring free on the east coast that someone else might like to use in my absence. Obviously there would be conditions and standards to adhere to, but you'll get the gist of it I'm sure.

It could open-up new cruising grounds for many of us.

 

[Zagato]

I think the "conditions and standards" would prevent this in many cases unless it a private mooring.

 

[C08]

I think there is a real north south divide on this one. In the north a vacant mooring is considered ok to use by visitors provided that you remain available to move if the owner returns. In the south this does not seem to be the understanding, perhaps because unlike the north there are usually charges for anchorages and visitor moorings.

 

[prv]

I think there is a real north south divide on this one. In the north a vacant mooring is considered ok to use by visitors provided that you remain available to move if the owner returns. In the south this does not seem to be the understanding

My understanding was the other way round

Maybe borrowing moorings is normal at both ends of the country, but we only hear about the occasional grumpy sods (precisely because they're unusual) in the places we don't visit.

Pete

 

[zoidberg]

I'm aware my own West Country club welcomes visitors each season, but it is very 'low key'. There are rules forced on us by the Harbour Authority, such as being able to produce a suitable insurance certificate for each and every one, and club committee members being able to contact a visitor by telephone pdq.

No-one is pleased to find a visitor turns up and secures to a vacant mooring without a 'by your leave', then locks up, paddles ashore, is picked up and disappears away home for a week. Or longer, like one user of this place....

But otherwise, informally and by consent.... Of course

 

[Sadlerfin]

I think its a good idea.

If there is agreement between the parties then it makes putting together a extended cruise a lot easier.

Not sure if the marinas would be happy swapping moorings??

 

[awol]

With memories of the mooring lassoing threads still fresh in my mind I would be reluctant to let anyone who was trained in RYA methods anywhere near my mooring.

 

[JumbleDuck]

With memories of the mooring lassoing threads still fresh in my mind I would be reluctant to let anyone who was trained in RYA methods anywhere near my mooring.

+1. I am very happy for people to use my mooring when I'm away, as long as they ask first, don't overload it and USE IT PROPERLY.

So, anyone who knows what a pickup buoy is for and wants to visit the Clyde next summer with something up to 4 tonnes and 1.5m, please do get in touch.

 

[lw395]

With memories of the mooring lassoing threads still fresh in my mind I would be reluctant to let anyone who was trained in RYA methods anywhere near my mooring.

Same here.

 

[Aja]

With memories of the mooring lassoing threads still fresh in my mind I would be reluctant to let anyone who was trained in RYA methods anywhere near my mooring.

..and me.

Donald

 

[dunedin]

With memories of the mooring lassoing threads still fresh in my mind I would be reluctant to let anyone who was trained in RYA methods anywhere near my mooring.

Even worse, I watched a boat pick up a residents mooring (in Loch Ranza, when all visitor moorings were full) then decide to strength test it by then running on full reverse reached about 4 knots backwards before mooring tightened. Then dragged it 20m from its original position.
It was a big and heavy 40 foot yacht which had picked up a mooring probably used for a small lightweight motor boat weighing under a ton.
Having done the damage they then decided it was too close to another mooring (because they had shifted it) and scuttled off out and away again. No visible name to report them sadly.

PS. The OPs suggestion would be a nice idea in theory but probably a nightmare in terms of insurance and liability these days. The plonker in the 40 footer above would probably sue the mooring owner

 

[Major_Clanger]

Thanks for the replies. Back to the drawing board..........!

 

[JumbleDuck]

Thanks for the replies. Back to the drawing board..........!

I don't think it's a terrible idea at all. The only issue might be swaps, because the chance of A wanting to be near B's mooring while B wants to ne near A's mooring is probably quite low. However, the idea of somewhere to advertise available berths, whether pontoon/mooring and paid/free seems like a sound one to me.

Maybe it's an app. When you sign up, you give details of your boat. Then when you see an empty mooring you scan the QR code on it and the app either gives you the go ahead ("owner has said this one is free for up to 4T and 8m until the end of next week"), turns you down ("boat is too big") or puts you on hold ("contacting owner, circle bay for a bit)". If necessary it could charge you, which might be an incentive for clubs and others with visitors moorings to sign up too.

I dream. But those who don't want to play don't have to.

 

[lw395]

Trouble is, you don't really want to undermine the income stream of your harbour authority, because that's only going to either result in permanent berth holders paying more, or visiting yachts no longer being regarded as a source of income.
Where there are no visitor's moorings it's maybe different.
I know people used to use our moorings as a stop-off to wait for the tide, or to aid an early departure, it wasn't exactly a tourist destination.
Only ever had slight inconvenience from it, and that was from a member of my own club.
I have blagged a few moorings in nicer places.
Sometimes you drop lucky.
Doesn't hurt to ask around clubs and contacts.
Sometimes, if you don't want to pay for a visitor mooring, it's easier to just anchor.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Trouble is, you don't really want to undermine the income stream of your harbour authority, because that's only going to either result in permanent berth holders paying more, or visiting yachts no longer being regarded as a source of income.

Our ... what?

That aside, they could use my system too. There is a huge range of ways of paying for visitors moorings from honesty boxes (Gigha) to collectors in ribs (Tighnabruaich) to paypal accounts (Carrick Castle) to pay at he bar (Colintraive) to bank details (Kilchoan), and probably more besides. A nice simple "scan this code and tap to pay" system could make life much simpler. It could even save up nights in internet free places and pay for them in a batch on returning to civilisation (or Mallaig, whichever comes first).

 

[Poignard]

I think there is a real north south divide on this one. In the north a vacant mooring is considered ok to use by visitors provided that you remain available to move if the owner returns. In the south this does not seem to be the understanding, perhaps because unlike the north there are usually charges for anchorages and visitor moorings.

When I used to keep my boat in the Solent I sometimes used vacant moorings and sometimes people used mine when I was away. There was never any problem about it. If I returned and found someone on my mooring they always moved off immediately and vice versa. Letting someone else use your vacant mooring is one of those little courtesies that help make sailing so pleasant. Provided you don't leave the boat unattended, or damage the mooring, I don't see what the problem is.

 

[PetiteFleur]

When I used to keep my boat in the Solent I sometimes used vacant moorings and sometimes people used mine when I was away. There was never any problem about it. If I returned and found someone on my mooring they always moved off immediately and vice versa. Letting someone else use your vacant mooring is one of those little courtesies that help make sailing so pleasant. Provided you don't leave the boat unattended, or damage the mooring, I don't see what the problem is.

Ditto for my mooring - River Deben on the East Coast. I've found a boat on my mooring who immediately left when I said it was mine. I've also used local moorings in all our local rivers but will always move if asked. Mind you, apparently a LARGE boat used my mooring last year after I'd laid up and lifted/moved it so it had to be re-laid - at my expense of course. The boatyard suspect who it was but can't prove it.