Moorings v Marinas

chillee said:
out of interest, as you have so much fresh water onboard, did you try using a product like salt away. I use this when coming back to dock. Only takes a a good misting over the boat and dissolves the salt left behind from spray etc.
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To be honest, no I dont and maybe I should. The honest answer is I dont get to see my boat from a pontoon walkway and alongside other boats. When you're on the boat it's all white and the interior is clean. You dont notice the salt glazing and dont really mind it quite frankly. On a mooring it's not a competition and once a year she gets her cut and polish which brings here up all shiny and new. It's bird poo on the nice warm covers (being black) that really gets my goat. See above pic, also note unless you compare side by side on the water you cant really tell the difference. It's just in the head imo. Does the pic in the previous post look particularly dirty to you? Compared....

7OgEQz5.jpg
 
BruceK said:
To be honest, no I dont and maybe I should. The honest answer is I dont get to see my boat from a pontoon walkway and alongside other boats. When you're on the boat it's all white and the interior is clean. You dont notice the salt glazing and dont really mind it quite frankly. On a mooring it's not a competition and once a year she gets her cut and polish which brings here up all shiny and new. It's bird poo on the nice warm covers (being black) that really gets my goat. See above pic, also note unless you compare side by side on the water you cant really tell the difference. It's just in the head imo. Does the pic in the previous post look particularly dirty to you? Compared....

7OgEQz5.jpg
Click to expand...
Nope.. I'm with you, I try to keep mine fairly clean, but as I am an hour away from where she is kept, I want to go out and enjoy her, and not spend hours and hours cleaning the outside.
I gave her a quick soap and wash before we went out once last summer. The wife was not happy about waiting around. So won't do that again - LOL
 
Having sailed from mid river pontoons /mooringand marina some thoughts:-
1) on a mooring the tide can go out leaving you and or some crew stuck on boat/ashore before tide comes in;
2) can be afloat but not able to leave (but same problem can arise with locked marinas where locks cannot cope with numbers such as Port Solent)
3) having to carry dinghy and maybe outboard from rack to water or pump up in absence of water taxi;
4) lugging kit to boat ( eg bedding,food, gas bottles, etc) using dinghy;
5) lack of power to run dehumidifier or top up batteries (could buy a Honda generator though for when on board but some dislike noise );
6) insecure mooring in winter so having to lift out (moorings can drag ashore but even leaving on a river pontoon might not be that secure; With marina can leave in all year with annual scrub ;
7) higher risk of theft on river mooring;(no close liveabords unlike a marina to be a meerkat lookout)
8) time spent rowing back and forth at end of day particularly if tide falling can lead to stress;
9) lack of secure car parking ashore ;
10) lack of heating;
11) less opportunity to visit if partially injured compared to say walking down a pontoon;
12) no wash down ability at end of trip;
13) more difficult for marines trades to do work in your absence to vessel;
14) might need last minute items or tools if carrying out work-in a marina some one often has a socket set/spanner etc or able to help lifting in/out broken windlass or battery etc;
15) higher insurance risk;
16) less usage of boat maybe;
17) more risks if returning to boat from local pub/restaurant Of falling in .
18 ) marinas can be closer to ferry ports/train stations etc -useful if bad weather or leaving boat on a longer trip;
19) sails and food cannot be delivered to marina office;
20) no one to do radio check with if needed
21) no one to tow you in /take lines if needed ;

Marina downsides
Costs
Idiots in large vessels or charter yachts you cannot fend off hitting your stern /bow
Becoming marina bound ie less motivation to leave if in comfortable location;
Noise from boats across the fairway having late night drunken parties;
Noise from charter boat parties generally
Wash from large ferries;
Being locked in due to numbers eg port Solent or Chichester;
Poorly maintained shower blocks;
Poor rubbish collection;
Car park being invaded by charter yacht crews taking owner spaces;
Lack of trolleys in car park or on pontoonas required;
Expensive laundry facilities;
Pontoons not washed down or gritted when icy ;
Commercial boats eg divers or fishermen running noisy generators for charging tanks
Noisy children off lead running around pontoons
 
ashtead said:
7) higher risk of theft on river mooring;(no close liveabords unlike a marina to be a meerkat lookout)
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you'd be very surprised. Much depends on the spot I suppose but with the boats being spaced further apart there is no hiding on a estuary mooring and it is much more difficult for theives. Certainly in my area the boats record less theft etc issues in the river than in the marina by quite some significant amount.


ashtead said:
16) less usage of boat maybe;
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Maybe? Certainly not true of any of my peers. I cant think of one that uses their boat more. Anyone from the Welsh mob care to challenge that?

Many of your cons are true. about 50-50 is situation and location though and dont hold true for most moorings in our neck of the woods at least.



Situational / not true for me 1) on a mooring the tide can go out leaving you and or some crew stuck on boat/ashore before tide comes in;

definitely not true and situational. I have full access bar 1 hour each side of Low water. LBRodders has no issue at all 2) can be afloat but not able to leave (but same problem can arise with locked marinas where locks cannot cope with numbers such as Port Solent)

True to a point. I trailer my dinghy right into the water. Easy peasy. 3) having to carry dinghy and maybe outboard from rack to water or pump up in absence of water taxi;
Yes, but find a luggage cart when you need it. Moot and silly point. 4) lugging kit to boat ( eg bedding,food, gas bottles, etc) using dinghy;

You have a wet boat. Your boat sucks. I have absolutely no issues on either score. 5) lack of power to run dehumidifier or top up batteries (could buy a Honda generator though for when on board but some dislike noise );

Situational. Mine can and does stay in some winters. It did this winter too. 6) insecure mooring in winter so having to lift out (moorings can drag ashore but even leaving on a river pontoon might not be that secure; With marina can leave in all year with annual scrub ;

Complete suppositiona nd mindset. 7) higher risk of theft on river mooring;(no close liveabords unlike a marina to be a meerkat lookout)
ROW? ARE YOU A RAGGIE MASQUERADING HERE? 8) time spent rowing back and forth at end of day particularly if tide falling can lead to stress;

Not for me. I park on a secure hard 9) lack of secure car parking ashore ;

Chinese diesel heater on txt switch 10) lack of heating;

Completely arbitrary. I floated up and down the river 3 days after a heart attack. Yon Ninny! 11) less opportunity to visit if partially injured compared to say walking down a pontoon;

Yes there is but laziness dominates. 12) no wash down ability at end of trip;

VERY TRUE . Learn to spin the spanners. Save yourself a fortune and it's half the fun. 13) more difficult for marines trades to do work in your absence to vessel;

Amazing how you manage. I go to the boat to fetch tools for my garage. True dat! 14) might need last minute items or tools if carrying out work-in a marina some one often has a socket set/spanner etc or able to help lifting in/out broken windlass or battery etc;

My insurance does not think so. 15) higher insurance risk;

HAHAHA 16) less usage of boat maybe;

HAHAHAHA More fall into the marina 17) more risks if returning to boat from local pub/restaurant Of falling in .

Situational 18 ) marinas can be closer to ferry ports/train stations etc -useful if bad weather or leaving boat on a longer trip;

Sails? Knew you were a raggie 19) sails and food cannot be delivered to marina office;

Complete bollox 20) no one to do radio check with if needed

True. Called SKILLZ 21) no one to tow you in /take lines if needed ;
 
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BruceK said:
You travel some atrocious distances to get to Wales. Having to cut weekend trips short must be a killer. I could never manage what you do. I moved to Wales to be 5 minutes from the boat. I think travelling more than 1 hour with young kids in tow would put me off boating. Much respect there!
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Yes, it's a pain. But we don't want to move - well I don't!
It tough, but it has been good for the kids to appreciate the tender work and be a bit more responsible with what they take etc. A good grounding in the boating world.
If you can pitch up for two years on a buoy in the Menai, everything else is a doddle ?

Fingers crossed with the new working flexibility we won't be fixed to weekends, particularly in the school holidays. Opens up opportunities to maximize the boat when the weather is good.
 
Apologies I should have said not all points apply to all moorings -I was trying to compile some pointers for the OPs consideration in a balanced way . Obviously if you have a river mooring with a club boat to taxi you out and you go alongside the club pontoon then it makes life simpler but not as simple as marina berthing in many locations . Obviously in wales you are very lucky with your river location so maybe in the south west like facilities exist on the Dart or suchlike . Maybe the OP can advise which river berths he has looked at though ?
 
BruceK said:
No, not really. Motorboat owners are generally the soft sappish kind wedded to creature comforts such as running water and shore power. The ability to walk up to and on to their boat and generally never ever move it unless going to another marina to do the same. Curious breed, the majority will live in large properties so I imagine they come to the ghettoes to live cheek by jowl to nurse some need to bond with their fellow man. No other rational explanation for it I'm afraid. Personally I applaud your decision to go onto a mooring.
Click to expand...

Perhaps you were going for humour and don't have a chip on your shoulder the size of a potato, who knows...


To answer the OP, I've done both and probably wouldn't bother with a boat at all if the only solution was a mooring. All that faffing about with a tender, trying to get gear to it, the inability to clean the boat, no thanks. Just take a look at the state of most boats on long term moorings compared to marina based boats and you'll see what I mean.

We do stay on moorings quite frequently when using the boat (or at anchor) and there's nothing lovelier, but I wouldn't want to keep a boat full time on one again.
 
ari said:
Perhaps you were going for humour and don't have a chip on your shoulder the size of a potato, who knows...
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It was a dig at my ghetto living friends. I have no chip, just a evil sense of humor designed to shake up the conversation. It got your interest ? Perhaps it will be better accepted if I removed ghetto for gated community? :p
 
I keep my boat on a swinging mooring as it’s the only place on the island to have 24 hour tidal access. Dinghy storage and parking are ok here, carting fuel to the boat in 25l drums by dinghy is a pita and filling with water requires a visit to the inner harbour. The main downsides are much more expensive and season limited insurance (harbour classed as high risk) and the hundreds of miles the boat travels from side to side when there is any wind. I use a bridle to attach to the mooring but even so the boat is never still in any more than a breeze.
 
ashtead said:
Having sailed from mid river pontoons /mooringand marina some thoughts:-
1) on a mooring the tide can go out leaving you and or some crew stuck on boat/ashore before tide comes in;
2) can be afloat but not able to leave (but same problem can arise with locked marinas where locks cannot cope with numbers such as Port Solent)
3) having to carry dinghy and maybe outboard from rack to water or pump up in absence of water taxi;
4) lugging kit to boat ( eg bedding,food, gas bottles, etc) using dinghy;
5) lack of power to run dehumidifier or top up batteries (could buy a Honda generator though for when on board but some dislike noise );
6) insecure mooring in winter so having to lift out (moorings can drag ashore but even leaving on a river pontoon might not be that secure; With marina can leave in all year with annual scrub ;
7) higher risk of theft on river mooring;(no close liveabords unlike a marina to be a meerkat lookout)
8) time spent rowing back and forth at end of day particularly if tide falling can lead to stress;
9) lack of secure car parking ashore ;
10) lack of heating;
11) less opportunity to visit if partially injured compared to say walking down a pontoon;
12) no wash down ability at end of trip;
13) more difficult for marines trades to do work in your absence to vessel;
14) might need last minute items or tools if carrying out work-in a marina some one often has a socket set/spanner etc or able to help lifting in/out broken windlass or battery etc;
15) higher insurance risk;
16) less usage of boat maybe;
17) more risks if returning to boat from local pub/restaurant Of falling in .
18 ) marinas can be closer to ferry ports/train stations etc -useful if bad weather or leaving boat on a longer trip;
19) sails and food cannot be delivered to marina office;
20) no one to do radio check with if needed
21) no one to tow you in /take lines if needed ;

Marina downsides
Costs
Idiots in large vessels or charter yachts you cannot fend off hitting your stern /bow
Becoming marina bound ie less motivation to leave if in comfortable location;
Noise from boats across the fairway having late night drunken parties;
Noise from charter boat parties generally
Wash from large ferries;
Being locked in due to numbers eg port Solent or Chichester;
Poorly maintained shower blocks;
Poor rubbish collection;
Car park being invaded by charter yacht crews taking owner spaces;
Lack of trolleys in car park or on pontoonas required;
Expensive laundry facilities;
Pontoons not washed down or gritted when icy ;
Commercial boats eg divers or fishermen running noisy generators for charging tanks
Noisy children off lead running around pontoons
Click to expand...
You forgot to mention engineers and contractors taking up your parking space when we attend boats to service and breakdowns at the weekend .
 
ashtead said:
Marina downsides
Costs
Idiots in large vessels or charter yachts you cannot fend off hitting your stern /bow
Becoming marina bound ie less motivation to leave if in comfortable location;
Noise from boats across the fairway having late night drunken parties;
Noise from charter boat parties generally
Wash from large ferries;
Being locked in due to numbers eg port Solent or Chichester;
Poorly maintained shower blocks;
Poor rubbish collection;
Car park being invaded by charter yacht crews taking owner spaces;
Lack of trolleys in car park or on pontoonas required;
Expensive laundry facilities;
Pontoons not washed down or gritted when icy ;
Commercial boats eg divers or fishermen running noisy generators for charging tanks
Noisy children off lead running around pontoons
Click to expand...

Cost - fair enough
Otherwise the rest sounds like you have a particular location in mind.
 
Many thanks to everyone for all the different views and suggestions. Will go for a mooring this year and with a much better idea of what I'm letting myself in for than I did at 8.43 this morning! Just have to find a boat (and a mooring...)
 
I just saw a sad post of a theft from a mooring in Essex - don’t forget to log details of anything you buy like outboards and other value items just in case of theft and ensure you have ample coverage.
 
ChrisH1 said:
Many thanks to everyone for all the different views and suggestions. Will go for a mooring this year and with a much better idea of what I'm letting myself in for than I did at 8.43 this morning! Just have to find a boat (and a mooring...)
Click to expand...

Good man! I hope my bullish sense of humour didn't sway you too much. As I confessed to @ari I was having a dig to see what all bit. The honest answer to all of this is simply down to :

personality and finance.

I go to the boat to get away. I really dont feel I have got away when in a marina. Quite the opposite especially when stuck behind a gate. Marina's offer great social settings and amenities, but I have autistic kids and prefer to be out on my own where I am not stressing on what they are getting up to. If you havent been there you wont understand. But there may be reasons you want solitude too. Secondly is finance. Where as I could very easily afford a marina, I think it's stupid money to pay for parking a boat and especially a sub 100k boat. 5 plus percent a year in parking? Madness. Of course if you see a marina as part of the entertainment and not a parking fee then 5% is nothing.
So everything depends on your outlook and what you want from boating. I live 5 miles from the boat. When I hit the boat it's moving out. Marinas hold no attraction, and that is why I moor.
It's kind of like overseas holidays. I prefer to rent a villa / BnB and tour the countryside on a scooter, some prefer to go to a 5 star hotel that includes all amenities and entertainment. What do you like?
 
I trail boated, then had a trot mooring, then a swing.

In the middle of all that was a marina.

What put me off was the "unpack the dinghy, inflate the dinghy, attach the outboard, run up the river, bring the boat back, load up boat, fix dinghy to back of boat."

Then at the end of the weekend....

"Tie up boat in river (not always easy in a strong wind) get in dinghy and motor back to base, clear out dinghy, deflate and try and put back in car all wet......."

Marina was SOOOO nice.

I'd go to dry stack next. Lower maintenance, much less bird muck if you can select NOT to be on the top row, much reduced algae etc.... I think that's why they are so popular.
 
ontheplane said:
What put me off was the "unpack the dinghy, inflate the dinghy, attach the outboard, run up the river, bring the boat back, load up boat, fix dinghy to back of boat."

Then at the end of the weekend....

"Tie up boat in river (not always easy in a strong wind) get in dinghy and motor back to base, clear out dinghy, deflate and try and put back in car all wet......."
Click to expand...

Problem gone

tzy1l2X.jpg
 
BruceK said:
Good man! I hope my bullish sense of humour didn't sway you too much. As I confessed to @ari I was having a dig to see what all bit. The honest answer to all of this is simply down to :

personality and finance.

I go to the boat to get away. I really dont feel I have got away when in a marina. Quite the opposite especially when stuck behind a gate. Marina's offer great social settings and amenities, but I have autistic kids and prefer to be out on my own where I am not stressing on what they are getting up to. If you havent been there you wont understand. But there may be reasons you want solitude too. Secondly is finance. Where as I could very easily afford a marina, I think it's stupid money to pay for parking a boat and especially a sub 100k boat. 5 plus percent a year in parking? Madness. Of course if you see a marina as part of the entertainment and not a parking fee then 5% is nothing.
So everything depends on your outlook and what you want from boating. I live 5 miles from the boat. When I hit the boat it's moving out. Marinas hold no attraction, and that is why I moor.
It's kind of like overseas holidays. I prefer to rent a villa / BnB and tour the countryside on a scooter, some prefer to go to a 5 star hotel that includes all amenities and entertainment. What do you like?
Click to expand...
A good precis!
 
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