This should generate a few different opinions...

jcwads

jcwads

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Rafting on a mooring buoy.

I am always very open to someone coming alongside, say for example in Newtown Creek. Often if you show up and raft, you can detach and grab a buoy off a day visitor once they leave, if you plan on staying over meaning its only a short term thing there.

But what I don't get is the attitude of some boat owners, especially two I encountered recently who huffed and puffed at the prospect of a short term raft arrangement, one of whom was pretty rude.

I get some of you may share the feelings of not wanting someone alongside, but for me, if its a short term thing or even the done thing for a long term stay (especially places like Salcombe and the Scillies) then I would rather let a fellow boat owner secure up and relax.
 
Ummm yeah. Unless it's a visitor swing mooring and rated to be able to take a raft up then yes, I imagine if I was the owner / renter of a swing mooring and all and sundry thought it OK to raft up to me I wouldn't just be rather unpleasant or rude. I'd also be extremely so. But then rafting up on swing moorings here is not actually something I have ever seen done. If it's acceptable in your location fine, it certainly is not here.
 
There was a thread on this a while ago and I replied don't be daft you can't raft on a bouy.

In Mallorca there are actually signs on some of them telling you not to.

Anyway someone then came along showing local rules somewhere that said you can't moor more than 6 on a bouy! The answer would seem to set more bouys.

Personally I think it is a daft idea - and would rather prefer anchoring as with the movement on a bouy between the boats nothing great and the whole point of being on a boat anchored ( bouy) meaning you have peace and quite it seems a bit odd !
 
Well it's certainly the case in Salcombe that at busy times you will be directed by harbour staff to raft up on visitor's buoys. We once had a Trader 54 and two 42 foot Sealines on one buoy. Must have been well over 50 tons. No problem in sheltered, calm conditions and where the provenance of the ground tackle Is well known. On the other hand AFAIK the harbour staff would not direct a visitor to raft against one of the boats permanently moored there and quite right to IMO.
 
I certainly would never ask to raft on a permanent residents mooring. It is more that if it is a visitors mooring like Newtown creek and a short stay thing, it isn't so bad imho.

If I was staying overnight and it was not something I had been asked to do by a harbour master, I wouldn't raft on a buoy either.

If I make my trip to the Scillies this season I understand they raft boats on the mooring buoys in St Mary's harbour, so won't have a choice anyway.
 
As I said in my initial post if it's a visitor mooring, and local practise, and under HA direction then how can anybody get the hump? Under your clarification I can understand your bewilderment. I have a river pontoon and used to have a swing mooring too (until that silted up). That was used for a smaller cuddy speed boat that I would leave in the water if the tides made a trailer retrieval awkward. No end of aggro. Nobody would pinch another man's pontoon berth but a swing mooring seems to be fair game.
 
In salcombe we have been rafted with friends on a buoy and will be again shortly, but would not dream to raft up against someone that we did not know on a buoy, rafting is common place and expected on a fixed mooring, not so sure on a buoy, we would seek alternative , in Newton creek surely you would anchor .
 
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Yes.

It's different if you're with friends but I wouldn't dream of rafting against someone who was there first. I turn around and go somewhere else if it's busy and can't anchor.
 
jcwads said:
Even if its for a couple of hours whilst the raft waits for a day visitor to leave so they can grab their buoy?
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Speaking personally and other would disagree but being on a bouy with boats i don't know sounds like sheer hell.

You are in even closer proximity than in a marina ( when 70% of the boats are empty anyway) and it makes camping seem glamourous.

There was a thread a while ago .... why is the boating industry in decline ( we mostly thought it was not) but when you find out that a marinas idea of "facilities" in the Uk is a bouy that they stick more than one boat on as opposed to laying more you can see why the OP had that view! I assume each person get charged, and probably based on their length ....

Each to their own of course.
 
I dont do marina's and I dont raft. I dont like tight anchorages either. If I liked that sort of thing I'd buy a static caravan in a caravan park and fill my boots. Each to their own.
 
BruceK said:
Nobody would pinch another man's pontoon berth but a swing mooring seems to be fair game.
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It is indeed. The tradition is that it's OK to pick up a suitable sized vacant private mooring, so long as you're prepared to clear off p.d.q. if the owner comes back (night or day). The mooring owner could well be picking up someone else's mooring somewhere else, so all's fair and shared.

Of course that all starts to break down when you have 1,000 boats parked in marinas in Busy City, half of whom want to have a night in nearby Scenic Creek on a sunny bank holiday weekend.

The bottom line is a 'private' mooring is obstructing a public navigation, where Tom, Dick and Harry have a right to pass and to anchor and the 'private' mooring is preventing them doing that. Having the mooring picked up from time to time is part of the price the owner pays for that, and also for the fellowship of the sailing fraternity.

(None of which, of course, excuses abuse or inconsiderate use of your mooring tackle.)
 
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