Top 3 pleasures of moorings

[DogWatch]

1) Privacy.. We don't have people walking 2 feet from our bedroom, we can sit out and do our own thing without having to be social (if we don't want to be). We never get interrupted by a knock on the hull. We sleep with the bedroom curtains open (once the light is off).

2) 360° views of the harbour.

3) We are more self sufficient than most yachts who come off marinas. We make our own power, heat, hot water etc etc. Even on the odd occasion we stop on a marina or wall, we rarely have to plug in, if we do it is for convenience rather than necessity. With Solar and wind we really only need to run the engines to 'give them a run'.. This winter we have been running the eber for 30 hours over 2 days, at the same time watching TV, running lights, basically, living as normal in the bunker (it's cold outside). This gives us more flexibility when cruising, we never have to find a marina, we're more than happy on a drying mooring.

3½) It is not because we can't afford to park on a marina, there does appear to be a snobbery in some harbours, in our case it is a choice. If my health keeps going down hill, we may have to look to a pontoon berth or stop, yuk!

 

[LONG_KEELER]

1. Knocking up a fellow swinger asking if they would like to join in a sing-song or to make a fourth at Bridge. ( this was actually in one of my F.B. Cooke cruising books)

2. Better but possibly bouncier views with automatic 180 degree views. .

3. Rowing, carrying, and pushing to help keep you fit.

4. High gawp factor with more gawping at boats and people and able to do it all in only Y Fronts without causing offence.

 

[jdc]

The symbolism of letting go! Leaving an alongside berth is a process: sorting out the order to slip lines, stowing fenders etc; one is 5 mins into the voyage before being aware that one's off.

Whereas from my mooring I drop the pick-up buoy and chain loop over the side with a splash, and instantly my cares disappear and work is no more thought about until next tied up.

 

[Mrs Sea Mist II]

1. Sitting in the evening with a glass of wine enjoying views that keep changing ever so slightly.

2. Hearing the wading birds.

3. The quiet, apart from number 2.

 

[Boathook]

I'm on a 'mooring' though alongside. Seem to have all the advantages plus mains elecy and water. Just hope that the yard owners don't use ybw .....

 

[Slow_boat]

1. It's cheap. I couldn't contemplate boat ownership if I had to use a marina.

2. It's private.

3. If I go ashore, I go further than the marina shop/bar.

 

[Searush]

All of the above, plus;

I can wave to my mates as they pass when coming in & out.

If I am spending time aboard, I can choose to move over to the Quay so that SWMBO has easy access to the town centre.

We appear in all the postcards. I have tourist mugs, placemats & postcards of my boat underneath the Castle.

I only ever hear my own halliards (assuming I have forgotten the frap them)

When I was at Conway I was exactly the right distance to hear the bands on the quayside without them being loud or intrusive (about 1/2mile )

I can fish off the boat.

I can walk round her & scrub her down when the tide goes out.

I can use the sea toilet if caught short.

It feels as if I am at sea even when in the harbour, the low noise & slight motion are very soothing when settling down at night.

I can see the stars at night due to the limited light pollution.

need I go on?

 

[Colvic Watson]

All of the above, plus;


need I go on?

I thought you posted on the other thread that you're in a marina?

 

[Elessar]

What I don't understand is why this is an all one way or all another way thing. I agree with all of the above - for holidays. I'm self sufficent until I run out of diesel or water. Oh except the easy to slip bit, race you from shutting the car door to sailing away.

but for keeping the boat, give me a marina. Security when I'm not there, water (for cleaning), power for the winter, ease of maintenance all win out for me. I would only keep my boat on a mooring again if I had to save the money.

And in that case I'd probably still marina in the winter and use a mooring in the summer.

But the best thing is we all like different things.

 

[Poignard]

But the best thing is we all like different things.

Well said! Something the numerous evangelists on this forum seem to have difficulty in accepting.

 

[awol]

Well said! Something the numerous evangelists on this forum seem to have difficulty in accepting.

So one guy starts a thread titled "Top 3 pleasures of moorings"; others chime in with their top threes, all nice and gentle like; then someone chimes in with why he prefers a marina and parsifal starts calling the others "evangelists", a wonderfully helpful, informative addition to the thread. Why not start your own thread on the "Top 3 pleasures of Marinas" - or have we just had that?

Pointing out the pleasures of moorings doesn't detract from the joys of marinas; doesn't mean the swingers are more virtuous, sensible, lovable human beings - just that there are tangible and emotional benefits to swinging.

One of my favourites is looking back at mine as I row away - 'cos she looks awfully pretty. But then she's no a Benbavjen.

 

[Slow_boat]

1. It's cheap. I couldn't contemplate boat ownership if I had to use a marina.

2. It's private.

3. If I go ashore, I go further than the marina shop/bar.

Oh, and there's no one to overhear you at night.

 

[CliveG]

I am totally with Mrs Sea Mist II's list and moor in the same area as they were last year.

Just sitting in the peace and quite in the cockpit watching the sun go down with a nice drink at hand on a Friday evening after a busy week at the coal face.
No one nearby to overlook you, just the local birds heading off to their roosts or out for a nights hunting.
The most relaxing thing I can think of.

Marinas are good for a visit If you want to entertain visitors who feel the need for the full comforts of Pub Grub, flushing toilets and a full volume shower.

The dinghy trip out to the boat and back is a small price to pay.

 

[Kilter]

All of the above, plus;

I can wave to my mates as they pass when coming in & out.

If I am spending time aboard, I can choose to move over to the Quay so that SWMBO has easy access to the town centre.

We appear in all the postcards. I have tourist mugs, placemats & postcards of my boat underneath the Castle.

I only ever hear my own halliards (assuming I have forgotten the frap them)

When I was at Conway I was exactly the right distance to hear the bands on the quayside without them being loud or intrusive (about 1/2mile )

I can fish off the boat.

I can walk round her & scrub her down when the tide goes out.

I can use the sea toilet if caught short.

It feels as if I am at sea even when in the harbour, the low noise & slight motion are very soothing when settling down at night.

I can see the stars at night due to the limited light pollution.

need I go on?

1 All the above

2 Being able to barbie the freshly caught fish on the back of the boat

3 The simple pleasure of sailing off and on the mooring

(The disadvantage is the hairyarsedtwat with the speedbaot with the broken silencer on the adjacent mooring and his equally moronic pal with the RIB

 

[Searush]

I thought you posted on the other thread that you're in a marina?

Do pay attention, dear boy. I am a noted anti-marina evangelist


Parsifal

Please don't take it all so seriously. It's just a bit of fun. There is no more a marina vs moorings war than there is a Raggies vs MoBos war . . . Oh, err hmm, yes, well perhaps that isn't a good analogy. Maybe I should have said MAB vs AWB, err no, perhaps Wooden vs BenJenBavs, err, fin keelers vs Bilge?


Ohh, sodditt. The whole hobby is heaving with vested interests & fractious factions. I give in.

 

[CliveG]

Searush old chap, I think that the answer is that ones way of boating is the best for you and other peoples way of doing it is the best for them.

I for one am glad that so many find marina berths to be their best answer.
Leaves more moorings for those who like them.

 

[Poignard]

But the best thing is we all like different things.

To which you might add : ...at different times.

The biggest advantage I found with a swinging mooring was being able to just let go one line and go for a sail. When I had a swinging mooring at Gosport (in pre-Brown days when petrol was affordable) we would sometimes drive down from London just to go out for an evening sail.

Now we have a berth in a club marina and it certainly has many benefits, especially owning an old boat needing a lot of maintenance. No need to dinghy ashore to get the vital tool or part accidentally left in the car, or to dinghy back to the moring to get the car keys . Also the Old Guvnor (alas, not now as nimble as she was) prefers to step daintily and safely on board from a pontoon rather than a dinghy and, as she can cook, what she wants matters. But going for a sail now is a less spontaneous business with 4 shore lines and fenders to deal with, not to mention the time-consuming business of manouvering a long-keeler out of a tricky berth

For sailing - give me a mooring (especially when single-handing). For maintenance - give me a pontoon with room to cut up a sheet of plywood.

Maybe the answer is to have both?

 

[Colvic Watson]

Do pay attention, dear boy. I am a noted anti-marina evangelist

What is one of those????

 

[Firestone]

1.No NOSEY landlubers peering through the windows as though they were looking into a fish bowl.Very disconcerting!!
2.Peace and Quiet
3.Rarely use the dingy if there is a water taxi in the vicinity.
Happy boating to all in 2010.

 

[Kelpie]

You can have a pee over the side.