Mooring Questions

[jasonlwiggins]

Eventually, the wife and I would like to take sailing classes and buy something in the 35 to 40 ft range.

I have a habit of putting the cart before the horse and looking into all the potential issues, expenses, etc.

My question of the day: Is mooring a practical long term option?

I see how much coastal property, slips, storage, etc. cost and I was wondering if mooring for up to two months at a time is a bad idea.

We live in Atlanta and would like to be able to moor somewhere along coastal GA or SC.

How do you obtain mooring permits? What are the laws regarding mooring? What are better options?

Any links would be great as I have been coming up empty.

[cptnandy]

I lived on a mooring for 13 years, in Hawaii though so no idea about your area.

[jasonlwiggins]

Wow, that is a long time. What is the longest you ever left your boat moored and unattended?

Did you set up the mooring or was it pre-installed by the local government or private enterprise? How would the fees work on something like that, if any?

Thanks,
J

[Ex-Calif]

Hi Jason and welcome to the forum. Mooring rules are different location by location. Some are controlled by local government.

There are usually a couple of threads going on moorings.

Here is a search tool you might find handy.

Cruisers & Sailing Forum

Here are a couple of mooring threads.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...lis-17803.html

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-nc-17371.html

[jasonlwiggins]

Thank you very much for the help everybody. I am sure those links will get me started in the correct direction.

[Sandero]

A strong mooring is a fine storage / parking solution. What you need to consider is that it is strong, has the proper size chain, shackles, and rode for your boat and it's anchoring behavior (some sail around at anchor a bit more than others) and this include adaquate scope for the depth and tide range.

You'll want to have a second mooring line which serves as a back up if the first one fails (chafes). And this raises the issue of chafe. Most boats which "go free" from their mooring is the result of chafe. So you will want chafe gear at chocks and a fair lead... no rubbing against the anchor or bobstay. Another alternative is to use a bow eye blow the deck level with a strong snap hook (Wichard?) and a security loop to a blow cleat. Chafe is the enemy of the sailor and if you are not around to fight it, you better have chafe protection.

Don't forget to add a "pick up" buoy which has a "mast/stick" attached to your mooring painter so that you can reach it from the bow.

Then you need a dink and a place to keep it so that you can come and go to shore and to get provisions (or walk the dog...)

You want adaquate swinging room and no vessels moored or anchoring in your swinging room.

And the anchorage iteself should be protected from open sea so that it is comfortable to "live on"... so a protected cove is ideal.

Then you need to maintain the mooring gear regularly and you are safe as can be. You will lie to wind (usually) so it is cooler than a slip, and you will have more privacy out there.

[jasonlwiggins]

All the info is great. And fast!

Tropical storms and hurricanes don't seem to hit the GA/SC coast as often as say FL or the gulf coast, but it does happen.

How would a moored boat hold up in this situation? Obviously lots of variables here. Let's assume proper mooring as described above in a fairly large storm.

Or would I need to get down there and move it to safer waters when ever a storm looks like it may threaten the area?

[Sandero]

If your mooring holds and you don't chafe the painter(s) you can still have OTHER boats near you break free of their moorings and smash into your hull, engage your rigging with their spreaders and even take down your mast... or destroy your stanchions and lifelines... or overload your mooring and part your painter.

Not much to do about other people's boats in a hurricane.

But being on a dock can be much worse.

If there's a hurricane hole... hunker down in there.

[jasonlwiggins]

Thanks again everyone. I will be sure to take all this info and do more research.

[GMac]

Originally Posted by jasonlwiggins

Eventually, the wife and I would like to take sailing classes and buy something in the 35 to 40 ft range.

I have a habit of putting the cart before the horse and looking into all the potential issues, expenses, etc.

My question of the day: Is mooring a practical long term option?

Within 25mls of me right now, there are 5-6000 odd boats who live permanently on moorings. Many are in exposed places if things go bad as they did recently.

Of the 4000 odd boats within 10mls of me 0.06% came off their moorings in the very recent evil. 40% due to boat failure (cleats ripping out of decks etc), 40% due to rope chafe and 20% due to some real weird reasons.

So no worries as long as it's a good mooring. Oh and you like cleaning your bottom a bit more than some.