Moorings Fees Going up 700%

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by zeehag

san diego moorings are maintained every year by the mooring company coming around in their crane barge and lifting block and chain out of water and micrometer-ing the remaining chain and replacing that which has worn too far for safety.
they supply the tag lines also and inspect those before every storm in winter--those can get winds to 40-90+ kts wind with appropriate accompanying seas(lots if fetch)--is fun to sit on a mooring in a ferocious winter pacific storm and wonder if you are gonna break way-- there are some that do--usually the fault of the lines or cleats holding same. unfortunately they use yacht braid, not 3 strand--sometimes the lines snap.
there has not been a broken chain since 1999 easter sunday when a hudson force 50 broke a chain link and cruised thru downtown moorings and took out 4 others. biig problem-china chain.
the moorings(as installed by port of san diego) use 1/2 in chain and a 2840 pound block of concrete--there are some heavier moorings in a protected area for large boats.

when i was in st thomas, dec 2008, at water island, there were many many moored and anchore boats--we didnt pay for anchoring, but there was precious little room for it.

WOW. That's great, and you really get a lot of service for your money! However, I personally think the city is smart to do it, and keep the boats safe.

[capttman]

There research is flawed. I cry when I pay 290 a month which includes tax in Miami. I can get less than that too

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by capttman

There research is flawed. I cry when I pay 290 a month which includes tax in Miami. I can get less than that too

You should cry. That would nearly get you a slip in a very nice marina in this area ...

[Lotustrbo]

I would say that you guys should be very happy, when I would go to Catalina my mooring fee was $118 dollars a day and I only had 3 to choose from so get there early or your on the hook for the week or how ever long I was there for.

[FSMike]

Originally Posted by seacap

The DPNR argues that Florida gets $360 month for a 40' boat. Well as far as I can see this is in St. Augustine. Most people seem to be bypassing it because of these fees. Also for these rates across Florida it includes the mooring that is maintained yearly. Plus amenities like pump out, dinghy dock, shore side showers etc. The VI government wants this for a little bit of mud on the bottom of the ocean.

Prices are about the same in Marathon and Key West I believe, Vero Beach may be cheaper.
As you note, these fees include free pumpouts, dinghy dockage, and shower facilities. Not to mention shoreside security, a place to get your mail, etc., maybe even free water?
I doubt those amenities are on the VI agenda, not for free anyway.

[captainjay]

So these fees here in the Virgin Islands that are being proposed are for lease of the seafloor only. The boat owners must install their own tackle and maintain it. We have no effective pump out system. A few marinas have it available and charge. You must take your boat into the marina. The officials in charge have done a horrible job of mapping and approving moorings. Applications go years without any action. Most people just do it illegally. Now they want to charge huge fees to pay for services they plan to provide. None of these "services" have been actually planned but they want the money now.
Jay

[Noname1]

Originally Posted by captainjay

So these fees here in the Virgin Islands that are being proposed are for lease of the seafloor only. The boat owners must install their own tackle and maintain it. We have no effective pump out system. A few marinas have it available and charge. You must take your boat into the marina. The officials in charge have done a horrible job of mapping and approving moorings. Applications go years without any action. Most people just do it illegally. Now they want to charge huge fees to pay for services they plan to provide. None of these "services" have been actually planned but they want the money now.
Jay

If one has not spent time in El Caribe and wants to have some idea what you will experience in the VI's or down island in general just read and believe "Don't Stop the Carnival". I recommend anyone going there read the book first

[TFrere]

Unbelievable. I have never seen a mooring off Louisiana but at my marina I pay $114 per month for a 38' boat. Electricity and water are free.

[zeehag]

raku--is NOT the city of sd having this project--was port of san diego--much different-- comes under coastal commission and parks and recreation in kaili.
the ONLY benefit is the care for the moorings--is nothing else--no car parking, no electricity, no garbage dumpsters for your bags of trash--pump outs are independent and cost 70 dollars for a 5 gallon tank on a monthly basis.....unless ye go over to one of the 4 free sites....
the plan is to raise the rents more than 500 percent after the departure of the last grandfathered in tenant. i am grandfathered in as i still have a sloop there on a mooring.

only moorings i ever saw in louisiana were crab traps.....


btw--the safety of individual boats on moorings is up to the OWNER OF THE BOAT--says so in the fine print of your individual mooring contract. the yacht braid they use for tag lines is bad stuff and snaps in over 40 kts winds--bt, seen that-----too often. but the fine print says......

[Mt2Salt]

You all are making me wonder if I want to retire and live on a boat in blue waters.......

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Mt2Salt

You all are making me wonder if I want to retire and live on a boat in blue waters.......

I'm getting the same sort of feelings these days too.

Some days I am glad that there is only a teeny tiny, little bitty chance I will ever get to try again.

I do feed it puffs here each day but sometimes the puffs have too much moisture (tears?) in them and dim the small glow............

[capngeo]

Key West is going through the same ideology with regard to increasing "fees" wherever they can.... I ****think**** the live-aboard community there has successfully stalled it.... For now

[Kettlewell]

You can't compare mooring fees from one area to another--they are all over the place. Here in southeast New England the typical rental fee is $40-$65 per night for transients. About the cheapest seasonal mooring is $950 per 6-month season, but on top of that you have to pay an excise tax to the town and a mooring fee--probably another $250 per year on my 38-foot boat. But, that includes rental of the tackle. If I coulfd find a rental mooring in Newport for the season it might be $2400-$3000 for six months. If I could find a town that would let me put in a mooring (most have a 10-year plus waiting list) I could just pay the excise and mooring fee to the town, but then I have to buy the mooring gear, have it inspected every year or two by a professional mooring inspector, etc. But, at the same time, I once rented a dock with electricity in the Chesapeake for less than $100 per month in an out-of-the-way fishing creek. For some reason dockage and moorings in the Chesapeake are relatively cheap compared to New England, the Carolinas and Georgia are often cheaper still, and Florida is still cheaper than New England. I can stay in the high-end marina in the middle of Ft. Lauderdale for less than half what I would pay for a dumpy marina in some backwater town in New England. Go figure.

[SunDevil]

The question is, where can you go and pay $0 to anchor? Is it easy to find these places anymore?

I'm surprised the rich people haven't taken over an island yet and made it into a perfect place. Yet instead of charging yearly or monthly taxes, there would just be one-time fees to cover development costs.

[Kettlewell]

You can anchor almost anywhere for $0. I've never paid to anchor out from Labrador to Panama. Certainly, the entire U.S.A., or at least most of it. I know of no harbor that charges for anchoring. Sometimes space is tight, but there is usually some other place to go where there is more room.