Moorings Australia

[genni]

Hey everybody,

Relative newbie here - I hope I've posted in the correct place. I've been looking into purchasing a boat (Roberts 38). With this sale, the owner has offered the swing buoy the boat is attached to. I am skeptical about the mooring being legal. I'm wondering if anyone here has their boat on a mooring, and how did they come across it? In QLD, swing buoys/ pylons are hard to come by and a berth would cost us more than our weekly rent. The only thing stopping me from buying a fixed keel is finding a suitable place to keep it.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Bruce K]

What State?

[genni]

Originally Posted by Bruce K

What State?

Queensland! I've checked out the Government website, and it doesn't offer much. It says that I may apply to create a swing mooring, but that it must meet their conditions. I feel if it were an easy process every Tom, Dick, and Harry would have done it by now.

[Bruce K]

Sorry, can't help with Qld.

[genni]

Originally Posted by Bruce K

Sorry, can't help with Qld.

No worries. Thanks anyway!

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by genni

With this sale, the owner has offered the swing buoy the boat is attached to. I am skeptical about the mooring being legal.

Your location in Queensland is important. Is the mooring in the Gold Coast Waterway? If so, the rules are set by the Gold Coast Waterway Authority.

If not in the Gold Coast Waterway, then Maritime Safety Queensland is the relevant authority.

Let's assume the mooring is not in the Gold Coast Waterway.

The present owner may well have a mooring approval granted by Maritime Safety Queensland. That PO should be able to show you proof of the approval.

But that is not important. What is important is that the PO cannot transfer their approval for a mooring to you. The previous owner cannot grant you the mooring as a gift. Nor can the previous owner sell the mooring to you, either as the mooring itself or as part of the boat and its gear.

You have to apply for your own mooring approval.

MSQ's wording is clear:

"The granting of a buoy mooring authority is not a personal grant and does not confer legal title to any person. A buoy mooring authority cannot be given as a gift or reward, sold (either with the approved ship or as a mooring only), transferred, rented, sub-leased or used for financial gain."

See: https://www.msq.qld.gov.au/-/media/M...heet.pdf?la=en

[genni]

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

Your location in Queensland is important. Is the mooring in the Gold Coast Waterway? If so, the rules are set by the Gold Coast Waterway Authority.

If not in the Gold Coast Waterway, then Maritime Safety Queensland is the relevant authority.

Let's assume the mooring is not in the Gold Coast Waterway.

The present owner may well have a mooring approval granted by Maritime Safety Queensland. That PO should be able to show you proof of the approval.

But that is not important. What is important is that the PO cannot transfer their approval for a mooring to you. The previous owner cannot grant you the mooring as a gift. Nor can the previous owner sell the mooring to you, either as the mooring itself or as part of the boat and its gear.

You have to apply for your own mooring approval.

MSQ's wording is clear:

"The granting of a buoy mooring authority is not a personal grant and does not confer legal title to any person. A buoy mooring authority cannot be given as a gift or reward, sold (either with the approved ship or as a mooring only), transferred, rented, sub-leased or used for financial gain."

See: https://www.msq.qld.gov.au/-/media/M...heet.pdf?la=en

Hi Alan,

Thanks very much for the detailed response. There is a photo of the mooring, and there are no other boats in the vicinity so I did think it was not up to code.

I am located inland, but our nearest marina is the Yeppoon area.

Without going into much detail, is the process of acquiring a swing mooring easy enough? As I mentioned earlier, we don't yet own a boat. And the decision between a TS and a fixed keel lies in the moorings and their cost. If a mooring is easy enough to organise, I will go the fixed keel route. If not, I will resign myself to a TS until such time we can afford a berth.

Many thanks.

[Alan Mighty]

Of course, there is the question of whether you're really talking about a 'mooring'.

You might, just for the sake of argument, be talking about a 54 kg (120 pounds) Bruce anchor with a length of chain and a buoy, such as you might find in a deep creek near Yeppoon.

Depends very much on whether MSQ regards that as a mooring or just a big anchor that you can retrieve and take with you, if the need arises.

If you wanted to find out more from MSQ, you'd be advised to go visit an MSQ office as remote from Yeppoon as possible (such as Cairns).

[genni]

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

Of course, there is the question of whether you're really talking about a 'mooring'.

You might, just for the sake of argument, be talking about a 54 kg (120 pounds) Bruce anchor with a length of chain and a buoy, such as you might find in a deep creek near Yeppoon.

Depends very much on whether MSQ regards that as a mooring or just a big anchor that you can retrieve and take with you, if the need arises.

If you wanted to find out more from MSQ, you'd be advised to go visit an MSQ office as remote from Yeppoon as possible (such as Cairns).

Ha! You got me! I thought it was all the same.

You've given excellent information. I've looked up restricted anchoring zones and it does not seem to apply.

Thanks Alan! You've been a great help.

[Reefmagnet]

You definitely cannot transfer your mooring with the sale of the boat, and you have to have a QLD registered boat that qualifies for a mooring in order to apply for a mooring. Bit of a Catch22 but that's how it works.

In my experience, the MSQ are pretty easy going and if you turn up at the office and talk with the right people they'll let you know the local areas where moorings are available and (even though they won't "officially" offer advise) they'll give you a good idea of what locations may be best to apply for if you want to secure one quick. Of course some moorings are better than others, so do some homework first. The guys at MSQ might also let you know of any commercial guys which have moorings for rent which are a lot cheaper than a marina berth while you wait for your allocation. And the wait is worth it because it's something like $50 per year plus the cost of acquiring and maintaining your mooring. And you can quite often pick up used mooring gear at very reasonable pricing if you talk to the right people i.e. local mooring contractors.

[RaymondR]

I'm curious as to where near Yapoon one would find a creek deep enough to moor a keel boat in?

MSQ might not be the best people to talk to.

If you are near a designated port the port authority may be the administrator of the included waters and in some places inland up a river it may be the local council.

Asking the present owner who they pay their mooring rental fees to might be your best indication and if they say "what fees" it's probably prudent to assume that the mooring is unapproved or even illegal.

[Fore and Aft]

You might have trouble getting comprehensive insurance on a swing mooring that far north?
Cheers

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

You might have trouble getting comprehensive insurance on a swing mooring that far north?
Cheers

Interesting point, the harbor at Yepoon is as 23 d 09 m S. It would depend on the requirements of the insurance company. The buyer would need to know the exact position of whatever mooring he is able to work out, and for that, he needs to know the requirements from the insurance companies. Good luck with it, genni, it's lots of details.

Ann

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

I'm curious as to where near Yapoon one would find a creek deep enough to moor a keel boat in?

Cawarral

[RaymondR]

Of course, one of the tidal entry creeks on that part of the coast. Looks like a good cyclone hole and handy to Emu Park. Great part of the Qld coast and not far from one of my favorite stops at Corio Bay. I used to go into the Keppel Bay marina to resupply until I discovered Emu Park which is far more convenient.