Getting to & from mooring

[SailAwy]

I'm likely purchasing a 25' sailboat shortly and am debating on putting it on a mooring, or forking out the money for a slip. I'm in SW CT so as anything in the tri-state, its $$$$. I'm very new to all of this (first boat) and the harbour where the mooring field is doesn't offer service to and from the boat. Are my only options to either buy a dinghy to get to and from, or just go with the pricier convenience of a slip?

Also, as it is only a 25', I really would like to avoid having to hoist the dinghy as much as possible to conserve on deck space. Is it common practice to just tie up the dinghy to the mooring when I take the boat out for the day?

I'm sure these questions are bleeding obvious to most on here, but just trying to figure out the most effective way at the least amount of expense.

Thanks in advance.

PS. Hopefully Im posting in the correct forum.

[roverhi]

Yes, it's common to leave the dinghy tied to the mooring when going out for a daysail. Has the added advantage of keeping wandering boats from tieing up to your mooring.

Will you have to truck the dinghy down to the mooring access point each time you want to go out or is there dinghy storage on site? If it's the former get the smallest dinghy you can find to make it easier to launch and row out to the boat.

[TreblePlink]

You're in a cold water area. What's the plan if disaster strikes and you start taking on serious water?