Boat Moorings
Once you have decided on buying a boat you will
need to think about where you are going to store it. If it is not
possible to store at home then you will need to moor your vessel.
There are several types of moorings available and these include
a marina/harbour, boatyard, or a swinging mooring . A brief
description of each one is given below with a guide as to how much
they will cost in the South of England. Prices are cheaper in other
areas of
the UK. Remember to always check the actual cost with your chosen
mooring company as prices do vary alot.
Marinas/Harbour
Marinas are the top of the range as far as moorings are concerned.
Moorings in a marina tend to provide deep water throughout the
day and therefore a jetty or pontoon is provided so that you can
walk to your boat without getting wet.These are known as Pontoon
Moorings. They will also provide most of the facilities that you
require whilst using your boat. These may include showers and toilets,
chandlery, parking, cafe and even a clubhouse. The security provided
by a marina will be good and in many cases will include electronic
access gates and CCTV camaras.
Boatyards
A boatyard tends to be used by people who wish to refit or repair
their boat whilst it is not on the water. They can also be used
in some cases for winter storage if your boat has been on a swinging
mooring in the summer. Many boatyards have their own workshops
and will carry out repairs on your behalf. Facilities may not be
as good as those in a marina, although with a greater provision
for residential moorings the standard won't be bad.
Swinging Moorings
Swinging moorings tend to be the cheapest way of mooring a boat,
although some sort of winter storage may need to be considered.
Swinging moorings are provided in rivers, estuaries, harbours or
in other areas of sheltered water. They consist of a buoy which
is attached by chains to a heavy sinker which lies on the river
or sea bed. Your boat is attached to the buoy and will then swing
around in the water according to the direction of the tide - hence
the name. To get to your boat you will need to use a small craft
like a dinghy or inflatable tender.A mooring in a tidal area will
probably mean that the boat is high and dry for some period of
time and it is wise to choose one which will sit down comfortably,
probably on bilge keels. If you choose to moor your boat in tidal
water then you may come across the terms Mud Berth, Half Tide,
and All States Of Tide. A Mud Berth is where the tide will go out
and leave your boat sitting in the mud until the tide comes in
again, which restricts the times as to when you can use your boat.
In this case it would be worth contacting the mooring operator
to find out when the best times are for using your boat. Half Tide
is when the tide will be in at your mooring for about half the
time of the full tide. All States Of Tide means that your boat
will be afloat all of the time, moorings in these areas tend to
be more expensive than the mud berths as you can use your boat
at any time.
Costs
The costs of your mooring will depend on the type, location,
and the size of your boat. Most prices are stated per metre.
The mooring costs given by a marina
or moorings operator do not include moving and lifting the boat
and should also be considered if you decide to store your boat
in a boatyard during the winter months. For example a typical
10 metre (approx 33 feet) yacht would cost around £3500 a
year based on the information from Sparkes Yacht Harbour (www.sparkes.co.uk)
and the Weymouth Marina
(www.weymouth-marina.co.uk).
Further Information
Further information can be obtained by contacting the marinas
and mooring operators direct. For this purpose we have included
the links to Dolphin Diving (www.dolphindiving.com)and
Marina Info (www.marina-info.com).
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