Anyone else get a bit testy about the proliferation of moorings?

Two of us anchoring cruisers are sitting here in Quiet Corner off Adventure Bay, Bruny Island. It's just a little too rough for a safe dinghy landing and we're rolling a bit. Things would be great if we could nestle up in the corner but, of course, there are 5 empty moorings using up all that space. I don't mind picking up a mooring in this situation, but feel, to be fair, I have to stay on the boat in case the owner arrives.

It seems that we're in danger of filling every great anchoring spot with unused, underused or inappropriate moorings.

Now, of course, I'm not against the bulk of moorings which are used to store our much loved craft.

Firstly, "storage" moorings have to be safe but don't have to be in the premiere, comfortable overnight anchoring spot.

Secondly, not every safe shore access anchoring spot HAS to be taken by a mooring.

Thirdly, all club moorings should be available to anyone via a booking system and payment of a suitable fee. I'm very happy for club members to have priority (earlier) booking, lower or zero fee or whatever. I'm perfectly happy to pay the fee. The delightful Basin in Pittwater is completely stuffed with club moorings. In Port Arthur, one bay seemed to be completely full of unused moorings.

Fourthly, get rid of mooring minders and, in some places, unused, unmaintained moorings.

And,lastly, adopt a "space for cruisers " policy in each area.

Although, as NSWSAILOR has pointed out, perhaps the authorities are entirely focused on money collection and displaying an anchor on your boat will be banned!

Rant over - cheers all.

Bristol

Maybe they should introduce a fine for not getting off your mooring for 28 days ! Use it or loose it

Hey, Woko, like your thinking



Bristol

Hi Bristol

I am guilty of this as I have my boat at Port Huon and another mooring at Eggs and Bacon Bay near the mouth of the Huon River

The reason I have the spare one is when we go down there it doesn't matter what the weather does and a lot of Tassie sailors have a spare mooring in places they like to go often

If you want to use it pm me and I will give you the location and the number

Regards Don

Double post

For somewhere like Rottnest, moorings are a no brainer. If there were no moorings, the seabed in the bays would be totally trashed and there'd no doubt be collisions and snaggings all over the place from dragging. The shared mooring system is a pretty good way to allow as many as possible, access to private moorings. There are some small free anchoring designated areas as well as quite a few casual rental moorings.

This is Thomson Bay NYE last year.

Ha ha, excellent rant Adam! I've only ever seen trailer boats on the Adventure Bay moorings in Quite Corner. You might want to be careful using them as they could be light on under the water. Expect the shackies and tinnies to be turning up in force for the holiday though.

Marine and Safety Tas has a map showing all registered moorings that may be handy for planning ahead: maps.mast.tas.gov.au/

Good to hear that you've made it safely around the corner, hope you had a good trip? We're taking off in the morning and heading to Maria Island for Easter via the canal.

Sounds like a good local system Freeradical. Very keen on moorings for seabed protection myself. It's just the locking out of cruisers in some areas that bugs me a bit.

Cheers

Bristol

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FreeRadical said..
For somewhere like Rottnest, moorings are a no brainer. If there were no moorings, the seabed in the bays would be totally trashed and there'd no doubt be collisions and snaggings all over the place from dragging. The shared mooring system is a pretty good way to allow as many as possible, access to private moorings. There are some small free anchoring designated areas as well as quite a few casual rental moorings.

This is Thomson Bay NYE last year.

Not many yachts there, maybe they know better!

Hi Bristol

this is what MAST say is there

how does it compare

Regards Don

Hi Bristol

I have sent you a message

Regards Don

I guess it depends on how you define what is a mooring minder. I see yachts that don't leave their moorings except to go on the slips occasionally. These vessels sometimes are worth over a hundred grand! Are we going to call yachts valued under 2 grand mooring minders? Some of these boats have caring owners that don't leave their moorings at all but the owners treat them as their floating sheds. As far as I'm concerned if the owners are paying the fees then there is no problem.
Picking up a mooring and leaving someone onboard in case the owner turns up is fine. Really no different to anchoring and leaving someone onboard for when that CQR drags!

Thanks Don - and thanks for your PM. That's a nifty map from MAST.

I can only see 5 moorings and they seem a bit more tucked up in the corner. I rowed past yesterday and there might be room for a little one inside, but it's probably too shallow.

BTW, Tas has relatively little problem in this area up to now - and I notice that MAST now has a consultation process with interested parties before allowing additional anchoring in key cruising areas - and, in those areas, only adjacent landowners can put in new moorings. The other states could well benefit from a look at that model.

And apropos of nothing, the revamped cafe at Adventure Bay is excellent. A very nice young couple running it. AND we saw a white walkaby!

Cheers

Bristol

Good points Ramona, but there are some untouched and unloved old wrecks that are chewing up useful mooring / anchoring grounds. Really, if you just want a shed, get a shed!

To put it another way, imagine that people start parking cars on the street everywhere you want to go just because they want to keep the parking space or store stuff in the car. When you've got a 2km walk to your favourite cafe in the rain every time, you might start to think that it's a bit inappropriate.

Cheers

Bristol

I agree the mooring system really needs an overhaul. I am guilty as charged,my mooring sits very lonely as it has done for about a year because my boat is up north and won't be back until October. I am not allowed to let any one use my mooring,I'm supposed to let the gruberment officials know that I've gone on holidays ,if I go to long they will probably take it back. If I decide I no longer want it I have to remove it ,and some one else will put their one in its spot. No you can't find out who is next on the waiting list and offer them your mooring for free if it is suitable, that apparently is an invasion of privacy . And now in tassie according to the above post I can't even put a mooring down in a " key cruising area" unless I'm rich waterfront land owner. Great idea let's get back to sailing for the rich only so that they don't have to put up with seeing my 30 k yacht spoiling their view and especially having to deal with the appalling sight of my 10 year old work vehicle clogging up the street to get access to said yacht. Mmm wait till this takes off in Sydney. Perhaps boats should have to do real rego checks, where you take them under there own power to get inspected ,just like a car , and an app like air bnb so that if your away somebody else can use your mooring while it's vacant . Now time to put mum and dad in the nursing home so I can get that mooring down in front of their house, oh no hurry as no one but me can use that prime piece of mooring space ,but I don't want a boat .oh **** got to move the car someone wants to park In my street can't let that happen. Ok rant over for the year. Bring on the Whitsunday cruising pics it's getting close.

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Ramona said..
I guess it depends on how you define what is a mooring minder. I see yachts that don't leave their moorings except to go on the slips occasionally. These vessels sometimes are worth over a hundred grand! Are we going to call yachts valued under 2 grand mooring minders? Some of these boats have caring owners that don't leave their moorings at all but the owners treat them as their floating sheds. As far as I'm concerned if the owners are paying the fees then there is no problem.
Picking up a mooring and leaving someone onboard in case the owner turns up is fine. Really no different to anchoring and leaving someone onboard for when that CQR drags!

I'm sure there are folk who buy nice boats just to use as 'weekenders'. They don't need to go anywhere, they sit in the cockpit
with a couple of friends, swing around lazily on their mooring, go below to sleep the night and then the same next day.
Back to work on Monday after a great weekend. Cheaper than a shack and you can kid yourself you'll 'take off' one day.

I think the term mooring minder refers to the cheap vessel that's on a mooring so that one can keep ones mooring licence while waiting to get the dream boat. And generally as its not the dream boat it doesn't get the attention it otherwise would.
It would be much better allround if it was permitted to have some other boat on the mooring.
on the odd occasion I've been obliged to pick up some else's mooring and go ashore I leave my phone number displayed.

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woko said..
I think the term mooring minder refers to the cheap vessel that's on a mooring so that one can keep ones mooring licence while waiting to get the dream boat. And generally as its not the dream boat it doesn't get the attention it otherwise would.
It would be much better allround if it was permitted to have some other boat on the mooring.
on the odd occasion I've been obliged to pick up some else's mooring and go ashore I leave my phone number displayed.

But who decides what is a cheap boat. I'm of the opinion we are all equal. If we are all paying the fees then it does not matter that my closest neighbor yacht is an Amel and the owner lives in Canberra. Nearly all the yachts in my homeport are owned by people that live elsewhere. The BO is very diligent and regularly inspects boats on the moorings and is not adverse to posting out letters if the bottom is not clean enough or the topsides not up to his standards. He treats the rich people the same as the poor. Plenty of boats here that never leave their moorings but who cares.

Ramona I agree with if it goes no where who cares. And there's certain criteria attached to your mooring licence that should be enforced ie being able to undertake a voyage under the vessels own steam, you like I have traveled the coast and have witnessed the state of some mooring fields, poor little old boats marking time, it's not the boats fault she's been assigned to such duties but they are clogging up the system ! And I believe that's how this thread began with Bristols rant

Yep, Woko is right, it's the clogging up that bugs me. Eventually no one will be able to buy a boat because there are no moorings , no one will be able to go places because of no mooring/anchoring spots and marine services will shut down because mooring minders and empty moorings generate no income.

I know it's a bit of a rant, but having to sit further out in the swell & wind and then do the long row in our tiny tender past completely empty moorings is a bit annoying.

The point I'm making is that at SOME point, no matter how rich you are, just grabbing resources and thus preventing others from using them is not equitable.

Still, only one ( but still empty) mooring here in Bull Bay - who ever uses these things if it is empty on Good Friday night?

Cheers

Bristol

Yep, Woko is right, it's the clogging up that bugs me. Eventually no one will be able to buy a boat because there are no moorings , no one will be able to go places because of no mooring/anchoring spots and marine services will shut down because mooring minders and empty moorings generate no income.

I know it's a bit of a rant, but having to sit further out in the swell & wind and then do the long row in our tiny tender past completely empty moorings is a bit annoying.

The point I'm making is that at SOME point, no matter how rich you are, just grabbing resources and thus preventing others from using them is not equitable.

Still, only one ( but still empty) mooring here in Bull Bay - who ever uses these things if it is empty on Good Friday night?

Cheers

Bristol

Hi all
In Denmark if you have a pen in the marinas and you in tend to go sailing or motoring you let the harbour master know how long you will be gone, day week or month and they make them available for other.

When leaving each pen has a small plastic plate you slide from side to side, Red or Green that indicates the pen being available for other to use with a contact number for the harbour master to see how long it is available.

A similar way to let people know that the mooring is vacant could work. Just needs a way of letting you know its available and a method of contacting to find out how long for. any way just a thought.

Cheers and Happy Easter :)

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darmah said..
Hi all
In Denmark if you have a pen in the marinas and you in tend to go sailing or motoring you let the harbour master know how long you will be gone, day week or month and they make them available for other.

When leaving each pen has a small plastic plate you slide from side to side, Red or Green that indicates the pen being available for other to use with a contact number for the harbour master to see how long it is available.

A similar way to let people know that the mooring is vacant could work. Just needs a way of letting you know its available and a method of contacting to find out how long for. any way just a thought.

Cheers and Happy Easter :)

Nah, it would never work, too damn logical !

Now that Danish system is on the money. Just imagine the reduction in marinas and moorings if we all shared. There's one thing for sure, they don't add to the natural beauty of anywhere.

I'd like to be able to come into the bay, check online and book and pay for an available mooring. Doesn't seem like rocket science. If you're away from "your" marina berth, why shouldn't the marina let it out - and give you the appropriate discount / free days extension.

Interestingly in Tasmania, a few people have mentioned that they, "own a few moorings" but don't maintain them as they are not currently in use. So, cluttering up the place, preventing anchoring AND dangerous if you pick one up out of necessity. If you had a problem, you could really be between the devil and the deep blue sea.

BTW, this is in no way a crack at Tasmania or anywhere else, just happen to be here at the moment.

Cheers
Determined to make next post more positive
Bristol