Slips Versus Moorings

Weighing the pros and cons of safety and accessibility
In many coastal areas, boats may be left on moorings rather than berthed in marinas. Moorings are permanent anchors to which the boat is made fast by a single line at the bow, so she is free to swing with the wind and current.Many boaters prefer moorings to marina slips, especially those who haul their boat out for the winter months and those whose mooring is well protected from wave action. The advantages of a slip are as follows:

• water and electricity are usually laid on

• the boat is well protected in all weathers

• access to the boat is easy

• there are often restaurants, toilets, and showers nearby

• it is easy to entertain guests

• consultation with other boat-owners is easy

The disadvantages of a slip are as follows:

• you can’t “get away from it all”—a marina is a city of boats

• there is little privacy

• you might have noisy neighbors

• your boat might suffer corrosion caused by stray currents from other boats

• the water is more likely to be polluted

The advantages of a mooring are as follows:

• the boat almost always faces into the wind

• you can raise the sails, make adjustments, or reef before setting off

• you don’t need an engine

• it’s easier to leave and pick up a mooring than to maneuver into a tight slip in a congested harbor

• a mooring is much less expensive than a marina slip

• you can enjoy your privacy

• usually, there will be more breeze and better natural ventilation throughout your boat

• sleeping on board is more fun

The disadvantages of a mooring are as follows:

• access to the boat means paying for launch service or using your own dinghy and finding a safe place to park it

• if you leave an important tool or chart in your car, it’s a long trip to retrieve it

• there is no shore power, nor water for washdowns

• you’ll probably have less protection from wind and waves

• you’ll need to be on guard for chafe on the mooring line

• if a gale blows when you’re at home in the middle of the night, you’ll worry about the boat

Finally, as a matter of simple aesthetics, let it be said that a boat looks more natural and alive on a mooring, where the waves chuckle under her bow as she flirts with the wind and dances in the swell. Boats tightly bound up in marinas look sad and misplaced, like prisoners waiting to be freed. If you’ve ever suddenly stopped rowing away from your boat, lost in admiration for her beauty as she lies to a mooring, you have experienced something wonderful that never happens to people with boats in marinas.See also Moorings.

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