QLD
12 posts
what do you think of the current mooring policy in NSW for private rec users ? How long did you have to wait on the list ? Does it annoy you to think that some boats sit there for 10 years unused, unmoved, unloved on a prime spot whilst other active and able boat owners wait and wallow ? How can this current system be improved ? Requirements for moorings are the vessel must be:
Vessels must be visually suitable for the bay and be maintained in a seaworthy condition which means being capable of undertaking a voyage.
The following criteria is used to assess a vessel’s visual suitability for a mooring:
* The vessel must be of a style considered by NSW Maritime to be consistent with the general style of vessels moored in the bay.
* Vessels constructed of materials other than fibreglass, must be painted in colours appropriate to the general amenity of the bay. Bright or iridescent colours are not acceptable without written approval of NSW Maritime. Timber vessels may be varnished (or similar) provided that the varnished timbers are kept in good condition. An exception is made for teak, which should be appropriately maintained (eg, oiled).
Vessels must be kept in good condition including, but not limited to the following:
* The vessel must not show temporary repairs that are visually obvious (that is patched up) without written approval from NSW Maritime.
* The vessel must be kept clean and tidy.
* The vessel must be kept free of bird droppings, vermin and insects.
* The vessel must not be used as a repository for refuse, garbage, or “junk”.
* Painted substances must not be peeling, flaking, crazed or otherwise deteriorated.
* Metal surfaces must be kept free from rust and any other forms of oxidisation.
* Marine growth on the vessel’s hull must be kept to a standard acceptable to NSW Maritime.
A vessel will only be deemed to be in a seaworthy condition if it is capable of undertaking a voyage.
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I was down at Rose Bay recently and I saw a boat with no mast, no sails no motor capable transom. It was 50 M from the beach on a private mooring and hadn't been cleaned in years. bird crap and barnacles galore. I spend a bit of time walk the foreshores, noting which boats are 'active' and sad to say about 80% are not. Its really frustrating because I know I have to be a good citizen and wait, wait wait, probably for another 2 years until my preferred area has a vacancy.
Is there a better way ? Perhaps join a club and rent from them..
NSW
864 posts
Have just moved my boat onto my own mooring just a few weeks ago on the long weekend. It's an excellent spot for us in one of the quiet, sheltered bays off the Parramatta River maybe half a km from the Gladesville Bridge. We did also get immediate approval (ie zero waiting) for another spot at Longueville but the Gladesville spot was preferred and came in about the same time so we didn't opt for that one.
So the bottom line is, it depends on where you want. If you want a prime spot in the middle of the harbour then chances are a million other people do too and you'll need to wait. Waiting lists for some spots on the harbour are estimated in decades (no kidding!)
We found Maritime to be pretty good really - quite friendly and generally try to be helpful as much as the rules allow. If your preferred spot is full of mooring minders, try giving them a call. We did that and the BSO offered to go check out if there were any spots that could be cleared. We had our letter of offer a couple of weeks later. Once we did get our license, the BSO then spent quite a bit of time with us trying to find a spot which best suited us and our boat.
On the other hand, if it was my boat that I was putting endless hours into renovating, I'd be just a little peeved to get a call from Maritime telling me I had to move it because the paint was peeling and it was covered in bird crap. Actually, we do have an old motor boat next to us that's always covered in birds and their crap and I'm really glad to have it there... means they're not congregating on my boat and crapping on it! [}:)]
Before getting our license, the boat was on a rented mooring. These are convenient (you can get one straight away) and often have other useful facilities like a tender service, on shore amenities and the like. However you'll find your monthly spend for a commercial mooring is about as much as your annual spend for your own. Clubs will probably charge similar to a marina.
Can the system be improved? Yes, almost certainly. How? I'm not sure. Commercial boats need to pass survey inspection every couple of years. Maybe that could be introduced for private boats but the costs associated with that could end up being pretty heavy.
