I've given this a bit of thought.
Where I live I can see my boat from home on its swing mooring. I paddle out on SUP or if wife and others go get the rubber ducky out and easy.
If in a pen only advantage is slightly quicker access if no or little gear .
Pen disadvantages for me are too many but here are some:
$ are way too high so it's first,
Electrolysis , electrical currents eating away at annodes and more ,
Boat cops weather/sun on one side ,
Often long walks taking gear to boat, busy times no carts ,
Busy times no parking,
Can not see boat from home so a bit of drive to the marina ,
Security of boat is debatable as at times it's quicker for well organised thieves in a marina to go boat to boat.
What do others think as I could go on.

Fully agree with all that but depending where you are a compromise would be a swing mooring in a bay serviced by a tender service - eg North Harbour serviced by Treharnes.

manlyboatshed.com/

manlyboatshed.com/our-services.html

Not sure what the costs are but surely less than a marina?

EC31 said..


But I am retiring, and wont be able to afford the monthly fees. So even with all the benefits above, I am moving out.

If your lucky you will end up in a mooring field with others in a similar position and form a social bond.

I'm on a swing mooring. It is a hassle to drag the dinghy out, i would pop down to the boat more often if it was at a pen, but in saying that i can't justify the price. The money i save i can spend a bit more on the boat itself.
$6000 a year or go sailing for a few months or so ( not that i seem to do that, work still gets in the way??)

fishmonkey said..
if our boat wants to live in a marina it will need to get a job...

Air bnb to cover cost

wongaga said..
But of course others less misanthropic than I might welcome the company.

Cheers, Graeme

Ah, a fellow Misanthrope! Swing mooring is perfect for us. If we'd have put ours in a pen, it would have cost more than the boat itself within two years.

Careel Bay is pretty good. The Marina guys are regularly out in the mooring field, as are the local mooring contractor who's moored only a few boats away. It's a nice community, but everyone keeps to themselves, unless asked. I also have a friend who has a small trawler who keeps an eye out.

For the birds, we were fine for almost 8 years, then we missed going for a few months while away overseas. From then on, we got a seagull nest every time I missed putting the net up in nesting season. Only necessary from August to December really. From home to dropping the mooring line, including loading the dinghy, outboard, driving 30 minutes and getting on board is usually only 45-50 minutes, it's even quicker going home. For us, it's worth the saving of the many thousands for a pen. Annual mooring costs are about $8-900 including the annual service.

The tale of two 30 ft boats,
One on a rented swing mooring @ $25 a week,
pain in the ar.. to get to in crap conditions or if the " tender " dosen't wanna play the game,
The many birds and their crap are free,
2 min drive

Other boat is in the 'poverty pack' section in the newest part of the marina,
1k per year,
The rich folk with the big floating gin places on the other side of the walkway 10ft away pay 4k,
1 min drive away

Step on board any time any weather, casual power if/when needed,
No birds though,

I know which one l prefer,
I'm on a pension too

Small Town Tassie.
We're simple folk here,
we don't need triple Latte' coffee shops/ food courts or his and hers gyms with Italian marble benches/spas or architect designed valet bicycle parking,

Or 83 employees.