A bit more research indicates it's common practice to just grab a vacant mooring and move off if a club member comes along.

Seems a bit sneaky using a mooring that someone else pays for, maybe a bit less as they seem to be all club moorings rather than individual private moorings. Flip side is that this is a popular area and shouldn't be exclusive to club members.

With space so tight in Coasters Retreat there doesn't appear to much other option and I do think it a more environmentally responsible option to use available moorings than potentially anchor elsewhere over sea floor life.

Anyone know what the acceptable practice is here? I was thinking of leaving the mobile phone number on an easy read sign when ashore. I'm happy to move on, just don't want any agro about occupying a mooring.

Thoughts?

And stick to the club moorings, they have larger buoys. The row of moorings on the southern shore side where the houses are, are not club moorings. The local residents keep runabouts and small cabin craft on them, and understandably get upset when cruisers/yachts with displacement 10x larger tie on.

It is not illegal to use someone else's mooring in NSW, providing you vacate it when requested to do so.

LooseChange said..

It is not illegal to use someone else's mooring in NSW, providing you vacate it when requested to do so.

It would appear that this is no longer that case. RMS no longer has any mention of it on their web site, up to several years ago there was info regarding this.

apologies to all for the now erroneous information.

I am not aware of any courtesy moorings in the Basin. If there are, they will be the ones taken 24/7.. There are some around in Broken Bay bays.

HaveFun said..

I always understood the rule in NSW was you can pick up someone else's mooring provided you remain on board (and therefore available to move if the owner comes along).

That is exactly what I thought too, but now can find no reference to it.