Got the first pick in the buoy draw last night !

[tjspiel]

It works kind of like bingo. Your name is put on a card and it's thrown into a hopper. They give it a few spins and pull out a card.

Mine was actually the 2nd card drawn. The first person was not there. They are supposed to pick for you based on preferences you list when that happens but the map was wide open when I walked up.

I was not prepared for that.

Last year I didn't get picked until much later so I didn't really think about what I'd do if I was one of the first. I just had a general ideal of where I wanted to be.

Anyway, it's a nice step up from last year. Closer to the dock and on an outer corner so sailing to and from should be easy.

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[DBthal]

Looks like you picked a "celebrity mooring". Perfect spot.

Maybe you should get a Megabucks ticket!

[tjspiel]

Looks like you picked a "celebrity mooring". Perfect spot.

Maybe you should get a Megabucks ticket!

Ha !

Do you get to keep the same buoy every year Dan?

[gary-s]

Good for you!  That looks like a real easy commute.  Be nice for those "evening sails!"

Gary

[Riggerdood]

Right on Tom! Good for you - it's a sign of a great sailing season to come.

[DBthal]

Looks like you picked a "celebrity mooring". Perfect spot.

Maybe you should get a Megabucks ticket!

Ha !

Do you get to keep the same buoy every year Dan?

Yes - I own the mooring. Just have to pay $50 registration per year to the town.  The mooring also needs to be inspected every three years which costs $200.

[tjspiel]

Looks like you picked a "celebrity mooring". Perfect spot.

Maybe you should get a Megabucks ticket!

Ha !

Do you get to keep the same buoy every year Dan?

Yes - I own the mooring. Just have to pay $50 registration per year to the town.  The mooring also needs to be inspected every three years which costs $200.

Ah. That is a great deal !

It's $550 per year for me to have the buoy. $650 for non-residents.  Public slips on lakes in the metro area costs thousands per year and there's always a waiting list. Private marinas don't even advertise a price. .  If you get outside the metro a bit it isn't as bad but still not exactly cheap.

Is it the mooring equipment you own, the spot, or both? 

I know some slips work kind of like that. You buy the slip but it's kind of like a condo. You pay a fee for upkeep and services to the marina.

[DBthal]

Is it the mooring equipment you own, the spot, or both?

To get a mooring spot in Maine, an application is sent to the town Harbormaster.  There is currently a waiting list in most areas of my town.

After approval of the specific GPS location & gear specs for the boat size, a mooring installer is contracted.  You buy the gear from the installer and pay an installation fee. It cost me around $2000 total five years ago. 

[Quantico Frank]

Sounds great guys! You seem about ready to splash. I was told by my bottom-painter last week that they have a number of school boats ahead of me to be painted before they can get to "Spirit". But since then we have had about 10 days of spectacular wx, so who knows where my boat is in the queue right now?

Couple of questions: do you guys on moorings not have to worry about getting your bottoms painted, and if that's so, how do you avoid it? Also, do you not worry about water temperature? Obviously nobody PLANS to go swimming this time of year....

[DBthal]

Sounds great guys! You seem about ready to splash. I was told by my bottom-painter last week that they have a number of school boats ahead of me to be painted before they can get to "Spirit". But since then we have had about 10 days of spectacular wx, so who knows where my boat is in the queue right now?

Couple of questions: do you guys on moorings not have to worry about getting your bottoms painted, and if that's so, how do you avoid it? Also, do you not worry about water temperature? Obviously nobody PLANS to go swimming this time of year....

Hi Frank,

I paint the bottom of my P-165 every other year. Not a fun job.

In Maine, the water never gets much above 60 degrees (it's 48 right now), so a swim is best avoided. The highest risk action is moving between the dinghy & sailboat at the mooring. With a bit of care & experience (and a PFD), it can be done safely.

Dan

[tjspiel]

Sounds great guys! You seem about ready to splash. I was told by my bottom-painter last week that they have a number of school boats ahead of me to be painted before they can get to "Spirit". But since then we have had about 10 days of spectacular wx, so who knows where my boat is in the queue right now?

Couple of questions: do you guys on moorings not have to worry about getting your bottoms painted, and if that's so, how do you avoid it? Also, do you not worry about water temperature? Obviously nobody PLANS to go swimming this time of year....

Lake Nokomis is a small body of water and warms pretty quickly in the Spring. That said it's still dangerously cold in early May and like Dan mentioned, getting to and from the boat is what I'm most concerned about. PFD at all times this early in the year.

I'm a little unique in my approach to keeping the bottom of my boat clean and wouldn't do it if my boat were much bigger. I actually pull it out of the water every 3 to 4 weeks to clean off the bottom. Just far enough off the ramp so it's out of the way, - usually early on a weekday morning when it's not busy. It takes a leisurely 90 minutes then it goes right back in. I could finish in an hour if I were more purposeful about it.

I used to use "Barkeeper's Friend" in powder form and a green 3M scrubby, but last year I started using "Booyah Clean" as recommended by Fireman Dave. It works pretty well and has made cleaning much easier.

This year I'm going to experiment with a product called "VS721" which goes on more like a wax. Two coats are recommended and supposedly limits growth. Any growth that does accumulate will theoretically wipe off with a sponge, and they recommend you do that once or twice during the season. You can do it while the boat is still in the water. It's expensive at $75 for a bottle.

I will still probably take my boat out after 3 to 4 weeks but if all that is required is a wipe down I'll consider it a success. If it turns out I can pull the boat out less frequently, even better.

It can't be applied over anti-fouling paint. It has to be either bare gelcoat or an epoxy finish.

[Quantico Frank]

Thanks, Dan and Tom! Always great to hear how other people deal with things.