Slip Cost/Value 2023

[matias]

I got a slip for $7K for summer 2023 season in Long Island, NY for a 38-200. Im excited cause is going to make all the difference to enjoy the boat. The past few nights I was in heaven dreaming about how wonderful is going to be.
Four nights later Im having buying remorse hahahahahaha. The difference between mooring and slip $4.5k and ohhh boy I would ♥︎ to put that money into the boat for upgrades!!!!!
If I pass this opportunity I wonder how long would I have to wait for BETTER times perhaps??? to get a slip again??
You think the slip is worth it? or is wasted money??? thank you for ideas or suggestions
p.s I still did not sign the contract.

 

[bsangs]

I got a slip for $7K for summer 2023 season in Long Island, NY for a 38-200. Im excited cause is going to make all the difference to enjoy the boat. The past few nights I was in heaven dreaming about how wonderful is going to be.
Four nights later Im having buying remorse hahahahahaha. The difference between mooring and slip $4.5k and ohhh boy I would ♥︎ to put that money into the boat for upgrades!!!!!
If I pass this opportunity I wonder how long would I have to wait for BETTER times perhaps??? to get a slip again??
You think the slip is worth it? or is wasted money??? thank you for ideas or suggestions
p.s I still did not sign the contract.

I cannot overstate how enjoyable it was having a slip last season - and I paid more than you for one over in Jersey City. I'm a little jealous of your price! We already renewed for this season as well. So my vote is for totally worth it, and not wasted money.

 

[Frank Langer]

That's a tough call, depends on so many factors. But I would be thinking about how easy it is to get to your mooring, would you go sailing more often with one or the other, do you bring others on board to sail, would you interact more with others on the dock, get more advice or help, which option is safer from robberies, weather, etc.
Good luck with the decision.
Frank

 

[Alan Gomes]

There is also the issue of working on your boat with it on a mooring vs. in a slip. The latter certainly seems easier in many instances.

 

[mjsouleman]

Slip = on demand water, on demand electricity, on demand WiFi, calls to dock hands for assistance on windy days, social interactions with neighbors and new friends.
and you don't have to row out during brisk or rainy days.

 

[Loren Beach]

oalSlip = on demand water, on demand electricity, on demand WiFi, calls to dock hands for assistance on windy days, social interactions with neighbors and new friends.
and you don't have to row out during brisk or rainy days.

If you have the budget, I agree that a slip lets you conveniently work on the boat and just casually visit it to hang out there. Not as "private" as being on a mooring, tho.
It's always about choices and options, for sure.

As for cost... there's no way to say what's too much or just right.
For a far-away comparison, I am in a very protected slip in a smaller all-volunteer yacht club, with my friend's E-38 just down the dock from me. In round numbers our total for all moorage and all related club fees (for either boat) runs about $2K per year. Meanwhile, a mile down the street is a huge combo yacht/social club with full bar & restaurant and a ball room..... and their total for a boat my size would cost $6K per year.

And I do have water, 30 amp power, and wifi. We have "social interactions", but zero "dock boys"... !

Please "shop around" and do not exclude yacht clubs from your search.
Edit: note that YC membership ordinarily includes reciprocal privileges at oodles of other YC docks and facilities, and that's very nice when out cruising in the summer.

 

[Chschaus]

We have always been in a slip. For me, it is totally worth the extra money. I have made many friends over the years congregating on the dock. Having shore power, water and easy access is worth it alone. FWTW

 

[Christian Williams]

Not much choice in LA--no anchorages. I pay about $850 a month for full service yacht club slip. Of course there are club dues too for a total of about $1300/month.

Sounds like Long Island is more expensive, since you have haul and winter storage fees in addition.

Fact is, I can no longer imagine a mooring for an older boat which needs continual maintenance and replacements. My world is transport in carts down docks to power and water and quick trips back and forth to West Marine. Nothing beats a slip and a car within 100 yards.

 

[Alan Gomes]

Another data point: I'm down the freeway from Christian. Mine is a privately run marina, not connected with a yacht club. For my 26 footer I'm paying around $400/month. Electricity is on top of that, but the monthly amount is negligible. This is a nice marina with clean restrooms with a clubhouse and boater's lounge for marina tenants that can be reserved for social events.

Given the many jobs I've done on this boat, including an engine swap, I can't imagine being on a mooring.

 

[Tin Kicker]

I work on the boat more than sail it so the slip is the only way to go. I can run up to the van for things and use the carts. Water and power are nice but as others said, a big equally part is also the community of the very small marina we are in.

If price is that big an issue, maybe you can find something for less money, but be careful not to look too far away (for me an hour) or to let your standards down. As we all know, boats run on money.

I'm thrilled to be moving one dock over this year in the same all-sailboat marina even though the price is going up to $3250/year. (I'm in the water all year.) If we simply moved closer to Annapolis the cost could easily double.

Trying to leave the old slip in a 32 ft boat (really 33) when the fairway is a tight 40 ft wide has been an absolute hassle because when my stern just passes the outer piling the bow is literally an arm's length from hitting the outboard motor hanging off the boat across from me. Throw in some wind and I learned to lasso the last piling to bring the nose around to start the departure turn, then release the rope to slide off. Returning to dock in that tight fairway has also been much more of a problem with any wind because there just is not enough margin to pivot safely. I need to come abeam the line of pilings to catch mine, then pull the rear in by hand using the lines between slips.

Just having the extra 5 ft of the new fairway plus the boat across not being beyond their outer piling makes an amazing difference.
btw - For anybody in the area I believe our little marina has only two slips open (of 76? total) for the coming year. http://www.hammockisland.com/

 

[matias]

Totally agree! Slip is the way to go. I will sign the contract today and look fwd to the season.
This forum is a great resource! I want to thank everyone for your inputs and share experiences very helpful.

 

[Bolo]

Been doing a lot of work own my boat this winter and I can't imagine not having it in a slip. A few days ago I had to make three runs over the the hardware store and local marine parts store. On a mooring I'd be rowing ashore each time! In Annapolis my boat slip is in one of the best marinas in town and I pay $5200/year which includes electric, season pool pass, free pump outs, use of a very nice "club house" (it's not a sailing club), with marina store and cafe, good WIFI, laundry, workout room, boats lifts and services in a park like setting. Plus the marina does a dock walk everyday to do a visual outside check on each boat. I'm a lucky sailor I guess.

 

[mjsouleman]

location, location, location! While in Deale Maryland at a VERY nice marina with all the amenities, I paid $4,700 for a full year. Moving to Rhode Island and 15 minutes from New Port, the cost is $5,700 plus $1,800 to put the boat on the hard. All this gets me 6 months instead of 12 months.
Seriously looking into moving the boat back to Maryland.

 

[Bolo]

Seriously looking into moving the boat back to Maryland.

Were you at Herrington Harbor South or North? Yes, location does mean everything especially when you must haul out in the winter the more north you are located. Annapolis is "warm" enough in winter that I keep our boat in the slip and only haul out every other year for bottom treatments. Who says that global warming is a bad thing? (I know, another politically incorrect joke.)

 

[mjsouleman]

Herrington Harbor North

 

[Tin Kicker]

Were you at Herrington Harbor South or North? Yes, location does mean everything especially when you must haul out in the winter the more north you are located. Annapolis is "warm" enough in winter that I keep our boat in the slip and only haul out every other year for bottom treatments. Who says that global warming is a bad thing? (I know, another politically incorrect joke.)

Hammock Island has circulators to move the water if it does freeze and so far hasn't used them once this year. (Hope I didn't just jinx it.) One very still morning when the arctic blast came thru we had a thin layer of surface ice and that was gone as soon as the wind came up to give the water some movement.

I'm OK with no longer having winters like this:

 

[hilco woudstra]

I got a slip for $7K for summer 2023 season in Long Island, NY for a 38-200. Im excited cause is going to make all the difference to enjoy the boat. The past few nights I was in heaven dreaming about how wonderful is going to be.
Four nights later Im having buying remorse hahahahahaha. The difference between mooring and slip $4.5k and ohhh boy I would ♥︎ to put that money into the boat for upgrades!!!!!
If I pass this opportunity I wonder how long would I have to wait for BETTER times perhaps??? to get a slip again??
You think the slip is worth it? or is wasted money??? thank you for ideas or suggestions
p.s I still did not sign the contract.

Totally agree! Slip is the way to go. I will sign the contract today and look fwd to the season.
This forum is a great resource! I want to thank everyone for your inputs and share experiences very helpful.

Totally agree! Slip is the way to go. I will sign the contract today and look fwd to the season.
This forum is a great resource! I want to thank everyone for your inputs and share experiences very helpful.

WOW!.....you guys pay allot of monies up there. Here n Oriental, NC, I rent out my slip for $3,600 a year.....great sailing also.

 

[matias]

7k for the summer, 3k for winter storage, Electricity is extra plus there is $500 min maintenance fee you have to use for something, another $500 for a powerwash at the end of the season and a town fee of $250 because Im not a resident of Huntington NY. $11,250 + electricity. Everything else insurance, maintenance variable, upgrades... it gets expensive real soon. I guess NY is getting kind of expensive which is unfortunate because the eastern part of Long Island makes for great adventureous sailing and I would hate to have to move. For now I can make it but if the price goes up just a little more then Im going to need alternatives. BTW Im counting minutes until launch day!!
p.s. english is my third language my apologies in gramatical errors

 

[bsangs]

7k for the summer, 3k for winter storage, Electricity is extra plus there is $500 min maintenance fee you have to use for something, another $500 for a powerwash at the end of the season and a town fee of $250 because Im not a resident of Huntington NY. $11,250 + electricity. Everything else insurance, maintenance variable, upgrades... it gets expensive real soon. I guess NY is getting kind of expensive which is unfortunate because the eastern part of Long Island makes for great adventureous sailing and I would hate to have to move. For now I can make it but if the price goes up just a little more then Im going to need alternatives. BTW Im counting minutes until launch day!!
p.s. english is my third language my apologies in gramatical errors

That's about what it is for us at Liberty Landing Marina in NJ too. Though the electricity barely reaches $20 per month, and there are no minimum maintenance, or town fees. Headed your way later this summer as we sail to Block Island.

 

[matias]

Nice! hope to cross path around Block Island, the Vineyards...