Mooring Buoys 101 – Mooring Canada

The mooring buoy advantage: you buy it once and it’s yours forever!

There are many pros and cons when considering the possibility of using a mooring buoy as your primary form of boat storage. The main alternative is to rent a boat slip at a marina. When contemplating this decision, keep the following points in mind:

The cost of a mooring buoy, in the long run, is significantly cheaper

The estimated costs of the investments are outlined below:
Mooring system: CAD$1,750-$3,500 initial investment + ~$250 every 5 years.
Boat Slip: CAD$4,800-$12,000 per year.
If we take an average mooring buoy cost and an average boat slip, it will take around six months to completely offset the cost of installing a mooring buoy.

With the lifespan of a professional mooring buoy being roughly 20-30 years, mooring buoys save significant amounts of money in the long run.

A mooring buoy requires maintenance

The risks of using a mooring buoy can be greater than using a slip. If not properly installed or maintained, mooring buoys can become unsafe and prone to accidents.

Remember, mooring.ca’s primary purpose is to encourage responsible boat ownership and to lower ecological impact on the environment, so if you are not ready to maintain or install a mooring buoy safely, it is best to call a professional.

Mooring buoys require the attention and care that is not always needed when the boat is moored at a marina. Each mooring ball needs to be inspected on a regular basis to ensure that everything is in good working condition.

To maintain the tackle, it is important to check every chain for rust and marine deterioration. Every shackle must be examined in the same fashion. All fiber lines should be kept free of sand and should be replaced if frayed parts are visible.

Permits are not needed for private mooring buoys, so they can be installed (almost) anywhere

Many boat owners believe that you need to have special permits in order to install a mooring buoy, which is not true. In most cases, as long as the regulations are followed, anyone can install, maintain, and legally own a mooring buoy.

Mooring buoys also do not necessarily need to be situated close to a marina. When you follow the regulations, you may be able to deploy the mooring buoy in front of your house.

A mooring system is an investment whereas renting a slip is not

When you purchase a mooring buoy, you invest in a mooring solution that can be sold or used by other people if needed. This gives you the flexibility to own the piece of property that your boat is attached to. Boat slips do not allow for the value to be held by the renter.

Professional Install or DIY?

Congratulations! You have decided to install a mooring buoy instead of renting a slip in a marina.

The next important decision to make is whether or not you are going to build the mooring solution on your own or if you are going to purchase one. Both come with advantages and disadvantages in terms of costs, maintenance, peace-of-mind, and, most importantly, safety.

Costs

The average cost of mooring installation is roughly CAD $1,750-$3,500. A DIY mooring buoy can be done with cheap materials and a range of installation costs depending on the size of the system and your accessibility to installation equipment (crane, barge, utility dock, etc.).

You also need to factor in the likelihood of a mistake being made when you are deploying your mooring buoy. If a mistake were to happen, how much, on average, would it cost?

Maintenance

For a mooring buoy, you will need to regularly inspect the system’s components or hire another company to do this for you. When you install a mooring system yourself, you will need to ensure that the mooring buoy follows proper regulations and that you have resources for maintenance.

Professional mooring buoy installers will provide a user manual including a maintenance schedule with the installation. This makes it favourable to purchase a system with a company that has the equipment required for the job.

Peace-of-Mind

When undertaking a DIY construction project, it is important to ask yourself: “Do I trust myself to build this?”. That is, do you think that you are as good or better at building it than a professional mooring buoy installer?

Going with a professional company can give you the peace-of-mind that a personal construction project often can’t. When a storm is running through your area, you don’t want to be constantly worried about the safety of your boat. Installers will give an exceptional experience and a high level of care to your product that will ease your worries.

Personal Preference

Do you freeze at the thought of an at-home construction project? Or do you take out your measuring tape, nails, hammer, and screwdriver with passion? Depending on your answer to this question, it can say a lot about your preference towards the “Do-it-yourself” mooring system.

The more comfortable and ambitious you are with a construction project, the more likely you will be to choose the DIY version of the mooring buoy. Make sure to take some time to calculate your own estimate of costs or contact us before you reach a decision.

If you go DIY, please visit the “Resources” section that we have made available in the home menu.

Stay safe and responsible!