Mooring Rules and Regulations

Updated January 1, 2023

The purpose of the Mooring Rules and Regulations is to help protect boats in the mooring field and ensure the safety of everyone using the Cove, while making the most of the limited resource the Cove represents. The rules have evolved over time from experience and from identifying what works and what doesn't. The Cove is poorly protected and subject to significant wind and wave action from the Southwest through to the Northwest. Whitecaps running through the Cove are not uncommon, and sustained gale force winds can be expected. This combination means that mooring gear needs to be adequately sized and properly maintained to minimize the chance of failure.

Failure of equipment in the marine environment can occur at any time, but it is most likely during extreme weather. A boat dragging its mooring or plowing through the mooring field because of a mooring failure puts other boats at risk. More significantly, it puts people at risk who may feel compelled to help rescue a boat in distress. It also has the potential to irreparably damage the ecology of the Cove if gas or diesel tanks rupture. Fortunately, no one has been badly hurt yet, but boats have been damaged by "going on the bricks" and hitting other boats, and there have been close calls, strained backs, crushed fingers and the like.

These are some of the reasons why all members should follow the club's Mooring Rules and Regulations. The rules will continue to evolve according to best practices, but failure to comply could jeopardize a member's standing in the club.

The Harbor Committee is responsible for administering the Mooring Rules and Regulations. Members should contact the Harbor Committee for all things related to moorings.

Communication with the Harbor Committee

• Initial communication with the Harbor Committee should be by email to HarborCommittee@DeerIsleYachtClub.com.
• Incoming email is distributed to all Harbor Committee members. The sender will receive an automatic reply acknowledging receipt: "Thanks for contacting the DIYC Harbor Committee. One of us will get back to you as soon as we can. If you don't hear back within a week, feel free to send us another email! We're all just volunteers, you know...."
• The Harbor Committee will designate a point person to respond to incoming emails, based on the topic or request. The Harbor Committee will be copied on initial responses, so others know contact has been made.

Mooring Maintenance

• All member moorings must be permanent, maintained by the club, and have Harbor Committee approved tackle.
• The condition and adequacy of mooring gear is ultimately the responsibility of the member. However, the club has found that the only way to ensure moorings are properly maintained is to coordinate inspection and maintenance for members on a three-year cycle. The Harbor Committee will inform members when maintenance is being scheduled for their moorings. Only high-quality materials of known origin are used. The club uses reputable vendors and coordinates the billing and collection of fees for the convenience of members and vendors. Members must reimburse the club for expenses associated with the maintenance of their moorings, and do so in a timely fashion.
• Due to changing environmental conditions, all mooring balls need to be 30-inch diameter hard shells, even for smaller boats. The ground tackle needed for the Cove is heavy, and combined with the marine growth that accumulates over the three-year maintenance cycle, the weight can pull smaller mooring balls underwater.

New Moorings

• Requests for a new mooring should be made in writing to the Harbor Committee. The request should include the following information:
  1. Length of boat
  2. Type of boat (motorboat: inboard or outboard / sail / row)
  3. Approximate displacement
  4. How much water the boat draws
  5. Year the mooring is expected to be needed
  6. Time during the summer when the mooring is most likely to be occupied
• The Harbor Committee maintains a waiting list of members interested in a mooring of appropriate size and location for a proposed boat. The list will be posted on the club's website.
• Members who do not currently have a mooring will be placed on the list on a first come, first served basis.
• Members with an existing mooring who are seeking a mooring for either a smaller boat (downsizing) or a larger boat will be given priority.
• Members with an existing mooring who are seeking an additional mooring will be added to the list on a first come, first served basis.

Temporary Moorings

• Members may not place temporary moorings in the Cove.

Mooring Sharing

• Mooring owners are encouraged to make their moorings available to other members when not in use.
• All sharing of moorings needs to be coordinated by the Harbor Committee.
• Mooring owners will be polled at the beginning of each season to find out when their mooring would be available for sharing. The results will be recorded and available to the Harbor Committee for reference.
• Members looking to "borrow" a mooring should contact the Harbor Committee as soon as their need is known. Last-minute requests are discouraged because of the burden they place on the Harbor Committee.
• The Harbor Committee will match up appropriate needs (timing, boat size and type, mooring size, location, etc.) to the best of its ability.
• Once a match is found, the Harbor Committee will put the members in contact with each other so final arrangements can be made. A reasonable fee of $100 per week is suggested, paid by the borrowing member directly to the mooring owner.
• If the mooring ball is not equipped with an approved pennant, the Harbor Committee will provide one (at cost) for the borrower to keep for future use.
• Members with moorings that are not used for multiple seasons will be reminded that they risk losing their mooring privileges. Moorings being shared are considered "in use".
• By borrowing a mooring, borrowers agree to hold harmless the mooring owners and the club with respect to the use of the moorings.

Transfer of Moorings Within a Family

• Mooring space can be transferred to immediate family members. This includes:
  • Mother/Father to Daughter/Son
  • Grandmother/Grandfather to Grandchild
  • Sister/Brother to Sister/Brother
• Before any transfer, the Harbor Committee should be consulted to make sure there are no unforeseen issues with how the mooring will be used after the transfer. For example, only moorings that will be used for boats of a similar size and type can be transferred.

Limit on Number of Moorings Held

• Members are limited to two moorings in the Cove (situations as of August 2001 are grandfathered).

Sale of Moorings

• The Harbor Committee must be contacted when a mooring is no longer needed. It will help coordinate the transfer of the mooring space to the next qualified member on the waiting list. This may include the club purchasing the mooring gear to best manage the transition.

Ruling of Abandonment of Moorings

• A mooring that has not been used by a member for at least three years will be considered abandoned. The Harbor Committee will give the member 30 days' notice of the pending "Ruling of Abandonment". After the 30-day notice period has expired, the Harbor Committee may have the existing mooring gear removed at the member's expense and facilitate the transfer of the mooring space to the next qualified member on the waiting list. A mooring that is being actively shared (see above) will not be considered abandoned.

No set of rules can anticipate every situation. Accordingly, the Harbor Committee will use its best efforts to interpret and apply the rules fairly and at its sole discretion. The Harbor Committee also has the authority to meet members' needs through creative application of the rules (e.g., "horse trading" and the like). This may include the club purchasing a mooring from a member who is no longer using it, to facilitate its transfer to another member.

Appendix A: Pennants

Appendix B: Mooring Buoys

*If a member wishes to use another product, they should check with a member of the Harbor Committee to make sure it meets industry quality standards.

End of Mooring Rules and Regulations