Annapolis Mooring Rant - AYC bite me

[trimfast]

I very much would have known if it was going on for years. This *maybe* started last year at the earliest, but I doubt it was before this year. Back in the day when we needed a mooring through both boat shows, we showed up early enough to get one and paid the cash to stay there. That was how you used to do it, you had to show up early and eat the cost of being early and you needed an actual boat to do it.

You are correct. This started as a trial last year, this is the second year. Every Club in Annapolis has the same issue, not enough slips, or parking spots for members. 

 

[Quickstep192]

Bird in hand is worth 2 in the bush, especially to a small city govt.  If AYC is willing to pay up front to reserve those moorings, and the city is willing to accept that payment, that's how it works.  

I’d be 100% on-board with that if they let me do the same, but they don’t. I’ve got to do catch as catch can while AYC gets preferential treatment. 

 

[kent_island_sailor]

Comedy Gold - I tried to reserve some moorings for my club. At first the Harbor Master employee denied there was any such thing as reserved moorings, flat out stating there was no such thing. When I asked about the AYC reserved moorings, the employee at first stated that they were AYC moorings. When pressed and after consulting with someone, he finally admitted they were Annapolis city moorings rented to AYC. Well OK, how I reserve some? Where is the form and what does it cost?

"We don't reserve moorings" :lol:

 

[TrailingEdge]

Comedy Gold - I tried to reserve some moorings for my club. At first the Harbor Master employee denied there was any such thing as reserved moorings, flat out stating there was no such thing. When I asked about the AYC reserved moorings, the employee at first stated that they were AYC moorings. When pressed and after consulting with someone, he finally admitted they were Annapolis city moorings rented to AYC. Well OK, how I reserve some? Where is the form and what does it cost?

"We don't reserve moorings" :lol:

That's pretty funny. I am sure the Capital Gazette could use a story about the City. You than can ask more questions like, was the Vice Commodore Ed Hartman's representation of a "Restaurant Group" suing County Exec Pittman over dining restrictions really a shadow campaign for AYC to open their doors without restriction?  Then again, the word on the street is he apparently also did say he wanted to turn AYC into something the likes of Augusta National to many members concern. 

 

[Black Jack]

Three questions:

Does the OP belong to the AYC?

How much does it cost to join the club?

Does it matter if one does belong to the club that controls the Annapolis moorings to get a reserved spot?

 

[kent_island_sailor]

Three questions:

Does the OP belong to the AYC?

How much does it cost to join the club?

Does it matter if one does belong to the club that controls the Annapolis moorings to get a reserved spot?

I am not a member, it is expensive, and yes only AYC members can use the public moorings that AYC somehow managed to get for themselves.

* I think about $15K to get in and $5K a year.

 

[Black Jack]

I am not a member, it is expensive, and yes only AYC members can use the public moorings that AYC somehow managed to get for themselves.

That sucks. But then again they run the show in the harbor and the town other than the USNA. They have for 125 years.

I guess I would need to find a sponsor to join. I also will need to buy a house with a dock. Damn this move sounds more expensive. It might be cheaper to live in Marin.

 

[kent_island_sailor]

That sucks. But then again they run the show in the harbor and the town other than the USNA. They have for 125 years.

I guess I would need to find a sponsor to join. I also will need to buy a house with a dock. Damn this move sounds more expensive. It might be cheaper to live in Marin.

I am not sure what the reference here is. You surely do not need to be member to live in Annapolis nor to have a boat there. The public moorings are NOT for permanent use and even if the harbormaster let it slide, the daily rate would come out to close to $1,000/month

Annapolis is NOT a cheap place to live or keep a boat compared to nearby areas, everyone wants to be there. That said you have EYC and SSA also with slips and quite a few commercial marinas plus if you are an Annapolis resident you can get on the wait list for a permanent mooring. These are around $1K/year I think. Many of us pay 1/2 to 1/4 the going Annapolis rates by living one or two rivers over or on the other side of the Bay. There are places you can just put your own mooring in for "free" except for the cost of the gear if you can manage a place for the dinghy.

We do have people that just plop down an anchor somewhere in Annapolis and seemingly never move, but you can't be sure your spot will still be there if you leave for a sail and come back.

 

[jesposito]

For various reasons I was quite late getting to Annapolis for the 4th. I held out no realistic expectation of getting a mooring and once in radio range the harbormaster confirmed they were 100% occupied. This actually kind of sucks because the anchorage has shitty holding and is very exposed or you can go way the hell up Spa Creek and not see much of the fireworks.

We decided to take a chance anyway and go under the bridge and up Spa Creek just in case and what did I find but 6 or so moorings up there with covers on them RESERVED AYC ONLY :angry: :angry: What The Actual Fuck!!!!! These moorings have been first-come-first-serve for as long as they have been there and still are according to the harbormaster website. We lucked out because someone wanted to get closer to the fireworks barge and left and we snagged their mooring about 0.8 seconds after they got off it, but to make matters ever worse only 2 out of the 6 moorings ever got used! I would love to know how a private club managed to convert a scarce public resource to their own property and then didn't even USE IT  :angry:

Maybe saving them for some of there WASP pals

 

[kent_island_sailor]

Hey - this made it to the FP. Now I guess I have to admit I sometimes visit the FP

 

[Quickstep192]

Hey - this made it to the FP. Now I guess I have to admit I sometimes visit the FP

Sorry, What's the FP?

 

[kent_island_sailor]

Sorry, What's the FP?

The mythical seldom-visited front page

 

[ropetrick]

Hey - this made it to the FP. Now I guess I have to admit I sometimes visit the FP

Scot so loves Annapolis.