Mooring ball vs slip: my honest math after two seasons on each
Asked by moorings_mike in Boat Slips & Moorage on May 30, 2026
Season on a mooring, season in a slip, same harbor, same 34' boat:
MOORING: $1,100/season + $400 launch service + dinghy hassle + soaked groceries twice = real cost ~$1,500 and some marriage capital. SLIP: $5,800/season + zero hassle + shore power + walked aboard with coffee = real cost $5,800.
The mooring saved me $4,300 and I used the boat HALF as much. Cost per trip aboard was basically identical. Nobody tells you that part.
3 replies
gulfgypsy · May 31, 2026
'Cost per trip aboard' is the only metric that matters and nobody computes it. A slip is a usage subscription — you use the boat more because it's easy.
northshore_ned · June 1, 2026
Same experience. The dinghy run kills spontaneous Tuesday-evening sails, and spontaneous Tuesday sails are the whole point of owning a boat.
moorings_mike · June 2, 2026
Update for fairness: mooring crowd will note the boat sails better off a ball (no dock rash, bottom stays cleaner with current). Both true. Still in the slip.